WE MADE IT HALFWAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION!
As of Friday July 14th, all legislators are officially on “Summer Break” until Monday August 14. This means that they will not be conducting business at the state Capitol, but will be available to meet at the local district office. Summer break is a great opportunity to engage and build relationships with your legislators.
AB 223, AB 665, AB 957 were not heard on the Senate Floor and will not be taken up until the return of session in August. This gives us the ability to put pressure and educate the senators on the harms of the bills above.
Over 2,500+ bills have been introduced this year and most of the time, legislators are unaware of the policy that they vote on. It is our responsibility as advocates to voice our concerns. We have made it easy for you to take action with these steps below:
Breathe, relax and regroup! Politics is a heavy contentious topic that can drain even the greatest advocate or lobbyist. The topics we cover require difficult and uncomfortable conversations with decision makers. It is vital to utilize self care and fill your cup so you can continue to fight with your best foot forward.
Attend your legislators local events, the best way to do this is to call their office and ask to be put on the mailing list or ask what upcoming events they will be having. Engaging at the local level and establishing yourself as a caring constituent will show them that you mean business. Find your legislator here.
Print out our resource guide on AB 665, AB 223, AB 957 and schedule a meeting with your senator to discuss your concerns further. Use our guide as a way to initiate conversation and spark questions for them to consider. Visit our take action page for updates and action links.
AB 659 passed out of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday July 12th. We had the opportunity to be one of the lead testifying witnesses on the bill. Darrlene Alquiza, PERK Director of Education, did a phenomenal job in articulating ongoing concerns we have with AB 659’s HPV Vaccine Recommendation notification to 6th graders. We strongly believe that the conversation surrounding HPV and vaccines belong solely in the hands of the Child’s Physician. A 6th grade child has only learned about the basic anatomy of reproductive organs and is not yet of age to dialogue STDs and STI’s. This notification is misplaced and we are asking for it to be removed.
The Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Josh Newman directly asked the Author, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry about the reason behind addressing this issue at the school level rather than a doctors office. The Author did not answer and instead read off her pre-written speech.
AB 659 is off to the Senate Appropriations Committee where it will undergo fiscal review and cost of the bill. This bill adds additional financial burdens on local school districts and we calculate a heavy cost. Please prepare and submit your opposition letter to the Senate Appropriations committee in a timely manner.
To watch the full hearing click the video below:
ASM. Aguiar-Curry - AB 659 Senate Education Committee hearing, July 12th, 2023.
PERK testifies at AB 659 Committee hearing
Other recent news regarding legislation
Extreme Democrats enable Human Sex Trafficking of children.
SB 14 by Senator Shannon Grove would make a repeat offender of human sex trafficking of a MINOR a serious offense, eligible for the 3 strike penalty for re-offenders.
This bill passed out of the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support. It was then stopped in the Assembly Public Safety Committee by 6 extreme progressive democrats: Chairman Assembly Member Reggie Sawyer Jones, Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan, Liz Ortega, Mia Bonta, Miguel Santiago, and Rick Zbur who decided to not vote for the bill therefore enabling sex trafficking of a minor.
After intense nationwide scrutiny and an utter shock to the state legislature, Republican Leaders tried to force a floor vote in the Assembly. Their motion was denied due to “being out of order” since this bill should technically go to Appropriations before it is set for a floor vote.
Assistant Majority Leader Assembly Member Isaac Bryan motioned for the bill to be reheard in the Public Safety Committee and was granted the request. This sent SB 14 back to the same committee that it was paused in. They immediately brought it for a Vote with a Yes vote from all members except for Isaac Bryan and Mia Bonta who both abruptly stormed out of the hearing room.
Since being shut down and brought back up, SB 14 picked up an additional 31 Democrat authors in the Assembly. Many members speaking out and saying they greatly support the measure and would have Voted Yes in the Public Safety committee if given the chance.
Assembly member Liz Ortega realized she made a mistake and walked back her decision on Tuesday.
The momentum around SB 14 initiated a greater dialogue surrounding democratic values and the hijacking of the Democratic Party by extreme progressives who value a Repeat Human Trafficker over the life of an innocent child being sold for sex.
This issue transcends political lines and if they were not willing to stand up for the children, then the state of CA was ready to push back. There is power in our voices and we are starting to wake up to the political facade. We encourage you to know the names and faces of the members who voted against a completely sensible policy. Elections are coming up in 2024 and we have to bring back balance to CA. Get involved in your local community and support like-minded candidates who are motivated to make a change.
New leadership in the House!
Assemblymember Robert Rivas was recently appointed Honorable Speaker of the Assembly after a dramatic and hostile takeover by Assembly progressives last year. He will replace Assemblymember Anthony Rendon who was not ready to give up his position.
Speaker Asm. Robert Rivas is the son of immigrant farm workers and an advocate for rural communities. We look forward to engaging him on our issues and having a seat at the table to push forward positive legislation.
Rivas also appointed the following positions:
Speaker Pro Tempore Honorable Cecilia M. Aguiar-Curry -An officer appointed by the Speaker that presides over Floor Sessions in the absence of the Speaker.
Assistant Speaker pro Tempore Honorable Stephanie Nguyen.
Majority Leader Honorable Isaac Bryan -Appointed by the Speaker, represents the Speaker on the Floor, expedites Assembly Floor proceedings such as motions and points of order and promotes harmony among the membership.
Assistant Majority Leader Honorable Gregg Hart
Assistant Majority Leader for Policy and Research Honorable Diane Papan
Majority Whip Honorable Lori Wilson
Assistant Majority Whip Honorable Matt Haney
Assistant Majority Whip Honorable Josh Lowenthal
Democratic Caucus Chair Honorable Rick Chavez Zbur
Republican Leader Honorable James Gallagher
Do you notice a common trend amongst the appointed leadership? It is clear that there is a set agenda to bring forth extremely progressive policies in California. The bad bills we are fighting were a teaser in anticipation of what is to come with this new slate of leaders. A quick search into their proposed legislation will give you a clear idea of what they support and want to advance.
Many from the LGTBQ community respect PERK’s decision as we draw the line at inappropriate and sexually explicit material being exposed to our children.
Some of the appointed leaders in Sacramento are loud and proud advocates of Gender transitioning for minors, mandating gender affirming care, and insulating our school curriculum with medically inaccurate information.
History repeats, create the future!
The time to be involved is NOW, these bills will not be going away and we must stand united to protect our children. Never forget that you have the power to keep the peace in your home, the world will traumatize our children enough, and we must be the safe space for them to learn and thrive. What you feel as a parent is valid and we hear your concerns, PERK plans to release more resources to empower you.
We are at a pivotal time in history where we have the ability to shape what the future looks like in the face of a new future pandemic. These policies are like liquid concrete being poured onto us. Only we have the ability to determine how it sets and hardens. Once it is set it will be hard to chip away and fix the damage. This is why we must stand firm now and be willing to have those difficult conversations with everyone around us.
People don’t get involved in politics until politics gets involved with them. Many of us are in this because we were empowered to fight for our freedoms in the face of complete government control. Together we preserved some fundamental freedoms in CA through legislation, litigation, education, and advocacy.
Keep standing firm and don’t waiver in the face of opposition. There are millions of us willing to fight and never give up on California.
This state will always be worth fighting for!
-Jessica Cabrera
PERK Director of Advocacy
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Removes the requirement that children must be a danger to themselves or others, or be alleged incest or abuse victims, before seeking care without their parents’ consent. This will remove the guardrails that prevent abuse of current law, so instead of cases of emergency, mental health professionals or school psychologists can refer for treatment and/or send a child to residential shelter services for any reason without parental consent.
Status of Bill: Senate Floor -
AB 957 Obligates a judge to include gender identity affirmation by parent as part of the deciding criteria when awarding custody in family court. Changes SECTION 1. Section 3011 of the Family Code to the health, safety, and welfare of of the child. (B) As used in this paragraph, the health, safety, and welfare of the child includes, among other comprehensive factors, a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity or gender expression. Affirmation includes a range of actions and will be unique for each child, but in every case must promote the child’s overall health and well-being.…Read more
Status of Bill: Senate Floor
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SB 407 will not allow foster children to be placed in homes if you will not or cannot affirm their self-selected gender identity. This bill would make foster families sign forms stating they will affirm the foster child's gender, even if it is against their religious beliefs.
Status of Bill: Re-referred to Assembly Com. on Appropriations -
AB 223 would require any petition for a change of gender and sex identifier or a petition for change of gender, sex identifier, and name filed by a person under 18 years of age, and any papers associated with the proceeding, to be kept confidential by the court. The bill would require the court to limit access to these records to specified individuals, including, among others, the minor, the minor’s parents, and their attorneys.
Status of Bill: Senate Floor
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This bill would remove local school districts from the equation of deciding the best literature and curriculum for the communities served.
Local school districts will lose their authority over curriculum and give all the power to the County Superintendent and California Board of Education. It includes financial penalties to school districts who don’t comply.
Status of Bill: Senate Appropriations Committee TBA
