Elevate the 28th - June 2024

WELCOME

Greetings Neighbor,

Welcome to our June newsletter issue! Your continued engagement are cornerstones to our progress, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent our amazing 28th District.

In this issue, you’ll learn about the many budget wins that we’re on course to achieving for Californians. You’ll also read about our equitable jobs bill SB 1340 that gives disadvantaged residents greater access to high paying jobs created by the billions of dollars in California’s green infrastructure projects. In addition, you will learn how we recently recognized 100 nonprofits in our district for their tremendous impact in our communities.

Please stay connected with us. Feel free to reach out to our District or Capitol staff for assistance with accessing state services. And don’t forget to visit our website to get more updates, submit scheduling requests or read our recent media coverage.

Warm Regards,

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Senator, 28th District

Senate on Course for Budget Wins for California

I am pleased to share that we are one step closer to achieving 2024-25 Budget wins that prioritizes the needs of Californians. While faced with a budget deficit year, the State Legislature was able to accomplish funding commitments to help uplift communities across our state. Here are the Budget highlights:

• Funding $1 billion for local governments to combat homelessness.
• Record funding for public schools, making children a top priority.
• Investing billions to expand access and eligibility for Medi-Cal and support public health programs.
• Increased funding from $8.3 million to $15 million to expand training and access to high-roads jobs for underserved populations.
• Funding $13 million for ongoing research, education and public engagement on labor issues in California.
• Investing millions in affordable housing projects.
• Keeping relief programs that support California’s working families.
• Funding $1 million for the Employment Development Department’s surplus property in South LA’s Crenshaw corridor to create worker training space and affordable housing.
• Funding $12 million to implement Reparations legislation enacted into law.

Community Voices of Support for SB 1340

My priority bill SB 1340 confronts California’s poverty crisis by providing workers from underserved communities with greater access to high paying jobs. The bill would require state-funded contractors to comply to equitable hiring programs to ensure that good paying jobs are going to workers who need them most -- low-income communities of color.

These contractors include those overseeing the state’s large-scale development projects, including $180 billion in federally funded green infrastructure projects planned for California over the next decade. Our bill would establish local “disadvantaged worker” demographics across California and require state-funded contractors to prioritize hiring these workers, who are primarily from underserved communities of color.

SB 1340 has already been passed by the State Senate and Assembly Labor Committee as well as strongly recommended by a sizable coalition of statewide community partners. The bill is currently waiting to be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Special thanks to our community partners for spreading the word about SB 1340, including the Southern California Black Worker Hub; Jobs to Move America; Los Angeles Black Worker Center; Pastor K.W. Tulloss, President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California; California Labor Federation; Blue Green Alliance; UCLA Labor Center; and many others.

Check out SB 1340 media coverage to learn what community activists are saying on this important piece of legislation: LA Focus, Sacramento Observer and the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Nonprofits Recognized for their Community Impact

To recognize dedicated nonprofit organizations across our state, I recently co-authored SCR 142 that officially declared June 5 as California Nonprofits Day. As part of this statewide recognition, I presented the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year Award to TransLatin@ Coalition, a local nonprofit that advocates for the needs of the TGI community across the L.A. region.

I’m pleased to announce that we have also awarded Certificates of Recognition to more than 100 other nonprofits throughout the 28th District to acknowledge their tremendous impact in our communities. Our staff worked behind the scenes to put together special certificate packages for these deserving nonprofits. Special thanks to the California Science Center for donating tickets to their Da Vinci exhibition that are included in these packages.

During the month of June, our staff visited nonprofits in our district to present their leaders with certificates and thanked them and their staff for making a difference in our communities. These nonprofits included the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, South Central Family Health Center, The Wall Las Memorias, Crystal Stairs, Baby2Baby, It’s Bigger Than Us, and Black Women for Wellness.

A BIG thanks to all of the incredible nonprofits in our district – whether a large nonprofit or a small grassroots organization – for empowering our communities, serving as a safe refuge, and sharing resources that are invaluable to our residents.