WE DID IT!

Greetings Neighbor,

Welcome to our December newsletter issue! With 2023 coming to a close, this issue recaps our highlights during my first year in the California State Senate.

Let's continue to build stronger, more connected communities in the New Year. Your engagement is essential to shaping our path ahead.

Warm Regards,

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Senator, 28th District

Signed Legislation
SB 497 Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Act
Protects workers who report labor violations from being fired, bullied or harassed.

SB 521 Campus Protection for Pregnant and Parenting Students
Enables CalWORKs to provide accommodations to pregnant, parenting and lactating students who are not being adequately accommodated under Title IX.

SB 749 Streamlined Record Reclassification Procedure
Removes the deadline for those applying to reduce their old felony convictions to low-level, non-violent crimes to misdemeanors under voter-approved Prop 47 to better enable them to rehabilitate their lives.

SB 150 Equity & Good Jobs for California's Infrastructure Projects
Joint-authored SB 150 that will prioritize equity and quality jobs for the billions of dollars in federal infrastructure projects planned for California.

Passed Legislation
SB 627 Displaced Worker Protection Act
Required large chain employers to give advance notice to workers so they can prepare for a store closure. Also required employers to give transfer rights to workers at a chain location within 25 miles.

SB 725 Safety Net For Grocery Workers Act
Required a grocery establishment that conducts a mass layoff due to a merger or acquisition to provide workers with at least one week of severance pay for every year of service.

Committee Highlights

• Voted for SB 525 to raise minimum wage to $25 hourly for healthcare workers
• Voted for AB 1228 to raise minimum wage to $20 hourly for fast food workers
• Voted to pass historic raises for school teachers
• Voted to increase state's education budget
• Voted to expand diversity within college administrations
• Approved Equity Multiplier funding, providing $300 million for high-need schools

Committee Appointments from SD 28
I worked with the Governor to appoint a number of individuals who hail from the 28th District, including Adonia Lugo and Hilary Norton, both appointed to the California Transportation Commission, and Gail Willis, appointed to the State Personnel Board.

Rehabilitative Culture Learning in Norway
In September, I joined a select group of legislators and rehabilitative leaders on a trip to Norway to learn about anti-crime measures in corrections rooted in care. We must build restorative reentry centers to better prepare individuals returning to our communities.

California Legislative Black Caucus Advocacy Work
I worked with the California Legislative Black Caucus to uplift Black Californians:

• MLK Day Celebration Honoring Former Speaker Willie Brown
• Black History Month Resolution - Michelle Reed, Unsung Hero
• Woman of the Year Presentation - Mayor Karen Bass
• Juneteenth Resolution
• 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Celebration
• 150 Scholarships - $525k Donated to College-Bound Scholars
• Community College Rising Scholar Program - Provides greater access to $3 million available for textbook costs for incarcerated youth taking community college classes.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advocacy
Led the advocacy effort to ensure that the Governor's Film Tax Credit 4.0 Proposal:

• Provides tax incentives for hiring workers representing California's diversity
• Hires DEI Compliance Manager on the California Film Commission
• Expands DEI Staff on the California Film Commission
• Funds unions offering film industry career-path training

Worker Rights Activism
Throughout the year, I stood in solidarity with workers from a wide range of industries to help fight for worker rights and fairer wages in an effort create a more equitable California.

District Outreach
Staying engaged in our communities is one of the most fulfilling roles about my job as your Senator. Here's a small snapshot of events across our district that I participated in this year:

(From top left) Endeavor rocket motors arrival at Expo Park in South LA; Fiesta La Ballona in Culver City; LA Korean Festival in Koreatown; Pick Pico Street Fair in West LA; Equality Awards in Downtown LA; LA Black Worker Center Game Night in South LA; Jewish Public Affairs Committee Board Meeting in Mid-City LA; and Eisner Health's Winter Festival in Downtown LA.

Special Recognitions
I was honored to be recognized by several organizations this year, such as California Women's List, Solis Policy Institute, and UCLA Labor Center.

Media Coverage
My work has been covered by numerous media outlets in 2023, including the Los Angeles Times, LA Focus, KBLA Radio, KNX Radio, CalMatters, Politico, Sacramento Observer, and Variety, among many others.