The SAVE Act has now passed the House, and the Senate will be voting soon.

Can you get your hands on your original birth certificate?

Do you have a current passport?

Does your birth certificate match your current name?

No? You (and millions of other people) could lose your right to vote.

• Understand the issue: The SAVE Act would require everyone to show, in person, proof of their citizenship — in the form of a passport or original birth certificate that matches their current last name — to register to vote, or even just to update their voter registration. It would mean the end of online and mail-in voter registration, and voter registration drives. This is a massive form of extreme national voter suppression.
• Recognize who’s affected: Anyone who does not have a current passport (which costs money to obtain), or their original birth certificate, including people who’ve changed their name for any reason, immigrants, transgender people, foster children, military personnel, tribal members, rural voters, disaster survivors, and anyone who has moved since their last registration.
• TODAY, call your senators: In California, that’s Alex Padilla (202) 224-3553 and Adam Schiff (202) 224-3841. Call today, call tomorrow, and keep calling until the vote – even the same people over and over. 
• Use this script for California senators: “Hello. My name is [your name] and my zip code is [your zip code]. As your constituent, I want you to join with all other Democratic senators in a unified coalition to vote NO on the SAVE Act (HR22), and I want you to publicly state your intention and determination to unify Democratic senators to vote NO on the SAVE Act to the press and on your social media platforms. Please let me know that you will do these things [leave phone number or email].”
• Please also call senators beyond California (find any senator) and say: “As a citizen of the United States, I’m urging you to join with all Democratic senators in a unified coalition to vote NO on the SAVE Act (HR22). I ask that you publicly state your intention and determination to unify Democratic senators to vote NO on the SAVE Act to the press and on your social media platforms. Please let me know that you will do these things [leave phone number or email].”
• Please especially call these Democratic and Independent senators who may still be on the fence. These are the most important, but if you have the time, DON’T STOP THERE. Call as many Democratic senators as you can, and then start in on the Republicans. So much is riding on this vote.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-AZ (202) 224-2235

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH (202) 224-3324

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-NV (202) 224-6244

Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA (202) 224-4254

Sen. Angus King, Ind-ME (202) 224-5344

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-AZ (202) 224-4521

More on Third Act’s website

In his five terms in the California State Assembly, Rudy Salas stood by his commitment to take a stand for Central Valley families and deliver for the region. Salas has been a steadfast voice for the Valley, fighting for more public safety funding, expanding workforce development programs, expanding veterans’ and workers’ rights, clean water infrastructure and support for our small business community. In his final term, Assemblymember Salas secured $50 million of dedicated investments for Central Valley projects that will expand local nursing programs and construct an emergency response center, a cooling center, a clean water well, a new building at Bakersfield College – Delano campus, and secured millions for our local students and colleges. Additionally, Assemblymember Salas helped save Kern Medical Hospital from closing its doors and was instrumental in ensuring small business assistance and protective equipment got to residents and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Salas is ready to take on this tough challenge and flip California’s 22nd Congressional District to ensure Central Valley residents have the voice and respect in Washington that they deserve”

For more information visit rudysalas.com

“A fifth-generation Northern Californian, Jessica’s ancestors crossed the Sierra on covered wagons and settled in the Sierra foothills.

Taking on Wildfires

In 2019 Jessica was appointed Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience at the California Natural Resources Agency, working on the frontline of California’s wildfire crisis and fast-tracking wildfire prevention efforts. Last year, Jessica was appointed to the U.S. Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, helping develop recommendations and strategies to reshape national wildfire policies. A true custodian of the land, Jessica has hiked 500 miles of the district on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Jessica’s deep commitment to public service drove her to volunteer on the ground in Paradise, CA after the Camp Fire and to create the Fresno Farm Bridge to help struggling family farms stay in business during COVID-19.

Working in National Security

Prior to her work on wildfire resilience, Jessica spent a decade working in national security for the US Defense Department, the US State Department, and USAID, the humanitarian branch of the State Department. This included a tour in Iraq in 2005, working side-by-side with US troops for eighteen months.”

Community members in Martinez with their air purifiers

In the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report of U.S. cities with the most polluted air, the San Francisco Bay Area ranked fifth. The work for clean air continues both nationwide and locally.

Bay Area communities like Martinez are heavily affected in both air quality and quality of  life by the refineries nearby. Community group Healthy Martinez was formed after a spent catalyst release from the Martinez Refining Company (owned by PBF Energy) in November 2022, which blanketed the surrounding neighborhoods with 24 tons of toxic dust.

On May 18 and 19, 2024, Healthy Martinez teamed with 350 Bay Area and Common Humanity Collective to distribute 300 air purifiers and filters provided by Lasko Products to the community. (Bill McKibben is co-founder of both 350 Bay Area and ThirdAct.)

Formed out of concern for the public health and safety of the neighboring community along with the lack of protections from the Martinez Refining Company, Healthy Martinez pushes for transparency and accountability from the refinery in light of continued flaring events, petroleum coke releases, daily particulate matter and other toxic emissions.

Project Coordinator Claire Beckstoffer stands with a portion of the air purifiers to distribute on the second day of canvassing

Securing 300 air purifiers and filters

With limited budgets, but an idea and connection to bring Common Humanity Collective’s mutual aid model of grassroots air purifier distribution to refinery towns like Martinez, Zoe Jonick, 350 Bay Area’s lead organizer, started cold messaging Lasko. The company responded enthusiastically—they were excited by the prospect of mobilizing their newly-formed community-outreach team to get their air purifiers to communities that most needed them and by the potential to scale this effort. With Lasko Products on board, 350 Bay Area collaborated with Healthy Martinez and HC to get the 300 air purifiers and air filters to the Martinez community. Claire Beckstoffer, a volunteer leader from 350 Bay Area’s Mobilizing Team, joined as project coordinator, facilitating crucial conversations between the groups and paving the path for the campaign’s success through community outreach.

Distribution weekend

Healthy Martinez identified neighborhoods that were most impacted by pollution. On distribution day, 23 volunteers split into teams, knocked on doors and successfully passed out 300 air purifiers and extra filters to folks in the Martinez community. While there was some initial skepticism (because there’s usually a catch to getting something for free) the overall reception was very positive. Once volunteers started chatting with canvassers and learned that the goal was to simply provide cleaner indoor air for the community, people started opening up and sharing their experiences. Healthy Martinez wanted to not only to make an immediate impact on the health of one of our most pollution-burdened communities, but also to spark a conversation about how fossil-fuel infrastructure affects the community, and how we can address it together. This isn’t simply a climate change problem; it’s a public health and safety issue with a direct impact on communities.  The work continues, with the goal of scaling this project to more heavily impacted
communities throughout the Bay Area to provide better air and quality of life.

Volunteers discussing the objectives and plan for canvassing

Help us get the bill out of committee in June:

1. Call Assemblymember McKinnor, Chair of the House Public Employees and Retirement Committee, to urge a yes vote. Several of us met with her Lead staff last week and he said she especially wants to hear from CalPERS and STRS pensioners.  We are working with Fossil Free California on a phone banking effort. Sign up here to call her office and FFCA will send you instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkKehUi_mGBUph1kx_Yc3Xnr0tQ8IaNUlm47Sbcujzo/edit?usp=sharing

Send to: board@calpers.ca.gov.

Here is a clip from the last song as all of the performers returned to the stage led by Pete Kronowitt.

SB -1497 (Menjivar): Polluters Pay Climate Cost Recovery Act of 2024. This bill would
authorize the California EPA to fine companies that engaged in extracting and refining fossil
fuels between 2000 and 2020 and were responsible for over 1 billion tons of emissions
during that period.
UPDATE: Fines collected would be directed to environmental justice populations facing
climate impacts.
SB 1497 passed out of the Appropriations Committee on May 16 and will have a vote in the
full Senate this week, May 20 to 24.
ACTION: Call your Senator to encourage him/her/them to vote YES.

AB – 1866 (Hart): Oil and Gas: Idle Wells. This bill would require the owners of idle wells
to file a plan for the elimination and restoration of their wells and to follow through with
the scheduled clean-up detailed in the plan. Companies who do not comply would be
subject to a fine.
UPDATE: AB 1866 passed out of the Appropriations Committee on May 16 and will have a
vote in the full Assembly this week, May 20 to 24.
ACTION: Call your Assembly Member to encourage him/her/them to vote YES.

ACA 16 (Bryan): The Environmental Rights Amendment. This bill would require that
the statement “people have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment” be
added to the State Constitution.
UPDATE: ACA 16 passed out of the Appropriations Committee on May 15 and will have a
vote in the full Assembly soon.
ACTION: Call your Assembly Member to encourage him/her/them to vote YES. If ACA 16
passes out of the both houses, it will appear on the November election ballot.

SACRAMENTO — Starting this week, California state climate leaders invite public feedback on the 2024 Climate Adaptation Strategy, which outlines California’s approach to adapting to a changing climate.

As weather extremes intensify, data and research from around the world continue to show that the planet is experiencing a rapidly changing climate, and that this will only accelerate over time. In California and the Southwestern U.S., specifically, we see:

• Higher temperatures have intensified drought and will lead to a more arid future. Extreme heat events will increase animal stress and reduce crop quality and yield, thereby resulting in widespread economic impacts.
• At the same time, the region is experiencing more intense precipitation events, including atmospheric rivers, which contribute to increased flooding.
• Large-scale marine heatwaves and harmful algal blooms causing profound and cascading impacts on marine coastal ecosystems and economies.
• Sea-level rise, along with associated impacts such as flooding and saltwater intrusion, will have severe and disproportionate effects on infrastructure, communities, and natural resources.
• High-severity wildfires are expected to continue in coming years, placing the people, economies, ecosystems, and water resources of the region at considerable risk. In recent years, the Southwest has experienced unprecedented wildfire events, driven in part by climate change.
• Increases in extreme heat, drought, flooding, and wildfire activity are negatively impacting the physical health of Southwest residents.
• The most vulnerable bearing the brunt of a changing climate. Individuals particularly vulnerable to increasing climate change impacts include older adults, outdoor workers, and people with low income.

CALIFORNIA’S CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGY: A ROADMAP FOR THE COMING YEARS
To respond to these realities, California continues its world-leading work to protect people and nature from the impacts of climate change—and the state’s swift action is reflected in historic climate investments, nation-leading targets and goals, and support for California’s most vulnerable communities. The Draft 2024 Climate Adaptation Strategy puts these actions in motion and advances six key priorities to drive all climate resilience actions in California. These include:

1. Strengthening protections for climate vulnerable communities;
2. Bolstering public health and safety to protect against increasing climate risks;
3. Building a climate-resilient economy;
4. Accelerating Nature-Based Climate Solutions and strengthening climate resilience of natural systems;
5. Making decisions based on the best available climate science;
6. Partnering and collaborating to leverage resources

Across these six priorities, progress continues to be measured and reflected through a range of metrics, which were included for the first time in California’s 2021 Climate Adaptation Strategy and are now being tracked over time and reflected in annual progress reports. Progress updates on all the 2021 Strategy’s metrics can be found here: https://climateresilience.ca.gov/

THE STRATEGY AS A MILE MARKER OF PROGRESS
The draft strategy document for public review is also a mile marker in charting what’s been accomplished and what still lies ahead. To date, many state entities have successfully piloted new processes and partnerships to advance resilience since the 2021 strategy, including improvements in engagement, consultation, technical assistance, and capacity building.

The 2024 draft also integrates key actions from California’s latest climate adaptation initiatives, such as the 2021 Extreme Heat Action Plan and California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future.

THE DETAILS
This week kicks off a public comment period for the public to review, provide feedback and submit input by July 12, 2024.

The State requests feedback to improve and finalize the 2024 Climate Adaptation Strategy, particularly through the lens of supporting California’s most climate vulnerable communities.

In addition to this formal public comment period, staff will host tribal roundtables and public workshops to solicit and gather input.

For more information on this work or for details about upcoming opportunities to learn more, please visit the California Natural Resources Agency’s California Climate Adaptation Strategy web page or the main California Climate Adaptation Strategy website.

Comments can be e-mailed to climateresilience@resources.ca.gov, or mailed to the address below: California Natural Resources Agency Attn: 2024 California Climate Adaptation Strategy public comment 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814