CALIFORNIA POLITICS

California Voters

Over 20 million Californians (more than 80% of those eligible) are now registered to vote. According to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, that’s the highest percentage in nearly 70 years and a 10-point increase since the 2016 elections. In a closer look at the voter registration data, there’s been a significant registration uptick in the Inland Empire and new majority communities. Additionally, per the LA Times “[i]n almost every House district in which a Republican incumbent lost in 2018, Democrats have either expanded their lead in registered voters or narrowed the registration gap — thus boosting their chances of holding the seat in 2020 and perhaps giving them some room to embrace their party’s effort in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump.”

 

The Los Angeles Unified School District considers allowing non-citizen parents to vote in school board elections (as they already do in San Francisco).

 

State Legislature

Interest groups spent nearly $300 million on lobbying over the 2019 legislative session (January through September). Per the LA Times, that’s “an average of about $2 million every day the Legislature was in session this year,” and a total that could likely break last year’s spending record of $360 million once final 2019 reports are filed. 

 

In 25 years, we’ve gone from passing anti-immigrant Proposition 187 to now having 29 members in the California Latino Legislative Caucus. On the 25th anniversary of Proposition 187, most of the Caucus members appeared in a video thanking former Governor Pete Wilson for his support of 187, inspiring them to become activists and legislators. 

 

RESEARCH

The California Immigrant Policy Center released a report exploring how expanding the California Earned Income Tax Credit to immigrant families — regardless of immigration status — would “[create] positive outcomes for all.” The California Budget and Policy Center also released a brief on an expansion.