With more than 30 new state legislators in Sacramento, a $25 billion budget shortfall projected by the Governor, and the looming threat of a recession, 2023 proved to be a year of substantial transformations and obstacles for us. This year, a record number of bills were introduced, more than any other legislative term this decade.
As we closely monitored the political landscape, we witnessed the dynamic shifts in power and the arrival of fresh faces in the state legislature. The anticipation of how these new legislators would shape policies and influence decisions posed opportunities and challenges. We recognized the importance of building relationships and establishing connections with these individuals to effectively advocate for the issues we championed.
Meanwhile, the Governor’s alarming projection of a $25 billion budget shortfall created an atmosphere of fiscal uncertainty. We knew that it would impact the allocation of resources, making it even more challenging to secure funding for the initiatives and programs we believed in. We strategized and sought innovative ways to maximize our impact within the confines of limited financial support.
In addition, the looming threat of a recession cast a shadow of doubt on the overall economic stability of California. We understood that a downturn could exacerbate the struggles of vulnerable populations like young adults across California and amplify the urgency of our advocacy work. We collaborated with like-minded organizations, forming coalitions to strengthen our collective voice and ensure that the needs of the most marginalized communities were not neglected during these trying times.
Amidst these changes and challenges, our organization remained resilient and dedicated to our mission. We adapted our strategies, expanded our outreach efforts, and leveraged the power of young adults and technology to connect with stakeholders and mobilize our supporters. We recognized that the key to overcoming these obstacles was centering the young adult experience.
Young Adult Power and Collaboration:
This legislative session, we have continued our mission of uplifting the voices of young adults in the political process and have emphasized our values of community and collaboration. Legislative wins reflect our power in community, our ability to place the young adult voice front and center with legislators, and the value of partnership and collaboration.
At our annual Advocacy Day, our group of 15 young adults met with more than 15 legislative offices, advocating for the importance of Covered CA for all, regardless of immigration status, for the transformative nature of guaranteed income, and for the impact that institutional debt has had on our student populations across the state. In collaboration with our partners, we provided trainings and workshops for UC student leaders as they prepared to speak to legislators, amplified the voices of our young adult communities through roundtables, like that with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and rallied for student debt cancellation with key collaborators like UCSA, NextGen, CSSA, and Campaign for College Opportunity. In the realm of testimonies, we have testified at more than 5 legislative committees for guaranteed income and tax credit increases. These steps toward ensuring our legislative wins continue to allow us to work in community with young adults and in collaboration with our partners.
As we gear up for the legislative recess, the fight continues for key issues that impact young adults across our state. Here is an update on some of our biggest legislative priorities:
Our wins
Ensuring that our state does not tax student debt cancellation. Our work, in co-leadership with the Campaign for California Borrowers Rights, saw success when the California Senate and Assembly prioritized student borrowers by incorporating state tax exemption for student debt cancellation, which includes Biden’s one-time cancellation and a host of debt forgiveness programs. Governor Newsom signed the exemption as one of several early budget action bills. While this exemption is set to sunset in 2025, we will continue to advocate for its permanence.
The fight in progress
Making guaranteed income a reality for graduating high school seniors experiencing homelessness. Roughly 15,000 California high school seniors graduate into adult homelessness each year. SB 333 would provide 5-months of no-strings-attached cash assistance to these young adults to support them in their transition to higher education or employment.
Expand affordable health care coverage to all Californians, regardless of immigration status. Currently, 600,000 undocumented Californians are barred from accessing health care through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. This leaves hundreds of thousands of individuals without proper access to health care and roughly 100,000 having no choice but to purchase health insurance directly from brokers are exorbitant prices. Through AB 4, we are working with partners in the Health4All Coalition to ensure that all Californians will have access to affordable health care.
Increasing the CalEITC minimum from $1 to $275. While the legislative bill aiming to secure this increase has stalled, the fight is not over. The California Senate has committed to increasing the CalEITC minimum to $275 – this is a huge step for young adults, especially as the CalEITC is one of the very few financial relief credits that our generation can take up. While the Governor and Assembly have not named this increase as a priority, we believe that there is room for the Senate’s efforts to lead the way in early 2024.
Continuing the fight
With the many changes this legislative year, including a budget shortfall that is much steeper than originally anticipated, we have faced some legislative challenges, including a stall on our institutional debt bill.
The Protecting Students from Creditor Colleges Act would have shed light on practices that have gone under the radar for far too long. Institutional debt, or shadow student debt, is any debt that is owed directly to a higher education institution. Current harmful debt collection practices include:
- Colleges selling debt to 3rd party private debt collectors that harass borrowers
- Applying for the Franchise Tax Board’s Interagency Intercept Collection program that garnishes tax credits and returns to pay back the debt
- Ban students that owe institutional debt from re-enrollment
- Withhold degrees from students that owe institutional debt
To learn more about what institutional debt is, please review our 1-pager here. While the bill was slated to start at the Assembly Higher Education committee, opposition from the CSU Chancellor’s office as well as other higher education institutions pushed the bill to a standstill.
We believe that this issue, which affects more than 750,000 Californians, is an important one and we will continue this fight in early 2024. It is critical for us to build momentum and show opposition to shadow student debt, which is currently at $390 million and growing. If you would like to share your support or experience with institutional debt, please contact: sarah.bouabibsa@younginvincibles.org or fill out this form.
What’s Next?
Once the state legislature returns from Summer recess on August 14, fiscal committees and floor sessions will resume. The Governor will also continue signing or vetoing legislation. Some important dates include:
- September 14: last day for each house to pass bills
- October 14: last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills