Orange County Releases Juvenile Fees
Last week, the Orange County Board of Supervisors released millions of dollars in juvenile fees, freeing thousands of families with low incomes (many of whom are Black and brown) from oppressive, regressive debt. This is a big win led by our grassroots partners, and we could not be more proud to be a part of this movement. The next step is the passage of our co-sponsored bill, SB 1290, to release juvenile fees across California for good.
The Push to Tax Billionaires
California gained 11 new billionaires since the pandemic began (there are currently 165 in the state), 154 of whom increased their wealth by 25% in the first few months of COVID, as 1 in 5 Californians lost their jobs. Meanwhile, the final state budget deal between the California Legislature and the governor includes significant cuts that will harm middle and low income communities.
Western Center is part of the growing Commit to Equity movement to compel state leaders to increase revenue by taxing extraordinary wealth in California. We are calling on state lawmakers to put money where their #CaliforniaForAll rhetoric is by taxing extreme wealth so we can achieve true economic and racial justice. Learn more and find out how to get involved at the Commit To Equity website.
Upholding Emergency Tenant Protections
At the beginning of July, Western Center and our partners at Public Counsel and Public Interest Law Project (PILP) filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action (ACCE Action) and Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), in Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) v. City of Los Angeles, to defend the city’s emergency eviction and rent freeze protections. AAGLA’s lawsuit seeks to void the city’s emergency ordinances, which would allow mass evictions in the midst of a global pandemic. We are intervening so that doesn’t happen.
