Dear ARRT Friends and Allies!
ARRT priority bills are all scheduled for the May 23 Appropriations Suspense Hearings. These priorities passing out of the Senate and Assembly Committee on Appropriations afford us another day to fight for comprehensive reparations in the state of California.
The appropriations process is not a transparent one. Bills can be held in suspense for any number of reasons, including concerns about their cost. However, committee chairs typically do not publicly explain why some bills advance to the floor while others are held. It is critical that we make our voices and support position clear to these committees.
While opponents often claim reparations “cost too much,” the true cost lies in doing nothing. Generations of state-sanctioned harm have led to shortened lifespans, mass incarceration, and economic exclusion. Failing to act continues to drain public systems and deepen inequity.
Here are the following ways you can join us in making your voice heard in this process:
Endorse & Submit Reparations Letters of Support!
Update template letters of support for SB 437 & SB 518 with your organization’s information and logo. Send your letters to the following Senate Committee on Appropriations points of contact no later than Tuesday, 5/20:
- Email for the Senate Appropriations committee: sapr@sen.ca.gov
- Email contact for Senate Consultant: Liah Burnley at Liah.Burnley@sen.ca.gov
Update template letters of support for AB 57 & AB 62 with your organization’s information and logo. Send your letters to the following Assembly Committee on Appropriations points of contact:
- Email for Assembly Appropriations committee: approps.committee@assembly.ca.gov
- Email for the Assembly Consultant: Annika Carlson at Annika.Carlson@asm.ca.gov.
Call Appropriations Chairs requesting their support!
Call Senate Appropriations Chair Anna Caballero’s office at (916) 651-4014, requesting SB 437 & SB 518 by Senator Weber-Pierson be passed out of committee and referred to the Senate Floor for a full floor vote. These calls can be made until Friday, 5/23 suspense hearing.
Call Assembly Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks’s office at (916) 319-2014, requesting AB 57 & AB 62 by Assemblymember McKinnor be passed out of committee and referred to the Assembly Floor for a full floor vote. These calls can be made until Friday, 5/23 suspense hearing.
Thank you for your support!
