The Problem: Polluting Corporations and Industry Lobbies are Influencing the Policies that Impact the Daily Lives of EJ Community Members
Place-based grassroots organizations recognize that their issues are not just local in nature and often require intervention at the state level. However, there are many barriers for communities on the frontline of environmental hazards to participate in state-level policy and decisionmaking processes. Inaccessibility, including geographic, language, and process, put low income and communities of color at a disadvantage when it comes to engaging in California’s political system and prevents them from having safe and healthy neighborhoods. In addition to these barriers, grassroots organizations are often forced to exceed their capacity focusing on critical local issues, leaving little for state-policy.
The Vision: What does a future with EJ at the center of state decision-making processes look like?
- Community priorities are the center and driving force of developing policy
- Representatives are knowledgeable of EJ issues and proactively engage their constituents living in EJ neighborhoods in the policy-making process
- Community members are aware of the voting records of their representatives, and use that information as part of their decision making process during elections
- Grassroots organizations have the capacity to develop their community members into leaders who influence local and state policy
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Community priorities are the center and driving force of developing policy
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Representatives are knowledgeable of EJ issues and proactively engage their constituents living in EJ neighborhoods in the policy-making process
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Community members are aware of the voting records of their representatives, and use that information as part of their decision making process during elections
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Grassroots organizations have the capacity to develop their community members into leaders who influence local and state policy
Our Approach:
- We build the statewide political power and EJ voice of our alliance member organizations in California state policies, led by frontline communities
- We facilitate legislators proactively engaging with EJ communities, advancing community-led climate, energy, and land-use solutions, and working to undo legacy policies of harm and injustice
- We build an electorate of EJ voters who will hold elected officials accountable
- We provide non-partisan education about state propositions that will appear on the ballot so voters can make informed decisions.
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We build the statewide political power and EJ voice of our alliance member organizations in California state policies, led by frontline communities
-
We facilitate legislators proactively engaging with EJ communities, advancing community-led climate, energy, and land-use solutions, and working to undo legacy policies of harm and injustice
-
We build an electorate of EJ voters who will hold elected officials accountable
-
We provide non-partisan education about state propositions that will appear on the ballot so voters can make informed decisions.
