FEDERAL ADVOCACY
STATE ADVOCACY
Ensuring Washington, D.C. Understands the Needs of Our Colleges and Students
Connecting Community Colleges to Sacramento
In conjunction with the California Community Colleges Chancellor ’s Office and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, the League craf ted a federal advocacy platform that over 100 California advocates used when meeting with their congressional representatives during the Association of Community College Trustees’ National Legislative Summit, Februar y 9-12, 2020. League staff hosted a California Delegation breakfast and briefing and helped to coordinate a reception honoring the California Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C. This was before COVID-19 forced a shutdown of our nation’s economy and induced the most rapidly occurring recession of the modern era. With state budget cuts predicated on action by the federal government, the League has worked tirelessly to make clear the importance of federal stimulus funding for our system. League staff has reached out to nearly ever y congressional office and led coalition advocacy visits with the offices of Senator Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein to communicate the importance of federal support to our institutions and students.
League staff worked diligently alongside CEOs and trustees to ensure that state policymakers understood the impact of their decisions on our member institutions and our students. Throughout the 2019-20 legislative year, League staff provided the following resources to connect California’s community college trustees, CEOs, and PIOs to decision-makers in Sacramento: • Monthly webinars providing timely legislative and policy updates • A monthly e-newsletter with the latest updates on key legislation and budgetar y issues distributed via the League’s contact list • Sample position letters, talking points, and other materials to help support grassroots advocacy efforts • Targeted advocacy days for districts, League committee members, and other community college stakeholders California’s 93rd legislative session ended on September 13, 2019. In total, the State Legislature introduced over 2,300 pieces of legislation in the last month, many of which had implications for community colleges and the students we ser ve. Governor Newsom signed 870 bills and vetoed 172 bills. Advocacy Highlights •
uring the 2019 Legislative session, League staff testified over D 155 times in committee.
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T he League stopped 4 bills that combined would have cost community college districts over $130 million annually.
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85% of League-supported bills were approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.
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