California’s largest and most influential civil rights organizations: “It will make many of our problems worse”
SACRAMENTO, CA — California’s most prominent civil rights organizations — Equality California and NAACP California Hawaii State Conference — joined Citizens for Accountable Leadership today to announce their opposition to Proposition 40, calling for “sustainable, predictable funding to address the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people,” while noting that the measure “leaves too many behind” and is the “wrong way to address the challenges facing our state.”
With over 900,000 members, Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization and California’s only LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working at the local, state and national levels. NAACP California Hawaii State Conference leads the ongoing advancement of civil rights and social justice across the region through 57 local branches, working to dismantle structural racism, protect voting rights, and turn collective power into meaningful action. Citizens for Accountable Leadership is a highly diversified Los Angeles-based group of businesspeople, professionals in the fields of medicine, law, and education, and longtime community activists, formerly organized as the African American Leadership Finance Council for the 2020 Biden/Harris team.
“California needs sustainable, predictable funding to address the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people. We need ongoing solutions to fund health care, education, and other critical services that LGBTQ+ Californians rely on, not one-time fixes,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “Equality California remains committed to policies to protect these services and ensure our communities can count on the resources they need year after year.”
“Proposition 40 is the wrong way to address the challenges facing our state. In fact, it will make many of our problems worse, diverting billions of dollars from public schools and putting additional pressure on the budget that could squeeze funding for other essential public services,” said CA/HI State Conference NAACP President Dr. Rick L. Callender, Esq. “California should pursue solutions that strengthen public education and protect our fiscal stability, not create new pressures that ultimately fall hardest on our most vulnerable communities. That’s why we urge Californians to vote No on Proposition 40.”
“All of our communities in California deserve to thrive, but instead, Prop. 40 leaves too many behind,” said Citizens for Accountable Leadership Chair Rickey Ivie, Esq. and Chair Emeritus Dr. Gail Willis. “It’s missing key safeguards to ensure funds are spent as promised and it does nothing to address our growing housing, higher education, environmental, and infrastructure needs. We urge Californians to vote No on 40.”
This announcement follows yesterday’s launch of the No on 40 coalition’s statewide ad campaign, which spotlights the growing, bipartisan opposition to the measure. Doctors, teachers, small business owners, community clinics, labor unions, firefighters, healthcare providers, first responders, affordable housing organizations, working families and many others have all come out against Proposition 40, warning that the measure is bad for California’s budget, economy, and future.
Last week, top Democrats in the California State Assembly representing communities across the state also announced their opposition to Proposition 40, detailing how the measure will blow a hole in the state budget, cost California billions, shortchange schools and other priorities, and undermine emergency management. This followed recent opposition from labor, education, and public safety leaders, including the California State Council of Laborers, United Domestic Workers (UDW), California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), and California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA).
Other leading California organizations opposing the measure, including: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC), the California Teachers Association (CTA), California Professional Firefighters (CPF), California Medical Association (CMA), California School Boards Association (CSBA), California Primary Care Association (CPCA), California Hospital Association (CHA), and many more. A full list of the growing No on 40 coalition is here.
Recent polling shows Proposition 40 falling short of passage, with opposition exceeding support among likely voters.