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By a 77-0 margin, the California Assembly sent the Family Communication Act to the Governor's desk. Sponsored by State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) and supported by Books Not Bars, the Family Communication and Rehabilitation Act (SB 1250) would make it cheaper and easier for family members to talk and write to their loved ones who are locked up in state youth prisons, regardless of economic or language barriers. In this time of budget crisis, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have signaled that the Family Communication Act is not only strong policy, but also smart financing. Stay tuned: when the budget impasse is finally over, we expect Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign it into law.
Thousands of Oaklanders came out to the Coliseum to spread our Silence The Violence message. The night kicked off with a hugely successful Tailgate BBQ / Job & Resource Fair, attended by Mayor Dellums, Oakland music legend Too Short and A's mascot Thumper the Elephant. We then observed a moment of silence before the A's took on the Tampa Bay Rays. Though we weren't able to cheer the A's to victory, Oakland stood united in making a call for peace on our streets.
On September 27, tens of thousands of Americans will join together at events around the country to say, "We're ready!" -- ready for a green economy that lifts people out of poverty while also fighting the twin climate and energy crises. Our partners at Green For All, 1Sky, and the We campaign are organizing this National Day of Action to launch the green jobs movement to the center stage and push our elected officials to act, from local government to the presidential contenders. Ella Baker Center's Green-Collar Jobs Campaign will host an event in Oakland -- more details coming soon!
Books Not Bars rolled to Stockton to mark the closing of two of California's abusive youth prisons. When Division of Juvenile Justice officials ordered us off state property, we moved across the street and continued calling for the closure of the rest of California's abusive warehouse-style prisons and the creation of regional rehabilitation centers. We're making progress: since we started the campaign, the youth prison population has dropped from about 5000 to only 1900.
Links to page about Stockton with pictures
With the recent addition of the California Professional Firefighters, the California Federation of Teachers, and Minorities in Law Enforcement, the momentum to defeat Prop. 6 is growing. Proposition 6 proposes to lock-in $1 BILLION annually for failed, "get-tough" policies, plus more for start-up and city and county costs. Because it proposes no new sources of revenue, this money can only come from the budgets of schools, health care and other critical needs. By draining our communities of much-needed resources, Prop 6 will actually make our neighborhoods and streets less safe. Visit VoteNoProp6.com to learn more and get involved.
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