May 2024 Executive Board Conference Recap

Our Caucus had a productive time online and in San Diego for the California Democratic Party’s May 2024 Executive Board Conference. Here are some highlights: Panel Discussion on AAPI Identity and Organizing in San Diego Indroneal Banerjee moderated our panel discussion with Bill Wong, Judy Ki, and Gene Kim on the AAPI Identity and organizing in San Diego. The panel talked about the origin of AAPI identity in the mid 20th century, up through the present day where disaggregated data is needed to make sure that underserved communities aren’t left behind. Panelists talked about the need for AAPI voters and leaders to not just “be seen” politically, but also to “be felt” and actively part of the decision making, and how it’s important to recruit people from communities that aren’t yet politically active for political jobs. Relational organizing and candidate training are important, and both need to start early. Judy, who has been organizing in San Diego for decades, talked about her experience registering AAPI voters as Democrats, starting with young voters in the early 2000s and building the base to flip San Diego blue. Mixer in San Diego the Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Club of San Diego for a mixer in the Convoy District’s Jasmine Restaurant.  Many thanks to our event partners, the California Young Democrats Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, UDW, Dr. Darshana Patel, Rep. Scott Peters, Rep. Sara Jacobs, and Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel.

Record number of AAPI Democrats elected to the Democratic National Committee from California This year, the California Democratic Party had a record number of AAPI candidates running to represent our party on the Democratic National Committee for the 2024-2028 term. Keith Umemoto and Otto Lee were re-elected, and will be joined by Harini Krishnan and Jason Park. We would like to thank the candidates for running and taking the time to come to speak to and hear from our Caucus.

California Democratic Party takes positions on 2024 Propositions ACA 1 – Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval: SUPPORT ACA 5 – Marriage Equality: SUPPORT Referendum Challenging 2022 Law Prohibiting New Oil and Gas Wells Near Homes, Schools, and Hospitals: KEEP THE LAW ACA 8 – End Slavery in California: SUPPORT ACA 13 – Voting Thresholds: SUPPORT Eliminates Employees’ Ability to File Lawsuits for Monetary Penalties for State Labor Law Violations: OPPOSE Limits Ability of Voters and State and Local Governments to Raise Revenues for Government Services: OPPOSE Adds One-Semester Personal Finance Course to High School Graduation Requirements: SUPPORT Provides Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal Health Care Services: SUPPORT Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property: SUPPORT Allows Felony Charges and Increases Sentences for Certain Drug and Theft Crimes: OPPOSE Restricts Spending by Health Providers Meeting Specified Criteria: NO POSITION Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth: OPPOSE Note: As of May 28, this Proposition has failed to qualify for the ballot. Raises Minimum Wage: SUPPORT Provides Funding for Pandemic Detection and Prevention by Increasing Tax on Personal Income Over 5 Million: NO POSITION Expands State Health Care Program for Children with Certain Medical Conditions: NO POSITION California Democratic Party endorses legislation recommended by the AAPI Caucus Our Legislative Director Gurpreet Kaur identified several priority bills that we requested the California Democratic Party take a support position on. These bills are: AB 2603 (Low), Hate Crimes: Search Warrants This bill would allow access to social media feeds, files on computers, and other means to access crucial information that can prove if a hate crime has been committed without charging a felony to obtain it. AB 2604 (Low), Hate Crimes This bill aims to protect victims of hate crimes by holding offenders accountably for the purposeful targeting of victims based on their protected characteristics. AB 2074 (Muratsuchi), Pupil Instruction: English Learner Roadmap Policy: Statewide Implementation Plan This bill tasks the California Department of Education (CDE) with creating an implementation plan for the California English Learner Roadmap Policy (EL Roadmap). SB 782 (Limon; Co-Author: Fong), Gubernatorial Appointments: Report This bill would require the office of the Governor, commencing January 1, 2026, to maintain on its internet website a list of every state board and commission that includes, for each state board or commission, the membership list, stated purpose, duties, meeting frequency, internet website, and vacancies in the membership. SB 1078 (Min), Language Access This bill would establish the Office of Language Access, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, to ensure individuals with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to government programs and services. SB 1170 (Menjivar), Political Reform Act of 1974: Campaign Funds This bill would expressly permit campaign funds to be used to pay or reimburse a non-incumbent candidate for reasonable and necessary mental healthcare expenses if the candidate does not have health insurance or has been denied coverage for mental healthcare expenses by their health insurance, as specified. For a full list of bills the California Democratic Party has taken a position on, please see https://cadem.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_May-Executive-Board-Floor-Packet.pdf We also submitted a support request for AB2444, however, this bill was no longer active by the time of the E-Board meeting. AB 2444 (Lee), Barbering and Cosmetology: Licensees: Manicurists The bill will require the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to notify manicurists and establishments about employee/independent contractor determination, better known as AB 5 (2019), through language-appropriate and culturally-appropriate methods.

California Democratic Party passes Resolutions and Reaffirmations Resolutions Passed: – Protecting Private Personal and Biometric Data – 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights – Establish Medicine Lake National Monument to Preserve the Sacred and Ecological Importance of Medicine Lake – Over 200,000 Californians Lacking Shelter is a Public Health Crisis – Denouncing Citi’s Anti-Armenian American Discrimination in Financial Services Reaffirmations Passed – Ending The Cycle of Systemic Child Poverty in America – Transitioning to a Carbon Free Economy by 2030 and Protecting Union Jobs – Standing with the more than 18 million Women and People of Reproductive Age Who No Longer Have Access to Abortion Care – Reparations for Descendants of Persons Emancipated from Chattel Slavery in the US – Calling on the Republican Party to Join Democrats in Addressing Climate Change – Opposing the Exploitation of Vulnerable Migrants – A More Equitable Education for All California Public School Students – Supporting a Durable Peace and Cease-Fire in Gaza The full texts can be viewed at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e6HLiEW2VlsIeJOhbdDD1LiK5bM4S8Jdlr2fHfh93U8/edit#gid=605839692

Renew Your Membership for 2024 There’s still time to renew your Caucus membership. This can be done online at https://onlinecampaigntools.com/WebForms/ViewForm?key=v3OgtUdQThjhzNZ%2FYfwUPw%3D%3D#%5Bpage=1%5D If you would like to request fee waiver for economic hardship, please contact us at cademparty.apicaucus@gmail.com.

Community Events Calendar California Young Democrats API Caucus Awards Thursday, May 30, 2024 6-8pm Audio Graph Beer Co. in Downtown Los Angeles, 1203 S. Olive St. Los Angeles https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cydapicaucus2024 Pacific Islander Democratic Committee Interest Meeting Wednesday, June 12, 2024 6-7pm Online on Zoom – bit.ly/PIDCinfo Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County Annual Membership Dinner Thursday, June 20, 2024 6-9pm Raja Indian Cuisine, 1275 W. Winton Ave, Hayward https://secure.actblue.com/donate/din24

Tentative CA Dem Calendar for 2024 Early August – E Board Date TBD (Virtual on Whova) Mon, August 19, 2024 – Thu, Aug 22, 2024 – 2024 Democratic National Convention Chicago IL. August 23, 2024 – DNC Committee Members Four-year term begins December 2024 – E Board (Northern CA Location TBD)