Current Legislative Campaign
Three Racial Justice Campaigns for California
RAC-CA's 2021 Legislative Agenda includes three campaigns. Our top priority is Time Done, an inspiring and transformative criminal justice campaign. SB 62, the Garment Worker Protection Act, is an important fight impacting thousands of immigrant women in our state. And SB 467 addresses the dangerous impacts of oil and gas drilling on millions of Californians in largely People of Color communities. The bill did not pass in committee, but we remain connected to our partners and committed to winning on climate and environmental justice!
Lobby with RAC-CA Time Done Video Time Done Program for Elul or High Holy Days RAC-CA 2021 Campaign Info
Join Time Done Book Group in August
In alignment with our work on SB 731/Time Done, RAC-CA is launching our first book group to discuss the groundbreaking book Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration by Dr. Reuben Miller. Both a sociologist and the brother of an incarcerated man, Miller studies mass incarceration from an intimate perspective. In particular, he highlights the extent to which the criminal justice system is, in fact, fundamentally unjust and rooted in racist assumptions and structures.
We will meet three times, once for each of the three sections of the book. All are welcome for one or more meetings. Times are stated in Pacific Time.
Meeting #1 (Chapters 1-3) August 12, 12:30-1:30pm PT Led by Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller
Meeting #2 (Chapter 4-7) August 19, 12:30-1:30pm PT Led by Rabbi Elana Rosen-Brown
Meeting #3 (Chapter 8-11) August 26, 7-8pm PT Led by Ariana Zwern
After registering, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to join the meeting.
Our Recent Work
RAC-CA Civic Engagement Campaign 2020
RAC-CA is working as part of Every Voice, Every Vote: The Reform Movement's 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign to strengthen democracy by expanding the electorate, both inside and outside our congregations, and by educating Reform Jews about key ballot measures.
RAC-CA 2020 Legislative Victories
RAC-CA changed its 2020 legislative agenda in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Thirty-nine meetings with state legislators plus two with the Governor’s staff led to the release of vulnerable prisoners and new revenue in the state budget, though not as much as we were seeking.
RAC-CA 2020 Legislative Advocacy Campaign Results
Call on Gov. Newsom to Reduce Prison Populations During COVID-19
RAC-CA 2020 Legislative Agenda
The health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus called us to support Californians suffering both within and outside our Reform Jewish congregations and communities. Events were moving quickly and we knew we must act together. Our revised 2020 agenda guided included housing, criminal justice reform, economic justice, health care and immigrant justice, and our top priorities were the reduction of prison and detention populations to prevent the spread of the virus; and the use of California's financial strength to protect those suffering the worst impacts of the virus from also bearing the brunt of budget cuts due to the economic crisis.
RAC-CA Victories
In 2019, RAC-CA set gun violence prevention and housing as our two top issues. With help from Reform communities across the state, RAC-CA helped triple funding for local gun violence prevention programs in California communities most affected by gun violence. We also backed a package of housing and homeless bills that will help build new affordable housing, protect tenants, and remove barriers for housing production.
Past Events
RAC-CA Lobby Day 2019
On Tuesday, August 20 in Sacramento, RAC-CA held its most important event of the year to urge our legislators to make the Golden State reflect our Jewish values of justice, compassion, and wholeness. Participants learned how to lobby and meet with their elected officials.
Contact and support our team
- Contact Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller to learn more and get involved.
- Join our group in the Tent.
- You can support this critical organizing work in California online or by contacting David Harris.
RAC-CA Email Updates
Learn more about the RAC's key issues and get involved by signing up for the RAC-CA newsletters.
Thank you for subscribing to emails from the RAC! Please check your inbox for our emails and to manage your subscription.
Learn More and Get Involved
Governance of RAC-CA
RAC-CA seeks to build our collective power to create the California of our dreams. Our structure includes professional staff, a statewide leadership team, issue research groups, and congregational social justice teams.
Issue Research Teams
The RAC-CA Research Team looks into upcoming campaigns, including legislation on climate change, criminal justice, immigration, health care, housing, and gun violence prevention and more. Comprised of leaders from our congregations across California, this team seeks bills and ballot measures to set our legislative agenda and mobilize congregational social justice teams behind our priority campaigns. The RAC-CA Campaign Team guides the work of the statewide campaign, leading trainings and mobilizing congregations to work with our partners to build and advance our campaigns.