College students in California have sought to bring attention to menstrual equity on their campuses for years, forming teams and lobbying administrators for funding to provide free, convenient pads and tampons.

It’s critical to view period products the same way toilet paper or hand soap are treated — as basic hygienic products. One reason advocates say legislation like this hasn’t passed before is the discomfort surrounding menstruation.

As a result of Prop 13, some areas in California cannot secure enough funds to bolster fire services. With the threat of climate change and wildfires looming over Californians, lack of resources strains existing fire services. As local fire agencies struggle to respond to these threats, one thing is clear: we must ensure our fire services are well-funded to protect all Californians.

This year, local students and education advocates from the Sacramento community had the opportunity to share their personal testimonies with state elected officials regarding education in California. Students brought up numerous issues that highlighted the clear disparity and lack of support, sparking the conversation for why fully funded education is a necessity.

4 out of 5 California teachers cite hybrid learning as more difficult than distance learning. Instructors have noticed that students from low-income households have suffered disproportionately during hybrid instruction and believe that school districts must do more to address inequalities in the education system as a whole. In order to fully “reopen,” California educators must be supported with more funding and more resources!

The Public Policy Institute of California released the results of a poll they conducted about Californian’s views on public education. It’s shocking that nearly 8 in 10 children are falling behind during the pandemic and that nearly 70% of voters don't know that California ranks below the national average in per pupil spending.

Art plays an important role in students’ personal and academic success. However, California is falling behind in providing this crucial element of education. It is deplorable that only 20% of Californian middle schools reported art access and that only 64% of majority Black schools reported having a music teacher compared to 94% of majority white schools. California must do better for our kids.

Teaching has long been a career known for its low pay and taxing working conditions. The pandemic has only exacerbated this situation. For these reasons, it is not surprising that aspiring teachers are reconsidering their career paths. Between 2006 and 2019, the number of education degrees dropped by 22%. The solution is clear: teachers need more support.

The political events of 2021 have revealed the dangerous effects of underfunded and inadequate education systems. Education has the power to open minds and protect against falsehoods and misinformation. For the future of progress and our democracy, we must fully fund education and especially invest in social studies and civics education.

Alice Huffman, leader of California’s NAACP, will step down from her position amid conflict of interest allegations. Huffman’s consulting firm accepted $740,000 from the No on 15 campaign. By opposing a key proposition designed to strengthen our schools and communities, Hoffman betrayed voters who rely on the NAACP to support their best interests.

The New York Times, in an effort to support common-sense progressive taxation across the nation, has endorsed Proposition 15! The paper applauds Prop. 15 for breaking down a decades-old system that favors wealthy corporations in order to increase funding for schools and local communities by over $11.5 billion. Voters must support Prop. 15 for high quality education and a progressive future!

Howard Jarvis’ Proposition 13 has harmed California voters by creating “a disparate system in which new buyers pay vastly higher taxes than longtime owners.” Prop. 15, a community initiative to tax wealthy corporations and raise up to $11.5 billion for schools and local governments, aims to topple this regressive policy. The New York Times makes it clear: after 40 years, now is the time for change!

For years, Prop. 13 has starved California’s public resources in order to benefit major corporate entities. Thanks to Prop 13, Disney robs Orange County of $19.6 million a year while Chevron, the region’s biggest polluter, underpays Contra Costa County by $4.2 million. Even Trump is involved… his organization cheats Californians out of up to $11 million a year! This is unacceptable.

The Los Angeles Times encourages voters to vote YES on Prop. 15. The publication points to a series of issues that emerged as the result of Prop. 13, specifically the devastating effect it has had on local governments and their struggling tax revenue. Prop. 15 is what it takes to fix California’s crumbling infrastructure, schools and businesses.

The San Francisco Chronicle calls on CA voters to vote YES on Prop 15. Despite California’s progressive legacy, the state still lies heavily flawed with its taxing system that rewards large corporations at the cost of homeowners and small businesses. Prop. 15 works to remedy this harm, while still protecting California’s most vulnerable tenants.

After a series of tax reform victories in California, grassroots organizations and movements are moving forward and attempting to do the unthinkable: challenge Prop 13. Coined the Schools and Communities First initiative, they’re mobilizing a wide coalition of community members to make sure corporations and the wealthy finally pay their fair share of taxes.

40 years ago, California was the model state for public schools across the nation. Now, they rank 43rd out of 50 in per-pupil spending, which is just one of the many problems California schools face due to a significant lack of funding.

According to a Department of Education survey, 94 percent of public school teachers pay out of pocket for their classes’ school supplies. It didn’t matter whether they taught in cities, suburbs, rural areas, almost all teachers had to pay for their classes without reimbursement.