A Few Updates on the CA legislative Session
and an Opportunity to Learn More and Support
Organic Turf Management!

SB 499 and Other CA Environmental Bills held in Suspense

Firstly, thank you for your support of SB 499 - The Cool Schools Act - which would require all public schools to develop and implement an extreme heat action plan, promoting the use of natural systems, such as tree canopies.  (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB499)/  Unfortunately this, as well as quite a few other environmental bills were held in suspense, which means they will not move forward, but could do so next year given we are in the middle of a two year session.  AVFCA is hoping SB 499 and the following bills will be continued by their authors next year, and the Governor prioritizes them in his budget. 

Action to Take: If any of these bill authors are your legislator please contact them and share your regrets that their bill did not move forward but that you hope that they will continue to move the bill forward next year:

SB 499 (Menjivar): Extreme Heat Action Plan: Schools

AB-99 (Connolly): State highways: vegetation management: herbicides and pesticides.

AB-527 (Calderon): Urban forestry: school greening projects: grants

AB-824 (Calderon): Highway greening: statewide strategic plan.

AB-830 (Soria): Lake and streambed alteration agreements: exemptions.

SB-597 (Glazer): Rainwater capture systems.

AB-408 (Wilson): Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024.

AB-247 (Muratsuchi): Education finance: school facilities: Kindergarten Through Community College Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2024.

SB-28 (Glazer): Education finance: school facilities: Public Preschool, K–12, and College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2024

A full list of the legislation AVFCA is Opposing and Supporting can be found here: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/2023-ca-legislation/.

Opportunities to Support and Learn about Organic Turf Management from the Experts

A Voice for Choice (our sister organization) is currently piloting a project – Non-Toxic Schools – in the Novato Union School District, to transition three of their sports playing fields to organic care.  As part of this project, Non-Toxic Schools will have two events related to the care and management of school sports fields and grassy areas.  

The first event is a FREE COMMUNITY PRESENTATION on Wednesday, September 27 at 6 PM, in Novato, CA. Nationally renowned organic turf expert Chip Osborne will be speaking about how organically managed grass is more drought-tolerant, less susceptible to disease, and more resilient than fields managed with chemicals. Best of all, it doesn’t cost any more to manage fields organically.  This event will help you become educated on and promote organic field management in your schools and community.  Jay Feldman, director of Beyond Pesticides, will discuss the FREE programmatic support available to schools and towns wanting to make the transition to organic through their Parks for a Sustainable Future program. This event is open to the public and we hope everyone will join us and get inspired to go organic - and encourage their towns and schools to do the same! We encourage people to RSVP here.

The second event is an ALL-DAY TECHNICAL TRAINING SEMINAR on Thursday, September 28 from 9 AM - 4:30 PM in Petaluma, CA.  It is intended for anyone who takes care of grass, whether at a school, park, for a landscaping client, or at their own home and will be led by nationally recognized organic turf expert Chip Osborne.  The cost is subsidized so it’s only $40 per person for the entire day-long training, with lunch included.  Space is limited, so interested people should sign up right away. 

Action to Take:

- If you are close to these events, please register and join us.  

- For those further away, it would be great if you can share information on them with friends and family in Marin and Sonoma.  Please also follow Non-Toxic Schools Instagram @nontoxicschoolsca and X @nontoxicschools accounts and share the wonderful information on organic turf and these events.  Please spread the word about these events by sharing them far and wide.

- Primary sponsors of these events include A Voice for Choice, Beyond Pesticides and FACTS.  If these are the type of events you or an organization you know supports and would like be included in the event’s marketing materials, please donate to cover the cost of facilities, food, flyers, ongoing project support, etc.  Your donation will be made to A Voice for Choice and will be tax-deductible.  Sponsorship options are as follows:

• $2500: Sponsor - Your logo and link on Non Toxic Schools Event Page through the end of September 2023; Your logo on Community Flyers related to the September 2023 events; Mention of your generous donation at each September 2023 event; 4 complementary tickets for the September 28 Professional Training
• $1000: Premium Partner - Your logo and link on Non Toxic Schools Event Page through the end of September 2023; Your logo on Community Flyers related to the September 2023 events; 2 complementary tickets for the Professional Training
• $500: Partner - Your logo and link on Non Toxic Schools Event Page through the end of September 2023; Your logo on Community Flyers related to the September 2023 events
• $100: Donor - Your logo on Community Flyers related to the September 2023 events

If you are interested in partnering at any level, please reply to this email with your intended donation amount, your logo and contact information and we will get back to you with more details.

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

Together we can make change happen!

C

Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org