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Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have  Missed  

June 30, 2025

California's public schools are experiencing a significant decline in enrollment, dropping from 6. 2 million students in 2014-15 to 5. 8 million in 2024-25, with Black student numbers decreasing most sharply.

Who is affected

  • Black students in California's public schools, whose enrollment numbers have declined significantly
  • The 574 individuals on California's death row, particularly the 191 Black inmates (34% of the total)
  • Various racial and ethnic groups experiencing discrimination and hate incidents in California
  • Up to 3.4 million Californians who could lose health coverage under Trump's proposed budget cuts
  • 735,000 Californians who could be pushed off CalFresh (SNAP) food assistance
  • Film industry workers benefiting from the 6,515 cast and crew jobs created by the tax credit program

What action is being taken

  • A coalition of civil rights leaders is actively campaigning for Governor Newsom to commute all death sentences in California
  • The California Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia is currently conducting hearings to examine racial discrimination and hate incidents
  • The Stop the Hate program, administered by the California Civil Rights Department and Department of Social Services, is working to combat hate incidents
  • Governor Newsom is publicly opposing and fighting against the proposed federal budget cuts to Medicaid and SNAP
  • California is implementing its Film and Television Tax Credit Program, bringing in 48 new film productions

Why it matters

  • The declining enrollment in public schools, particularly among Black students, reflects changing demographics that will require the education system to adapt
  • California has the largest death row in the country with significant racial disparities in sentencing
  • California is experiencing the highest rates of hate and discrimination in its history according to Assemblymember Corey Jackson
  • The proposed federal budget cuts would severely impact healthcare for millions of Californians and food security for hundreds of thousands of low-income families
  • The film tax credit program is supporting California's creative economy by generating $664 million in spending and creating over 6,500 jobs

What's next

  • Governor Newsom has proposed expanding the Film and Television Tax Credit Program's annual funding from $330 million to $750 million to keep California competitive
  • The California Supreme Court is weighing a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups arguing that the state's death penalty law is enforced in a racially discriminatory way
  • No explicit next steps stated in the article regarding the declining school enrollment or the Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia's work

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have  Missed