John,

This past month, my LinkedIn has been full of career fundraisers mourning the loss of their largest donor: the government.

As DOGE slashed federal programs, ironically named “non-governmental” organizations (NGOs) scrambled to adjust to life without government support.

Over a decade ago, CPC made a different choice — we committed to staying independent from government funding. Even through the darkest days of Covid, CPC refused to ask for (or to accept) government funding.

Today, while other nonprofits are reeling, CPC is thriving. And that’s entirely —100%— because of bold, generous philanthropists like you – men and women fighting to take back California.

The following headlines highlight just a few of the changes happening behind the scenes throughout the Golden State. And they happen only because of you.

- Jackson Reese

Executive VP | (714) 206 3517

PARENT GROUPS FLOOD SACRAMENTO FOR CPC’S 4TH ANNUAL PARENT UNION SUMMIT

More than 150 education reform advocates, parent leaders, and school board members gathered in Sacramento for CPC’s 4th annual Parents Not Partisans Summit—our biggest yet.

What began just four years ago with 60 grassroots leaders has grown into a statewide movement of parents and advocates uniting to learn, connect, and strategize for the year ahead.

The multi-day summit brought together leaders from 32 counties—including 40 current school board members—all committed to fixing California’s broken education system.

These Californians aren’t career politicians—they’re parents, grandparents, and educators who work with CPC every day to increase educational choice, protect charter schools and hold the line against their local teacher unions.

CALIFORNIA JUSTICE CENTER COMPLAINT KICKSTARTS FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS

You may have seen this news on the front page of the Los Angeles Times: The U.S. Department of Education has opened a formal investigation into the State of California in response to a complaint filed by our very own California Justice Center.

At the heart of the issue is AB 1955, a new law barring parents from learning if their child is changing their gender identity at school. The complaint lays out the obvious: this clearly violates the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects parents' access to education records.

CPC attorney and California Justice Center president Julie Hamill revealed that schools are effectively keeping parents in the dark about critical developments in their children’s lives, violating federal law and basic constitutional rights.

Federal officials didn’t mince words. Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemned the practice, calling it immoral and illegal, and emphasized the government’s duty to defend the rights of parents. The department also reminded schools that accepting federal funding comes with the obligation to comply with FERPA and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment — which both affirm parents’ right to know what’s happening with their child in school.

California’s attempt to sideline parents on this issue is finally coming to an end. CPC will continue providing updates on this issue as the legal battle and investigation continue.

CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER VICTORY IN LAUSD TRANSPARENCY LAWSUIT

We won another!

After months of legal wrangling, California Policy Center has won its case against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). This decisive legal victory protects transparency, upholds the Public Records Act, and strikes a blow against union secrecy in California.

When LAUSD stopped complying with Public Records Act requests about union dues and membership details in 2023, it wasn’t just bureaucratic stonewalling. It was a calculated move to limit the effectiveness of our union opt-out campaigns and to hide just how deeply embedded and politically powerful government unions have become.

LAUSD’s legal team tried to use the case to create a dangerous new precedent that would have blocked public access to information about government employment statewide.

Thanks to your support – and hundreds of hours of legal work by the CPC team – that didn’t happen.

Because of this win, Californians will continue to have the right to see how government unions operate — how they collect dues, how they spend them, and how they influence public institutions. That’s no small thing in a state where unions raise and spend hundreds of millions every election cycle.

Your investment in this case made the difference. Thank you!
INVEST IN THE CPC STRATEGY ([link removed])
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FEATURED PODCAST

Episode 387: San Francisco’s ‘New Pragmatism”

With the election of former member of Congress Barbara Lee for mayor, Oakland voters have brought the pain (to themselves) while San Francisco Democrats are calling for a “new pragmatism.”
LISTEN NOW ([link removed])
New Updates and Initiatives
* CPC’s Center for Public Accountability hosted a conference in February with XBRL-US featuring California State Treasurer Fiona Ma. CPC’s Lance Christensen and Andrew Davenport presented California Policy Center’s Local Fiscal Health Dashboard to city auditors and managers as well as other state and local government officials invested in modernizing municipal fiscal reporting.
* Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at CPC, appeared on The Way I Heard It Podcast with Mike Rowe ([link removed]) to discuss fire resilience and common-sense changes California can make to its environmental policies to help prevent future disasters.
* CLEO signed onto a coalition letter encouraging Congress to pass the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). If passed, the law would be the first to provide school choice scholarships at the federal level.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL
California’s War on Oil Finally Prompts a Response ([link removed])

WILL SWAIM
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OC REGISTER
Rebuilding Requires Reimagining Environmentalism ([link removed])

EDWARD RING


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The California Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported entirely by the generosity of our partners. For assistance making a planned gift, donating stock, crypto or a duffel bag filled with cash, please contact Jackson Reese, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) - or simply hit reply to this email.
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