Community Win! Measure J Upheld in California Appellate Court
Community members and advocates call for full funding of the Measure
The Re-Imagine LA Coalition, allies, and partners are mobilizing at the LA County Board of Supervisors on Monday, August 7th to celebrate this historic victory, and to call for full funding of Measure J and investment in a Care First budget.
Measure J mandates that 10% of locally-generated unrestricted funds be allocated to community investments and alternatives to incarceration. Focused on addressing root causes of social inequities, the measure creates a powerful and permanent funding stream to build a more robust network of community care systems throughout the County.
On Friday, July 28th, the California Court of Appeal upheld the will of 2.1 million LA County voters who overwhelmingly approved ballot Measure J in 2020.
The judicial determination opens an avenue to bolster the implementation of Measure J.
Interference by law enforcement special interest groups has kept Measure J in legal limbo for nearly two years. During this time, the Care First Community Investment process was still able to allocate over $400 million dollars in equity-based reinvestment into vulnerable communities. This ruling is a renewed opportunity for the LA County Board of Supervisors to fully fund Measure J and enact a Care First Budget.
Speakers (alphabetical order) Include:
Akili, Akili Core Team Member of Black Live Matters-Los Angeles, and Candidate for the Assembly 57th District, (He/him)
Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition, Care First Community Investment Advisory Body Member (She/her)
Mike Dennis, Director of Community Activation, The United Way, Co-Authors of the Measure J Ballot Measure (He/Him)
Council Member Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles City Council Representative for District One, Former Measure J Campaign Co-Chair, Measure Co-Author (She/her)
Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, California Assembly Majority Leader, District 55, Former Measure J Campaign Co-Chair (He/him)
Megan Castillo, Policy and Advocacy Manager at La Defensa, and Coordinator of the Re-Imagine LA Coalition, Care First Community Investment Advisory Body Member (she/her)
Emceed by Ivette Alé-Ferlito, Co-Founder and Executive Director, La Defensa, Measure J Co-Author (they/them)
Other expert speakers available upon request, including:
Karen Garcia, Senior Development Associate, Brilliant Corners, Re-Imagine LA Coordinating Body Member (she/her) who can speak to housing justice needs in Measure J Implementation.
Myanna A. Khalfani-King, Catalyst California, (She/her)
Jacky Guerrero, Catalyst California, (They/ she)
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Re-Imagine L.A. is a coalition of community members, advocates, organizations, and neighbors supporting the implementation of Measure J to prioritize investments in alternatives to incarceration and access to health, housing, and jobs for Black, Latine, and Indigenous communities.
