Advocacy Mobilization for 2025 California Budget Hearings

A state's budget reflects the priorities and ethical considerations of its citizens, as the allocation of funds across different areas like education, healthcare, environment, and social services reveals what a society values most, essentially acting as a visible representation of its moral compass. State budgets can also reduce long-standing racial and economic disparities in access to jobs, housing, and education.

State budget decisions should matter to all of us. State budgets affect the quality of life of workers, families, and communities across the nation ― they decide the fate of roads, schools, health care, public transportation, clean air and water, and much more. Every year, state policymakers make critical choices about how to provide these services and how to ensure that state revenues are adequate to fund them.

In addition to spending their own funds, states play an important role in implementing federal programs and deciding how to spend federal funds ― for example, designing the health services provided under Medicaid, or determining where to invest federal highway and public transit funds.

To get off on the right foot of the 2025 California Legislative session, we ask our supporters to urge the California state legislature to reduce corrections spending, close prisons, and invest in critical social, health, education and environmental programs currently at risk. 

Despite declining prison populations and fewer occupied prison beds, California's corrections spending has steadily increased over the last decade. Closing five prisons in California can save over $1.5 billion annually that can and must be shifted to vital services our communities need. These changes to budget allocations are even more important now, taking into account the threats from the federal government to cut funding to vital services, it's especially imperative for California leaders to invest in people over prisons.

Actions you can take:

1. Use the 2025 Cross-Sector Budget Action Toolkit (opens in google drive) to send letters to legislators, read resources on purposeful spending and budget plans, and share widely to your networks on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky.
2. Sign up for the Budget2SaveLives (B2SL) Budget Advocacy Rolodex, a cross-sector hub where advocates can share budget priorities, coordinate messaging, and boost budget advocacy mobilizations throughout the California budget cycle. Budget2SaveLives is is a super collective of coalitions led by Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), La Defensx, Dignity Not Detention Coalition, Reimagine LA, People’s Budget Orange County, and Freedom for Immigrants. Collectively, B2SL represents more than 150 grassroots organizations.

Felony Murder Elimination Project is always deeply grateful for the passion and dedication our supporters show toward our shared values of human dignity, reducing mass incarceration, and pushing for a more just and fair criminal justice system.