JPAC and Jewish Caucus Secure Record  Million for Security Grants Protecting At-Risk Institutions

JPAC and Jewish Caucus Secure Record $80 Million Annually for Two Years for Security Grants Protecting At-Risk Institutions

Holocaust Education and Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s Asylum-Seeker shelter are also funded in the final budget deal, despite major budget deficit.

 

June 23, 2024

 

SACRAMENTO, CA — Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom reached a three-party budget agreement with the Assembly and the Senate, in which they allocated a record $80 million annually for two years to fund the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP). An ongoing initiative led by JPAC and the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, the CSNSGP provides funding to strengthen building security and other physical enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk for violent attacks and hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs, or mission. This will ensure that synagogues and other houses of worship, as well as LGBTQ and reproductive health centers can remain protected. The most funding the state has provided for the CSNSGP prior to this allocation was $50 million in 2021 and 2022. Never before has the state committed to funding this program for multiple years.

“Community security initiatives have been a consistent priority for JPAC, but this need has skyrocketed since October 7th,” said David Bocarsly, JPAC Executive Director.

Demand for this program continues to climb in many communities across the state. Last year, California received a record 1,254 applications totaling over $255 million in need. However, with $40 million available, only 193 applicants were awarded funding, representing around 15% of the applicant pool.

California currently faces the biggest budget deficit since the Great Recession. Funding the CSNSGP at a time when many programs are being cut demonstrates the State’s commitment to prioritizing the safety of the Jewish community, and to delivering on the assurances Governor Newsom made in his Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism. This announcement comes just weeks after 500 Jewish leaders convened in Sacramento for JPAC’s Capitol Summit, a two-day event at which participants lobbied for these and other priorities related to mitigating California’s recent surge of antisemitism. In a video address to attendees, Governor Newsom reaffirmed his intent to fight the surge of antisemitism that has surfaced in the wake of October 7th.

The agreement also contains victories for two other major JPAC and Jewish Caucus initiatives:

  • $5 million to continue and expand the work of the California Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide Education. The Collaborative is composed of 14 leading California Holocaust and genocide educational institutions working together to create lesson plans, vehicles for the distribution of new curriculum, and teacher training programs to ensure that all schools are appropriately meeting the state’s Holocaust and genocide education standard.
  • $79 million reappropriation so the San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN) can carryover unspent funds to use in this fiscal year. The SDRRN provides support – such as those provided by Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s Asylum Seeker Shelter and Services – to asylum seekers in the California border region, helping prevent a humanitarian crisis at our southern border.

“This demonstrates a major commitment to California’s vulnerable communities, especially the Jewish community,” said Bocarsly. “Governor Newsom and legislative leaders have been consistent allies and continue to support our community’s top priorities. We extend a special thanks to the Jewish Caucus, especially Co-Chairs Assemblymember Gabriel and Senator Wiener, for championing our biggest initiatives. These are critical programs that affect the very fabric of who we are as Californians. It’s clear our work is needed more now than ever, and that each of the 500 Jewish leaders and allies who came to Sacramento and advocated for our community’s priorities made a difference. It is an important reminder of how much we can accomplish when we work together, even under challenging circumstances.”

The agreement represents a budget deal that the legislature is expected to approve on Thursday, June 27th. The Governor is expected to sign the budget bills before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1st.

 

About the CSNSGP:

The CSNSGP was created by AB 1548 (Gabriel) in 2019 to fund security enhancements that include reinforced doors, gates, high-intensity lighting and access control systems, security guards, and inspection and screening systems. In 2022, the legislature passed AB 1664 (Gabriel), expanding the criteria to include security training. Last year’s AB 1185 (Gabriel) permitted Jewish Federations and other organizations with security networks to use the program for communication and training programs across a network of institutions. JPAC and the Jewish Caucus sponsored each of these three bills, which were all signed into law by Governor Newsom.

JPAC works with the Jewish Caucus, the Governor’s office, and the legislature to secure annual funding from the state budget for the CSNSGP to protect the safety of vulnerable groups. As a result of these efforts, the state has allocated $155 million towards this program from 2019 to 2023.

 

About JPAC:

The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) is the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol. Composed of California’s leading Jewish community organizations, JPAC advocates in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values. JPAC member organizations – including Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Relations Councils, Jewish Family Service agencies, and others – collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians of all backgrounds and represent the interests of California’s 1.2 million Jews, making it the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation.

Since 2019, JPAC has successfully advocated for over $465 million dollars from the state budget for a wide range of community projects, including enhancing community security initiatives, rebuilding Jewish summer camps destroyed in wildfires, expanding Holocaust education institutions, and securing vital resources for seniors, immigrants, and people experiencing food insecurity.

For more information, visit us at http://jpac-cal.org.

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Contact: David Bocarsly, JPAC Executive Director, david@jpac-cal.org

JPAC