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Prepared by Precision Advocacy
Proposition 4 Climate Bond Implementation
This week, the California Natural Resource Agency (CNRA) hosted a webinar to update the public on the implementation of Proposition 4. California voters overwhelmingly approved the $10 billion Climate Bond in 2024. This bond is designed to protect communities and natural resources from climate change. It allocates funds for wildfire prevention, ensuring safe drinking water, safeguarding biodiversity, and expanding access to nature. The goal of these funds is to support projects that create meaningful and lasting improvements for people and communities throughout California. By law, at least 40% of all bond funding must benefit disadvantaged, severely disadvantaged, and vulnerable communities.
Up to 80% of the funds could be used to advance California's Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets. These targets promote the expansion of land management practices that enhance the health and resilience of natural systems, thereby enabling nature to store carbon long-term. Such practices include, but are not limited to, wetland restoration, urban greening, cultural and prescribed burning, prescribed grazing, healthy soils practices, and land conservation.
The webinar included several agency heads who emphasized the transformational change the funds could support and their intention to maximize the impact of the funding. Bond funds can be used to support all types of work across the state including state managed work, directed programs, and grant programs that go out to communities. There are about 119 distinct program pots. More information can be found on the Proposition 4 website which, once complete, is intended to provide information about all of the grants funded under the climate bond.
$3.3 billion in Climate Bond fund allocations have been authorized, including $181 million in early-action funding for wildfire prevention and forest resilience. Fifteen projects are under contract and dozens more are under review, including tribally led initiatives, workforce development, and fire-resilience efforts on public and protected lands. CNRA is coordinating implementation of the Climate Bond across many departments, conservancies and boards, and offices. State entities will either use the funds for specific projects or they will run grant programs for eligible organizations to implement projects that comply with the bond’s goals. Programs will launch in multiple rounds over several years.
CNRA’s bond accountability website shows which programs are funded, how dollars are being spent, and details about the projects funded. As part of the roll-out, CNRA also launched a statewide survey which included 500 responses, along with input from meetings, tribal consultations and conferences. The feedback shaped new guidance to implement the Climate Bond and strengthen grant processes across the CNRA.
As grants come online over the next several years, departments will advertise public comment periods and tribal consultations as they develop grant guidelines. Opportunities for public participation and input may include webinars, office hours and online surveys. After guidelines are finalized, open solicitations for grants will be made available on Grants.ca.gov, the Climate Bond website, and through departmental pages. Programs will also offer workshops, technical assistance, and webinars to help applicants navigate the process.
We will continue to monitor and report on any updates related to Proposition 4 implementation and available grant funds for Orange County.
Redistricting Ballot Battle Heats Up
With Election Day on November 4 fast approaching, a close contest is indicated by polling data, drawing significant financial contributions to both campaigns. Proposition 50, if approved by voters, would mandate the temporary implementation of new congressional district maps until 2030. Following this, the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission would be directed to resume the enactment of congressional district maps in 2031. Additionally, the measure seeks to establish a national policy in favor of nonpartisan redistricting commissions. The financial implications of this measure include one-time costs for counties, potentially reaching a few million dollars statewide, to update election materials in accordance with the new congressional district maps.
Backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, Democratic leaders, former President Joe Biden, and major unions, supporters call Proposition 50 the Election Rigging Response Act—a temporary safeguard to counter Republican gerrymandering. Critics including the California Republican Party, the OC GOP, and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who argue that the proposition eliminates public input and transparency from the redistricting process.
The Poll Numbers. An August poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/ LA Times, 48% of eligible voters favor Proposition 50, with 46% of voters saying that they thought it was a good idea, and 36% saying they thought it was a bad idea.
According to the same poll, among regular voters, 55% said they would support the proposition while 34% said they would oppose it. Not surprising given its partisan nature, Democrats overwhelmingly supported the measure in the poll (69%), Republicans overwhelmingly opposed it (72%), and “no party preference” voters were somewhere in the middle with 44% saying they would support it and 30% saying they would oppose it.
Competing Campaigns. Charles Munger Jr. has already spent $30 million to oppose Proposition 50 and protect the independent redistricting commission he helped create via earlier ballot-measure campaigns. He has been backing “Protect Voters First” which hit voters’ mailboxes in late August with a flight of mail and launched a 30-second ad that was ubiquitous across television and digital outlets over the past month before being phased out this past weekend. Last week the campaign began airing its first Spanish-language ad along with 15- and 30-seconds spots featuring testimonials from Yorba Linda Mayor Janice Lim. In addition to Munger’s $30 million, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has contributed about $6.2 million and software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel contributed one million more to the No on 50 campaign.
Supporting Proposition 50, Governor Newsom has characterized the fight as an existential one saying, “we’ll lose this republic, we’ll lose this democracy.” The Yes on 50 committee reported raising more than twice as much as the two No committees combined, and — even after aggressive spending across broadcast, cable, and digital channels, still has $54 million on hand according to recent Secretary of State reports.
League of Women Voters Controversy. The California Target Book issued a correction earlier this week, saying that the League of Women Voters would remain neutral on the proposition.
Protect Voters First, a group opposing Prop. 50 and funded by Munger, lifted a quote from a League op-ed that ran in The Sacramento Bee and displayed it prominently on the front page of a widely circulated “no on 50” mailer. The quote, taken from a piece written by League of Women Voters California President Gloria Chun Hoo, strongly implied that voters should defeat Newsom’s plan to redistrict. “California has become a national model for independent redistricting,” Chun Hoo wrote. “Let’s protect the integrity of our democratic process and reject the dangerous idea of mid-cycle redistricting.”
The League clarified its neutral position saying, “to be clear, the League does not support this coalition or its message,” in a prepared statement sent to members and media outlets.
Background on Redistricting in California. Redistricting typically happens at the end of a decade in connection with a completed U.S. Census count. Prior to 2010, state legislators drew up the congressional districts in California. California voters approved Proposition 20 in 2010 which moved the responsibility of redistricting from the legislature to an independent commission that was created by a separate proposition.
Since then, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, made up of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four members who aren’t registered with either of those political parties – have drawn the maps. The commission put out a news release in August saying they had no affiliation with any groups opposing or supporting Proposition 50 and their commission as a whole has not taken a stand on the proposition.
Locally, elected officials in cities including Irvine, Stanton, and Cypress debated opposing the proposition, but ultimately did not adopt resolutions.
Poverty in California
In September, the National Census Bureau released its annual analysis of poverty in America for 2024. In California, the number of individuals in poverty was roughly equivalent to 2023 – about 4.6 million individuals under the official poverty threshold. These thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medi-Cal, and CalFresh).
California consistently ranks among the states with the highest poverty rates in the nation. While the official poverty rate places California close to the national average at 10.6%, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) that accounts for the state’s high cost of living and housing costs show significantly higher levels of hardship – 17.7%. The pandemic briefly drove poverty downward due to historic federal and state investments, but the expiration of those supports has reversed progress and contributed to widespread economic insecurity.
Statewide Poverty Findings
- Poverty rates of 17.7% for all Californians and 18.6% for children were statistically unchanged from 2023 but reflect an increase in overall poverty from 2021 of 11%.
- As compared to 2021, child poverty has more than doubled, increasing from 7.5% to 18.6%, reflecting sunset of the expanded federal child tax credit.
- The poverty rate is higher for children than for adults given costs associated with raising children, low wages for parents and caregivers.
- At the national level, the expanded federal child tax credit kept 2.9 million children out of poverty in 2021.
- Poverty is highest for adults aged 65 and older at 21.1%, in large part due to higher out-of-pocket medical expenses.
- As compared to 2021, poverty rates for Californians between 18 and 64 rose from 11.1% in 2021 to 16.5% in 2024.
- Black and Latinx Californians experienced poverty at approximately ten percentage points higher than white Californians.
- In 2024, nearly 2 million Californians lived in deep poverty – a household with total resources below 50% of the SPM threshold. For a family of two adults and two children, this is equivalent to about $20,000 per year, inclusive of public assistance.
- Poverty rates were highest in Los Angeles County 19.9% and the Central Coast region – 19.3%. Sacramento Area had the lowest 13%.
- 1% of California renters experienced poverty in 2024, a rate significantly higher than in 2021 when renter assistance was available,
Continued high poverty levels will be a topic of concern during budget discussions in 2026 and details will be analyzed to assist lawmakers with their policy decisions.
Grant Opportunities
Below is a list of the latest grant opportunities released by the state. All opportunities for local jurisdictions may be found here.
Deadline: 12/19/25 17:00
Title:2026 Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Grant
State Agency / Department: State Water Resources Control Board
Match Funding? 25%
Estimated Total Funding: In fiscal year 2026-2027, the State Water Board anticipates awarding approximately $3-4 million to projects.
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)
Deadline: 10/7/25 23:59
Title: Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Clean Up and Abatement Grant Program FR88
State Agency / Department: Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $200K maximum per applicant each FY· $50K maximum per cleanup site
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)
Deadline: 12/1/25 00:00
Title: California Serves Grant Program 2025-26
State Agency / Department: CA Department of Education
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $5,000,000
Funding Method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)
Deadline: 10/30/25 17:00
Title: 2025 California Men's Service Challenge
State Agency / Department: CA Volunteers
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $4,999,996
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)
Governor’s Press Releases
Below is a list of the governor’s press releases beginning September 24.
September 30: As the federal government turns its back on workers, Governor Newsom signs landmark bill expanding workers’ rights
September 30: Governor Newsom signs executive order launching next phase of whole-of-government response to the economic and insurance consequences of climate crisis
September 30: Trump to Americans: “Go F*ck Yourself”; shuts down Republican-controlled government, increasing monthly health care costs by hundreds of dollars
September 29: Governor Newsom signs SB 53, advancing California’s world-leading artificial intelligence industry
September 29: California Men’s Service Challenge amplifies efforts with $5 million to create more paid service opportunities
September 27: Governor Newsom announces deployment of California resources to the East Coast ahead of multiple Atlantic storms
September 26: Governor Newsom predeploys fire and rescue resources ahead of multiple hazards threatening California
September 26: Governor Newsom signs new landmark laws to protect reproductive freedom, patient privacy amid Trump’s war on women
September 26: Governor Newsom proclaims Native American Day, signs legislation supporting California Native community
September 26: State builds upon billions of dollars in behavioral health investment by awarding $127 million in grants for Prop 36 and Prop 47
September 26: State builds upon billions of dollars in behavioral health investment by awarding $127 million in grants for Prop 36 and Prop 47
September 25: Split screen: Governor Newsom launches new international climate partnerships as Trump unleashes unhinged UN rant
September 25: California and Kenya join in a historic partnership to curb emissions and boost trade
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