Making phone calls to legislative offices in the State Capitol is a very effective way to communicate with your representatives in the Assembly and Senate. It's much more effective than sending an email.
Want to make some calls to support the Neighborhood Food Act? Then can you tweet about the bill? We're using #BradfordGardens #Food4Renters #FoodandEquity4All #GoodFood4All
These are the members of the Assembly Local Government Committee who will be voting on the Neighborhood Food Act on Wednesday, April 30.
Katcho Achadjian (Chair) (916) 319-2035 @KatchoAchadjian (All of San Luis Obispo County and the cities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria)
Marc Levine (Vice Chair) (916) 319-2010 @MarcLevine (All of Marin County and the cities of Cotati, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Sonoma and part of Santa Rosa)
Luis A. Alejo (916) 319-2030 @AsmLuisAlejo (All of San Benito County and the cities of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Watsonville, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Greenfield, Gonzales, King City, Salinas, Soledad)
Richard S. Gordon (916) 319-2024 @RichGordon24 (North Fair Oaks, Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, part of Cupertino, and the San Mateo County Coastside)
Melissa A. Melendez (916) 319-2067 @asmMelendez (parts of Riverside County: Canyon Lake, El Sobrante, French Valley, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Perris, Temescal Valley, Wildomar, Winchester, Woodcrest)
Kevin Mullin (916) 319-2022 @KevinMullin (South San Francisco, San Mateo, San Carlos, San Bruno, Redwood City, Pacifica, Millbrae, Hillsborough, Foster City, Burlingame, Brisbane, Belmont)
Anthony Rendon (916) 319-2063 @Rendon63rdAD (South Gate, Lakewood, Lynwood)
Marie Waldron (916) 319-2075 @ConservtveWoman (Parts of San Diego County: Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center, Vista)
Also, call your own Assemblymember (if they are not on the list above) and ask them to be a co-author of the Neighborhood Food Act! You can find out who your Assemblymember is and find a link to their website here.
Here are some talking points:
- "Hello, my name is __________. I'm calling from __________."
- Optional: if you'd like to make more extensive comments then ask to speak with the staffer who handles Local Government Committee bills, or if not you can just leave a brief comment with whoever answers the phone [if the staffer is not available try calling again later or leave a message with whoever answers the phone]
- "I am a gardener" / "I am involved in __________ community groups" / "I am passionate about supporting local food producers"
- "I'd like to express my support for AB 2561: the California Neighborhood Food Act which will remove legal barriers to growing fresh fruits and vegetables throughout California"
- "The bill will be voted on in the Local Government Committee this Wednesday, April 30"
- Optional: Explain how the bill would affect you personally, someone you know, or your community generally.
- Optional: Ask the Assemblymember to become a co-author of the bill
- "Thank you!"