To California Assembly Speaker Rivas:
As a California resident, I am deeply concerned about the ongoing decline of local journalism in our state. Fortunately, lawmakers in the Assembly have a chance to pass SB 1327, a bill that has immense potential to bolster local news at a time when California desperately needs bold action.
Passing SB 1327 should be a top priority for leadership. But time is running out for lawmakers to take action before the legislative session ends on Aug. 31. That’s why I’m urging you to do everything in your power to secure a floor vote for SB 1327.
By imposing a fee on major tech platforms, SB 1327 would spur the hiring and retention of journalists and provide support to pay freelancers, a category of workers that smaller and ethnic media publications rely on. It would also put the California Local News Fellowship program — which uses public funds to strengthen news in underserved areas — on a path toward long-term sustainability.
The bill also enjoys robust support from labor, community publishers, public-interest groups and community foundations across the state.
SB 1327 is not a silver bullet — and there’s still work to do to ensure that community publishers, nonprofits, and ethnic media outlets are prioritized over media giants, given that these entities are most adept at addressing community-information needs. But opportunities of this scale to invest in local news don’t come around very often.
Speaker Rivas: Please make SB 1327 a top priority in this final month of the legislative session, and do whatever you can to secure a floor vote.