Thousands more dogs and cats will gain access to affordable spay/neuter services under the 2026-27 Los Angeles City budget, which includes a $1.7 million total increase for life-saving spay/neuter services. This critical investment will support an estimated 10,000–13,000 additional surgeries annually and help reduce shelter overcrowding.

For the first time, the budget includes an investment in Jails to Jobs, a pilot program that will support people on a path to employment shortly after an arrest, giving them a chance to build the financial stability that keeps them from cycling in and out of jail. The Jails to Jobs pilot has been championed by the Vera Institute of Justice, NextGen California, and Michelson Center for Public Policy.

The Senate Natural Resources Committee passed California Assembly Bill 2483, a commonsense bill that would ensure the experience and training of California’s incarcerated firefighters are recognized with the certifications necessary to pursue firefighting careers upon release. 

Today, Sen. Jesse Arreguín introduced a resolution on the Senate Floor recognizing the importance of California’s investment in Zero Textbook Cost degrees, as new data shows the program is already saving community college students tens of millions of dollars.

 Michelson Center for Public Policy applauds the Assembly Judiciary Committee’s passage of SB 1296, the Pet Policy Transparency Act, a commonsense transparency bill that requires landlords to clearly disclose rental pet policies before charging an application fee.

Mayor Karen Bass’s proposed 2026–27 City budget increases Los Angeles Animal Services’ (LAAS) budget by just $465,640 (+1.6%) and the City’s spay/neuter fund by less than $1 million. These are marginal adjustments that leave a chronically underfunded system without the resources needed to function effectively. 

Los Angeles incurs millions of dollars each year in avoidable costs related to its animal welfare system. A targeted, near-term investment in spay/neuter and Animal Services staffing through LA’s budget can begin to stabilize the system and address the underlying drivers of these expenses.

Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (AD-57) today introduced Assembly Bill 2483 to establish clear, accountable career pathways for incarcerated firefighters seeking to enter California’s fire service upon release.

The signatories to this letter support the Vera Institute of Justice’s, NextGen California's, and the Michelson Center for Public Policy’s request for $40 million in one-time Labor and Workforce Development Fund investment in the FY2026-27 budget to launch a pilot program called “Jails to Jobs” (J2J) that integrates workforce development for Californians in pretrial proceedings.

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) has released a feasibility study exploring how pet-inclusive housing policies can help address housing and equity challenges across the county.

The Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) secured key policy victories in California’s 2024/2025 legislative session, advancing equity in education, justice reform, and animal welfare. Through strategic sponsorship, support, and advocacy, MCPP played a pivotal role in passing legislation that addresses systemic inequities and strengthens communities. The following bills were signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 247 into law, boosting wages for California’s incarcerated firefighters from $1 per hour to $7.25 per hour while assigned to active wildfire incidents. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and co-sponsored by Initiate Justice Action and Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), is part of the Firefighting to Freedom bill package, which aims to honor and support California’s incarcerated firefighters through legislative action.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 79 into law, positioning California as a national leader in supporting students’ basic needs just as the federal government moves to scale back essential programs. The bill creates roles and infrastructure to ensure students in need can access public benefit programs, such as CalFresh and Medi-Cal—programs that many students qualify for but often struggle to access.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 519 into law, banning exploitative online pet dealers in California. Authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, the law closes a major enforcement gap that allowed brokers to sidestep the state’s 2019 ban on pet-store sales of dogs from inhumane commercial breeders. 

In a closed-door decision, the California Senate Appropriations Committee quietly killed AB 1380, a bipartisan bill that would have created career pathways for incarcerated firefighters who risk their lives battling California’s wildfires.

With just three weeks left in the legislative session and with the state in the middle of another dangerous wildfire season, California legislators stood alongside formerly incarcerated firefighters and advocates to uplift the Firefighting to Freedom legislative package – seven bold bills that invest in the incarcerated firefighters who are essential to California’s wildfire response.

 As California confronts yet another dangerous wildfire season, state lawmakers announced the Firefighting to Freedom legislative package – a bold effort to honor the courage and service of incarcerated firefighters and remove the barriers they face when returning home.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 to exclude shelter animal spay & neuter providers and the Citywide Cat Program from increased coverage newly offered through the City’s Spay and Neuter Voucher Program—an unexpected reversal of their recent vote to expand access to the free voucher.

In another step forward for incarcerated firefighters, the California Senate Public Safety Committee passed AB 1380, the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary.