There are many problems, and opportunities too, in our communities. We encounter them every day of our lives: we are confronted with aspects of the government system that work…or that don’t work. Policies guide nearly every aspect of our existence, from our homes, our transportation, our workplaces and schools, our food, and our ability to access the things that make us happier and life worth living.

CAA approaches these issues from the frame of Arts and Culture, because we believe that the arts are central to public well-being, to a diverse and just society, and that cultural equity is essential to achieving social change and justice. 

How to fix what seems to be broken? 

There are many ways in. Your first question, after identifying a problem or an opportunity, is, “will legislation fix this?” The answer is not always yes. But if it is, here’s what you can do:

• If you have an idea about how an issue could be fixed with legislation, bring it to your legislator. 
• Develop your idea as much as you can, and understand the adjacent issues. Does this issue need a lot of funding to solve it, or is it something that establishing a new law would help alleviate, or enrich?
• Don’t know how to reach your legislator? You don’t need to be deeply involved in local politics already in order to reach out. Write up your idea in an email, and send it to the staff, telling them about yourself, describing the problem and who it affects, and offering up your solution. 
• But if you’re heading down this route, it's a good idea to build a relationship with your legislator.
• What happens next? If your idea is picked up, your representative will author a bill. They send the idea to the Legislative Counsel to write it up in the proper language to introduce it to either the assembly or the Senate.
• Is there a best time to bring an issue forward? The legislative process works on a two-year cycle. 

Other avenues to explore:

• Rally others around your idea.
• How to do public testimony?
• How to get an issue agendized?

Step one: Could legislation fix this?

• Start with identifying a problem you think legislation can solve, bringing the issue to your elected official. Thinking about the case making etc and then the overall legislative process - how a bill gets heard and so on. 2 year process etc.
• Resources: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bil2lawx.html
• Resources: https://www.counties.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/v2-tab5_-_legislative_advocacy.pdf