By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Housing, energy, food and gas are four essential household expenses, and their rising costs are forcing residents—especially lower-income households—to make difficult trade-offs, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) said at a conference on affordability last week in Sacramento.

Ransom, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), noted a shift in consumer behavior, stating, “Before people used to choose between things that they wanted and things that they needed.”

“Now, what we’re hearing from constituents is they are prioritizing their needs differently,” she said. “Because of the affordability crisis, it’s no longer about choosing between other needs. Our constituents are now saying ‘what needs to be prioritized?’ Gas and food are at the top of the list.”

Ransom made the comments about affordability at Capitol Weekly’s informational conference titled “Affordability: The Cost of Living in California,” which was held on April 30 at the University of California’s Student and Policy Center.

Co-hosted with the University of California Student and Policy Center, the political conversations focused on identifying policy solutions to the state’s extremely high prices for energy, food, and essentials.

The keynote speakers at the conference were former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, and Mike Madrid, a political strategist, author, and senior fellow at UC Irvine.

Conversations about affordability are taking on greater urgency as the election season kicks in, speakers said.

According to an April 2024 report by the Greenlining Institute, low-income Black Californians are struggling with affordability due to a combination of historical systemic barriers and modern economic pressures. The Greenlining Institute is a California-based policy, research, and advocacy nonprofit founded in 1993 to fight systemic racism and economic injustice.

Black households in California experience the highest levels of rent burden; approximately 65% of Black renters, according to the Greenlining report. Historical “redlining” and ongoing discrimination have restricted homeownership. Black families also pay 43% more for energy than White households, partly because they are more likely to live in older, less energy-efficient rentals.

In addition, roughly 1 in 3 Black adults (36.5%) reported household food insecurity in late 2025, more than double the rate for White adults. This is often exacerbated by “food deserts” in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

In March, Assembly Minority Leader Heath Flora (R-Ripon) expressed concerns about affordability in California, describing it as a crisis where families are being “pushed to the edge.”

“Californians should not have to choose between putting food on the table or filling up their car,” Flora stated. “We need to cut costs now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. Now.”

Cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding are being driven by the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which is reducing federal spending by approximately $187 billion through 2034.

Those reductions are putting more pressure on the state to help, Ransom said. According to the AAA Gas Prices website, as of May 8, California’s gasoline prices averaged over $6 per gallon in some areas, with various locations experiencing spikes of $7 to $8 per gallon. In California, fuel prices are driven by refinery maintenance and market volatility, while high food prices are linked to rising transportation costs, experts say.

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By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

In July 2024, Adrienne Boulware, a 47-year-old mother and grandmother, died from complications related to extreme heat exhaustion while incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, according to her family.

Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) hopes his legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 2499 — also known as the “Adrienne Act” — will help prevent tragedies like Boulware’s death in California prisons.

“It is no secret that our state prisons have aging infrastructures that have inadequate ventilation systems,” Gipson said. “It should come as no shock that indoor temperatures in these facilities exceed 90 degrees, which means it gets really hot.”

On May 4, Gipson spoke at the Survivors Speak California Rally at the State Capitol to advocate for AB 2499, which focuses on heat and health protections in state prisons. The three-day event was organized by Californians for Safety and Justice, a project of the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice network.

Boulware’s family attended the rally in support of the measure, which would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to establish a pilot program to address extreme heat by July 1, 2027, in at least three prisons across different climate zones.

Boulware’s daughter, Michela Nelson, said her mother frequently complained about heatwaves during the summer months. CDCR stated that Boulware’s death — she was also known as “Twin” — appeared to be related to pre-existing medical conditions rather than extreme heat.

“My mother was not just a mother of four and grandmother of 12. She was a mother to many inside and outside of the prison,” said Nelson, the eldest of Boulware’s children. “My mother didn’t die because she was sentenced to death. She died because she was left in conditions no human being should ever endure.”

AB 2499 would formally create the Climate Justice in Prisons Emergency Response Act. The legislation would require CDCR to develop a long-term plan to install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and shade structures in existing facilities.

The Survivors Speak California Rally coincided with other advocacy events at the Capitol supporting survivors of violent crime.

On May 5, Jazz LedBetter and other advocates rallied nearby to urge lawmakers to include $100 million in the state budget for domestic violence and sexual assault services.

Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) served as keynote speakers. Both lawmakers have publicly shared their own experiences as survivors of assault.

LedBetter, a survivor of human trafficking, is also an author, activist, and artist who uses her experiences to advocate for human trafficking prevention. She shares her story of survival, addiction, and recovery in her self-published book, “Harlot Heart: Tributes To Triumph.”

“Take a moment and think about someone finally reaching out for help, and there’s no one here to answer,” LedBetter said during her presentation on the east lawn of the Capitol.

Advocates said the funding is needed to help close a gap caused by a sharp decline in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.

“I am here because I am proof of what happens when someone gets support. Don’t let this funding (shortfall) be the reason someone doesn’t make it out,” LedBetter said. “The difference between survival and unfortunately common sad stories is whether or not someone is there (to help) when it matters the most.”

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By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

Even though public attitudes have shifted, advocates say the fight for LGBTQ rights in California remains far from over — a reality Equality California confronts through outreach, policy advocacy and community support.

“I was at Sacramento Pride,” said Erin Arendse, program director for Equality California. “We were setting up and an individual was yelling horrific homophobic slurs at everybody.”

Equality California’s outreach at events like Pride includes connecting community members to resources such as CA vs Hate, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024.

Run by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and 211-in partnership with community-based organizations—the hotline and online resource offer confidential, anonymous reporting that is separate from law enforcement and grounded in a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach.

Arendse says after the incident she decided to take her own advice.

EQCA at the Los Angeles LGBT pride parade in 2011. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

“We were literally doing that outreach there,” she said. “So, I pulled CA vs Hate on my phone to report the incident.”

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New data from CRD underscores the growing reliance on the program. CA vs Hate received nearly 1,000 reports of hate from across 46 counties in 2025 and has responded to more than 6,800 requests for help since launching in May 2023.

“Everyone deserves support after experiencing hate,” said Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Secretary Tomiquia Moss. “Through CA vs Hate, Californians have a trusted place they can turn to, and thousands of people have already reached out. From mental health counseling to legal assistance, the hotline is a nation-leading example of how we can drive real impact when we work together with our local partners.”

Californians protesting Prop 8, a 2008 ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages in the state. EQCA would be instrumental in passing Proposition 3 in 2024, which would ensure same-sex couples retained the right to marry. Credit: ID 7261410 © Karin Hildebrand Lau | Dreamstime.com

According to the 2024 California Health Interview Survey from UCLA, nearly 3.1 million Californians ages 12 and over experienced hate acts in the previous year, with 31% reporting unmet support needs. Anonymous reports, including those like Arendse’s, help strengthen data collection and improve prevention and response strategies.

“People have expressed a feeling of empowerment,” she said. “It’s important to be able to say that something happened and to have that recorded and validated.”

Equality California’s work builds on decades of advocacy. In the early 2000s, the organization helped push the marriage equality debate forward by sponsoring legislation and advancing legal protections for same-sex couples, efforts that helped shift public opinion despite initial legislative setbacks.

EQCA Instagram Page (@EQCA) promoting CA vs Hate Hotline Photo courtesy of EQCA/

The group has since backed a range of policies, including expanding domestic partnership rights, protecting transgender Californians, improving support for older LGBTQ+ residents, and recognizing LGBTQ+ contributions to the state.

After voters approved Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage, Equality California led opposition efforts and legal challenges. The issue was ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

Still, advocates say progress has not been linear.

The 2016 election ushered in a resurgence of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, prompting Equality California to open a Washington, D.C. office in 2017 to counter federal policy threats. At the local level, tensions have also surfaced.

“A lot of school board meetings were totally overrun by anti-LGBTQ activists and specifically anti-trans organizers who would just say some of the most horrific things,” Arendse said. “A lot of school board trustees just simply were not prepared to deal with that level of vitriol in a school board meeting.”

Campaign: EQCA multi-lingual public outreach and education efforts are critical to advancing social justice and creating safer communities for LGBTQ people. Photo courtesy of EQCA

In response, Equality California, which has received support from  California’s Stop the Hate Program, has worked with school districts to manage disruptions and protect students, while expanding education and training efforts. The organization has trained more than 5,000 health and human service providers on inclusivity and cultural competency.

Matt Pennon, who has overseen diversity, equity and inclusion programs at both the County and City of San Luis Obispo, said those trainings have had a measurable impact.

“The resounding feedback was ‘Wow, I actually did get something from this,’” Pennon said.

“Even the folks that maybe don’t fully agree said they developed a better sense of respect,” he added. “This is about really highlighting the differences between all of us as humans and how those differences are actually strengths.”

More recently, Equality California has raised concerns about federal policy shifts affecting transgender healthcare access.

“We’re talking access to mental health supports and basic healthcare that everybody deserves that is being blocked just because people are trans or non-binary,” Arendse said.

At the same time, advocates are revisiting past victories to ensure they are protected. After the fall of Roe v. Wade, Equality California moved to safeguard marriage equality at the state level.

“When Roe fell, we knew we had to codify these things into law, because we can’t just rely on a Supreme Court case to protect our rights,” Arendse said.

The organization sponsored a constitutional amendment to enshrine marriage equality into California law. Proposition 3 passed in 2024 with more than 62% voter support.

For Equality California, the arc of progress requires constant attention.

“Fortunately, we have that great protection in place now,” Arendse said. “I can’t believe we’re doing this again, but here we are.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

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