The California-based Courage Campaign, in partnership with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action announced giving Los Angeles Democrat Sen. Holly J. Mitchell a 100-percent, A-plus rating in its second annual People’s Report Card of California.
The website grades California’s legislators on how they voted on critical bills prioritized by the progressive movement in California, evaluating whether or not elected officials accurately reflect the values of their constituents. Those who do not reflect those values are featured in a Hall of Shame while those who scored top marks are included as “Progressive All-Stars.”
The website, CourageScore.org, allows all Californians to see their state representatives’ “Courage Score” on a scale of 0-100, along with a corresponding letter grade. The Courage Score is a rating of each legislator’s willingness to stand up for their constituents against corporate benefactors and wealthy special interests that dominate California politics.
“The year 2016 was one of the most progressive legislative sessions in the history of California,” said Eddie Kurtz, executive director of the California-based Courage Campaign. “This was followed by the passage of statewide Props 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64, and 67, and the defeat of Prop 65, reaffirming that California voters stand on the side of progress, and are looking to our elected officials to provide a progressive example for other states in our country to follow.
“Since last year, we’ve seen California Democrats come together to support some of the most progressive policies ever seen in the United States – but with Trump and Republicans controlling Washington D.C., now more than ever we need our elected officials continue to deliver on their promises to voters and ensure California is the tip of the spear of the anti-Trump resistance.
Christina Livingston, executive director of ACCE Action, agreed.
“Many communities across California, particularly poor communities and communities of color, have never recovered from the Great Recession,” she said. “California has the highest poverty rate in the nation when you account for housing costs and other costs of living”
Courage Campaign is the only progressive organization that has tracked and rated legislators across a broad range of issue areas: from racial justice, to health care, to the environment, to workers’ rights, to consumer protections and more.
The scorecard is endorsed by 18 Million Rising; California Immigrant Policy Center; California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance; California Reinvestment Coalition; Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable California; Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement; Communities for a New California; CWA District 9; CWA Local 9421; Mobilize the Immigrant Vote Action Fund; MoveOn.org; MPower Change Action; National Union of Healthcare Workers; Oakland Rising; Presente.org; Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education; UltraViolet Action; and UPTE/CWA Local 9119.
The four other members of the 40-seat California State Senate, as well as who among the 80 members of the Assembly who scored an A+ or above can also be found on the Courage Campaign website, as well as the full list of the bills used to calculate the Courage score.
Ray Sotero
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