By Dianna McDonald, California State PTA Advocate
New laws around Infrastructure, jobs, and climate change will impact California’s children and families. California is due to receive about $45 billion dollars from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which became law in November of 2021. This will likely be for roads, bridges, and public transportation including California’s bullet train. There will also likely be several billion dollars set aside for improvements to our water system which is critical for our state.
The California State PTA urges our federal, state, and local governments to serve as role models for practices that promote energy conservation, alternative energy sources, reducing dependency on automobile travel, and encouraging sustainable practices. We believe that climate change is a children’s issue and improving our transportation and water systems will have a long-term positive impact on the future of our children.
A decision is still pending on the federal Build Back Better Act which would fund a variety of services for children and families. National PTA has issued a formal statement urging passage of the measure.