California Says It Wants Digital Equity. Here’s the Test.

Posted on 05/14/2026 @ 09:52 AM

California leaders often speak about equity, affordability, and expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made “California for All” a defining message of his administration. But slogans are easy. The harder question is whether California is willing to hand working families the keys to the modern economy or leave them locked outside looking through the window.

Now comes a real-world test of whether those priorities translate into action.

That is why the California Public Utilities Commission should move quickly to approve the proposed combination of Charter Communications and Cox Communications no later than August 13.

The proposed merger would deliver substantial affordability commitments, digital inclusion investments, and consumer protections aimed directly at communities that too often remain stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide. In today’s economy, broadband is no longer a luxury. It is infrastructure. It is the front door to education, employment, healthcare, banking, and civic life.

For Latino families in California, the digital divide is not theoretical. It is economic reality.

It affects whether students can complete assignments at home. Whether parents can apply for jobs online. Whether workers can gain new skills. Whether small businesses can compete. Whether families can access healthcare, government services, or emergency information.

And increasingly, the divide is not about whether broadband lines exist nearby. It is about whether working families can afford the price of admission.

Right now, too many families are standing outside the gates of the digital economy while opportunity moves on without them.

That is why Charter and Cox’s recently announced settlements with the California Emerging Technology Fund and the California Public Advocates Office matter. The agreements would create a $20-per-month, 100/20 megabits-per-second broadband option for qualifying low- income households with no contracts, no early termination fees, and pricing locked in for five years.

In a state where families already feel squeezed by housing costs, groceries, childcare, transportation, and utility bills, that is not symbolic. It is meaningful pocketbook relief.

The agreements would also significantly expand eligibility for discounted broadband offerings, including for existing customers. That matters because many working-class families live in the narrow space between poverty and stability. They earn too much to qualify for traditional assistance programs but still struggle to absorb rising monthly costs.

The commitments go further. The agreements include investments in digital equity programs, workforce development, outreach to underserved communities, devices for low-income households, and free broadband for schools, libraries, and community centers.

There is even a first-of-its-kind commitment to help struggling households remain connected rather than simply cutting off service when finances become tight. That reflects a growing understanding that disconnecting a family from broadband today is not a minor inconvenience. It can lock them out of school, work, healthcare, and public life all at once.

That is why the proposal has generated support from a remarkably broad coalition of organizations and community leaders, including many groups working directly with underserved communities. They understand the stakes because they see the consequences of digital exclusion every day.

The CPUC has every responsibility to conduct a careful review. But reviews are not supposed to become permanent waiting rooms.

Now in its 11th month, the review process is approaching a critical deadline. The settlement agreements themselves warn that if the commission does not act by August 13, the transaction and its public-interest commitments could collapse.

If that happens, the communities most affected will not be wealthy ZIP codes with multiple providers and backup options. It will be the families already balancing monthly bills and deciding which necessities can wait.

That would mean jeopardizing affordable broadband options, digital equity investments, workforce training initiatives, and expanded connectivity efforts for communities that have already spent too long standing outside the door.

California’s leaders often speak about inclusion and affordability. Here is a chance to make those words tangible. The CPUC should approve the Charter-Cox transaction before these commitments disappear and the door to economic opportunity closes on the very communities California says it wants to lift up.

Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action

Posted on 03/17/2023 @ 07:58 AM

Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action

Get ready for Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action, on March 31st!

Every year for Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action, youth advocates and adult allies hold hundreds of events across the country to speak out against the tobacco industry. We rally, we educate our peers, we talk to legislators and more – and we take one huge step closer to creating the first tobacco-free generation.

Once again this year, we'll expose Big Tobacco for who they really are: jokers who gamble with people’s lives. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Big Tobacco is running new PR campaigns claiming they’re the good guys! They say they’ve reformed, that they’re "beyond smoking," and that they want a "smoke-free world." But it’s the same lie they’ve been telling for decades.

They aggressively market deadly cigarettes while raking in billions of dollars in profits. They fight policies that would actually reduce tobacco use. They constantly develop new products to hook kids. In a nutshell, they continue to lie, cheat, and fool people into a lifetime of addiction, disease and death.

We’re not fooled. Let’s go all in – and take down these jokers once and for all!

Event registration is now open, and it's time to start planning how you'll participate!

President Domingo Garcia Presents Cowboys Game Ball to Army Service Members

Posted on 10/23/2022 @ 07:00 AM

Today, President Domingo Garcia dedicated the game ball at the Dallas Cowboys football game to our servicemembers currently stationed at Fort Hood, soon to be named Fort Cavazos.

After a long and hard-fought campaign, we have successfully managed to get the name of Fort Hood changed.  

The military base, which is located in Texas, was named after a Confederate general who fought against the Union army during the Civil War. This, understandably, is offensive to many people, especially those of Latin American descent.

LULAC has been campaigning for this name change for years. This is a huge victory, not just for our organization, but for all of our communities.

This just goes to show that when we come together and fight for what’s right, we can achieve anything.

Fort Hood set to be renamed after Richard Cavazos, Texas’ first Hispanic four-star general

The U.S. Army announced on October 7th that Fort Hood, one of the nation’s largest military installations, will be renamed after Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic four-star general in the Army’s history.

The announcement came during a ceremony at the fort, which is located in central Texas, in which Army Secretary Mark Esper and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley bestowed the honor on Cavazos.

“It is only fitting that we rename Fort Hood, one of our largest and most historic installations, after General Cavazos, whose life and career embody the very best of what it means to be an American and a soldier,” Esper said in a statement.

“Not only did he blaze a trail as our Army’s first Hispanic four-star general, he also served with distinction in some of our nation’s most important military campaigns, from Vietnam to the Gulf War. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor, and I am proud to stand here today to recognize his incredible legacy.”

Cavazos was born in Kingsville, Texas, in 1934, the son of a Mexican immigrant who worked as a ranch hand. He joined the Army in 1956, and rose through the ranks over the next four decades, serving in a variety of command and staff positions, including as the commander of Fort Hood from 1988 to 1991.

He retired from the Army in 1991, but continued to serve his country in a variety of ways, including as a member of the Defense Policy Board and the National Security Education Board.

Back to School 2022

Posted on 09/26/2022 @ 08:00 AM

By: Tobacco Free Kids

Big Tobacco continues to lure kids with flavored e-cigarettes, hooking them with massive doses of nicotine. These addictive products can impact kids’ brain development, learning, and ability to focus in school. Overall, nearly one in ten (9.1%) Hispanic high school students are current users of any tobacco product. E-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among Hispanic high school students in 2021. As students go back to school, know how to stop youth nicotine addiction before it starts.

SIGNS OF VAPING TO LOOK OUT FOR

• If your kid is spending more time alone than usual or coming up with excuses to frequently step-away – those may be some early warning signs.

• E-cigarettes can also deliver huge doses of nicotine that can quickly addict kids. Watch for changes in behavior that indicate addiction, like changes in appearance, mood, sleeping patterns or even impulse control.

• The smell: instead of the smell of traditional cigarettes, with e-cigarettes you may only notice a faint, but sweet scent like a whiff of bubble gum or strawberry cheesecake. E-cigarettes come in thousands of flavors, many like candy or fruit or mint.

• Watch for an unexplained cough or an increase in thirst.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KID

• One of the most important things is for parents to educate themselves and have a conversation with kids about e-cigarettes, rather than lecturing them. Kids appreciate a frank and honest discussion.

• Keep the touch points quick & avoid the big “sit-down.” Quick, frequent conversations can be more effective than one big sit-down. There’s often too much pressure in a serious sit-down, and your kids may tune you out.

• Remember: it’s fine to not have all the answers! Whether it’s about vaping or about how to combat peer pressure, you’re not all-powerful. So, you can admit that you’re on this journey together and that you can figure it out… together.

• It’s also critical for parents to set a good example by not using any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and by keeping your home and vehicles tobacco-free.

RESOURCES FOR HELP

• If you think your child is using e-cigarettes – especially if they are showing signs of nicotine addiction – it’s important to get help from your pediatrician or other medical provider.

• Check out LULAC’s tobacco prevention toolkit, available in English and Spanish, at https://lulac.org/livetobaccofree/

• Share information on quitting e-cigarettes at teen.smokefree.gov. Truth Initiative also has a great text program to help youth vapers quit at truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting.

• Help educate other parents and youth about this public health crisis by sharing information on their social networks and contacting their elected officials. Local, state and federal officials need to know that you want them to help protect our kids by eliminating all flavored e-cigarettes

SHARE YOUR STORY

Has smoking, vaping or other tobacco use affected you or your family, school or community? We want to hear from you! Tell us your story on takedowntobacco.org/share-your-story.