We are living through the hollowing out of federal protection. And while the usual narrative goes something like, “Vote, wait, trust the system,” in many places, the people closest to the chaos have stepped up to envision and advance new laws.
In California this year, four bills moving through the legislature were not the result of think tank white papers or party strategists. They came from organizers, queer folks, women of color, survivors—people who have lived the very broken systems they are now trying to change.
A process that centers lived experience as a form of policy expertise is a cutting-edge theory of governance. And it’s replicable: Invest in community-led policy training. Bring people into the lawmaking process not as tokens but as co-authors. Demystify legislative drafting. Reimagine who gets to define what safety, dignity and justice look like.