Los Angeles –  California Common Cause announced today that Executive Director Jonathan Mehta Stein has been selected as a commissioner for California 100, bringing his expertise in building an inclusive, participatory democracy that works for every Californian to this new statewide initiative focused on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century.

Incubated at the University of California and Stanford University, California 100 is establishing a 26-member multigenerational commission with diverse backgrounds and expertise to advise on, and engage in, the initiative’s transformative streams of work and activities. Earlier this summer, California 100 announced research awards to 18 centers and institutes across the state to examine future scenarios with the potential to shape California’s leadership in the coming century.

“California must remain on the leading edge of creating an inclusive democracy for the 21st Century and beyond, not only for the sake of California’s communities but also, as other states turn their back on creating a democracy that works for all of us, as a model for the nation,” Mehta Stein said. 

“While California has passed a number of landmark democracy reforms, we cannot rest on the successes of the past. We still have not addressed deep voter participation and civic participation disparities that exist in our state on the basis of race, age, and immigration status. If we can finally build a democracy that includes all of us, California will be better for the 100 years to come,” he added. 

“We are thrilled to draw on the expertise of these transformative leaders who are making a difference in their respective fields and already leaving a mark on California,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of California 100. “We will draw on their unique perspectives to inform our work to create a vision and strategy for the next century that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.”

In addition to research, California 100 will also sponsor original policy innovation projects across California working in partnership with local and statewide agencies. Commissioners will organize engagement sessions throughout California with key stakeholders across the state to test California 100’s research and policy innovation efforts to ensure that Californians are directly included in the initiative’s work.

The Commission brings expertise within the thirteen issue areas of focus for California 100:

• Advanced Technology
• Arts, Culture, Entertainment
• Education
• Economic Mobility, Inequality and Workforce
• Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources
• Federalism and Foreign Policy
• Fiscal Reform
• Governance, Media and Civil Society
• Health and Wellness
• Housing and Community Development
• Immigrant Integration
• Public Safety and Criminal Justice
• Transportation and Urban Planning

Commissioners will serve a two-year term and meet regularly throughout the life of the initiative. They will hold listening sessions across the state to engage key stakeholders in the Spring and Summer of 2022.

The goal of California 100 is to lift up and support transformative ideas, people, and projects that accelerate progress with a focus on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century that is innovative, sustainable, and equitable. In addition to sponsoring original work, the California 100 Platform will promote the best of what is happening in California. Through these various projects and activities, California 100 seeks to move California towards an aspirational vision—changing policies and practices, attitudes, and mindsets, for a more vibrant future.

California 100 is organized among interrelated streams of work: research, policy innovation, advanced technology, and engagement. Each stream is led by a director who comprises the executive team.