Time To Tell Governor Brown You Still Need That Raise!

We need every reporter, captioner, teacher, and student in the State of California, along with their colleagues and families, to join in this letter campaign and let the Governor know that the justice system is comprised of highly skilled people who need to support their families and who have not had a raise in over 25 years.

Last year, AB2629, legislation sponsored by CCRA to increase the statutory folio rate for court transcripts, passed through both houses of the California Legislature, only to be vetoed by Governor Brown. 

In his veto message, the Governor indicated that he thought the budget process was a more appropriate forum for this increase than legislation.  Well, it's budget time.  Now let's respectfully but emphatically remind Governor Brown that this increase needs to go into his budget by making it rain with our letters.

We have attached a letter template for you with talking points to spur your creativity.  Form letters are acceptable if that is all you can manage, but the most effective letters are those that are personal and genuine.  Let him know that you are a real person caring for children and elderly parents, and who has scopists and proofreaders to pay at today's wages.   We would love to have thousands of personal stories to put before the Governor.

Let him know that this frozen pay issue has dissuaded students from enrolling or finishing court reporting school, since few want to take on student loan debt in a profession that hasn't seen a raise in decades.  It has caused court reporters not to apply for officialships.  Say it from your heart why this raise is crucial to you now.

Student Sample Letter - Click here to download
Court Reporter Sample letter - Click here to download
Sample Letter In General - Click here to download

LETTERS ARE DUE BY MAY 19TH.

After you write and collect personal letters, make a couple dozen copies of the form letters and go around your workplace and ask attorneys and coworkers to sign it and include their address and then mail it on their behalf.   They are unlikely to write personal letters, so form letters are acceptable for this purpose.

You deserve this raise.  Your fellow court reporters are counting on you today.  Make your voice heard loud and clear that the judicial system needs to be adequately funded in order to ensure access to justice now and in the future.

Do not use the governor's website to email.  It is ineffective.  We need a giant stack to lay on his desk and the desks of legislators working on the budget.

Send your letters:

(1) Mail directly to the Governor:
Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA  95814

-and-

(2) Email a signed copy of the letter immediately to CCRA's lobbyist, who will print and deliver copies to legislators: [email protected]

MAKE IT RAIN IN CALIFORNIA!