We are unheard. California is at a breaking point. Our systems are overwhelmed, our institutions are gridlocked, and our voices (the voices of everyday citizens) are not reaching the places where decisions are made.

We are facing crisis-level dysfunction on every front:

• Schools and families strained by growing inequality.
• Homelessness rising with no coordinated timely response.
• Climate vulnerability increasing.
• Public trust in government at historic lows.
• Policies routinely failing to reflect the will of the majority.

While on the brink of an AI and robotics revolution that could displace entire communities if we enter it unready. As a mother and proud Californian. I can no longer accept a future where our children inherit systems too slow, too outdated, and too disconnected to protect them. As a community, we can no longer wait for someone else to fix what only we, together, can transform.

It is time for California to lead again by modernizing democracy for the 21st century - creating a new era of citizenship rooted in trust, unity, purpose, equality, humanity, and love.

The Solution: A Fourth Branch of Government

The Civic Branch

We are calling on California's leaders and citizens to amend the California State Constitution to establish an independent Civic Branch: a fourth branch of government owned and operated by the people and shielded from control by the Legislature, Governor, and Courts. 

This is not about replacing representative democracy. It is about upgrading it with secure, ethical technology and thousands of good-paying civic jobs so every Californian can represent themselves and participate meaningfully when it matters most. We, the people, become the missing branch that reconnects power to everyday life. 

Here is how the Civic Branch works:

1. Secure, Privacy-First Civic Voice

The Civic Branch will provide blockchain end to end encrypted identity for every legal resident to instantly and safely access the Civic Branch platform. Using strong encryption and proven ID verification (like Real ID) with advanced privacy protections, we ensure citizenship and that one person gets one vote, without the government ever tracking your personal activity.

Every resident will be able to vote and participate with the same level of privacy used in banking, so we can speak freely and boldly as a community.

2. A Decentralized, Citizen-Led "Digital Town Hall"

The Civic Branch creates a new, citizen-governed platform where people across California can:

• Submit and collectively improve policy ideas.
• Vote on priorities and tell the state what actually matters to you.
• Participate in Citizen Juries (randomly selected opt in panels) to deliberate on complex issues.
• Trigger direct, binding votes on a limited number of critical crises per year.

For all other issues: generate powerful advisory consensus that forces a legislative response. This platform is built, audited, and continuously improved by tens of thousands of Californians employed in new civic tech, facilitation, and oversight jobs. So together we help write solutions instead of just enduring the problems.

3. Your Personal "Civic Assistant" (Ethical, Citizen-Controlled AI)

Instead of corporate algorithms manipulating us, the Civic Branch will provide every citizen with a free private, open-source Personal AI Advocate that lives on your device, not a government server.   

This tools will:

• Help you understand complex issues in plain English.
• Draft proposals based on your ideas.
• Advocate for your values 24/7.
• Surface majority-backed solutions.
• Help reduce misinformation and partisan manipulation.

These agents do not speak for the government or corporations. They amplify you, your values, and your vote. And when millions of us use them, we become a smarter, more compassionate force of change.

4. Transparent Public Broadcast: "Our Ascent Live"

The Civic Branch will support “Our Ascent Live,” a statewide televised and streaming forum (think C-SPAN for the People) produced with citizen oversight. It will feature:

• Top citizen proposals presented by their author.
• Balanced expert segments and fact-checked public education.
• Real-time deliberation and human stories that rebuild our shared love and purpose.

Everything will be archived transparently, making government more visible, participatory, and accountable to all of us.

5. Next-Generation Civic Access for All 

To bridge the digital divide, the Civic Branch will fund secure at-home devices plus local hubs in libraries and neighborhood centers with staffed support. This will create local jobs and ensures no one is left out because of technology, disability, language, or income.

WHY CALIFORNIA? WHY NOW?

California has always been the place where the future begins. From Silicon Valley and San Francisco to Hollywood and the Central Valley, we are the innovation capital of the world. We possess the talent, imagination, and the responsibility to build the next evolution of democracy for the 21st century.

We have the opportunity to provide a blueprint for an upgraded, true democracy for all 50 states. One where everyday people are not sidelined but centered.

Our Demand

We call on California leadership to place the Civic Branch Amendment on the statewide ballot and let the people decide. Let us build a system that is transparent, inclusive, resilient, and most importantly faithful to the will of the people.

Stand with us. Sign today. Share widely.

As a mother, as neighbors, and as Californians, we are the ones we have been waiting for. Let’s restore power to the people together.