End the Hyde Amendment

        There are two pressing issues currently affecting women’s access to reproductive health care.  The Hyde Amendment and attacks on Planned Parenthood, which include fraudulent media smear campaigns and Congressional threats to defund the organization.   What is the Hyde Amendment? Originally passed on September 30, 1976 by the House of Representatives,
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Urge Congress to Protect Planned Parenthood

As a supporter of the California Women’s Law Center, another way I ask you to please consider supporting the rights of women and girls is by telling Congress that you stand with Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is the most trusted women’s health care provider in this country, and has been for nearly 100 years. It
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Support SB 464 (Hernandez): Health and Self Reporting Tools

    [todaysdate format=”F j, Y”]   The Honorable Ed Hernandez State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 464 (Hernandez) – Support Dear Senator Hernandez: I am writing in support of SB 464. This bill allows the use of self-screening tools to identify certain risk factors, including patient blood pressure and weight, so that health care practitioners
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Support SB 224 (Liu): Elderly Parole Program

The Honorable Ricardo Lara Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 224 (Liu) – Support Dear Senator Lara: I am writing in support of SB 224 (Liu). This bill, supported by the California Commission on Aging, lowers the eligibility requirements for parole consideration for elderly prisoners, which would decrease the burden of incarceration
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Support SB 665 (Block): Addressing Rape and Sexual Assault

The Honorable Ricardo Lara Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 665 (Block) – Support Dear Senator Lara: I am writing in support of SB 665 authored by Senator Marty Block. This bill will provide much needed student education and independent oversight of the Title IX process to address and prevent abuses at
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Support AB 1017 (Campos): Gender Pay Equity

  The Honorable Nora Campos State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: AB 1017 (Campos) – Support Dear Assemblymember Campos: I am writing in support of AB 1017. This bill will promote fair and equal pay practices by requiring employers to advertise a job’s minimum pay and prohibiting employers from seeking salary history without a job applicant’s
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Support AB 830 (Eggman): An Act to Amend the Civil Code Related to Gender Violence

The Honorable Susan Talamantes Eggman State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: AB 830 – Support Dear Assemblymember Eggman: I am writing in support of AB 830, which is supported by the California Conference of Bar Associations, the California Women’s Law Center and the Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center and would amend Civil Code § 52.4 to specifically
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Support AB 913 (Santiago): Campus Sexual Assault Enforcement Coordination

  The Honorable Miguel Santiago P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249 RE: AB 913 (Santiago) – Support Dear Assemblymember Santiago: I am writing in support of AB 913. This bill will help protect students on our college campuses by ensuring that campus and local law enforcement have agreements in place outlining their responsibilities related to sexual
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Support SB 579 (Jackson): the Family Engagement Act

  The Tony Mendoza Chair, Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 579 (Jackson) – Support Dear Senator Mendoza: I am writing in support of SB 579 (Jackson), the Family Engagement Act, which expands upon existing law to give working parents more flexibility in using time off to care for their
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Support AB 329 (Weber): the California Healthy Youth Act

The Honorable Shirley Weber State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: AB 329 (Weber) – Support Dear Assemblymember Weber: I am writing in support of AB 329, the California Healthy Youth Act, which will strengthen existing law to ensure California students receive HIV prevention and sex education that is accurate, comprehensive and inclusive. Today, sexual health education
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Support AB 302 (Garcia): Pupil services: lactation accommodations

  The Honorable Patrick O’Donnell Chair, Assembly Education Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: AB 302 (Garcia) – Support Dear Assemblymember O’Donnell: I am writing in support of AB 302 (Garcia), which will clarify school accommodations for lactating students in California. This bill requires that high schools provide lactating students with access to a private room
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Support SB 429 (Jackson): Title IX Instructional Videos

The Honorable Hannah-Beth Jackson State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 429 (Jackson) – Title IX Instructional Videos Dear Senator Jackson: I am writing in support of SB 429 which would require the California Department of Education (CDE) to develop an informational Title IX training video to help schools and school districts become Title IX compliant. It has became
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Support SB 358 (Jackson): California Fair Pay Act

The Honorable Hannah-Beth Jackson State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 358 (Jackson) – California Fair Pay Act Dear Senator Jackson: I am writing in support of SB 358, the California Fair Pay Act, which strengthens the state’s existing equal pay law by eliminating loopholes preventing effective enforcement and empowering employees to discuss pay without fear of retaliation.
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Support AB 908 (Gomez): Strengthening Paid Family Leave

  The Honorable Tom Daly Chair, Committee on Insurance State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: AB 908 (Gomez) – Strengthening California Paid Family Leave – Support Dear Assemblymember Daly: I am writing in support of AB 908 (Gomez). This bill will strengthen California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program to allow workers to take time off to care for
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CWLC Advocates for Women’s Economic Empowerment with A Stronger California

SACRAMENTO – Economic equality, poverty, and child care advocates joined legislators at a press conference this week calling for new policies to help secure women’s economic empowerment in California, which will benefit families and communities across the state. The advocates and elected leaders are asking state policymakers to support an agenda in the coming year that approaches women’s economic opportunities across multiple policy areas. A Stronger California is the multi-year campaign advocating for this coordinated and comprehensive set of policies.

Spring 2015 Update

IN THIS ISSUE: CWLC Honors Dolores Huerta, Lilly Ledbetter and Peg Yorkin, CWLC’s Film Screening of The Hunting Ground, Columbia Law Students Visit CWLC, CWLC Presents at the Women’s Veterans Summit, #WeAreStrong Campaign with the Los Angeles Sparks

Support SB 592 (Leyva): Pupil Safety: Adolescent Relationship Abuse Prevention

  The Honorable Carol Liu State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 592 (Leyva) – Healthy Relationships and Safe Schools Act – Support Dear Senator Liu: I am writing in support of SB 592 (Leyva), the Healthy Relationships and Safe Schools Act, which makes strides toward eliminating domestic violence in California by requiring schools to provide education
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Support SB 406 (Jackson): Employment: Leave

  The Honorable Hannah-Beth Jackson State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 406 (Jackson) – Support Dear Senator Jackson: I am writing in support of SB 406. This bill will extend job-protected leave to more California workers when they need to take time off to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with
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Support AB 418 (Chiu): Tenancy: Termination: Victims of Violent Crime

  The Honorable Hannah-Beth Jackson State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 406 (Jackson) – Support Dear Senator Jackson: I am writing in support of AB 418 (Chiu). This bill will strengthen the early lease termination provisions for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and elder/dependent adult abuse. I support the efforts
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Fall 2014 Update

IN THIS ISSUE: Distinguished Speaker Series with Erwin Chemerinsky, Ninth Circuit Victory on Sweetwater, Legislative Session Wrap Up, Reproductive Justice Coaltion of Los Angeles Hobby Lobby Protest, CWLC Welcomes Laura Riley

California Legislative Session Ends on a Positive Note for Women and Girls

Governor Jerry Brown Signs Bills Guaranteeing Paid Sick Days, Preventing Pregnancy Discrimination for Students, Ensuring Access to Contraception and Prohibiting Sterilization of Female Inmates Among Others

LOS ANGELES – The California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) is pleased to report that California Governor Jerry Brown ended the legislative session this week by signing several bills focused on increased legal protections for women and girls in California.

Town Hall Meeting with Phyllis W. Cheng, Director of DFEH

CWLC and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) hosted a town hall meeting with the Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and Gregory Mann, DFEH’s Senior Staff Counsel. The discussion centered on recent developments at the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and how legal advocates could most effectively work with DFEH to improve services

The Supreme Court May Have Ruled on Hobby Lobby, but They Are Wrong

The Supreme Court May Have Ruled on Hobby Lobby, but They Are Wrong Laura Herrera, California Women’s Law Center Laura is currently participating in the 2014 Center for American Progress Faith and Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute I was stunned and appalled by the Supreme Court’s decision on the Hobby Lobby case, which infringes on a
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Title IX Claim against Pasadena Unified School District Settles

Title IX Claim against Pasadena Unified School District Settles Girls Now Have Real Options for Sports Participation  For Immediate Release Date:  June 17, 2014 Contact: Sara Feldman, Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center – sfeldman@las-elc.org, 617-276-5632 Vicky Barker, California Women’s Law Center – vicky.barker@cwlc.org, (323) 951-9276 LOS ANGELES, CA. – Today, the California Women’s Law Center
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Distinguished Speaker Series: Hon. Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye – Chief Justice of California

On June 2nd, the California Women’s Law Center hosted a conversation with Hon. Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, the Chief Justice of California, and Betsy Butler, CWLC Interim Executive Director. California’s Chief Justice addressed the limitations and far-reaching consequences of an under-funded court system. These financial challenges profoundly impact access to justice for women and girls in our state.

CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER ENFORCES TITLE IX, COMPELLING SCHOOL TO ALLOW PREGNANT STUDENT TO COMPLETE PROGRAM AND GRADUATE ON TIME

Date: September 26, 2013 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrew DeBlock andrew.deblock@cwlc.org   LOS ANGELES – Today, the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) announced that Tiffany Rollins, a student in the Veterinary Technology Program at Yuba College, has successfully completed her coursework and earned an Associate of Science Degree in Veterinary Technology. Ms. Rollins was the
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CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER SUPPORTS AUDIT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT POLICIES AT CALIFORNIA COLLEGES

Date:  August 28, 2013 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrew DeBlock andrew.deblock@cwlc.org LOS ANGELES – Today, the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) announced its support for Assemblymember Anthony Rendon’s audit of the sexual assault policies of four California schools including UC Berkley and three other institutions still to be named. “The California Women’s Law Center applauds
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CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER VOICES SUPPORT FOR ASSEMBLY BILLS THAT PROTECT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Date:  August 14, 2013 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrew DeBlock andrew.deblock@cwlc.org LOS ANGELES – Today, the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) joined the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence in support of Assembly Bill 139 and Assembly Bill 81.  Both bills have passed through the California State Legislature and moved to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk
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