Reproductive Rights in this year's California Legislative Session
NARAL CA activist Allie Lahey came to one of our General Meetings late last year to discuss what's up with reproductive justice issues in California. Here's a quick recap of what NARAL CA is supporting in the current legislative session!
ACR 110: A resolution to make California a Reproductive Freedom state. This would provide that the Legislature is committed to a) guaranteeing the constitutionally protected right to an abortion and b) supporting efforts to increase access to the best available reproductive and pregnancy-related care for women and pregnant individuals. While resolutions are not legally binding, they make a strong statement of intent and provide other states with models to emulate. Full text of the resolution is here.
SB 135: Paid Family Leave for the 21st Century. This bill is designed to strengthen California’s family leave laws and create more equitable access to the program by ensuring that workers can’t be fired when they take Paid Family Leave; extending the time period workers can take to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member; expanding the definition of "family member" to reflect the realities of today’s families; and increasing the wage replacement amount in the program so families can afford to take Paid Family Leave. Full text of the bill is here and a memo from State Sen. Jackson, who introduced it, is here.
AB 1764: Forced Sterilization Compensation Program. California once had the country's most aggressive eugenic sterilization program. This bill would compensate surviving victims of state-sponsored involuntary sterilizations that took place as recently as 1979, primarily among Latina women and incarcerated women. The state would be required not only to publicize the program but to actively seek out anyone owed compensation. Full text of the bill is here.
Keep an eye on these crucial bills as they make their way through our state legislature. When the time comes, expect to see call scripts for each of these!