Sondra & Harriet, Co-Chairs
Tobi Balma, Assistant
AAUW California State Public Policy Committee Sets 2023-24 Legislative Agenda
by Kathi Harper, State Public Policy Chair
The State Public Policy Committee, in conjunction with our Public Policy Advocate Kathy Von Osten (KVO), has completed their selection of the 30 bills that the committee and KVO will be working on this year. This year our bills fall into the following categories from the 3 pillars of our Public Policy Priorities:
- 8 “Economic Security” bills
- 11 “Public Education” bills
- 21 “Social Justice” bills
-
- 8 “reproductive justice”
- 5 “healthcare”
- 5 “freedom from violence” including sex exploitation, DV, stalking
- 1 “gender-identity protection”
- 2 “voting rights”
The committee then selected our top 3 priority bills, including at least 1 bill which we will co-sponsor (“A” bills). KVO will spend most of her time working on these bills, including working with the authors’ offices, attending committing hearings, and writing letters of support. These are also the 3 bills members will advocate for in their Lobby Days visits. We then selected 3 next-level bills (“B” bills), which are important but not as resource intensive. The remaining 24 bills will be handled as “C” level bills. Here is a look at our top 3 bills:
AB1394 – This is our co-sponsored bill. It would allow victims of child sexual exploitation and trafficking to sue a social media platform for between $1 million and $5 million if the victim can prove the platform design knowingly, recklessly or negligently facilitated the use of code words for sexual predators to describe the type of child and the type of sexual activity that resulted in the act of exploitation.
SB287 – Would prohibit a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that the platform knows, or should know, causes child users to: purchase fentanyl; inflict harm on themselves or others; develop an eating disorder or engage in dangerous dieting; purposely take their own lives; and/or experience addiction to the social media platform. A victim of any of these consequences can sue the platform for up to $250,000 for each violation.
AB549 – Requires all state agencies to conduct an evaluation of all their departments to ensure the state does not discriminate against women, and report their findings every 2 years.
When Women Vote, We Change the Conversation!
Sue Miller, AAUW CA Public Policy Committee
Since 1881, AAUW has been a leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW encourages women voters to get involved in the political process and gain a better understanding of the impact legislative action can have on our lives.
The recent US Supreme Court Dobbs decision on abortion has stimulated action in many states across the nation, including California. Our legislature passed and Governor Newsom signed AB1666 which will enable a woman coming into California to receive an abortion to be protected from lawsuits originating in her home state. This bill was co-sponsored by AAUW CA! A further step protecting a woman’s right to make personal medical decisions is a Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 1, which will be on the November 8 ballot. It would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from denying or interfering with an individual’s reproductive freedom in her most intimate decisions, which includes the fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives. AAUW CA supports this Constitutional Amendment.
Congressional races are particularly important this November. Redistricting after the 2020 Census has changed the boundaries of many Congressional districts. In the current partisan climate, we need to be aware of what is at stake in both our national and state upcoming elections. Your current member of Congress may no longer represent you – be sure to become informed soon on the candidates for Congress in your district. As you sort through all this, please reflect on priority issues affecting us, our daughters, and granddaughters, and evaluate candidates’positions on these issues.
If you are a leader in your branch, make your October program a focus on the election. You may want to consider a CandidatesNight. Before a partisan election, AAUW branches may host candidate forums to which all major-party candidates in that election are invited. AAUW branches with 501(c)(4) status must make a thorough and good faith effort to ensure the participation of at least two candidates for a specific office but may proceed with a forum if only one candidate accepts. AAUW branches with 501(c)(3) status may only proceed with a candidate forum event if at least two candidates have accepted the invitation.
Here are resources to get helpful, non-partisan information:
Register to vote, if you haven’t already! And if you have recently moved you need to update your information with your County Registrar of Voters! Voting is a powerful tool to bring about change!
AAUW CA SPONSORS CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION
Guided by our member-approved Public Policy Priorities for 2021-2023, the AAUW California Public Policy Committee has selected the bills that we will be supporting as they move through the 2022 Session of the California Legislature.
Here are the six highest priority bills:
AB 92—creates an equitable sliding scale for family fees to alleviate the burden on working families struggling to pay for childcare and early childhood education services. Cosponsor
AB 1666—enables persons to come from outside California for abortions and not be impacted by laws of other states. Co-sponsor
AB 1968—mandates the creation of websites at CSU/UC campuses to assist sexual assault survivors.
AB 2881—Student parents get priority enrollment, registration, and access to basic needs centers, enabling them to remain in California colleges.
SB 523—Expands contraceptive coverage by requiring health plans to provide point-ofsale coverage without cost-sharing.
SB 1375—updates statutes relating to abortion care to allow nurse practitioners to practice under standard protocols to provide first-trimester abortion care.
Within our Public Policy Priorities, six bills are related to Economic Security for All Women, seven are related to Equal Access to Public Education, and 18 are related to Social and Racial Justice for all Members of Society.
AAUW California is experiencing greater visibility among elected legislators by sponsoring/ co-sponsoring bills.
The Public Policy Committee members spent many hours in March researching bills, and in discussions over two days, to select bills to support. AAUW members are working to improve the lives of women and girls in California.
Childcare: An Overdue and Critical Investment
By Shelley Mitchell and Ginny Hatfield,
AAUW CA Public Policy Committee
“It’s past time that we treat childcare as what it is – an element whose contribution to economic growth is as essential as infrastructure or energy…and the single most important thing we can do to build a stronger econ- omy over the next several decades,” says Janet Yellen, the former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank and now Secretary of the Treasury.
The state of U.S. childcare is deplorable compared with other developed nations, especially with respect to affordability. This fact has been brought home to us ever more vividly during the current pandemic. Women, who still bear the majority of childcaring, have left the workforce in the millions due to the absence of basic childcare services and the cost associated with it.
Here are some sobering statistics:
56% of married families with children under 6 consist of households where both parents work
The employment rate for single mothers raising a young child is 65%; it’s 83% for single fathers who maintain custody
The average American family with at least one child under 5 uses 13% of their income to pay for childcare
Less than 20% of children eligible for a low-income federal assistance program are getting the funding
50% of Americans live in childcare “deserts” or areas where there are three children per every childcareopening
In 24 states the average cost for infant full-time daycare exceeds the average cost of rent
97% of childcare providers are women, who are disproportionally women of color, making less than a living wage with no guaranteed benefits. In the US, the mean hourly wage for childcare workers is $12.88,nearly $3.00 less per hour than parking lot attendants, and $5.00 less per hour than dog groomers.
This is a textbook example of a broken market, whereby the benefits of providing a service (in this case child- care) are not included in its overall value. Are our children really less important than our cars and dogs?
The consequences of not investing in quality childcare should have most Americans demanding action from their government leaders. Neglecting the care of young children is detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing; it reduces productivity in the workforce; leads to lost wages and reduced retirement benefits for parents; it adds to the downward pressure on childcare workers, which in turn, impacts the quality and stability of childcare; and restricts future educational opportunities for family members.
There is hope on the horizon! The Build Back Better Act, now awaiting action by the Senate would provide uni- versal preschool with high-quality childcare for 3- and 4-year-olds; increase wages for early childhood educa- tors; upgrade existing childcare facilities, especially in high-need areas; and provide a sliding scale whereby parents would pay a reasonable percentage of their overall income to childcare costs.
Whether the legislation is included in the Reconciliation bill or taken up as a stand-alone bill, it deserves pas- sage and your support. Childcare relief remains the top priority of AAUW California this year.
Please be sure to contact your Senator and let them know of your AAUW membership and your commitment to ensuring our Nation’s future.
AAUW is calling on the 117th Congress to ensure that a permanent paid leave program, childcare funding and the Child Tax Credit are included in the budget reconciliation process.
To find our more or to contact your senators, CLICK Here
November 2021
Updates from AAUW California Public Policy Committee
by Kathi Harper, Co-Chair
Abortion Justice
Although the constitutionally-guaranteed right to an abortion has been systematically under attack for decades, it is currently in danger of disappearing altogether. As AAUW National recently noted, ”Every person should have the ability to make their own informed decisions regarding their reproductive life. It is beyond time for abortion to be secured legally, funded fully, and equitably available for all who need it, when they need it, without shame or stigma.” With the recent refusal of the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in the onerous Texas case, it is clear that we can no longer count on the courts to protect this critical right. Congress must pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. Watch for Action Alerts from National, use them to keep pressure on your representatives, and sign-up now for the 2-Minute Activist if you haven’t already done so by clicking here.
Legislative Updates
Our last five priority bills that were awaiting the Governor’s signature have been acted on; here are the re- sults:
SB 62 (requires fair pay, instead of “by the piece” payment, for garment workers) SIGNED
AB 367 (free menstrual products must be provided in girls/women’s bathrooms in schools) SIGNED
AB 887 (allows domestic violence restraining orders to be filed electronically) SIGNED
AB 123 (increases paid family leave benefits to 65 – 75% of regular pay) VETOED
AB 1074 (requires hotel and janitorial workers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic to be prioritized for hiring as businesses reopen) VETOED
Economic Equity
October 21st was Latina Equal Pay Day – the day Latina women, who are paid just 57 cents to every white male’s dollar, finally catch up from the previous year.
Public Policy News from National
by Kathi Harper, Public Policy Co-Chair AAUW California
On February 2, 2021, my co-chair Sue Miller and I met via Zoom with AAUW Public Policy Director Kate Nielsen and her assistant Robin Lucas, along with state public policy chairs across the nation, to get updates on changes to the public policy landscape with the a new administration and Congress. Here is a summary of what we thought members would like to know:
What’s AAUW Public Policy All About?
Since AAUW’s founding in 1881, our advocates have taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day – educational, social, economic, and political. Our positions emanate from our Mission, Vision and Values:
- Mission: To advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy
- Vision: Equity for all
- Values: Nonpartisan. Fact based. Integrity. Inclusion. Intersectionality.
Our positions are rooted in our member-approved Public Policy Priorities at both the national and state levels. The AAUW California Public Policy Priorities for 2019-2021 were approved by our members this spring, and can be found on the website www.aauw-ca.org . The AAUW CA Public Policy Committee meets early in each legislative session to review bills and determine those on which to take action. In Washington, AAUW staff and volunteer advocates communicate with both Congress and the administration. In California, we employ a part-time lobbyist to represent AAUW CA in the California Legislature.
Economic Security is a critical issue for women of all ages, a foundational aspect of everyday life, and is particularly important to women’s ability to support themselves and their families. Many continue to struggle with economic insecurity, wage discrimination, and employment benefits. Legislated solutions could benefit many women.
Real change in federal and state policy, however, will only come about when our elected officials hear from voters, like us! It is so important that branch members be up to date on AAUW positions on federal and state legislation consistent with AAUW’s mission, and contact elected officials to share our positions. Also, we must hold those we have elected accountable as they vote on issues affecting women and girls.
Become involved with your branch’s Public Policy Committee. If your branch doesn’t have one, start one! You can download and print a copy of the Public Policy Priorities from aauw-ca/category/publicpolicy. Become an activist, by signing up on the national website aauw.org/resource/two-minute-activist .This will connect you with both state and national calls to action.
.