Every legislative session, we work to advance a legislative agenda that pushes our state forward.
Criminal Justice & Policing, Democracy & Civic Engagement, Racial and Economic Justice
Biometric Surveillance (face recognition) on police body cameras enables pervasive monitoring of the public without their knowledge or consent, registering and reporting who we are and where we go. These tracking systems are inconsistent. Facial …
Racial and Economic Justice
The word “squaw” is a profoundly offensive term that epitomizes the racism and sexism Native American women face. Language that sexualizes, degrades, and dehumanizes Native American women encourages and sanctions violence against them. This depiction of Indigenous …
Criminal Justice & Policing, Education Equity
Decades of research show the long-term harm to young people of even minimal contact with the juvenile or criminal legal systems. Once students make contact with law enforcement, they are less likely to graduate high …
Criminal Justice & Policing
All 58 counties in California have a sheriff’s department but not all have a separate coroner or medical examiner’s office. The duties of the coroner are currently combined with the sheriff’s department in 48 counties. …
Immigrant Rights
Too many of our community members who have served their time and been deemed eligible for release have been transferred unnecessarily from our jails and prisons to immigration detention. The VISION Act protects those individuals …
Criminal Justice & Policing, Reproductive Justice & Gender Equity
Everyone has a right to feel safe in their communities. California’s law that criminalizes loitering with intent to commit prostitution gives law enforcement a tool to harass and discriminate against Black and trans communities, particularly …
Criminal Justice & Policing
The California Racial Justice Act (Act) prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a criminal conviction, or from imposing a sentence, based upon race, ethnicity or national origin (AB 2542). While this landmark Act made …
Criminal Justice & Policing, Racial and Economic Justice
Currently, California law permits counties to charge people administrative fees for diversion programs, drug and alcohol testing, civil assessments, record sealing, and even a fee for being put on a payment plan. These fees can …
Criminal Justice & Policing
Since the murder of George Floyd, hundreds of thousands of Californians have taken to the streets to demand an end to police brutality. We all deserve to live in communities where we feel safe and …
Criminal Justice & Policing
In a time of crisis, CA has the opportunity to invest in community-led interventions proven more effective in impact and cost than law enforcement response. Across CA, community organizations have been effectively responding to emergency …