California NOW

It's 2012 - Let's Get to Work!

Actually, California NOW has already been hard at work.  We spent 2011 collaborating with our allies from the Reproductive Justice (RJ) community who understand that simply legalizing birth control and abortion services does not ensure that EVERY woman - regardless of race or class - has access to the reproductive health services that she would like to use.

The truth is, there's no reproductive justice in legalizing birth control but then making women in rural communities drive an hour to get it because the one local pharmacist in their town can refuse to provide it.  There's no reproductive justice in allowing the only hospital available to a large community to offer substandard care to women by invoking religious principles.  There's no reproductive justice in our state government allowing known toxins to be sprayed in our strawberry fields that, when inhaled by female farm workers, cause late-term miscarriages.  And there's no reproductive justice if a tank of gas prevents a woman from ending her pregnancy.

In addition to our work with the RJ community, we put our efforts into ensuring Janice Hahn beat the right-wing Tea Party candidate who used both sexism and racism in his failed campaign.  With Janice now representing us in Washington, we have a strong woman in that seat who will ALWAYS stand up for us.

With 14 California members of Congress and over 40 California state legislators who consistently vote against women's reproductive healthcare services, we'll be playing an active role in the upcoming election to ensure that more women and pro-women candidates are elected in 2012 and that voters clearly understand the impact that the ballot initiatives will have on women and their families in this state.

We also spent 2011 focused in Sacramento on state legislation and are proud that the gap for 3 million Californians whose health coverage did not include maternity care has now been closed.  We successfully worked on anti-bullying legislation, anti-discrimination laws against domestic partnerships, gender-equity for public contracts, more inclusive school curriculum, stricter penalties for human trafficking of minors, access to STD prevention services by minors, greater access to physical examinations for sexual assault victims and tougher cyber-bullying laws.

We're committed in 2012 to ensuring that the Insurance Commissioner has the right to block unfair health insurance rate hikes and will continue pushing for reducing exposure to pesticides for farm workers as well as the need to reverse the barbaric practice of shackling incarcerated pregnant women in our state.

And something you'll be hearing more about in the next month is our collaborative work regarding Gender Responsive Budgeting at the state and local level that is essential if we want to once and for all ensure that equity and women's empowerment are central when deciding budget revenue and expenditures.

So as we reflect on our many successes in 2011, be assured that California NOW is already working on an even more ambitious plan this year as we create a path towards a more level playing field for the women and girls in this state.

As we begin this aggressive path for 2012, we hope you'll continue to support our efforts since we do not receive national money.  We are funded solely by YOU and your generous donations.

 

Monday's Action Checklist

Our Attorney General, Kamala Harris, needs to hear from you NOW. Last month she walked out of the "50-state settlement" talks and refused to give the Big Banks a "get out of jail free" card for their crimes against homeowners.  According to the New York Times, she's facing enormous pressure to rejoin the talks.  We need to show Kamala Harris that we'll have her back if she stays on offense against the Big Banks and makes them pay for committing fraud against millions of California homeowners. Take Action NOW:  Co-sign the Courage Campaign's letter of support to Kamala Harris.

Mothers across this country were outraged when they learned that formaldehyde-releasing chemicals is still in Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo here in the United States, even after it had been removed from versions of the shampoo in Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the U.K.  MomsRising, along with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and other groups representing 4 million people, sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson on October 31st asking, “Why the double standard?"  And guess what? On November 1st, the company released a statement saying it is no longer introducing new products with formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and it is phasing out these types of preservatives in baby products worldwide.  Take Action NOW:  Click here to thank Johnson & Johnson and to let to let them know that consumers are watching to ensure that the company actually takes the steps it promised to protect the health of kids in the United States!

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation to ensure that the federal government recognizes all state-sanctioned marriages, including gay and lesbian couples.  The Committee will also consider amendments to the legislation -- changes that could strengthen the bill, as well as some that threaten to weaken it.  Take Action NOW:  Become a citizen co-sponsor of the legislation to respect all marriages.

When you order a book from Amazon, do you know why it's so cheap and arrives so fast? Because employees at an Amazon.com warehouse are literally working in a sweatshop. New details have emerged that working conditions are so horrendous – with temperatures inside a Breinigsville, PA, warehouse often soaring above 100 degrees – that Amazon keeps an ambulance parked outside. Amazon would rather pay to take sick, overheated workers out on stretchers than turn up the air-conditioning.  Conditions got so bad that 15 warehouse workers collapsed.  After leaving workers in Pennsylvania to suffer extreme temperatures, now it's Amazon's turn to feel the heat.  Take Action NOW:  Send Amazon a message telling them that customers won't stand for the company's abuse of warehouse workers.

Monday's Action Checklist

The latest "Got Milk" campaign was just released, centering around the claim that milk helps reduce PMS symptoms.  The ads for this new campaign will feature the sexist stereotype of menstruating women as volatile monsters. It also supports the condescending idea that any angry woman can be talked down with puppies and glossy compliments. Click here to sign the petition, asking the California Milk Processer Board to end this insulting campaign.

A billboard campaign serving as race-based attacks on a woman’s right to choose have popped up here in California, spearheaded by the Radiance Foundation in coordination with California-based Issues4Life Foundation.  The Radiance Foundation and its supporters have accused Planned Parenthood of committing genocide against communities of color. Anti-choice bilingual billboards owned by CBS Outdoors were first put up in early July in Los Angeles and declared that “The most dangerous place for a LATINO is in the womb.”  These billboards stigmatize Latinas as being incapable of making responsible family planning decisions. The campaign now includes 60 billboards in the Oakland area, targeting African American communities.  The billboards have been intentionally placed along corridors in East and West Oakland that are home to low-income families and people of color. These billboards especially target African American women and stigmatize a personal, medical decision.  Please sign the petition NOW asking Jeff McCuen of CBS Outdoor to remove these billboards immediately.

Bath & Body Works is offering its customers, many of whom are pre-teen and teenage girls, antibacterial soaps with summertime scents containing triclosan, a toxic antimicrobial chemical that accumulates in our bodies.  This commonly used pesticide is also linked to the rise of "superbugs" – antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  The bioaccumulative chemical has been found in our bodies, in breast milk and in the environment. It is an endocrine disruptor with cancer concerns – a serious problem for public health, especially for pre-teens and teens.  Triclosan is found in the majority of Bath & Body Works antibacterial hand soaps (with the tagline: "spread love, not germs"), yet soaps containing triclosan are not more effective at preventing disease or illness than other, less-toxic products. Companies like Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive have already taken steps to phase out of triclosan.   Click here to tell Bath & Body Works to be responsible by phasing out triclosan because that pesticide doesn't belong in soaps and lotions popular with our pre-teens and teens.

This week will be the first ever congressional hearing on repealing the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and restoring the rights of all lawfully married couples -- including same-sex couples -- under federal law.  This hearing is an unprecedented step on the path to progress.  We need to finally repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) so that our country stops treating gays and lesbians as second-class citizens.  Senator Dianne Feinstein and others have introduced the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA and restore the rights of all lawfully married couples, including same sex couples, to receive the benefits of marriage under federal law.  Click here to email your member of Congress, urging them to support the Respect for Marriage Act and repeal DOMA at this week's hearing!

Did you know that your California public library could be taken over by a private company? In Southern California, public libraries are being targeted for takeover by Library Systems & Services, Inc. (LSSI), a private company headquartered in Maryland and majority-owned by the private equity firm Islington Capital Partners.  LSSI currently operates 14 library systems and is eyeing more in California. When municipalities contract with private library service providers like LSSI, it often results in diminished library services and hidden costs to taxpayers. Concerns also arise over transparency and accountability.   The good news is that there's a bill (AB 438) in the California Senate that will help protect libraries from reckless privatization schemes.  The proposed legislation will require local officials to give their constituents adequate notice of plans to privatize and to demonstrate that privatization will benefit the community.  Click here to sign the petition asking state lawmakers to pass AB 438. 

Last week, the California State Legislature sent AB 96 to Governor Jerry Brown – a bill that would help save Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) services for California seniors.  The elimination of ADHC has left millions of California seniors at grave risk of losing necessary care.  AB96 would help bridge the gap by establishing the “Keeping Adults Free from Institutions” (KAFI) program, providing critical care to the neediest seniors and saving thousands from being institutionalized or forced into nursing homes.   Please contact the Governor’s office to encourage him to sign the legislation establishing the ”Keeping Adults Free from Institutions” Program!  Please click here to call or send a message to Governor Jerry Brown today.

Marriage Equality News & Actions

There have been a number of positive developments for LGBT families and marriage equality in the past weeks, and we just want to highlight some of these.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein introduces repeal of DOMA

Obama administration refuses to defend constitutionality of DOMA
Thank the President for standing up for same-sex couples and their families. 
Add your name to the list of people who can’t wait for equality to be restored.

Here in California, the supporters of Prop. 8 are trying to force the new Attorney General, Kamala Harris, to appeal the federal court ruling overturning Prop. 8 -- even though she pledged not to defend it. SB 5 would force the Attorney General to defend unconstitutional ballot measures that are challenged in court, as well as allow the unelected individuals who placed the measures on the ballot to defend them on behalf of all Californians -- something that has been reserved to our elected Attorney General. It’s the latest attempt by the supporters of Prop. 8 to change the law to alter the outcome of the federal case against Prop. 8. Say, "NO!" to SB 5 and Prop. 8 hate!

Hawaii Governor signs Civil Unions bill

Maryland moves towards marriage equality

Unfortunately, it's far from being all good news, with marriage equality bans proposed in Iowa, Indiana, and Wyoming, but we are confident that the tide of history is moving us towards full equality for all our families.

9th Circuit Punts (or Takes Cautious Tack) on Prop. 8

There were no real surprises in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision yesterday in the federal Prop. 8 case to return the question of standing for Prop. 8 supporters to the California State Supreme Court, and to reject Imperial County's standing to appeal.

If the California Supreme Court finds that the Yes on Prop. 8 supporters do NOT have standing to appeal, then Judge Walker's ruling overturning Prop. 8 will stand, as will his injunction against enforcement of Prop. 8, and we will have marriage equality again in California. However, the CA Supreme Court could take months to determine the question of standing, and their answer would then go to the 9th Circuit, which would review and then determine their decision in the case. It is also possible that the CA Supreme Court could refuse to answer the question, thus returning it to the 9th Circuit. And of course, whatever the decision of the 9th Circuit, this case could be appealed to the Supreme Court of the US. However, if the case is decided on narrow grounds of standing, the SCOTUS would likely choose not to hear an appeal.

Prop. 8 supporters have asked that if they are denied standing to appeal, that Judge Walker's ruling be vacated for this reason, but it seems clear that the proponents did have standing in that court, although they likely do not at the 9th Circuit level. The question has also been raised of whether a decision against Prop. 8 might apply only to the counties participating in the suit, but it appears clear that Judge Walker's ruling applies statewide if it stands.

At this point, we wait for the decision of the CA Supreme Court, the decision of the 9th Circuit, and then the decision of the SCOTUS before we have a final result, so keep your fingers crossed and keep supporting this essential work for marriage equality not only in California but nationwide!