December 9, 2015
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (WOMENSENEWS)–Does it make sense for women to vote for women? Usually, yes, if female voters are interested in such gains as legal support for equal pay and a better chance at work-life balance. The Center for American Women and Politics has documented the work of women in public office since 1971 and their research has shown female legislators carry bills that make a difference in the lives of women and families. Here […]
September 24, 2015
The jousting has only just begun among the 15 Republican presidential candidates about emails, Benghazi, abortion, immigration reform, and the Democrats’ leading candidate, Hillary Clinton. The former senator and First Lady declared her candidacy on April 12 and has since raised more than $60 million. Although she has Democrat opponents, Hillary leads the field in fundraising and organizing field operations. I have been a supporter of Hillary Clinton from the beginning of her first run for […]
June 1, 2015
On May 13, Attorney General Kamala Harris and U.C. President Janet Napolitano took aggressive action to improve response to rape on campuses. They issued a directive to all state colleges to “notify authorities when a sexual assault is reported” and a set of guidelines to encourage collaboration between campuses and law enforcement. California schools must adopt policies implementing the directive by July 1. This action followed the release last year of a White House Council on […]
January 22, 2015
(WOMENSENEWS)– When I heard that U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer would not be seeking reelection in 2016 after 24 years in the Senate and 10 in the House of Representatives, it took me down memory lane to the early 1990s. That was a very different time in the world of women and politics and a simpler type of political campaigning. That was also the time of the 1992 Senate Judiciary hearings where Anita Hill held the […]
March 17, 2014
(WOMENSENEWS)– California boasts two female senators. We are the only state to advance women’s reproductive rights in the last few years. The state is rapidly moving forward on the Affordable Health Care Act and there has been paid family leave in California since 2002, though it is underused. But don’t be misled. Even here we have a political gender gap that is actually widening, not closing. The California state legislature has 120 members with 32 […]