In the News

October 22, 2021

“The more I thought about it, women are at the peak of their ability to generate revenue during their college years,” said Skinner, a Cal alum whose first congratulatory calls were from female athetes — Hayley Hodson, a former Stanford volleyball All-American; and Erin Cafaro, a Cal graduate and Olympic gold-medalist rower. “How many opportunities do you have to go pro (as a female athlete)? Not many. And when you do go pro, what you’re paid compared to a man is ridiculous.”

 

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October 13, 2021

Under SB81 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, the judge must consider such factors as a sentence’s racial implications, the defendant’s mental condition, his or her age at the time of a prior conviction, and the overall length of sentence.

 

For the full report, click here.

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October 12, 2021

Last week Governor Newsom signed SB 16, legislation that significantly expands public access to police misconduct records and strengthens communities’ ability to hold law enforcement agencies accountable.

Building on SB 1421 signed in 2018, which opened access to a limited set of police records in California for the first time in more than 40 years, SB 16 expands the categories of police records the public can access and closes loopholes that keep misconduct records under wraps.

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October 10, 2021

California State Senator Nancy Skinner talks with FOX40’s Nikki Laurenzo on why she authored the “Momnibus” Act and why it’s so important to fix racial disparities in child birth mortality.

“In this day and age, no woman should die while they give birth,” Skinner said.

 

For the full report, click here.

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October 9, 2021

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed laws aimed at reducing prison sentences for people convicted of drug- and gang-related crimes, despite concerns from prosecutors that the measures will hinder their effort to protect Californians.

Legislation signed by the governor includes Senate Bill 81, which seeks to reduce the number of sentence enhancements in criminal cases that can double prison terms.

More than 150 enhancements exist for aggravating factors that include prior criminal records, use of a gun in the commission of a crime and offenses involving minors.

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October 9, 2021

A second bill signed by the governor also was proposed by the seven-member committee and carried by another committee member, Democratic Sen. Nancy Skinner.

It requires judges to give “great weight” to mitigating circumstances that favor dismissing enhancements that can greatly extend the length of prison sentences, unless doing so would endanger public safety. Skinner said enhancements are much more likely to be imposed on Black suspects.

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