Op-Eds

Op-eds

Op-ed: Make California a national beacon for reproductive health care access

September 13, 2022

In Ohio, a 10-year-old had to cross state lines to get life-saving abortion care. In Texas, doctors who perform abortions now face possible life sentences in prison. And in Missouri and 11 other states, abortions are now banned even in cases of rape and incest.

Op-eds

Opinion: Why UCLA quitting the Pac-12 hurts student athletes and Cal

August 11, 2022

It’s no secret that college sports is a multibillion-dollar business that mostly ignores the needs of student athletes. That’s why I authored a 2019 law that made California the first state to give college athletes the right to earn money from their name, image and likeness.

I am not naïve when it comes to colleges prioritizing the business of their athletics department over students. But UCLA’s recent decision to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in order make more money represents a new low.

Op-eds

Opinion: California high court’s historic bail ruling just a first step

May 3, 2021

California’s highest court recently delivered a major victory for the cause of justice when it ruled that “the common practice of conditioning freedom solely on whether an arrestee can afford bail is unconstitutional.” Under the state Supreme Court’s ruling, judges must now consider a person’s ability to pay when setting bail and can only hold someone in jail before trial in limited circumstances.

Op-eds

Opinion: The bail industry defeated Prop. 25, California must continue criminal justice reforms

January 27, 2021

Our criminal justice system is supposed to be based on a fundamental premise: “innocent until proven guilty.” In reality, this basic right is not afforded to millions of low-income Californians, particularly those in communities of color.

Op-eds

Let’s stop another Wall Street takeover of single-family homes

August 12, 2020

SB 1079 is designed to help California avoid another takeover of single-family homes that corporations employed in the Great Recession.

Op-eds

California police need to come clean on abuse records

August 4, 2020

After the killing of George Floyd, we learned that Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer responsible, had a documented history of misconduct complaints and uses of force, making it even more clear that communities deserve to know about the actions of officers who police them. Which is why I have introduced SB 776 this year.