By Anna Olsen
SACRAMENTO, CA — Eight California legislators received a perfect score and were deemed “Champions” in the 2021 ACLU California Action Legislative Scorecard this week.
These eight legislators include Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), Sen. Scott Wiener (D-SF), Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-LA), Asm. Ash Kalra (D-SJ), Asm. David Chiu (D-SF), Asm. Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley) and Asm. Alex Lee (D-SJ).
Ten Senators and 16 Assembly Advocates, also all affiliated with the Democratic party, received a score of 90 percent to 99 percent and were deemed as ACLU “Advocates.”
Most notably, each of these ACLU “Champions” and “Advocates” voted in support of Senate Bill 2 proposed by Champion Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and supported by the ACLU, which established a required decertification process for any police officer convicted of a serious crime.
They also each voted in support of Senate Bill 357 proposed by Champion Sen. Scott Wiener (D-SF) and supported by the ACLU, which repealed current California law permitting the criminalization of loitering in cases of prostitution.
This bill is designed to protect Black and trans individuals, mostly women of color, from discrimination and unnecessary stops by police.
The lowest score was awarded to Asm. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) at five percent. Seyarto voted against ACLU endorsed Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 357.
Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and Sen. Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) received a score only slightly higher at 22 percent, both also voting against SB 2 and SB 357.
“Because of the fearless leadership of our champions and support from our advocates,” stated Carlos Marquez, Executive Director of ACLU California Action, “abusive police officers can finally be decertified and California is one step closer to ensuring racial justice for all and ending discriminatory loitering laws that target our most vulnerable trans women and women of color.”
ACLU California Action is a nonpartisan social welfare organization composed of all California ACLU affiliate organizations. They have a mission to employ policy, advocacy and partnerships to ensure equity and the protection of civil rights and liberties for all.
Throughout the 2020-2021 legislative session, members of the ACLU California Action tracked the committee and floor votes of California legislators on 176 bills in both the Assembly and Senate within eight categories of social justice – criminal justice and policing, racial and economic justice, education equity, immigrant rights, LGBTQI rights, reproductive justice and gender equity, technology and civil liberties, and democracy and civic engagement.
