California lawmakers press corporations to add women, people of color to board rooms
Sacramento Bee 3 hrs ago Katherine Swartz and Kim Bojórquez, The Sacramento Bee
Jul. 12 The Legislature s diversity caucuses representing minorities, women and gay Californians are pressuring corporations headquartered in the state to diversify their leadership teams.
The caucuses on Monday announced they sent hundreds of letters to California s largest companies, urging them to comply with two state laws that mandate the appointment of women, people of color and sexual minorities to serve as board directors. It s time for these companies many of which are based here in California to channel their words into decisive action, said Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Cambell, in a statement. Representation matters because those diverse, lived experiences have the potential to reverberate across a company s culture, inspire the next generation of leaders and make companies more acco
Jewish state lawmakers in Sacramento are celebrating $80 million they helped secure for Jewish community priorities in the 2021-2022 state budget. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the financial blueprint by the end of the month.
In a press release Monday, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus enumerated six line items it lobbied for that made it into the spending plan. The largest-ticket item is $50 million for the California Nonprofit Security Grant program, which offers grants to religious institutions and other vulnerable nonprofits. In the past, Bay Area synagogues, day schools and Federations have used grant money secured through the NPSG, along with funds from a similar federal program established after 9/11, to purchase security equipment such as bollards, gates and surveillance systems.
California Assembly Passes ‘Ethnic Studies’ Bill
Proposed legislation that would make “ethnic studies” a high school graduation requirement has moved one step closer to becoming law in California.
The California Assembly voted 58 to 9 in favor of Assembly Bill 101 (AB 101) on May 27, sending it to the state Senate. The legislation would force students to learn critical race theory, according to opponents, while supporters say the bill would promote a more inclusive curriculum.
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) told The Epoch Times that despite widespread support for the bill among state lawmakers predominantly the Democratic majority he remains committed to drawing attention to the curriculum and the risks associated with it.
In a unanimous vote, the California State Assembly passed House Resolution 48 honoring California's Israeli-American community, and for the first time ever, recognized their unique contributions.
The California State Capitol Building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
JNS.org – More than 1,000 Californians, including nearly 70 rabbis, signed a petition on Thursday that calls on the California Legislative Jewish Caucus to oppose a bill that would make ethnic studies courses a high school graduation requirement.
The bill, AB 101, recommends that school districts use the ethnic studies model curriculum (ESMC) recently approved by California’s board of education, though it also allows for the use of any curriculum approved by local school boards, such as the rejected, “inflammatory and overtly antisemitic” first draft of ESMC, the petition explained.
The first draft was opposed by 20,000 Californians, the majority of which were Jewish organizations and the Jewish Caucus. The draft stated that it would “marginalize Jewish students, and fuel hatred and discrimination against the Jewish community.”