News & Commentary

In his 2016 State of the State speech, Gov. Jerry Brown failed to mention a critical dimension to economic inequality in California: racial inequality. People of color are uniquely impacted by government policies that fall most heavily on the poor, like the Maximum Family Grant rule, unchecked police abuses and over-reliance on incarceration as a response to chronically homeless people with mental illness.

In the latest chapter that is California’s broken death penalty saga, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is poised to repeat its mistakes of the past.

Rebecca's doctor said yes. Her hospital said no. The hospital didn't say the procedure wasn't safe. The hospital said the procedure violated its ethical and religious principles.

This January, as you consider a gym membership or taking up a new instrument, you also have the opportunity to commit to something else: a more private and secure digital life. Here are six easy steps you and your loved ones can take to help safeguard your digital life this coming year.

Just two weeks ago, two men attacked an elderly Sikh man in Fresno as he waited for his ride to work. More violence followed.

The governor’s proposed state budget released today includes the current Department of Finance estimate of savings resulting from Proposition 47. This first estimate puts FY 2015-16 savings at just $29.3 million, far below all previous estimates and despite a clearly established reduction in state incarceration of people for low-level offenses in 2015 over previous years. The estimate announced today reflects a largely political choice to calculate savings in a way that keeps taxpayer dollars within the prison system – a clear violation of the voter intent behind Prop 47.

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to move on from the past and turn towards the future. Put those holiday decorations back in boxes for the foreseeable future. Find a new strategy to ensure that you’re really going to live up to your resolutions this time. And enjoy a new era of digital privacy in California as CalECPA (SB 178) goes into effect.

Today we filed a lawsuit challenging Dignity Health’s use of religious directives to deny basic reproductive health care to its patients. Filed on behalf of patient Rebecca Chamorro and Physicians for Reproductive Health, the suit argues that withholding pregnancy-related care for reasons other than medical considerations is illegal in California.

Dear Governor Brown: