The Impact of Paid Family Leave Policies
Rebecca Rabovsky, November 2019
This paper is primarily focused on the impact of paid leave policies, particularly California’s paid family leave program, on maternal and infant health, labor market outcomes, and effects on employers. It also includes information about the current status of paid family leave in federal and state law. Prepared at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Women, Work and Families.
Review of Environmental Leadership Development Projects
Paul Jacobs with contributions from Russell Manning, April 2019
This report describes projects that have qualified for expedited CEQA judicial review pursuant to statutes such as AB 900, Statutes of 2011, and presents options for legislative consideration.
Operationalizing the Fair Pay Act: How California’s Pay Equity Task Force Transformed Law Into Action
Megan Lane, February 2018
Prepared at the request of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, this report examines the collaborative process of the Pay Equity Task Force as an innovative example of cross-sector coordination for social change.
Occupational Segregation and the Gender Pay Gap
Megan Lane, November 2017
Prepared at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Women and Inequality, this background paper discusses the status and causes of occupational segregation based on gender and its contribution to the gender pay gap.
Women and Corporate Governance
Megan Lane, August 2017
Prepared at the request of the Select Committee on Women, Work and Families, this background paper highlights women’s underrepresentation in corporate governance, barriers to their participation, and the link between women’s participation and good governance.
The Benefits of Parental Leave Policies
Megan Lane, April 2017
Prepared at the request of the Select Committee on Women, Work and Families, this background paper highlights the impact of leave policies on maternal and infant health, as well as on the employer from a productivity standpoint.
What Is the Gender Pay Gap?
Megan Lane, April 2017
Prepared at the request of the Select Committee on Women and Inequality, this background paper provides an overview of the gender pay gap by identifying what it is, where it is most profound, and potential explanations for it.
What Is Implicit Bias?
Megan Lane, March 2017
Prepared at the request of the Select Committee on Women and Inequality, this background paper provides a snapshot of the state of the research on implicit bias and identifies potential solutions to help recognize and reduce it.
Immigration Reform: Local Jurisdictions Community Policing and Detention Policies
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen, September 2015
Three bills before the United States House of Representatives and one in the United States Senate are aimed at penalizing or dismantling so-called "sanctuary cities."
California's Paid Family Leave Program: Ten Years After the Program's Implementation, Who Has Benefited and What Has Been Learned?
Brie Lindsey, PhD, and Daphne Hunt, July 2014
On July 1, 2004, California became the first state to implement a paid family leave program. This report examines trends in paid family leave claims over the program's first decade.
State Survey of California Prisoners: What Percentage of the State's Polled Prison Inmates Were Once Foster Care Children?
Sara McCarthy and Mark Gladstone, December 2011
A unique state survey reveals how many of the polled inmates were formerly in foster care.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently imposed limits on state and local firearm-control laws. What does this mean for California?
Lindsey V. Scott-Flórez, October 2010
A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Second Amendment applies to state and local laws.
Consumer Privacy and Identity Theft: A Summary of Key Statutes and Guide for Lawmakers (2008 edition)
Saskia Kim, January 2008
The 2008 edition of this report provides an overview of major California laws and outlines how significant federal laws impact these statutes.
Eminent Domain and Redevelopment Agencies: The Debate Continues
Erin Riches, January 2008
The 2005 U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo decision generated a great deal of discussion in California about how redevelopment agencies—local agencies aimed at revitalizing blighted areas—use eminent domain.
A U.S. Supreme Court Case Update: Philip Morris USA v. Williams
Saskia Kim, March 2007
A narrowly divided U.S. Supreme Court overturned a $79.5 million punitive damage award against tobacco company Philip Morris.
A Primer on Family Law: Fundamentals and Resources for Legislative Staff
Kate Sproul, February 2007
California laws affecting marriage, domestic partnerships, divorce, and children are varied and, in many cases, complex.
Protecting Californians From Hate Crimes: A Progress Report
Gregory deGiere, August 2004
Hate crimes, like any form of terrorism, are triply harmful. They hurt the immediate victims by inflicting loss and pain, the same as any violent crime.
California Laws Helping Working Parents
Kate Sproul, July 2004
The workplace has changed. In the past, most men worked outside the home and most women worked inside the home, usually raising children.
The Patriot Act, Other Post-9/11 Enforcement Powers, and the Impact on California's Muslim Communities
Max Vanzi, May 2004
Within the Bush Administration and Congress, in the news media and public, among concerned scholars, and on the part of civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups, controversy abounds over the federal government’s broad new powers to investigate and suppress threats of domestic terrorism.
California's Response to Domestic Violence: A History of Policy Issues and Legislative Actions to Combat Domestic Violence in California
Kate Sproul, June 2003 [928-S]
Combating domestic violence has been a priority for California policy-makers since the late 1970s, but the focus on this often-hidden form of abuse has intensified since the O.J. Simpson case raised public awareness in 1994.
Proposition 209 and the Courts: A Legal History
Kate Sproul, January 2002
Proposition 209, a state constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by citizens’ initiative, was approved by California voters five years ago to ban discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, and gender in public employment, education, and contracting.
Women and Equality: A California Review of Women’s Equity Issues in Civil Rights, Education, and the Workplace
Kate Sproul, February 1999 [987-S]
The expanding roles of women since the beginning of the modern-day civil-rights movement have triggered sea changes in this country’s social trends.
