Pay Equity

AB 43 (Wesson) requires the California Commission on the Status of Women to contract for a gender-based study to evaluate the compensation and classification of California state government employees.The purpose of the study is to assess which California state institutions and departments, if any, have pay and classification inequities based on gender and hopefully motivate the State to rectify those disparities.ERA believes the data generated from this study, specifically the information on the situation of female employees in the University of California and California State University systems, will better enable us to advocate for those women who face discrimination in higher education.

Equal Access to Contracting Opportunities

AB 1084 (Wesson) expands public contracting preferences for small businesses to include microbusinesses, many of which are owned by women and minorities.This bill requires state agencies to collect gender, race and ethnicity data on the contracts it awards, which will strengthen the ways to identify and remedy discrimination in public contracting.The data will be particularly useful for ERA as we monitor the impact of Proposition 209 on women, and advocate for the inclusion of women-owned businesses in awarded contracts.

Lesbian Rights

AB 25 (Migden and Hertzberg) expands the rights of registered domestic partners to include the right to make medical decisions in the hospital, to act as a conservator, to utilize the procedures applicable to stepparent adoption, to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner, and to provide partners with employer-based health coverage.

Celebrating Women

ACR 14 (Midgen and Daucher) proclaims February 7, 2001, as California Girls and Women in Sports Day—a day to recognize the important contribution of female athletes, coaches, officals, and sports administrators in promoting the value of sports in the achievement of full human potential.

ACR 31 (Strom-Martin) proclaims March 2001 Women’s History Month—a month for schools and communities to recognize the important historical role and accomplishments of women.

ACR 105 (Strom-Martin) proclaims October 10, 2001, as the 90th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in California—a day to celebrate women achieving the right to vote.

  2000 Legislative Highlights