Proposed Law Would Restore Local Control Over Intelligence Gathering

Supervisor Jane Kim has introduced legislation before the Board of Supervisors that would prohibit members of the San Francisco Police Department working with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force from collecting intelligence on San Franciscans unless there is reasonable suspicion that they are involved in significant criminal activity.

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Report: California Schools Make Uneven Progress on Sex Ed
A recent report indicates that although California's public schools have made great strides in the quality of sexuality education and HIV/AIDS prevention, many districts still teach inaccurate information that fails to provide young people with crucial health information and violates state law. Read More »

Settlement in Racial Profiling Class Action Suit
In Williams v. Antioch, plaintiffs accused the Antioch police department of engaging in a racial profiling campaign of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination against families who get federal assistance for rent. In October, the City of Antioch approved a settlement in this case thereby submitting its police department to federal court supervision and immediately halting police focus on African-American Section 8 recipients. The plaintiffs will also receive compensation. Press Release | Class Notice

California Chief Justice: It's Time to Reevaluate the Death Penalty
"I don't think it is working. It's not effective. We know that." This is how California's death penalty was described just a few days ago by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. Read More »

Victory for Oakland Protesters, Despite Court Ruling
Thousands of people demonstrated in Oakland on Dec. 12 without any violent response from police. And the Oakland Police Department reportedly relied on its own officers to manage the crowd of protesters rather than bringing in other law enforcement agencies on mutual aid agreements. Read More »

Sentencing Reform: Balance the Budget, Balance Our Priorities
To balance the state budget, we need to balance our priorities. California is slashing funds for education and health care, while billions in prison spending remain untouched. If we stop sending people to prison for low level non-violent offenses, CA can free up hundreds of millions of dollars, and redirect these funds into education and social services, where the needs are greatest. The ACLU of California, along with the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, proposes two simple sentencing reforms to balance the scales of justice as we balance the budget. Read More »