Standing up for working families

As the cost of living has continued to rise in California, especially in the Bay Area, more and more families are pushed into financial insecurity — working longer hours, or working multiple jobs, in order to provide for their families. As a working mom myself (the parent of a two-year-old when I was elected, now the parent of a four-year-old and a newborn), this issue is personal to me — and I’ve fought for working parents from day one.

Delivering on our shared progressive values means ensuring no one has to work more than one full-time job to stay afloat, that women get equal pay for equal work, and that new parents can take care of a newborn without risking financial catastrophe. 

In August of 2020, just four weeks after I gave birth to my daughter Elly, I was denied the ability to cast votes by proxy — and felt I had no choice but to make the trip to Sacramento with my newborn in tow to vote on critical legislation. Crucial bills on affordable housing and, ironically, paid family leave, were up for a vote and not guaranteed to pass — so at 11:30pm, while breastfeeding my daughter, I raced to the Assembly floor to implore my colleagues to pass a crucial bill allowing the creation of more affordable housing.

You may know now that the image of me holding Elly sparked nationwide discussion, leading to stories in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and even my friend Hillary Clinton’s Twitter. I was grateful my story got so much coverage — not because I myself was in the spotlight, but because it brought the crucial issues facing women and working families to the forefront of the national conversation. Millions of women across California and the country saw themselves in my experience, because the unending pressure of being torn between family and work is universal for working women. I’ve fought hard on this issue my whole career, and the coverage my story received helped build great momentum for this work — which I will keep up for years to come.

That night, I voted yes on AB 1383, which expanded paid leave in California, by ensuring people who work for small businesses are guaranteed 12 weeks of family leave — just like people who work for larger companies. It goes without saying this is a major step forward for working families across California — but I believe we can do more. 

I am dedicated to keeping up the fight for increased paid family leave, guaranteed paid sick days, and guaranteed affordable childcare for every California family, among others. These are all issues that impact working families, especially working women — and I won’t stop fighting until every family can access these crucial protections and resources. 
I’ve also fought for working families in Sacramento by expanding access to CalFresh — which is crucial especially in Assembly District 15, where we’re seeing disturbingly widespread hunger, especially in the wake of COVID-19. In 2019, I passed AB 1377, which expanded access to CalFresh and its key nutrition programs for the over 500,000 California kids who were eligible for the program, but hadn’t yet enrolled. In 2020, I passed another CalFresh bill: AB 3073, which would ensure Californians leaving the criminal justice system would have access to the program, putting folks on a path to health and stability as they reenter society.