• Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) honored La Hermandad Hank Lacayo Youth and Family Center as her 2016 Nonprofit of the Year in the first California Nonprofits Day, June 22, in Sacramento.
La Hermandad provides free legal services, citizenship classes, and adult literacy education to underserved immigrants, their families, and the senior population of Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. La Hermandad grew out of a 2005 grassroots effort to legally support immigrant and undocumented Latinos in the Oxnard area who faced significant barriers. This year, as the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary, its services have expanded to include weekly foodbanks that feed upward of 250 families, assistance for victims of sexual assault, instruction in basic computer skills, and free clinics to test for diabetes, obesity, and blood pressure.
“I’m honored to recognize La Hermandad for the important work they do supporting the health and well-being of one of our most vulnerable populations, our immigrant and undocumented farmworkers and their families,” Jackson said.
• A bill by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to modernize language in more than a dozen sections of California law to reflect the fact that same-sex couples can now marry, passed off the Senate floor on a bipartisan vote June 23 and is now headed to the governor for his signature. The vote was 33-0.
Senate Bill 1005 changes various code sections in California law mentioning a “husband” and “wife” to the gender-neutral term “spouse” to reflect the fact that same-sex couples can now legally marry in California. It also recognizes the rights of same-sex couples in registered domestic partnerships and includes registered domestic partners in the code changes.
“It’s fitting to close out Pride Month by sending this bill to the governor for his signature. By removing outdated language from the state code, the law will now accurately reflect the rights of registered domestic partners and same-sex married couples in California,” Jackson said. “This helps ensure the equal and fair treatment of all couples in California.”
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2016.