Candidate for
State Senator; District 26

Sandra's career has always been devoted to the public interest, whether representing victims of human trafficking and domestic violence or advocating for social justice legislation.

Sandra has lived and worked in California for years, building coalitions, advocating for legislation, and securing the passage of bills that will change lives for the better. Now, Sandra wants to bring a fresh perspective and a new generation of leadership to the California State Senate. She has the legislative experience to hit the ground running but isn't a career politician beholden to special interests. That's why she can effectively create change in Sacramento and fight for her community.

Priorities as State Senator

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Gender Equality:

Sandra is a recognized leader for gender equality and reproductive justice.

As an attorney, Sandra has dedicated herself to representing those who could not afford a lawyer. She is one of the longest running volunteer attorneys at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, representing victims of human trafficking, including girls in Los Angeles forced into sex trafficking by gangs.

She also produced an informative film to help victims of violence and abuse obtain restraining orders in Los Angeles courts, and represented those victims at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County.

Sandra came to national attention when she testified before members of Congress regarding comprehensive insurance coverage for birth control, and then took on Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators when they launched sexist attacks against her and all women. At home in California, she has continued to advocate for comprehensive health coverage and respect for the reproductive decisions of all women.

As your State Senator, she will continue to fight for full equality and opportunity for all women, using her national platform to ensure California remains a leader on these issues.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Pay Equity
• Paid Leave Protections
• Increasing Access to Reproductive Healthcare
• Early Childhood Education

Education:

Sandra comes from a family of public school teachers - her mother was a kindergarten teacher and is now a guidance counselor. In fact, Sandra's mom helped bring a community college to their region. Sandra took classes there to prepare for college, and because her family was willing to make sacrifices for her, she became the first person in her father's family to earn a bachelor's degree.

Unfortunately, Sandra's family's commitment to education wasn't the norm there. Because she grew up in a community where education wasn't adequately valued, Sandra knows first hand the difference that investing in our schools makes. She's seen the economic consequences when we don't invest. These experiences are the reason education is one of Sandra's top priorities.

Some of Sandra's proposals include:

• Early Childhood Education
• Affordable Higher Education
• Increasing resources to public education
• Support Services
• Workforce Preparation and Vocational Education

Environment and Transportation:

Sandra believes that global climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time. That is why she has spoken out in support of a statewide fracking moratorium, plastic bag ban, and why she takes the responsibility of being an environmental champion in the legislature very seriously.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Water
• Transportation
• Fracking and Coastal Protection

Health Care:

Sandra has fought for years for comprehensive health insurance reform that will ensure all Californians have affordable access to care. Sandra's work protecting access to reproductive health care is especially well known, but she has also been a strong voice for healthcare access for the trans and immigrant communities and for preventive care for all.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Improving Upon the Affordable Care Act
• Increasing Access to Reproductive Healthcare
• Veteran Mental Health Services
• Support for Survivors of Violence
• HIV/AIDS

Jobs, Economic Security and Workforce Protection:

As someone who grew up in a middle-class, union household, Sandra watched up close as good jobs disappeared and understands first-hand the importance of labor protections. These experiences inspire Sandra's strong commitment to ensuring security and opportunity for all families.

For more than two years, Sandra worked closely with a coalition of domestic workers throughout California to pass the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. This bill, expanding domestic workers' overtime protections, was signed into law by Governor Brown last fall, making California one of the first states to lead on this issue.

Sandra has been on the strike lines with fast food workers fighting for a living wage and actively supports the effort in Los Angeles to implement a living wage for hotel workers. She also stood with county social workers to bring protective services caseloads down to a level that adequately addressed the safety of our children, a need she witnessed while she was an attorney for the same children, working with those social workers.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Linking Business and Education
• Investing in Growing Industries
• Preparing for Climate Change
• Fair Wages

Reforms:

Sandra will bring a much-needed fresh perspective to Sacramento. Sandra isn't a career politician and isn't beholden to special interests, giving her the independence necessary to fight for critical reforms and bring necessary transparency to government and our political process.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Campaign Finance Reform
• Increase Transparency
• Prop 13 Reform

Veterans and Military Families:

Sandra grew up on 440th Boulevard, a uniquely named very small street populated by only her grandparents and parents. The family named their street in tribute to her paternal grandfather's Army service in the 440th Signal Corps.

Sandra's maternal grandfather also served in the Army and her grandmother was a parachute packer in World War II. Having close family who served informs Sandra's commitment to veterans and military families.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• Mental Health Services
• Jobs

LGBTQ Rights:

Sandra has been a vocal advocate to advance the rights of the LGBTQ community. Sandra co-founded a statewide coalition that successfully passed legislation ending discrimination against gay persons attempting to access family court services. Prior to the coalition's work, the legislation had been stalled for twenty years despite numerous attempts to pass it. She also successfully worked with domestic violence shelters to revise their policies to ensure that gay victims of violence were admitted rather than being turned away.

Sandra has repeatedly spoken out for the rights of the trans community. She has advocated for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, for fair treatment of same-sex immigrant couples, and has fought for numerous other pieces of legislation advancing gay rights.

Some of Sandra's priorities include:

• HIV/AIDS
• Transgender Folks