A recent letter to the editor took exception to my vote on
Assembly Bill 196, a measure I supported this year. The bill will
become law Jan. 1. Let me clarify a few key points about this
bill.
AB 196 includes gender in the state’s law that prohibits
discrimination in the workplace and in housing. Discrimination is
wrong and it hurts all Californians.
A recent letter to the editor took exception to my vote on Assembly Bill 196, a measure I supported this year. The bill will become law Jan. 1. Let me clarify a few key points about this bill.
AB 196 includes gender in the state’s law that prohibits discrimination in the workplace and in housing. Discrimination is wrong and it hurts all Californians.
This bill expands the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to ban discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of gender.
FEHA currently bans discrimination based upon religion, race, sex, sexual orientation and other personal attributes that have been historically used to discriminate against people, so this bill is an extension of our current state law.
Does this mean that an employee can come to work dressed as a man one day and then dressed as a woman the next? No.
The law clearly states that employers my still require an employee to adhere to reasonable workplace appearance, grooming and dress standards.
Will the new law allow a flood of lawsuits against employers and landlords? No.
The new law puts the burden of proof on the plaintiff who brings the discrimination suit, and that burden is very high. In fact, businesses especially stand to gain from passage of AB 196, as the courts have already prosecuted gender discrimination under a set of confusing laws.
AB 196 makes the rules explicit and clear for everyone to follow.
AB 196 is really about civil rights. The right to live in a home and work at a job free from discrimination is a basic human right.
This is the reason why I voted for AB 196. I encourage the public to read AB 196 personally and form their own opinions.
The full text and committee analysis is available on the State Assembly’s Web site: www.assembly.ca.gov.
Any constituent who would like more information about this measure or wold like to leave their opinion directly with me, may contact me through my district office at
831-759-8676 or my capitol office
at 916-319-2028.
Simon Salinas,
Assemblyman, District 28
