From ‘pink tax’ ban to election protections, Newsom signs bevy of bills

Excerpted from the Orange County Register

By Kaitlyn Schallhorn 

With a looming deadline to sign or veto bills fast approaching, Gov. Gavin Newsom OK’d an array of legislation this week, ranging from protecting election workers to ensuring pay equity for women in the workplace to shoring up stability for victims of domestic violence.

The governor has until Friday, Sept. 30 to sign or veto bills passed by the legislature this year. 

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The Democratic governor also OK’d a bill from Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, that allows election workers to enroll in state programs that keep their addresses confidential.

A recent survey from the Brennan Center, a national nonprofit and public policy institute, found 1 in 6 election workers said they have received threats. And efforts are underway in Washington, D.C., to enact federal protections for election workers as well.

“One of the byproducts of an increasingly hostile and polarized political environment has been an alarming rise in threats to election workers and other civil servants,” Newman said. “With midterm elections nearing, the safety and peace of mind of hardworking election workers should be a top priority.”

Newsom said threats to election workers have “skyrocketed in recent years.” He signed legislation that increases mail ballot drop boxes at UC and Cal State campuses as well as adds to multilingual election resources.

“Voting should be safe. Voting should be easy, and with these bills, we’re expanding and protecting our democracy,” Newsom said in a video message shared on social media Monday evening.

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Read the full article here.