Senator Jackson Makes ‘Huff Post’ Trailblazer List

A Huffington Post article on Tuesday honored State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, representative of 19th Senate District, as one of 11 women championing political progress in the United States. Jackson was praised for advancing women’s equality and opportunity through legislation, most notably with the California Fair Pay Act, which was unanimously passed in the Senate in May and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on October 6, 2015.

The law currently stands as one of the most inclusive equality laws in the country, modifying older policies to ensure equal pay for “substantially similar” work, rather than “equal work.” Supporters of the bill suggest that the older language allows for loopholes and gender-based discrimination. Jackson’s bill also protects workers who request information about their colleagues’ compensation and ensures that wage differences are only due to factors such as a “seniority system, a merit system … or a bona fide factor other than sex,” according to the bill language.

Jackson has also been actively involved in health care reform in Ventura County. She drafted stringent environmental regulations after the Plains All American oil spill last May and passed a bill in September to allow colleges to discipline students who commit off-campus sexual assaults.