Perhaps best known as the author of the California Fair Pay Act, Jackson began her advocacy for women decades ago. She was inspired as an eight year old, when she wasn’t allowed to join a team in her local Little League baseball because she was a girl, despite her athletic prowess! After college (where she played intercollegiate tennis) and law school, Jackson returned to California and became a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Barbara, where she prosecuted domestic violence and other crimes. She served on the California Commission on the Status of Women, and helped develop state policies regarding domestic violence and violence against women, child care, and equality in education and the workplace. Jackson went into private law practice, but continued her leadership as a co-founder of the Santa Barbara Shelter Services for Women (now known as Domestic Violence Solutions), Women Against Gun Violence, and the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee. 

Senator Jackson now serves as the Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus — and in that position has successfully pursued a progressive path including domestic violence prevention, family leave, access to child care and early childhood education and pay equality. 

This past year, Jackson beat all the odds by writing and winning passage of the California Fair Pay Act — the landmark legislation that established the strongest equal pay law in the nation. She pulled together a broad coalition women and business leaders including minimum wage earners and home health care workers and film and television actresses and producers — and workers from all walks of life. High-profile women including Patricia Arquette and Jennifer Lawrence bravely spoke out on behalf of pay inequality, providing timely leadership and a boost in public opinion in support of Jackson’s California Fair Pay Act, also known as Senate Bill 358. Because of her work on pay equality, the Huffington Post recently named Hannah-Beth Jackson as one of eleven women around the country “blazing new trails” in American politics. 

Senator Jackson also wrote legislation, which passed the Senate and is pending in the Assembly, that would ensure that all Californians who work for companies of 10 or more can take 12 weeks of new parent leave without losing their jobs. To qualify for the leave, the employee must have worked for their employer for a full year and more than half-time. The New Parent Leave Act, would guarantee job-protected maternity and paternity leave for most Californians, benefiting new mothers, fathers and adoptive parents. 

Senator Jackson authored the “Yes Means Yes” legislation, which creates an “affirmative consent” standard on college campuses to help combat sexual assault. She also authored a bill which allows  Community Colleges to suspend, expel or remove students who have committed sexual assault even if the victim does not attend the same school or the incident did not occur on campus. 

As a former deputy district attorney who prosecuted domestic violence cases, Jackson has written some of the most important laws protecting victims and preventing further violence. During the last legislative session, she successfully carried the resolution in support of the federal Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. 

A strong defender of reproductive choice, Jackson was recognized with the Reproductive Health Initiative award by American Medical Women’s Association and the Giraffe Award for “sticking your neck out for reproductive choice” by Planned Parenthood Action Fund Tri-Counties Chapter.

State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson is the Legislature’s leader in the fight to protect California’s clean air and water, our beaches and open spaces—and she co-authored the most important legislation to promote alternative energy and green jobs. During her service in the Assembly, she chaired the Assembly Natural Resources and Environmental Safety Committees, and wrote the law banning risky oil barges along our coast.

To prevent another accident like the May 19, 2015 Refugio Oil Spill, Jackson wrote and got passed critical legislation to require annual pipeline inspections (SB 295) and to dramatically improve coordination in response to future oil spills. She also wrote legislation, which passed the Senate and is pending in the Assembly, to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned and leaking oil wells. It is estimated that there are more than 200 of these so-called ‘legacy’ wells in California, the majority located along the Summerland and Ellwood beaches in Santa Barbara County and along the Central Coast.

Senator Jackson introduced a bill to ban private, ex parte communications with California Coastal Commissioners. This legislation is needed more now than ever, in the aftermath of the controversial firing of the Coastal Commission's executive director. It passed the Senate and is currently pending in the Assembly.

Jackson also is a leader in working for smart transportation solutions that will reduce air pollution. She is leading the effort to establish a commuter rail line along our coast. As chair of the Senate Select Committee on Passenger Rail, she has been working with the Governor’s office and the California State Transportation Agency to “retime” a train to run along the Highway 101 corridor during commute hours to help people get to their jobs.

Jackson worked to improve the Birth Defects Monitoring Act and successfully fought to regulate the use of pesticides near schools and communities. She’ll continue to fight for strong standards in monitoring the water we drink and the air we breathe to protect Californians for years to come.

Senator Jackson was named “Environmental Hero” by Santa Barbara’s Environmental Defense Center, “Legislator of the Year” by the California League of Conservation Voters, and both “Guardian of the Coast” and “Coastal Champion.” She earned Clean Water Action's “Water Champion Award” 

That’s why Hannah-Beth Jackson is supported by the Sierra Club and the California League of Conservation Voters and hundreds of local environmental leaders.

Senator Jackson has been named “Outstanding Public Official” by both the California Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association for a reason. She always stands up to make education the top priority and works to expand our state’s investment in our schools, colleges and universities, because she understands that public education is what really made California the Golden State. She is dedicated to restoring excellence and opportunity for all. 

This year, as Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, she played a leading role in securing funding for early childhood education, because all the evidence shows that children who start on the right educational path are in the best position to succeed, be self-sufficient and contribute to our economy. 

Jackson wrote legislation to help recruit, train and retain quality teachers — because quality teachers are the key to an effective education at all levels. 

She believes in coordinating education with our economic needs, and wrote the legislation signed by the Governor that provided funding to local community colleges for nurse training pilot projects. To address shortages in the nursing profession, the community colleges provided training to licensed nurses, including training in the nursing specialty areas of critical care, emergency, obstetrics, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and operating room nursing. 

And to assist long-term unemployed get quality technical and vocational training, Senator Jackson improved the Cal Grant program.