For Immediate Release: January 13, 2017

STATEMENT FROM THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

CFT Supports SB 54, SB 31

CFT and members take action on behalf of students, communities, education workers

Today the California Legislature is hearing two bills to protect the people of California from destructive executive orders by the Trump administration. The CFT supports SB 54 (De Leon) and SB 31 (Lara) to defend the rights of all Californians. 

SB 54, known as the “California Values Act,” will provide essential safeguards to ensure that schools, police, hospitals and courts remain accessible to Californians from all walks of life and that California’s limited resources are directed to matters of greatest concern to state and local governments. SB 31 protects the safety and well-being of all Californians by ensuring that state and local agencies and personnel do not participate in, or use agency resources to create, a registry, list, or database of individuals based on religious beliefs, practices, or affiliations of national origin or ethnicity.

CFT’s support of these bills reinforces recent actions taken by our members in local school districts and colleges to pass resolutions creating safe haven schools, and coming out to airport protests of President Trump’s executive order banning Muslim immigration.

CFT leaders are available to comment on the bills and related actions.

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The California Federation of Teachers represents 120,000 faculty and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. More info: www.cft.org.