SACRAMENTO—Doug Moore, Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers of America (UDW/AFSCME 3930), issued the following statement supporting May 23rd amendments to AB 392 (Weber):
“I have reviewed the most recent amendments to AB 392 and, on behalf of the over 110,000 home care workers we represent, strongly support passage of this landmark legislation that will save lives and make our communities safer. As a co-sponsor of this bill, UDW commends all the parties involved in reaching a compromise that will allow this important legislation to move forward. AB 392 will be an important first step in creating a system of policing where all life is valued and bias is not a factor in life-or-death decisions.
Our membership is by majority women of color and we care for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. UDW’s co-sponsorship of AB 392 reflects the fact that many of us live in over-policed communities that have grieved far too many lives lost to unnecessary police killings. It also reflects that, as caregivers, we are committed to protecting people with disabilities and nearly half of people killed by police are people with disabilities. We believe AB 392 will make our families and our clients safer.
We want to thank the bill’s author, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, and the co-sponsors of AB 392 for ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are represented in the final version of AB 392. We also want to thank Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon for working diligently to bring stakeholders together to pass one of the strongest police use-of-force laws in the country.
Most importantly, we want to thank and honor the many families who came forward to share the pain of losing a member. This includes the family of Myra Micalizio, a UDW member who was killed by police in 2018 while experiencing a mental health crisis. We will continue to say your names and remain vigilant to spare other families from the tragedy of unjust police killings.”
