Assemblymember Das Williams and sexual assault survivor speak on AB 2441

May 21, 2012 |
Valor

From left: Leandra Peloquin, Director, YWCA Silicon Valley; Sabrina Sadler, Survivor; Assemblymember Das Williams, California’s 35th Assembly District; Sandra Henriquez, Executive Director, CALCASA; Rhonda James, Executive Director, Community Violence Solutions

This morning, Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) discussed the importance of supporting AB 2441, which would tax strip clubs and distribute such funds toward vital services at California’s rape crisis centers. He, along with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, executive directors from local rape crisis centers and a survivor of sexual violence, addressed the current status and needs of sexual assault services in California.
“We … want to implore the legislature and members of the legislature to stand with victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and sex trafficking,” said Assemblymember Williams, “to support AB 2441 because without the necessary funding, these victims will not have the support that they need.”
During the last 40 years, California’s rape crisis centers have worked tirelessly to provide services to survivors of rape while concurrently extending efforts toward changing the cultural norms that cause sexual violence to happen in the first place. Due to the lack of funding for rape crisis programs, the efforts to serve survivors of sexual assault, incest, molestation and rape are in jeopardy. Rape crisis centers and other anti-violence programs need financial support to help create communities that are free from violence.
For information about the bill, please download this FAQ document.