Robert Besser
21 May 2022, 21:18 GMT+10
SACRAMENTO, California: In another blow to the state's push to diversify corporate leadership, a California court judge has ruled that a state law requiring public companies to include women on their boards is unconstitutional.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis issued the decision this week in favor of three California taxpayers who sought to block enforcement of the law.
The plaintiffs were represented by conservative legal group Judicial Watch, which was also involved in another challenge that recently struck down a California law mandating board diversity based on race and sexual orientation.
In a statement, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said, "The radical Left's unprecedented attacks on anti-discrimination law has suffered another stinging defeat."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the California secretary of state said the office is reviewing the judgment.
In 2019, three taxpayers challenged the law, claiming it amounted to sex discrimination in violation of the state's constitution.
At trial, California's secretary of state had defended the law, arguing that the state believes in gender diversity on boards and that the law aims to address a historic lack of women on boards.
Duffy-Lewis ruled that the law violated the equal protection clause of California's constitution, adding that the secretary of state had failed to show the law was narrowly tailored or that it was meant to remedy "specific, purposeful, intentional and unlawful discrimination."
Former California state Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, the bill's author, said she believes the state will appeal the verdict and prevail.
Another taxpayer challenge to a similar California law requiring boards to include directors who self-identify as a member of an "underrepresented community," which includes Asian, Black, Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander individuals, as well as those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, was recently won by Judicial Watch.
Jennifer Rubin, an attorney who counsels corporations on social and governance issues, said, "The prudent course of action is for the legislature to go back and try to craft these laws in a way that is going to withstand scrutiny."
Get a daily dose of North Carolina Daily news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to North Carolina Daily.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: After the first six months of 2022, the S&P 500 recorded a loss of 20.6 ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Due to the record high trade deficit and a resurgence in COVID-19 infections that curbed spending on services, ...
LONDON, England: US food company Kraft Heinz has pulled some of its products from Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket group, ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday, a day after major across-the-board sell-offs."Consensus estimates for 2022 and ...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Amidst the rise of "re-fracs" in the U.S. as part of the efforts to boost domestic oil production, ...
NEW YORK, New York - Wall Street struggled to find its footing on Wednesday after Fed chief Jerome Powell vowed ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has said that since the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Moscow ...
ALBANY, New York: A New York state judge has struck down a recent law giving 800,000 non-citizen New York City ...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Amidst the rise of "re-fracs" in the U.S. as part of the efforts to boost domestic oil production, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Due to persistent shortages of agricultural chemicals that threaten yields, U.S. farmers have cut back on using common ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman have won U.S. contracts to develop missiles to intercept hypersonic weapons.The decision means ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In the latest in a series of sanctions aimed at further isolating Russia economically over its invasion of ...