how good a attorney general was kamala harris

by Jackeline Erdman 5 min read

Who is Kamala Harris?

Oct 07, 2020 · Harris served as attorney general twice. Harris' first go-around was as the district attorney general of San Francisco. Her term lasted seven years, from 2004 to 2011.

When did Kamala Harris become Attorney General?

Aug 14, 2020 · California’s attorney general at the time happened to be the now-Democratic vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. Her behavior in response to this case raises some deep concerns about her suitability for high office. First, she declined to investigate any potential illegal activity on the part of Planned Parenthood, instead choosing to ...

Is Kamala Harris'California criminal history a cause for concern?

Aug 12, 2020 · Kamala Harris in 1997 MediaNews Group via Getty Images During her tenure as attorney general, at least 1,560 people were thrown behind bars for marijuana-related offenses from 2011 to 2016 ...

Did you know Kamala Harris was a US Senator for four years?

Kamala Harris has spent her life breaking glass ceilings. Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of immigrants. Her father was born in Jamaica and her mother was born in India. After her parents divorced, Harris and her younger sister Maya were raised by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a single parent.

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2-3. Defending Abortion Access. 2. When Texas enacted targeted restrictions on abortion providers to block the safe, legal access to abortion in violation of Roe v. Wade, Harris — as the attorney general of California — joined a brief that urged the United States Supreme Court to protect abortion access. (The name of that case was Whole Woman’s Health v.

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Who is Biden's running mate?

Joe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate for the 2020 election. Last year, Sen. Harris was a frontrunner among the numerous Democratic candidates running for president. However, Harris' history as a prosecutor and attorney general in the state of California was a touchy subject and cause for concern long ...

Who is Alexis Jones?

Alexis Jones Assistant Editor Alexis Jones is an assistant editor at Women's Health where she writes across several verticals on WomensHealthmag.com, including life, health, sex and love, relationships and fitness, while also contributing to the print magazine.

How long does the Back on Track program last?

The program, known as "Back on Track", lasts 12-18 months and provides its participants with a personal responsibility plan (PRP). Their PRP will consist of setting goals around employment, parenting and receiving an education, instead of serving jail time.

How many truant kids were there in 2010?

In her 2011 inauguration speech, Harris pointed out that in 2010 there were 600,000 truant students in their elementary schools alone. In an effort to remediate this issue, she passed a law making it a criminal misdemeanor for parents to allow their children (kindergarten through eighth grade) to miss more than 10 percent of school days, without an excuse. The parents or guardians of truant children could face a $2000 fine or up to one year in jail. “We are putting parents on notice,” Harris said at her 2011 inauguration. “If you fail in your responsibility to your kids, we are going to work to make sure you face the full force and consequences of the law.”

How much did Planned Parenthood donate to Harris?

However, when it emerged that Planned Parenthood and its associates had donated over $80,000 to Harris’s political campaigns — both for attorney general and for a seat in the Senate — there was outrage over the flagrant conflict of interest.

What happened to Planned Parenthood in 2015?

In 2015, an undercover sting led to the release of a series of videos that appeared to show top Planned Parenthood leadership engaged in the sale of aborted fetal body parts. The videos led to a large public outcry and a string of congressional and state inquiries into the embattled abortion provider followed, many of which are rumbling on to the present day.

Who is Kamala Harris?

Harris — who made history Tuesday as presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s pick for vice president — has long faced criticism over her prosecutorial record, with skeptics saying she skewed in favor of police and was too slow, and even sometimes mum, on criminal justice reform. As California’s attorney general from 2011 ...

Is Kamala Harris a progressive prosecutor?

Inside Kamala Harris’ polarizing record as a prosecutor. She may tout herself as a “progressive prosecutor,” but Kamala Harris’ record as a career California prosecutor suggests otherwise. Harris — who made history Tuesday as presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s pick for vice president — has long faced criticism ...

Who is Kamala Harris?

Harris served as the junior United States senator from Cali fornia from 2017 to 2021. Harris defeated Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 Senate election to become the second African American woman and the first South Asian American to serve in the United States Senate.

Who is Kamala Harris' mother?

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a biologist whose work on the progesterone receptor gene stimulated advances in breast cancer research, had arrived in the United States from India in 1958 as a 19-year-old graduate student in nutrition and endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley; Gopalan received her PhD in 1964. Harris' father, Donald J. Harris, a Stanford University professor emeritus of economics, arrived in the United States from British Jamaica in 1961 for graduate study at UC Berkeley, receiving a PhD in economics in 1966. Of Afro-Jamaican descent, Donald Harris met his future wife, Shyamala Gopalan through the civil rights movement.

Why did Harris question Nielsen?

Later that month, Harris questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.

What did Harris do to reduce truancy?

In 2006, as part of an initiative to reduce the city's skyrocketing homicide rate, Harris led a city-wide effort to combat truancy for at-risk elementary school youth in San Francisco. Declaring chronic truancy a matter of public safety and pointing out that the majority of prison inmates and homicide victims are dropouts or habitual truants, Harris's office met with thousands of parents at high-risk schools and sent out letters warning all families of the legal consequences of truancy at the beginning of the fall semester, adding she would prosecute the parents of chronically truant elementary students; penalties included a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail. The program was controversial when introduced.

Where did Donald Harris live?

Of Afro-Jamaican descent, Donald Harris met his future wife, Shyamala Gopalan through the civil rights movement. Harris' childhood home on Bancroft Way in Berkeley. Harris and her younger sister Maya lived in Berkeley, California, during and after her parents' studies.

Why does Kamala Harris wear pearls?

Although speculation during the 2020 presidential campaign emerged that she began wearing them as an homage to her Howard University sorority, or even to Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known for wearing a distinctive collar when issuing a dissent, in her 2019 biography The Truths We Hold Harris had previously explained that she began doing so after being given some as a gift by her mother's mentor Howard.

What is the privacy policy of Harris?

In February 2012, Harris announced an agreement with Apple, Amazon, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Research in Motion to mandate that apps sold in their stores display prominent privacy policies informing users of what private information they were sharing, and with whom. Facebook later joined the agreement. That summer, Harris announced the creation of a Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit to enforce laws related to cyber privacy, identity theft, and data breaches. Later the same year, Harris notified a hundred mobile-app developers of their non-compliance with state privacy laws and asked them to create privacy policies or face a $2,500 fine each time a non-compliant app is downloaded by a resident of California.

Where was Kamala Harris born?

Kamala Harris has spent her life breaking glass ceilings. Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of immigrants. Her father was born in Jamaica and her mother was born in India. After her parents divorced, Harris and her younger sister Maya were raised by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a single parent.

Why did Biden choose Kamala Harris as his running mate?

Because of her commitment to fighting injustice, her eloquence, and capabilities for leadership and governance , President-Elect Joseph R. Biden chose Harris as his running mate. This pick made Harris the fourth woman on a major party's national ticket and the second African American on a presidential ticket.

When was Harris elected?

In 2003, Harris was elected as the District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco. As a lawyer, Harris immediately began breaking glass ceilings. In 2010, Harris was elected as the first African American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General.

Who was the first African American woman?

October 20, 1964 -. On January 20, 2021, Kamala D. Harris became the first woman, the first African American woman, the first Indian-American, the first person of Asian-American descent, and the first graduate of an HBCU to be sworn in as the Vice President of the United States of America. As she said in her election acceptance speech, she “may be ...

What is Kamala Harris's role in the White House?

Throughout her career, Kamala Harris has been a defender of reproductive rights and health care. Her addition to the ticket makes clear that in the White House, a Biden administration would not only protect reproductive rights, but also advance and expand them.

What did Kamala Harris say about Trump?

In her maiden speech as a senator, she spoke out against Trump’s Muslim Ban and other executive orders targeting immigrants — saying Trump had “created deep uncertainty and pain for our refugee and immigrant communities.” Harris has supported clean passage of the DREAM Act — and wrote legislation to lift the ban on DACA recipients working in Congress.

What case did Harris join to protect abortion?

2. When Texas enacted targeted restrictions on abortion providers to block the safe, legal access to abortion in violation of Roe v. Wade, Harris — as the attorney general of California — joined a brief that urged the United States Supreme Court to protect abortion access. (The name of that case was Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt — and we WON.)

What is Harris's work on maternal mortality?

5. Harris has worked to address the health inequities and systemic bias that contribute to high rates of maternal mortality in Black communities, saying that Black mothers are “facing a health crisis that is driven in part by implicit bias in our health care system. We must take action to address this issue, and we must do it with the sense of urgency it deserves.”

What did Kamala Harris ask Kavanaugh?

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Harris subjected Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to tough scrutiny of his record on reproductive rights and freedoms — and asked one question that left Kavanaugh near speechless.

Who is the candidate for Vice President for Biden?

With the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris of California as Joe Biden’s nominee for vice president, we might have our greatest-yet reason for optimism about what comes next. Throughout her career, Kamala Harris has been a defender of reproductive rights and health care. She has stood up for the principle that when it comes to our health, our bodies, ...

What did Kamala Harris do?

During Kamala Harris’ tenure as District Attorney for San Francisco (2004-2011), she did not support the 2008 California constitutional amendment that was aimed at banning same-sex marriage.

How long did Kamala Harris serve?

Harris tenure as the District Attorney for San Francisco (2004-2011) saw her push for a minimum 90-day sentence for persons found possessing concealed or loaded weapons. Her tough stance on gun crime allowed her to slap felony charges on people found possessing assault weapons.

Why was Harris praised?

Department of Justice (DOJ) for her cost effective recidivism program that saw hundreds of first time low-level crime offenders get a second chance at making their lives better. The DOJ was of the opinion that it cost the tax payers more when those sought of cases are adjudicated and then offenders housed in prisons.

When was Kamala Harris sworn into the Senate?

Kamala Harris, left, was sworn into the U.S. Senate by then-Vice President Biden, right, on January 3, 2017.

Who was the attorney general of California?

As attorney general of California, Harris was one of the leading figures in California that supported ban on gay and trans panic defense used by perpetrators of hate crime against the LGBT.

What were Kamala Harris' achievements?

Achievements of Kamala Harris | Harris’s office pushed for penalties such as fines of more than two thousand dollars) and a year in jail for parents of chronically truant students| Image: Harris visiting Peterson Middle School in 2010

How much did Kamala Harris get paid for the Cosco Busan oil spill?

This was evident when she successfully got a $44 million dollar settlement following the Cosco Busan oil spill. The devastating 2007 oil spill saw about 54,000 US gallons of heavy fuel oil spill into the San Francisco Bay.

Why did Kamala Harris pull out of the settlement?

Harris pulled out of settlement negotiations with the nation’s biggest banks over alleged foreclosure abuses , calling the proposed deal ‘inadequate for California homeowners.'” This came after months of talks.

Who is Sharon Kyle?

Sharon Kyle is a former president of the Guild Law School and is the publisher and co-founder of the LA Progressive. For years before immersing herself in the law and social justice, Ms. Kyle was a member of several space flight teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she managed resources for projects like Magellan, Genesis, and Mars Pathfinder. Sharon sits on several boards including the Board of Directors of the ACLU. She is a contributing writer to Black Politics Today and is on the editorial board of the BlackCommentator.com. Follow @SharonKyle00

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Overview

U.S. Senate (2017–2021)

After more than 20 years as a U.S. Senator from California, Senator Barbara Boxer announced in January 2015 that she would not run for reelection in 2016. Harris announced her candidacy for the Senate seat the following week. Harris was a top contender from the beginning of her campaign.
The 2016 California Senate election used California's new top-two primary for…

Early life, family and education (1964–1990)

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a Tamil Indian biologist whose work on the progesterone receptor gene stimulated advances in breast cancer research, had arrived in the United States from India in 1958 as a 19-year-old graduate student in nutrition and endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley; Gopalan r…

Early career (1990–2004)

In 1990, Harris was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, where she was described as "an able prosecutor on the way up". In 1994, Speaker of the California Assembly Willie Brown, who was then dating Harris, appointed her to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the CaliforniaMedical Assistance Commission. Harris took a six-month leave of absence in 1994 from her duties, then afterward resumed as prosecutor during the years she sa…

District Attorney of San Francisco (2004–2011)

In 2002, Harris prepared to run for District Attorney of San Francisco against Hallinan (the incumbent) and Bill Fazio. Harris was the least-known of the three candidates but persuaded the Central Committee to withhold its endorsement from Hallinan. Harris and Hallinan advanced to the general election runoff with 33 and 37 percent of the vote, respectively.

Attorney General of California (2011–2017)

Nearly two years before the 2010 election, Harris announced she planned to run. She also stated she would run only if then-Attorney General Jerry Brown did not seek re-election for that position. Brown instead chose to run for governor and Harris consolidated support from prominent California Democrats. Both of California's senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, House Speaker Nanc…

2020 presidential election (2019–2020)

Harris had been considered a top contender and potential frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. In June 2018, she was quoted as "not ruling it out". In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, a sign of a possible run. On January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her candidacy for president of the United States in the 2020 United St…

Vice presidency (2021–present)

Following the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president in the 2020 election, Harris assumed office as vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021. She is the United States' first female vice president, the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, and the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president. She is also the second person of colorto hold the post…