Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed California Senate Bill 826, which requires publicly held companies based in California to have a minimum of one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019. From there, women’s representation will have to increase. By the end of July 2021, companies have to have at least two women on boards of five members and at least three women on boards with six or more.
In a signing statement, Brown acknowledged that “serious legal objections have been raised” about the bill. “I don’t minimize the potential flaw that indeed may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation.”
However, Brown added, “recent events in Washington, D.C.—and beyond—make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message. … Given all the special privileges that corporations have enjoyed for so long, it’s high time corporate boards include the people who constitute more than half of all ‘persons’ in America.”
