A longtime justice reform advocate, state Senator Nancy Skinner is the author of two landmark California laws: SB 1421, which made police misconduct records available to the public for the first time in 40 years, and SB 1437, which reformed the state’s felony-murder rule so that people who do not commit murder can’t be convicted of that crime. She also authored bills to reduce gun violence and allow people with prior felony convictions to serve on juries.

In 2021, Senator Skinner has authored SB 16, which would expand and strengthen SB 1421, and SB 81, which is designed to reduce the use of sentence enhancements for nonviolent crimes.

Skinner represents California’s 9th Senate District, which includes Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond, and chairs the Senate Budget Committee. Her legislative efforts have also resulted in cuts to the number of juveniles incarcerated in state facilities by half, established a new dedicated fund to reduce prison recidivism, reduced parole terms, banned the box for higher education, and set California on a path to close its youth prisons.