New CA AG Harris Makes History

AG Harris Makes History
January 3, 2011. Today Kamala Harris was sworn in as California’s Attorney General. Being a woman, African American and Indian—a ll firsts! It was an honor to be among the many enthusiastic supporters, many of us whom had played a part (no matter how small) in her historic feat, to see her sworn in. When she pledged to “defend the Constitution of the United States and CA against enemies both foreign and domestic” , a collective chill came over the crowd. Kamala “gets it”. That is the law is for all people.
A few highlights:
· She pledged to be tough on crime. Those who commit heinous acts will be removed from society—murders, sex traffickers and pedophiles to name a few.
· She also pledged to be smart on crime. With a 70% recidivism rate and spending at a 2x rate to higher education in our state, the current system is not working. Kamala pledged to promote programs that get people properly prepared to re-enter society—education, job training, etc. Additionally, as she has done in SF, she pledged to continue holding parents accountable for their children attending class. Finally, she promised that her office will use a data driven approach and best of breed practices from around the country to improve CA.
· Mortgage fraud, drugs and gang violence were also among her targets of first order.
· AG Harris also promised a better use of existing laws to combat cyber crime. Cyber criminals will face the same punishment as do those who commit physical crimes.
· In an acknowledgement that the Prop 8 debate will be re-opened, the new AG stated that people “should be free to marry whoever they love”.
With a transition team that features two former US Secretaries of State, it is clear that Kamala Harris is a different kind of AG. Of course, the proof will be in the results, however, if today’s speech is any indication of the possible, I think California may be pleasantly surprised by what this 20 year prosecutor accomplishes. Also unspoken was the future of the death penalty.
It is very clear that our new AG has a bright future. I had previously thought maybe Governor, Senator or even President could be on the horizon for her at some point. However, if one listened closely to her glowing admiration for another former Alameda County DA, Earl Warren, and comprehends the ambitions of her reform plan she starts to more resemble Thurgood Marshall (in the way he reshaped education through the Brown vs Board of Education case). Supreme Court Justice Harris… Another of the many options that are now possible for this amazing woman.