On May 13, 2022, after a lengthy non-jury trial in Crest v. Padilla, California Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis ruled in favor of the plaintiffs who had challenged SB 826, one of California’s two board diversity statutes, as violating the California Constitution. The complaint in Crest v. Padilla was filed in 2019 by three California taxpayers who sought to enjoin the California Secretary of State from using taxpayer funds in effectuating or ensuring compliance with SB 826. The California Secretary of State has not yet indicated whether it intends to appeal the Court’s order. This verdict follows a similar judgment that struck down AB 979, the other California board diversity statute, last month.