Cal. Civ. Code § 290

  § 290. Purposes of article.  1. This article shall be known as the
"Human Rights Law".
  2. It shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state for
the protection of the public welfare, health and peace of the people of
this state, and in fulfillment of the provisions of the constitution of
this state concerning civil rights.
  3. The legislature hereby finds and declares that the state has the
responsibility to act to assure that every individual within this state
is afforded an equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life and
that the failure to provide such equal opportunity, whether because of
discrimination, prejudice, intolerance or inadequate education,
training, housing or health care not only threatens the rights and
proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and
foundation of a free democratic state and threatens the peace, order,
health, safety and general welfare of the state and its inhabitants. A
division in the executive department is hereby created to encourage
programs designed to insure that every individual shall have an equal
opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and
intellectual life of the state; to encourage and promote the development
and execution by all persons within the state of such state programs; to
eliminate and prevent discrimination in employment, in places of public
accommodation, resort or amusement, in educational institutions, in
public services, in housing accommodations, in commercial space and in
credit transactions and to take other actions against discrimination as
herein provided; and the division established hereunder is hereby given
general jurisdiction and power for such purposes.