Dinner

Scott Wilk: California State Assemblyman

Scott Wilk was elected to the California State Assembly in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014. He represents the 38th Assembly District which encompasses Simi Valley, the northwestern section of the San Fernando Valley, and most of the Santa Clarita Valley including the city of Santa Clarita and the communities of Agua Dulce, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, and Val Verde.

During his first term in office, Scott quickly established himself as a results-oriented leader, and was appointed as Republican Caucus Chair for the Assembly Republican Caucus Leadership Team. The Caucus Chair is the number-two position in the Republican leadership structure and Caucus Chair assists the Leader in overseeing caucus operations, advancing the Republican policy agenda, and achieving the Caucus’ legislative goals.

For the 2015-16 Legislative Session, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins named Scott as Vice Chairman of the new Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. This brand new committee will have jurisdiction over all aspects of privacy from Internet media to consumer retail information to electronic medical records as well as other issues in the broader field of technology: the security of data, protection of personal information, information technology generally, and even California’s own Department of Technology. The committee will also be responsible for legislation related to false advertising, product labeling and consumer protection generally.

Additional committees Wilk has been assigned to include: Budget Committee (Sub 4 – State Administration), the Governmental Organization Committee, the Business and Professions Committee and the Joint Committee on Arts.

Keeping jobs in California is a high priority for Wilk and he played an important role in the passage of Assembly Bill 1839, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act. California’s film tax credit will be increased to $330 million a year for five years beginning with fiscal year 2015-16 and replaces the current lottery system with a more competitive and accountable system.

To ensure greater accountability from non-elected bureaucrats, Wilk authored AB 1707 which will require the State Water Resources Control Board to post scientific peer reviews on its website as it relates to communities having to comply with TMDL standards. The law goes into effect on January, 1 2015.

Scott has been a vocal advocate for government transparency in the election process, which is why he authored AB 2551 to establish a minimum standard of transparency for the fiscal analysis of local bond measures that is very similar to what the LAO already does for state General Obligation bond measures.

In 2014, Scott was selected by the non-partisan, non-profit State Legislative Leaders Foundation to attend the prestigious Emerging Leaders Program held at the University of Virginia. The program is geared toward newer legislators that show promise as future legislative leaders, Scott was the only legislator selected from California.  Scott and his wife Vanessa reside in Santa Clarita and they have two adult children.

State Board of Equalization – Board Member George Runner

George Runner, a conservative and member of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee  fought against tax increases and continues to support tax relief for families and businesses. Elected in November 2010, Runner has gained his reputation of the leading advocate for California taxpayers and continues to represent the State Board of Equalization’s Second District.

In 2004, prior to being elected to the State Senate, Runner served for three years in the State Assembly as Vice Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee from 1996 to 2002 and also served time on the Lancaster City Council where he was appointed mayor for two years.  After Runner served time in various Councils and Committees, he sought to retain private sector jobs in the state of California. Runner sought to improve the economy, increase business growth, place importance on education excellence and focus on public safety for Californians when he served for twelve years in the State Legislature.

Runner was named Legislator of the Year by California State Sheriffs’ Association, Crime Victims United, California Sexual Assault Investigators Association, Coalition of Chief Probation Officers, California Coalition of Directors of Environmental Health, California Community College Trustees and the California Building Industry Association. The Los Angeles County Association of Deputy District Attorneys awarded Runner with the Pursuit of Justice Award and The Capitol Weekly newspaper has named Runner as Sacramento’s most conservative legislators. He continues to receive perfect legislative scores from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association.

George Runner and his wife, Sharon Runner, both served in the Legislature as Santa Clarita’s representatives and opened Desert Christian Schools, in 1976 which continues to be one of the largest private schools in California. George and Sharon Runner are named to be the first husband and wife in California history to serve concurrently in Legislature. Both George and Sharon Runner have been recognized for their efforts in the Legislature and at home where they are proud parents of their son Micah, daughter-in-law Sandy, daughter Rebekah, son-in-law James, and four grandchildren. Runner continues to represent more than nine million Californians while keeping his stance on advocating taxpayers.

California State Senator – Sharon Runner

Sharon Runner, a former Republican California State Senator, represented the 17^th Senate District and continued to be a member of the California State Assembly where she represented the 36^th district for three terms.  On Tuesday March 17^th after being unopposed she will take Steve Knight’s place as California State Senator as Knight moves into Congress.

During Sharon Runner’s time in the California State Assembly, she served on the Veteran’s Committee, Housing Committee, Committees dealing with Foster Care, the Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and the Task Force on the Environment, Energy and the Economy. Sharon Runner continued to be a leader when she served as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and as Assistant Republican Leader.

Sharon and her husband, George Runner, were named as the first husband and wife in California history to serve concurrently in the California State Legislature. In 2006 Sharon and George led the charge for passage of Proposition 83, which states that sexual offenders who are convicted of activity with children under the age of 14 are put into prison for a time period of fifteen years to life. This law essentially eliminated all “first-offense” sexual offense provisions from California law, requiring that released sex offenders wear a GSP bracelet for life and prohibited sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of a school or a park.

Sharon was an officer for the Antelope Valley Republican Assembly and continues to stay active in the Palmdale and High Desert Republican Women’s Clubs. She served as president of the board of California’s Women’s Leadership Association and as California’s Women’s Coalition Chair for the Bush/Cheney Campaign. Runner was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board in 2009 and served until 2010. In 2011, Sharon ran for the California State Senate and defeated Democrat Darren Parker in taking her husband, George Runner’s vacant seat.

California Senator – Fran Pavley

Senator Fran Pavley grew up in Sherman Oaks and has spent her lifetime living and working in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as a parent, educator and elected official. In 1982 Senator Pavley became the first mayor of the City of Agoura Hills and served four terms on the city council. In 2000 she was elected to the California State Assembly, where she served three terms and was elected to the California State Senate in 2008. Currently, Senator Pavley represents approximately 931,000 people in the 27th district, which includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Senator Pavley serves as the chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and is a member of numerous Senate committees, including: Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy, and Transportation, Governance and Finance and Legislative Ethics. She also chairs the Select Committee on Climate Change and Assembly Bill 32 Implementation.

Senator Pavley currently pursues legislation that sets an overarching climate-pollution reduction target for 2050 that would provide California businesses with regulatory certainty while also strengthening the economy and improving public health, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.

Some of Senator Pavley’s past legislative victories in the Senate include laws stiffening penalties for mortgage fraud, banning lead and cadmium in children’s jewelry and creating new clean energy jobs.

In 2010 the U.S. president implemented national clean car standards, modeled on Assembly Bill 1493 (Clean Car Regulations), also known as the Pavley Law. During a special ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, the president personally thanked Senator Pavley for her work on creating a clean, safe, secure energy future for California and the United States.

Monday, March 16th

Melissa Melendez: California State Assemblywoman

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez is a native of Youngstown, Ohio.

Melissa entered the United States Navy upon graduating high school. She attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, where she became a fluent Russian language speaker.

Melissa then became one of the first women approved by the U.S. Navy to fly aboard EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft overseas, conducting reconnaissance and intelligence gathering operations in partnership with our allies. She served her country with honor and distinction as a Russian translator for ten years during the height of the Cold War, and flew covert missions during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While serving in the Navy, she received numerous awards for her strategic acumen, operational insight, professionalism and impeccable leadership skills.

While serving in the Navy full-time, Melissa also attended college full-time in the evenings, and received her BA in History and Political Studies from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii. After the Navy, Melissa took an academic advisory position at Chaminade University for two years before deciding to begin her own business. She then formed her own successful transcription company, contracting with the Chief of Naval Operations, and providing services to the Secretary of the Navy as well as other top-level Pentagon officials. Melissa attended the Murrieta Campus for the University of Phoenix to earn her MBA in June of 2008.

In 2008, Melissa Melendez was elected to the Lake Elsinore City Council. She served as Mayor Pro Tem as well as Mayor during her four years in local government. Melissa has distinguished herself throughout the district by tackling some of the most important issues of the day, like fighting for increased government transparency, reducing taxes, and easing the burden on the business community. Melissa is also known to be a tireless advocate for veterans and military families.

Melissa has five children with her husband of 17 years, Nico Melendez, who works for the Department of Homeland Security. Nico is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served 10 years on active duty around the world as a journalist and public affairs officer. He proudly continues to serve today in an active naval reserve unit.

She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, Vice Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and is a member of the Transportation Committee.

Marc Levine: California State Assemblyman

Assemblymember Marc Levine was elected in November 2012 to represent the 10th Assembly District, comprised of Marin County and Southern Sonoma County.  This includes the North Bay communities of Corte Madera, Cotati, Fairfax, Kentfield, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito, Sebastopol, Tiburon, Penngrove, Petaluma, Sonoma, West Marin, and parts of the City of Santa Rosa.

His priorities include funding higher education & K-12 and improving the quality of public education.  California’s precious water supply is also a high priority. We also have to improve our transportation infrastructure.  Additionally, we need to continue paying down California’s wall of debt and control spending in order to continue funding for vital public services.

A former San Rafael City Councilmember, Levine has held leadership posts throughout his career helping to develop innovative solutions at the local, state, national and international levels. He currently chairs the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife.  This committee is responsible for overseeing Water Bond expenditures, implementation of a long-term plan to protect our beautiful parks, and protecting endangered species, migratory birds, and other wildlife.

In his first term in the Assembly, Levine was the vice-chair of the Local Government Committee and chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Agriculture and the Environment.  In 2013-14, Governor Brown signed into law 23 bills authored by Levine including historic Marin County housing legislation.  Other laws written by Levine support online education at CSU campuses, increase use of recycled water, increase access to the California Coastal Commission meetings, create new charging stations for electric vehicles, expand markets for local businesses, and protect victims of violent crime.

Levine has also worked as an advisor and consultant to social enterprise and high tech start-ups. He developed award-winning technology for human rights organizations, in the process raising millions in funding from the U.S. State Department, the Soros Foundation and other funders to create technology that is now in use globally.  Additionally, Levine has worked to create innovative programs that use technology to foster learning in underserved classrooms.

Levine earned his Master’s Degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, and was recognized with a Special Act Award for his work to promote the elite graduate school around the world. While earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at Cal State Northridge, he was elected Chair of the California State Student Association representing over 400,000 students to the State Legislature and Board of Trustees.

Some of Levine’s past activities include: Vice Chair, Marin Telecommunications Agency; Governance Committee, MarinKids; Alternate Commissioner of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission; Alternate Director of the San Rafael Sanitation District and Central Marin Sanitation Agency; Member of the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party; Vice Chair of California Democratic Party Business and Professional Caucus; and Fellow of the ZeroDivide Foundation.

John Chiang: California State Treasurer

John Chiang was elected on November 4, 2014, as California’s 33^rd State Treasurer.  As the State’s banker, he oversees a bank that processes trillions of dollars in transactions every year.  One of his top priorities is to conduct the State’s business in the most transparent manner possible.

Chiang sells California’s bonds, invests the State’s money and manages its cash.  In addition, he manages financing authorities that help provide good-paying jobs, better schools, improved transportation, quality health care, more affordable housing and a cleaner environment.  He handles those duties while sitting on the governing boards of the nation’s two largest public pension funds – the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS).

Prior to being elected Treasurer, Chiang served from 2007 – 2014 as State Controller, during which time he:

Took steps during the Great Recession to preserve cash to meet obligations to education and bond holders.  His cash management decisions – which included delaying payments and issuing IOUs — were cited as instrumental in keeping the State’s credit rating from plunging into junk status, which saved taxpayers millions of dollars.

• Worked to ensure the fiscal solvency of the State’s pension plans, and was a leader in pension and corporate governance reform.  He proposed a plan to address the unfunded liability of providing health and dental benefits for state retirees, and successfully sponsored legislation requiring all State pension systems to adopt disclosure policies regarding board members & placement agents.  He also has sponsored bills to curb pension-spiking, require placement agents to register as lobbyists, and require CalPERS & CalSTRS board members to file more campaign contribution disclosure reports.
• Aggressively used his auditing authority to identify more than $9 billion in taxpayer dollars that were denied, overpaid, subject to collection, or resulted in revenues, savings and cost avoidance.
• Ensured that $3.1 billion in unclaimed property was returned to the rightful owners.  He also led the effort to reform the State’s Unclaimed Property Program, which currently holds about $7.1 billion in bank accounts, utility deposits and other property that businesses have deemed abandoned by their owners.

Chiang was first elected to the Board of Equalization in 1998 where he served two terms, including three years as chair.  He began his career as a tax law specialist with the Internal Revenue Service and previously served as an attorney in the State Controller’s Office.

The son of immigrant parents, Chiang graduated with honors from the University of South Florida with a degree in Finance.  He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

 

 

Tuesday, March 17th

Jeff Morales: Chief Executive Officer, California High-Speed Rail Authority

Jeff Morales is the Chief Executive Officer of the California High-Speed Rail Authority and has a distinguished record of experience managing large and complex transportation issues and projects.

As the former Director of the California Department of Transportation, Morales managed a $10 billion program and more than 23,000 employees working to build, maintain and operate the largest state transportation system in the U.S. Morales most recently was Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff , where he worked with transportation agencies across the United States and internationally to develop and implement major capital programs and is the past executive vice president of the Chicago Transit Authority where he spearheaded major reforms at the nation’s second-largest transit agency.

Jeff’s experience at the federal level includes serving as a member of President-Elect Obama’s transition team focusing on transportation, Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, the United States Department of Transportation and as U.S. Senate staff.

Kevin Dayton: President & CEO of Labor Issues Solutions, LLC

Kevin Dayton is an independent public policy consultant, political commentator, and a leading intellectual critic of California High-Speed Rail. He has 23 years of professional experience in Washington, D.C. and California performing strategy and analysis in highly-contentious arenas of public policy and politics on the federal, state, and local level. He’s the former State Government Affairs Director of Associated Builders and Contractors of California, a former legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a graduate of Yale University.

Kevin has analyzed actions and claims of the California High-Speed Rail Authority as a consultant for the California Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability and the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction. He has spoken at numerous California High-Speed Rail Authority board meetings concerning various issues addressed by the board, including financing plans and the 2014 business plan. He has created and administered informational websites about California High-Speed Rail. He is frequently cited by news media and has written numerous commentaries and spoken to numerous community groups about California High-Speed Rail.

Kevin has testified at state legislative hearings concerning California High-Speed Rail. He is referenced on pages 7 and 8 and on page 18 (footnote 30) of the decision of the Sacramento County Superior Court in High Speed Rail Authority v. All Persons Interested. He submitted a comprehensive amicus curiae brief to the California Supreme Court in support of a petition for review of lower court decisions.

He has also produced the only chart for public view that outlines all of the individual Proposition 1A bond issues of the State of California. He was the only party to submit written comments to the California High-Speed Passenger Train Finance Committee before its vote in 2013 to approve issuing bonds for California High-Speed Rail as authorized under Proposition 1A.

In April 2014 he produced a 112-page report on behalf of Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability entitled Legacy Issues: The Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability 2014 Business Plan for the California High-Speed Passenger Train System. This document diligently tries to fulfill the statutory requirements of the California High-Speed Rail Authority for development of a business plan.

Patrick O’Donnell: California State Assemblyman

In November 2014, Patrick O’Donnell was elected to the California State Assembly. He represents District 70, which includes the cities of Avalon, Long Beach Signal Hill and San Pedro.

Assemblymember O’Donnell was a classroom teacher for nearly 20 years and served as a member of the Long Beach City Council.

A leader dedicated to quality education, O’Donnell helped create a program at his high school to provide students with more instructional time. He also lobbied in Sacramento for more school funding.

While on the Long Beach City Council, he helped produce the city’s first budget surplus in over a decade. He helped establish a “Rainy Day Fund” policy that requires City Council to save in anticipation of tough economic times. He also secured funding for police gang-unit officers and brought crime to its lowest level in 41 years.

O’Donnell worked to raise awareness about human trafficking by introducing legislation to ensure tougher penalties for convicted of the crime. Foster care is another issue O’Donnell has tackled. He led an effort to found the Palace Hotel Project, which converted a former hotel into housing for kids “aging off” of foster care to provide additional support.

A firm believer in ensuring access to career technical education and vocational opportunities, he helped establish an afterschool digital academy to teach kids valuable media skills they can use in school and the workplace.

Born in Long Beach, O’Donnell graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He lives in the Los Altos neighborhood with his wife and their two daughters.

Tom Lackey: California State Assemblyman

Assemblyman Tom Lackey was first elected to the State Assembly in 2014.

Formerly a Palmdale City Councilman from 2005 to 2014, Lackey has been a strong advocate for finding solutions that allow for affordable taxes, improved public safety, high-quality public education and job growth through private sector economic development.

Raised in the small high desert mining town of Boron, Lackey was active in the Boron High School student government and earned the rank of “Eagle Scout” from the Boy Scouts of America. A 28-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, he worked in Los Angeles, El Cajon, Baldwin Park and the Antelope Valley. Lackey first entered elected public service as a member of the Palmdale Elementary School District Board of Trustees. Tom Lackey and his wife Theresa, live in Palmdale with their two adopted children, Justin and Jani.

Rob Lapsley: President, California Business Roundtable

Rob Lapsley was named President of the California Business Roundtable in 2011.  As President, Rob leads an organization comprised of senior executive leadership of major California employers representing a combined workforce of over six hundred thousand employees. Their mission is to strengthen California’s economy by enhancing competitiveness and ensuring an educated workforce prepared for the next generation of jobs.

During his tenure, CBRT has successfully launched the nonpartisan California Center for Jobs and the Economy which provides objective and comprehensive economic and jobs data at the state, county, region, senate and assembly level. The Center for Jobs mission is to provide state and local policy makers with a definitive source of information pertaining to job creation and economic trends in California.

Prior to this, Rob served as the vice president and state political director for CalChamber. During this time, he also served as executive director of JobsPAC, a broad, employer-based, bipartisan committee for CalChamber that has helped elect over twenty pro-business Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and Assembly.

Previously, Rob served as president of RCL Consultants, a firm specializing in business, government, political and public affairs consulting. He has also served as vice president for Arnel Development, one of the largest private real estate companies in Southern California, where he was responsible for new business projects.

As an appointee of President George W. Bush, Rob served in the U.S. State Department as special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to Spain during the Iraq war. In addition to his diplomatic duties, Rob was responsible for working with private sector firms and the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Spanish-American and European Union business arenas on trade and investment strategies.

He was a long-time policy and political aide to former Secretary of State Bill Jones, serving as Undersecretary of State from 1995 to 2001 and managed both of Jones’s successful campaigns for that constitutional office. Rob also served as a senior appointee in the administration of Governor Pete Wilson and held positions in the California Legislature for over six years.

Rob is a graduate fellow of the Coro Foundation and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He holds a B.S. in biology and political science from Illinois State University

Michael Cohen: Director, California Department of Finance

Michael Cohen was appointed as Director of the California Department of Finance by Governor Jerry Brown in September 2013. He serves as the Governor’s chief fiscal policy advisor.

Prior to becoming Director, he served as Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Finance from 2011 to 2013. In this capacity, Mr. Cohen was the department’s lead contact with the state Legislature on the state budget.

From 1997 to 2010, Mr. Cohen worked at the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO). While there, he served as a local government finance analyst, Director of State Administration, and Deputy Legislative Analyst.

Mr. Cohen earned a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas and a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies from Stanford University. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Amy Supinger and his two dogs, Lulu and Dexter.

Catharine Baker: California State Assemblywoman

Catharine is a mother of school-age twins and an active parent leader in local schools, having served as Vice President of the Dougherty Elementary School Site Council and on several school improvement committees.

Catharine is also a volunteer leader in her community, previously serving on a local preschool board and volunteering with Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts in the region as an archery instructor. She also volunteers on the board of the Diablo Regional Arts Association in Walnut Creek, supporting arts and educational programs for families and schoolchildren throughout her community.

Catharine earned her B.A. degree from the University of Chicago, overcoming cancer her senior year to graduate Phi Beta Kappa and with honors. Catharine later went on to earn her J.D. degree from U.C. Berkeley School of Law, and helps small businesses and local charities get started and become successful.

Nate Bradley: Executive Director, California Cannabis Industry Association

Mr. Bradley is the Executive Director and cofounder of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA). He is responsible for public policy advocacy and political strategy at the state and local levels.  Mr. Bradley is highly skilled in creating campaign messaging, demographic targeting, and public policy development.

Before joining CCIA, Mr. Bradley was the President of BCI Solutions, a Medical Cannabis Strategic Consulting firm.  He is considered an “outside the box” strategist whose hard-driving style has earned him a reputation as one of the leaders in California’s cannabis industry.

Mr. Bradley’s served as a spokesman and advisor to the Yes on Prop 19 Campaign and was a public policy advisor to CSPARC (Committee for Safe Patient Access to Regulated Cannabis) in Sacramento County, California.

He has represented his client’s interests before government bodies, while developing numerous contacts in state and local government. Mr. Bradley is often sought out to provide policy advice to public officials from around the state. He has consulted with numerous California lawmakers throughout the state and local levels and has testified on of behalf of legislation being introduced into the California State Legislature.

In 2010 Mr. Bradley founded Lawmen Protecting Patients, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization consisting of retired and disabled members of the law enforcement community who have become medical cannabis patients and now advocate on their behalf.

Mr. Bradley also brings with him 10 years of education and experience in law enforcement and defense investigation. He has worked as a city Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff and Criminal Defense Investigator. During his time in law enforcement he received extensive specialized training and has conducted numerous criminal investigations.

Randy Perry: Peace Officers Research Association of California

Randy came to ARA with nearly 25 years of experience as Manager and Chief Legislative Advocate for the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), one of the oldest and largest law enforcement associations in the United States, representing over 67,000 peace officers in California and surrounding states.  Randy has written and lobbied legislation ranging from labor and workers’ compensation issues to local government funding, laws increasing penalties for crimes against the public and laws ensuring access to healthcare for California’s sickest children.  He has an extensive background with association grassroots programs and has worked or managed every aspect of issue and candidate campaigns.  Randy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

 

Jerry Hill: California State Senator

Jerry Hill was elected to the California Senate in November 2012 and took his oath of office in the state Capitol on December 3, 2012.

Senator Hill joined the state Legislature’s upper house with a strong track record of leadership consisting of over 20 years of public service as an elected official. He was the mayor of the city of San Mateo, he served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and he was a member of the state Assembly. While serving in local government he preserved thousands of acres of open space, established one of the state’s first anti-smoking ordinances, expanded health care coverage for over 17,000 children in the county, and created a new homeless shelter in San Mateo County.

Taking office in the Assembly in 2008, he quickly established himself as a thoughtful and dynamic state lawmaker. His legislation signed while in the Assembly saved the state millions of dollars through increased efficiency; improved gas pipeline safety; qualified the state for National Popular Vote; cracked down on repeat DUI offenders, underage drinking on party buses and on retailers who sell tobacco to minors; and brought solar jobs to the region.

While in the Senate, Hill has continued his commitment to the Peninsula through legislation that was signed to ensure access to Martins Beach, increase safety at the PUC and PG&E, limit High-Speed Rail to a blended, primarily two-track system through San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, increase oversight of auto shredders whose fires were contaminating Redwood City and surrounding communities, and allow vote by mail voters to verify that their vote was counted.

He serves as the chair of the Senate’s Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, the Subcommittee on California’s Innovation, Technology and Life Sciences Economy, and the Subcommittee on Gas and Electric Infrastructure Safety. He also is a member of several other high-profile Senate committees including Appropriations, Environmental Quality, Governmental Organization, Energy, Utilities and Communications and the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Senator Hill represents the 13th Senate District in the California Legislature. The district includes the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mountain View, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Woodside and parts of unincorporated San Mateo County and unincorporated Santa Clara County.

Jerry Hill grew up in the Bay Area helping his father run his small business. Hill still owns that business, which provides jobs to local residents. He attended public schools, graduated from UC Berkeley and has a teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He and his wife live in San Mateo.