Democratic Environmental Leaders
Profiles
Democratic Environmental Leaders
Profiles
Senate President pro Temp Don Perata
Senator Sheila Kuehl, Chair, Natural Resources & Wildlife
Senator Alan Lowenthal, Chair, Environmental Quality
Assemblymember John Laird, Chair, Evironmental Safety
Assemblymember Fran Pavley, Chair, Budget Resources Committee
Senator Don Perata
Senate President pro Tem
The 55-year-old Democrat -- a former two-term Alameda County Supervisor, State Assemblymember, and longtime public school teacher -- has advocated for cleaner and better-equipped school classrooms, better pay for teachers, school accountability, and additional funding to improve student performance. He has also fought for greater access to health care, an overhaul of urban transportation to reduce traffic congestion, cleaner water, increased fines for corporate polluters, and gun control.
A life-long Alameda County resident, Perata was the first local legislator to organize a ban on assault weapons. His twelve-year effort was finally realized when, as a State Senator, he wrote the strongest assault weapons law in the nation.
Perata has also carried legislation to remove the dangerous additive MTBE from gasoline, and pushed for consumer labeling of gas pumps. He is a strong proponent of funding for public transportation, and secured $12 million for Bay Area ferry service to reduce congestion on freeways. He supported the state transportation bond and has authored measures to improve Bay Area congestion planning. He is also a strong proponent for more parks and open space: during his four-year tenure in the State Legislature, he has secured some $13 million for urban park projects in the East Bay. This year, Perata authored legislation to impose higher penalties on corporate polluters, to make it easier for state officials to prevent oil spills in the Bay and along the state's coast and to protect California's ancient "heritage trees."
Senator Sheila Kuehl
Chair of the Natural Resources & Wildlife Committee
In her six years in the Assembly, Ms. Kuehl has authored seventy-three bills that have been signed into law, including legislation to overhaul Californiaıs child support services system; establish nurse to patient ratios in every hospital; make HMOıs legally accountable for denying treatment; further protect domestic violence victims and their children; prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender in the workplace and sexual orientation in education; increase the rights of crime victims; safeguard the environment; and fund after school programs for at-risk youth. She was selected to address the 1996 Democratic National Convention on the issue of family violence and the 2000 Democratic National Convention on the issue of diversity. In 1996, George magazine selected her as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics and the California Journal named her "Rookie of the Year." In 1998 and, again, in 2000, the California Journal ballot taken among legislators, the press, legislative staff and lobbyists chose her as the Assembly member with the greatest intelligence and the most integrity.
Prior to her election to the Legislature, Senator Kuehl drafted and fought to get into California law more than 40 pieces of legislation relating to children, families, women, and domestic violence. She was a law professor at Loyola, UCLA and USC Law Schools and co-founded and served as managing attorney of the California Womenıs Law Center.
Senator Kuehl graduated from Harvard Law School in 1978 where she was the second woman in the schoolıs history to win the Moot Court competition. She is currently a member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers.
In her youth, she was known for her portrayal of the irrepressible Zelda Gilroy in the television series, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis."
Chair of the Environmental Quality Committee
Senator Lowenthal is strongly committed to ensuring that the interests of the 27th Senate District are represented in Sacramento, including education, public safety, economic development and environmental protection.
Lowenthal has had legislation signed into law to reduce diesel emissions at the ports by limiting idling time for trucks conducting transactions at the ports, established a grant program to provide financial incentives for purchasing or leasing electric vehicles, and a bill which gives the City of Los Angeles greater flexibility in using port property.
He has been a vocal leader in the drive to clean the L.A. River, securing state funding for that purpose in the last three budgets. His efforts led to him being one of the first recipients of the ³Rivie² award by the Friends of the Los Angeles River. In addition, as a member of the Assembly Natural Resources and Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committees, he has exhibited strong leadership in the cleanup of California's beaches and coastline by securing funds to reduce pollution on area beaches.
Senator Lowenthal serves as Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee as well as the Select Committee on California Ports
A resident of Long Beach, Senator Lowenthal is married to Dr. Debbie Malumed, a family practice physician. He has two adult sons, Joshua and Daniel (married to Suja) and one grandson, Avinash. He graduated with a B.A. from Hobart College and earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
Prior to his election to the Senate, Lowenthal served six years in the State Assembly and six years on the Long Beach City Council. A professor of community psychology, Lowenthal is on leave from California State University, Long Beach, where he has taught since 1969.
Write to Senator Alan Lowenthal
Assemblymember John Laird
Chair, Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee
Speaker Herb Wesson appointed Mr. Laird to chair the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. The committee has jurisdiction over issues chiefly relating to water and air quality. Measures that come before the committee include protection of drinking water sources, leaking underground storage tanks, pesticides, school safety, coastal water quality, hazardous waste management, air pollution, and the financing and redevelopment of contaminated properties. He is one of only five first-term members to chair a major policy committee.
Mr. Laird has also been appointed Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on California Water Needs and Climate Change. The committee will focus on California water systems and how the key parts of the system such as the Bay/Delta system and Sierra snowpack could be affected by global climate change.
Assemblmember Laird serves as a member of the following committees: Judiciary; Labor and Employment; Natural Resources; Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security; and Revenue and Taxation. In addition, he has been appointed to the following Assembly Select Committees: Community Colleges; Wetlands; Silicon Valley Housing; Domestic Violence; Sustainability; California Infrastructure; and Equal Access to Preschool.
Mr. Lairdıs legislative package includes a broad range of bills relating to environmental protection, education, transportation, water policy, insurance, civil rights, labor and employment, and childrenıs health.
Raised in Vallejo, California, and educated in Vallejo public schools, Assemblymember Lairdıs parents were both educators. He graduated from Adlai Stevenson College in 1972 with an A.B. in Politics -- and general college honors, honors from the Board of Politics, and honors on an undergraduate thesis on the history of water development in California.
Mr. Laird served for two years on the district staff of Representative Jerome Waldie, and worked during the summer of 1974 for Rep. Bill Gunter of Florida in his run for the U.S. Senate. He joined the staff of the Santa Cruz County Administrator in 1974 and later served in the personnel and social services departments. He was a manager for the County Personnel Department for the seven years prior to his election to the State Assembly.
In 1981, Assemblymember Laird received the most votes in a field of eight to be elected to a seat on the Santa Cruz City Council. He was re-elected as top vote-getter in 1985, serving until term limits ended his Council service in 1990. He was elected by the City Council to one-year Mayor's terms in 1983-84 and 1987-88 being one of the first openly gay Mayors in the United States upon his first election in 1983.
Mr. Laird has been active in the Santa Cruz community, serving as Vice-Chair of the City Charter Review Committee, a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, and a board member of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been active on a variety of community boards -- including those dealing with seniors, child care, civil liberties, and people with disabilities. He was a member of SEIU Local 415 and most recently was a member of the Board of the Cabrillo College Foundation, President-elect of the UCSC Alumni Association, and Chair of the local Sierra Clubıs Water Resources Committee.
He has worked in every aspect of Democratic politics, as a six-time delegate to Democratic national conventions, a twenty-five year member of the state Democratic Central Committee, an Electoral College member from California in 1992, 1996 and 2000, Chair of both County-wide Democratic campaigns and the County Democratic Committee (1994-98), President of the People's Democratic Club, and an active campaign committee member in the first congressional campaign of Leon Panetta.
During his elected service, Mr. Laird received numerous governmental appointments. He was a member of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Outer Continental Shelf activities; board member of the California League of Cities; President of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments; Chair of the Board of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District; Chair of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission; Chair of the Water Planning Joint Powers Board; Chair of the Library Oversight Committee; Chair of the Mayor's Selection Committee; Chair of the City's Redevelopment Agency, and a member of the State Local Government Commission.
Mr. Laird has been active with the lesbian and gay community, as a columnist for the Lavender Reader, a commentator on "Closet Free Radio", a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials--and was an original board member of BAYMEC, the gay and lesbian political action committee for San Mateo, Santa Clara, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. He also has served on the Santa Cruz Community Foundation's Advisory Committee for the Lesbian and Gay Grants Partnership.
Mr. Laird was a founding board member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project in 1985, served as the agency's executive director from 1991 to 1994, and rejoined the AIDS Project's Board in 1996-98. He has served on the local Ryan White Consortium board and was coordinator of a national AIDS on-line network for HandsNet.
He was a regular editorial page columnist for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, was a regular writer for the "Student Guide", and for the five years until he filed for the Assembly hosted a weekly public affairs show -- "Talk of the Bay" -- on KUSP radio, the local National Public Radio affiliate.
Assemblymember Laird lives on the westside of Santa Cruz with his partner John Flores. He is fluent in Spanish, has traveled widely, has conducted extensive family history research, and is a life-long Chicago Cubs fan.
Assemblymember Fran Pavley
Chair, Budget Subcommittee on Resources
In 1982 at age 34, Fran was elected and served as the first, youngest, and ultimately four-time, Mayor of the newly incorporated City of Agoura Hills. In order to be as effective as possible, and because planning and environmental issues were always important to her, Fran returned to school and earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Planning. Her Master's project became the basis for Agoura Hills' "Transit Needs Study," and led to such innovative programs as the regional Dial-a-Ride service, a highly popular summer beach bus program for youth, and construction of new park-and-ride lots to encourage ride sharing.
While on the City Council, Fran founded the award-winning Agoura Hills Disaster Response Team. She took the lead in making the long-needed Agoura Hills/Calabasas regional community center/gymnasium a reality in 1999 by bringing together a partnership to fund, build, and operate it. She was also recognized for her hard work and dedication in obtaining land and funding to build a regional equestrian facility and recreational park.
In 1997, Fran received the "Distinguished Leadership Award" from the American Planning Association for these projects, and for envisioning and initiating a pedestrian friendly "village" overlay for a planned commercial crossroad.
Because of her passion for protecting California's precious coastal resources, Fran was appointed to the California Coastal Commission in 1995 where she continued to serve until her election to the State Assembly in November 2000. In 1997, she was recognized by the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the League for Coastal Protection as the Coastal Commissioner with the highest conservation voting record.
In 1998, it was Fran's vote that was instrumental in helping to preserve the scenic coastline near San Simeon from the massive and environmentally destructive development proposed by the Hearst Corporation. Securing public access to our beaches, improving the water quality of Santa Monica Bay, and opposing any increase in offshore oil drilling all continue to be very high coastal priorities.
In addition to her interest in legislative and planning issues, Fran is strongly committed to education. This interest stems from her 28 years of real-life experience as a classroom teacher in California's public schools. She holds a California teaching credential and taught history and government at Chaparral Middle School in the City of Moorpark. She knows first-hand what teachers need iin order to teach, and what students need in order to learn. Fran is committed to reforming California's schools, to attracting qualified teachers, and to increasing local control in the decision-making.
Assemblymember Pavley was elected to her first legislative term in November of 2000, receiving a large marjority of the votes. She serves on the following Committees and Commissions:
Fran grew up in the San Fernando Valley and moved to Agoura Hills in 1974 with her husband, Andy, who is also a public school teacher; he is Chair of the Science Department at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills.
Their son, David, is a developmentally disabled adult, who is involved in a work training program that fills him with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Their daughter, Jenny, graduated from the University of New Mexico and in 1998 won the Silver Medal in beach volleyball while representing the United States at the Pan Am Games. Jenny was recently hired as a firefighter in the Long Beach Fire Department and plans on becoming a paramedic.
The Pavleys have raised four guide dogs for the blind. One of them was retired last year as a working dog and has returned to the Pavley household to reclaim his substantial collection of tennis balls.
Don Perata was elected to the State Senate in 1998 to represent a vibrant and culturally rich East Bay district which includes the cities of Oakland, Alameda, Piedmont, Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, Richmond, El Cerrito, San Pablo, and El Sobrante.
Sheila James Kuehl is now in her first legislative term in the California State Senate after serving for six years in the State Assembly. During the 1997-98 legislative session, she was the first woman in California history to be named Speaker pro Tempore of the Assembly. She is also the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the California Legislature. A former pioneering civil rights attorney and law professor, Ms. Kuehl represents the 23rd Senate District in Los Angeles County. In the Assembly she served as chair of the Judiciary Committee and served on the Appropriations, Budget, Education, Health, Higher Education, Human Services, Local Government, Natural Resources, Public Safety, Revenue and Taxation, Rule, and Water, Parks & Wildlife Committees as well as the Joint Committee on the Arts and the Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee. She was chair both of the Select Committee on California Women and the Select Committee on Entertainment and the Arts and was a member of the Select Committees on Coastal Protection, Construction Fraud, Domestic Violence, Earthquake Safety and Preparedness, Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and San Gabriel Valley Groundwater Contamination Committee. Senator Kuehl also served on the California Coastal Conservancy and the Judicial Council of California.
Senator Alan Lowenthal
Alan Lowenthal was elected to represent the 27th District of the California State Senate in November of 2004 following six years in the California State Assembly. The 27th Senate District includes the Los Angeles County communities of Avalon, Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Cerritos, Artesia, Bellflower, Downey, South Gate, Lynwood, Paramount, Hawaiian Gardens, Florence-Graham and Willowbrook.
Elected on November 5, 2002, Assemblymember John Laird represents the 27th State Assembly District, which includes portions of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Santa Clara Counties. Mr. Laird had seventeen years prior service in local elected office, including two terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, two terms as Mayor, and eight years as a Cabrillo College Trustee. He was sworn in as an Assemblymember on December 2, 2002.
Write to Assemblymember John Laird
It is, perhaps, inevitable that Assemblymember Fran Pavley finds herself in elected office. The great-granddaughter of William Jennings Bryan, who was himself a three-time presidential candidate, Fran started her political life in student government at Grant High School located in the San Fernando Valley.