1.
California State Assembly
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The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. It consists of 80 members, with each member representing at least 465,000 people, members of the assembly are generally referred to using the titles assemblyman, assemblywoman, or assemblymember. The State Assembly convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, in the current session, the Democrats control 55 seats, forming a supermajority of the chamber. The Speaker presides over the State Assembly in the leadership position, controlling the flow of legislation. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus, followed by confirmation of the full assembly, other leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each partys strength in the chamber. The current Speaker is Democrat Anthony Rendon, the majority leader is Democrat Ian Calderon, while the minority leader is Republican Chad Mayes. The chambers green tones are based on the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the dais rests along a wall shaped like an E, with its central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and a Latin quotation, almost every decorating element is identical to the Senate Chamber. According to Article 4, Section 2 of the California Constitution, the Chief Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplain are not members of the Legislature. The Sergeant-at-Arms protects the members of the California State Assembly and this position has existed since December 15,1849, when Samuel N. Houston became the Assemblys first Sergeant-at-Arms. The Chief Clerk, the acting Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplains are not members of the Legislature
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California's 58th State Assembly district
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Californias 58th State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens, the district encompasses a portion of the Gateway Cities region and roughly follows Interstate 605 from Pico Rivera in the north to Cerritos in the south. The district is primarily suburban and heavily Latino, due to redistricting, the 58th district has been moved around different parts of the state. The current iteration resulted from the 2011 redistricting by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, California State Assembly California State Assembly districts Districts in California District map from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
3.
Ronald S. Calderon
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Ronald Steven Calderon is a former Democratic California State Senator from the 30th Senate District. He was elected to the Senate in 2006, Calderon attended Montebello High School, graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He then graduated from the Western State University of Law, Calderon served as a manager in the manufacturing industry, a mortgage banker, and a real estate agent. Senator Ronald Calderon is the second of his family to serve in the senate, prior to Ronalds election his brothers Charles and Thomas also served in the state assembly. After redistricting, Tom Calderon, his brother, decided to run for California Insurance Commissioner in 2002, ron decided to run for the seat vacated by Tom and won the Democratic primary with 46% of the vote. He won the election with 63% of the vote. In 2004, he won re-election with 62% of the vote, in 2006, he retired to run for the California State Senate. He served as Chairman of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee and he was also elected Assistant Majority Leader. In 2006, incumbent Democrat State Senator Martha Escutia decided to retire, in the Democratic primary, Calderon defeated fellow State Representative Rudy Bermúdez 50. 4%-49. 7%, a difference of just 305 votes. He won the election with 71% of the vote. In 2010, he won re-election with 69% of the vote, Calderon is chairman of the Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee. Senate President Don Perata selected Calderon to lead efforts to reform term-limits and redistricting laws. Calderon also chairs the Select Committee on International Business Trade, in addition to sitting on the Appropriations and Energy, Utilities, Calderon also sits on the California Film Commission, which is tasked with promoting and subsidizing the California film industry. Calderons State Senate district represented around 70% of the redrawn thirty-eighth, Calderon quickly withdrew from the race in January 2012. On June 4,2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Calderons offices in the California State Capitol in an attempt to find evidence regarding accusations of criminal activity. On the same day, the FBI also raided the office of Californias Latino Legislative Caucus of which Calderon is vice-chair, on October 30,2013, an FBI affidavit was published online by cable news network Al Jazeera America with a claim that State Sen. On November 12,2013, Calderon was suspended from his committee assignments, on February 21,2014 Calderon agreed to surrender to federal authorities on Monday February 24,2014 after being named in a federal grand jury indictment. His trial is scheduled to commence on April 22,2014, Calderon was released on a $50,000 surety bond
4.
Cristina Garcia (politician)
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Cristina Garcia is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat representing the 58th Assembly District, which parts of southeastern Los Angeles County. Garcia is the incumbent Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, and she also serves as a Commissioner on the State Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She is also a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, before being elected to the Assembly in 2012, Garcia helped to form the local advocacy organization Bell Association to Stop the Abuse in response to the City of Bell corruption scandal. Garcia served as Assistant Majority Floor Leader from 2014 to 2016, as a legislator, with suspicions of corruption about the state Capitol, Garcia introduced an ethics and transparency package of bills, the Political Conduct, Ethics and Public Trust Acts of 2014. Governor Jerry Brown signed five of her reform measures into law, AB1673 - Eliminating Influence Peddling, AB1666 - Penalties & Bribes, would double the existing restitution fines amounts and prohibit the use of campaign funds to pay a restitution fine under this section. AB1692 - Personal Use of Campaign Funds, to prevent campaign funds from being used to pay for fines that are the result of abuse of personal use of campaign funds laws. AB1596 - Vote by Mail, require all vote-by-mail applications, AB1596 was Assemblymember Garcia’s “There Ought to be a Law” contest winner in 2014. AB2040 - Detailed Disclosure of Government Compensation, requires salary details to be disclosed on the local government websites. Garcia also advocates on issues concerning Women and Children, Garcia launched her Young Legislator’s program in 2014 to mentor high school students in her district to become legislators. Members are given hands-on experience, working within their communities, as they participate in events hosted by Garcia’s district office. She introduced AB256, on Cyber-Bullying, which became law in 2013, Garcia lives in the Southeast Los Angeles community of Bell Gardens, where she was raised and attended public schools. She went on to earn a degree from Pomona College, a masters degree
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Toni Atkins
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Toni G. Atkins is an American Democratic politician from San Diego, California. She was the Speaker of the California State Assembly and is currently a member of the California State Senate representing the 39th district. In January 2014 she was elected by the Democratic caucus to be the next Speaker of the Assembly and she was the third woman and the first acknowledged lesbian to be elected to that position. She was the first lawmaker from San Diego to be elected Speaker and she formerly served on the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008, including a term as Acting Mayor. She served as the governor of California for nine hours on July 30,2014. She was born in poverty in Wythe County in southwest Virginia and her father was a miner and her mother a seamstress, she grew up in a home with no running water. She earned a BA in political science from Emory and Henry College and she later attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Atkins relocated to San Diego in 1985, when she first came to San Diego, she joined the staff of Womancare Health Center as Director of Clinic Services. She then served for a number of years as council representative, when Kehoe was elected to the state legislature, Atkins was elected to Kehoes City Council seat on November 7,2000. She was reelected in March 2004, without the need for a November runoff, in April 2005 Mayor Dick Murphy resigned after criticism of his handing of the citys fiscal problems. Councilmember Michael Zucchet, who was deputy mayor, took over, in an emergency vote on July 19, Atkins was chosen by the other five council members to take over as mayor pro-tem for one week. On July 25 they reaffirmed their choice and designated Atkins deputy mayor to serve until Jerry Sanders was sworn in as mayor on December 5, Atkins was the first openly lesbian mayor of San Diego. While on the council, she represented the City of San Diego at the San Diego Chapter of the League of Cities as well as on the board and she continues to serve on the San Diego River Conservancy as an appointee of former California State Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson. She lists among her priorities affordable housing, workers rights, neighborhood revitalization and she was elected to the State Assembly in November 2010, receiving 57. 7% of the vote. She represented the 76th Assembly district, in November 2012 she ran in the 78th Assembly district due to redistricting, and won with 62% of the vote. In 2012 she introduced AB1522, a bill to prevent the granting of financial support, the bill was inspired by the case of a San Diego woman who was ordered to pay legal fees and spousal support to her ex-husband even though he was in prison for abusing her. She was the first Speaker of the Assembly from San Diego, the first lesbian to hold the position, Atkins was reelected as Speaker by the Democratic caucus in November 2014. As Speaker she helped to write and secure passage for a $7. 5-billion water bond that was approved by the legislature, Atkins stepped down as Assembly speaker in March 2016
6.
California State Senate
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The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. The legislative body consists of 40 members, with each member representing approximately 931,000 people, due to the states large population and relatively small legislature, the State Senate has the largest population per representative ratio of any state legislative house. Each member roughly represents a population equivalent to the state of Delaware, the State Senate convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. In the current session, Democrats control 27 seats, comprising a two-thirds supermajority of the chamber, prior to 1968, state senate districts were drawn so that each county had at most one state senator. This led to the situation of a populous county such as Los Angeles County being accorded the same number of senators as less populous counties such as Humboldt County. In Reynolds v. Sims, the United States Supreme Court compelled all states to draw up districts with equal population, as such, boundaries were changed to provide more equitable representation. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate, the President pro tempore is elected by the majority party caucus, followed by confirmation of the full senate. Other leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their party caucuses according to each partys strength in the chamber. The current president pro tem is Democrat Kevin de León, the minority leader is Republican Jean Fuller. The red tones of the California State Senate Chamber are based on the British House of Lords, the dais rests along a wall shaped like an E, with its central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a portrait of George Washington and the Latin quotation, almost every decorating element is identical to the Assembly Chamber. The Secretary, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplain are not members of the Legislature
7.
California's 30th State Senate district
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Californias 30th State Senate district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles, the district includes 9. 4% of Los Angeles County. Places in the district include Culver City, Ladera Heights, and Westmont and the Crenshaw, Downtown, California State Senate California State Senate districts Districts in California District map from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
8.
California's 26th State Senate district
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Californias 26th State Senate district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Ben Allen of Santa Monica, the district represents 9. 4% of Los Angeles County, in the South Bay and Westside regions. The district includes, The cities of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, the Palos Verdes Peninsula region, most of the LA Westside and South Bay regions, and part of the central Santa Monica Mountains. The Los Angeles County community of Marina del Rey, the district also includes a southern part of the Channel Islands, including Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Island. California State Senate California State Senate districts Districts in California District map from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
9.
Diane Watson
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Diane Edith Watson is a former US Representative for Californias 33rd congressional district, serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party, the district is located entirely in Los Angeles County and includes much of Central Los Angeles, as well as such wealthy neighborhoods as Los Feliz. A native of Los Angeles, Watson is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and she worked as a psychologist, professor, and health occupation specialist before serving as a member of the Los Angeles Unified School Board. She was a member of the California Senate from 1978 to 1998, Watson was elected to Congress in a 2001 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Julian C. She was re-elected four times, but retired after the end of the 111th Congress, born in Los Angeles, California, Watson was raised Catholic. According to a DNA analysis, some of her ancestors were from the Central African Republic and she was educated at Dorsey High School, Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her BA in Education. Watson became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and she earned an MS from California State University, Los Angeles in School Psychology and a PhD in Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate University in 1987. She also attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Watson taught elementary school and was a school psychologist in the Los Angeles public schools. She has lectured at California State University, Long Beach and California State University and she was a health occupation specialist with the California Department of Educations Bureau of Industrial Education. Watson was elected to the California State Senate from 1978 to 1998, the longtime chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, she gained a reputation as an advocate for health care for the poor and children. Term limited, she was replaced by Kevin Murray and they feared massive defection from the African American self-designation. In 1992, Watson ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, after a hard-fought campaign that often turned negative, Watson narrowly lost to former Supervisor Yvonne Burke, who was supported by US Representative Maxine Waters. President Bill Clinton appointed her United States Ambassador to Micronesia in 1999. S, Watson opposed the Bush tax cuts, saying they were unaffordable. She was one of the 31 members of the House who voted not to count the votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election,2004. In 2006, the National Journal ranked Watson as the most liberal member of Congress, on the issue of Cherokee Freedmen membership in the Cherokee tribe, Watson noted that 20,000 Cherokee lived in California. She opposed the Cherokee Nations March 2007 vote to amend its constitution to limit membership to only those descendants with at least one Indian ancestor on the Dawes Roll. Appeals to the Cherokee Nations position were pending, in part because the tribe excluded descendants of Cherokee freedmen and intermarried whites from voting on the amendment. In June 2007 Watson introduced a bill to sever US relations with the tribe, in the 2008 Democratic primary, Watsons district went overwhelmingly for Illinois Senator Barack Obama by a margin of 61-29
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California's 59th State Assembly district
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Californias 59th State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Reggie Jones-Sawyer of Los Angeles, the district encompasses most of South Los Angeles, centered along Interstate 110. The district is urban and heavily Latino. California State Assembly California State Assembly districts Districts in California District map — from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
11.
Xavier Becerra
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Xavier Becerra is an American politician serving as the current Attorney General of California. Becerra, a member of the Democratic Party, was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, born in Sacramento, California, Becerra is a graduate of Stanford University, receiving his J. D. from Stanford Law School. He worked as a Lawyer at the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts and he served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice from 1987 to 1990 before he was elected to the California State Assembly, where he served one term from 1990 to 1992. Born in Sacramento, California, Becerra is the son of immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico. As a young child Becerra grew up in a house with his three sisters. He graduated in 1976 from C. K, mcClatchy High School, located in central city Sacramento. He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985 and he was initially a lawyer, working on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts. Becerra worked as an Administrative Assistant for California State Senator Art Torres in 1986 and he served a Deputy Attorney-General in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990. He later went on to beat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall, Becerra served one term in the State Assembly, representing Californias 59th district, from 1990 to 1992. In 1992, 25th District Congressman Edward Roybal announced his retirement after 30 years in Congress, Becerra entered the race for the seat, which had been renumbered as the 30th District after redistricting. He won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32% of the vote, in the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg 58%–24%. In 1994, he won re-election to a term with 66%. After, he never won re-election with less than 72% and his district was renumbered as the 31st District after the 2000 census. After redistricting, ahead of the 2012 elections, most of Becerras old district became the 34th District, Becerra announced he would run there, it includes his home. He defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85. 6% to 14. 4%, Becerra was a prominent member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress. He was featured on The Colbert Reports Better Know a District on August 17,2006, on September 29,2008 Becerra voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners in the bill. Instead, Becerra was appointed assistant to the Speaker of the House for the 110th Congress, before the opening of the 111th Congress, Emanuel accepted a position as White House Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration. Larson succeeded Emanuel as caucus chair, and Becerra won his bid to succeed Larson as Vice-Chair and he defeated Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67
12.
Montebello, California
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Montebello is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the southwestern area of the San Gabriel Valley on 8.4 sq mi 8 mi east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities, and is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, in the early 20th century, Montebello was a well-known source for oil reserves. At the 2010 census, the population was 62,500, the estimated population as of July 1,2013 was 63,495. Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the area today as Montebello. Because the language of the Tongva was different from the tribes it was called Gabrielino by the Spanish. As more non-natives arrived and settlements were established, illness and disease came with them, by 1870, the area had few remaining indigenous inhabitants as disease brought by the Europeans killed many of the Tongva. The establishment of the mission marked the beginning of the Los Angeles regions settlement by Spaniards, the mission did well initially as a farm and cattle ranch. Six years after its founding, however, a destructive flood led the mission fathers to relocate the establishment farther north, the original mission site is now memorialized as California Historical Landmark #158. During the early years of the existence, the region operated under a Rancho land grant system. The current city of Montebello consists of land from Rancho San Antonio, Rancho La Merced, the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe, built in 1844, still stands at the center of old Rancho la Merced in East Montebello. Recently restored, Rancho la Merced is the citys oldest standing structure, on January 8,1847, the Battle of Rio San Gabriel took place in what are today parts of the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera and Montebello. Today the site is California State Historical Landmark #385, and there are two cannons and a plaque commemorating the battle that overlook the river on Bluff Road and Washington Boulevard. Following the American Civil War, some 5,000 acres of the East Los Angeles area was owned by Alessandro Repetto, an Italian immigrant settler from Genoa, Italy. The land was divided among the partners, one large parcel of approximately 2,000 acres going to a partnership of Newmark and his nephew. It was out of the Newmark and Cohn share of 1,200 acres that city Montebello had its beginnings in May 1899, after receiving the advice of hydraulic engineer William Mulholland for the drafting and building of the towns water system, the land was subdivided. In 1900 the completed water system was incorporated as the Montebello Land, the remainder of the land was subdivided into 5 acres lots suitable for small-scale agriculture. On Mulhollands suggestion, Montebello was adopted as the citys name, originally an agricultural community, Montebello was formerly known for its prolific production of flowers, berries, fruits, and vegetables. The first public show was sponsored by the Montebello Women’s Club
13.
California
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California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the western coast of the U. S, California is bordered by the other U. S. states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California. Los Angeles is Californias most populous city, and the second largest after New York City. The Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nations second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, California also has the nations most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The Central Valley, an agricultural area, dominates the states center. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its war for independence. The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California, the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world, fifty-eight percent of the states economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the states economy, the story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts. This conventional wisdom that California was an island, with maps drawn to reflect this belief, shortened forms of the states name include CA, Cal. Calif. and US-CA. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their organization with bands, tribes, villages. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups, the first European effort to explore the coast as far north as the Russian River was a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Some 37 years later English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed a portion of the California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with the Manila galleons on their trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565
14.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
15.
California Democratic Party
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The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of California. Headquartered in Sacramento, it is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton and it is the majority party in both chambers of the California State Legislature, i. e. the State Assembly and the Senate. In regards to businesses and economics, the California Democratic party takes a stance that protects consumers, small businesses, unions, the platform also makes a point to champion the economic reforms of President Barack Obama. The 2012 platform addresses the issues of family in several sections, the platform promises to protect seniors, children and all types of families with fair economic and social policies. These policies range from continuing Medicare for the elderly and keeping playgrounds safe for children, the platform also highlights the right of a woman to make choices for her own body and claims that healthcare is a natural right of all people. The California democrats further promise to protect the dignity of disabled citizens, the platform is dedicated to advocating for the rights of women through equal pay and affirmative action. The party prioritizes the creation of a sustainable and earth-friendly state, focus is placed on the development of alternative forms of energy and how energy is consumed. In addition, the stresses that green jobs are a solution to economic. Finally, the platform takes stances on open internet use, immigration, the Democrats of California support the right of the people to express their thoughts and ideas through any media, and their right to assemble. The party believes that laws should be fair and that immigrants should not be discriminated against. The party wishes to bring education to the forefront, aiming to turn California into a state for academic achievement. A Detailed description of the California Democratic Partys position on all of the issues can be found in their 2012 Platform document. The California Democratic Party passes multiple resolutions every year as a way of expressing their opinion to lawmakers statewide, while the partys resolutions have no legal force themselves, they are official documents that elected representatives should take into account when making decisions. A few recent resolutions are summarised below,2012 Buy American This resolution, written 18 November 2012, encourages all arms of government to favor American suppliers of goods and services. The above are three of a long list of Resolutions passed by the California Democratic Party in 2012 and in preceding years. The history of the Democratic Party of California is complex and long, the State has traded hands every few cycles since its admission into the union in 1850. At that time, the state was firmly in the hands of the Democratic Party, until the early 1880s after the Republican Party abolished slavery, the Republicans held the state through the power and influence of railroad men. The Democratic Party responded by taking an anti-corporate, anti freedom of attainment position, in 1894, Democrat James Budd was elected to the governorship, and the Democratic Party attempted to make good on their promises to reform the booming railroad industry
16.
Ian Calderon
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Ian Charles Calderon is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 57th Assembly District, which encompasses the Gateway Cities and he is currently serving as the Assembly Majority Leader and is the youngest Majority Leader in the history of the State of California. He was also the first millennial ever elected to the California State Legislature, Calderon is a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the founder of the California Millennial Caucus and the co-founder of the California Technology and Innovation Caucus. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2012, he was a surfing champion and he is the son of former Assemblymember and State Senator Charles Calderon Official website Campaign website
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Alma mater
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Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
18.
California State University, Los Angeles
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California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the 23 universities in the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 129 Bachelors degrees,112 Masters degrees,3 Doctoral degrees, Cal State LA is a Hispanic-serving institution. Cal State LA has a student body of more than 24,000 students primarily from the greater Los Angeles area, Cal State LA operated year-round on the quarter system with four quarters, each 11 weeks in duration. In fall 2016, the university converted to the system as part of a system-wide conversion of all quarter campuses. Cal State LA is organized into eight colleges that house a total of four schools and approximately 50 academic departments, divisions, Cal State LA is home to the critically acclaimed Luckman Jazz-Orchestra and a unique Early Entrance Program in the Honors College for gifted students as young as 11. U. S. News has ranked Cal State LAs undergraduate business program as one of the best in the nation, the School of Nursing is considered to be one of the best in the state of California. Classrooms are shared with Cal State LA However, LACHSA activities tend to be separate from those of the university, notable LACHSA alumni include singer Josh Groban, actress Jenna Elfman, actor/singer Corbin Bleu, and UCLA Athletics senior executive Ron Country Club Kobata. Cal State LA open a new downtown Los Angeles campus in 2016 to provide university programs, the university has signed a lease for 21,000 square feet at West 8th Street and South Grand Avenue. Cal State LA will offer undergraduate and graduate programs at the site, as well as professional development, the campus will contain 12 classrooms,2 computer labs, student lounges, student collaboration space, conference and events space, and administrative and faculty offices. The university is located on the site of one of Californias 36 original adobes, built in 1776 by Franciscan missionaries and destroyed by fire in 1908. These lands once were part of a Spanish land grant known as Rancho Rosa Castilla, given to Juan Batista Batz, the inspiration for the name of the rancho, according to local historians, was the wild roses that once grew near the ranch home. The main drive through the campus is known as Paseo Rancho Castilla, Cal State LA was founded on July 2,1947 by an act of the California legislature and opened for classes as The Los Angeles State College on the campus of Los Angeles City College. In 1949, the Los Angeles State College was reconstituted by the Legislature as The Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts, in 1972, CSCLA was awarded university status and was renamed California State University, Los Angeles. Since 1954, Cal State LA has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools, the universitys credential programs are approved by the Commission for Teacher Credentialing Committee on Accreditation. In 1968 Cal State LA established the nations first Chicano Studies department, in 1993, the CSU Chancellor and Trustees approved development of Cal State LAs Charter College of Education, creating the first such college of higher education in the nation. The original mascot of the school was the Diablo, in 1980, new university president James Rosser adopted a new mascot, Eddie the golden eagle, designed to be more reflective of the campus highly diverse community. The theme was extended to student facilities such as the student union, sept.2000 California Governor Gray Davis chooses the Cal State LA campus to hold press conference at which he signs the historic bills expanding the Cal Grant program. A Statue of Confucius, a gift of the Republic of China in Taiwan, was dedicated June 1987, the statue was moved to a new campus location in summer 2005
19.
UC Davis School of Law
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The school received ABA approval in 1968. It joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1968, by design, UC Davis School of Law is the smallest of the five law schools in the University of California system, with a total enrollment of just under 600 students. Located in a named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commonly referred to as King Hall. Certificate programs are offered in Public Service Law, Environment Law, Pro Bono Service, among the UC Davis School of Laws assets are award-winning trial and appellate advocacy programs, clinics, and externships, five student-run journals, and more than 40 active student organizations. UC Davis is one of the top 5 law schools in California, in 2016, US News & World Report ranked UC Davis 30th among top law schools in the U. S. and as the second most diverse of the four law schools in the UC system. Princeton Review placed UC Davis tenth in the nation in the 2009 version of its ranking of faculty diversity among American law schools. It is listed as an A- in the March 2011 Diversity Honor Roll by The National Jurist and it is listed as an A in the January 2011 Best Public Interest Law Schools ratings by The National Jurist, The Magazine for Law Students. UC Davis Law has the smallest student body of the UC schools, UC Davis has been ranked as the fifth most-expensive public law school in the nation by U. S. News & World Report. It is also ranked first for providing the most financial aid and it grants the most in financial aid after UCLA, so students tend to graduate with less debt on average than other schools in the UC system. According to Brian Leiters Law School rankings, Davis ranks 23rd in the nation in terms of impact as measured by academic citations of tenure-stream faculty. In February 2008, the The National Jurist, The Magazine for Law Students ranked the UC Davis Law Review number 30 on its list of the 100 best law reviews. Based on a 2001-20076 year average,79. 4% of UC Davis Law graduates passed the California State Bar, in 2009, 89% of first-time test takers passed the California bar. For July 2012,78. 9% of first-time test takers passed the California bar, for July 2013,85. 0% of first-time test takers passed the California Bar Exam. For July 2014, 86% of first-time test takers passed the California Bar Exam, according to King Halls official 2013 ABA-required disclosures,69. 9% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. The total cost of attendance at King Hall for the 2013-2014 academic year is $68,346 for California residents, the Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $265,806 for residents. The law school completed a $30 million expansion project in 2011, the courtroom is used by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, California Supreme Court, and California Court of Appeal. Senator Barbara Boxers Federal Judicial Nominations Committee Dean D. Pregerson, judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California, son of Judge Harry Pregerson Jane A
20.
California State Legislature
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The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U. S. state of California. It is a body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house. New legislators convene each new session, to organize, in the Assembly and Senate Chambers, respectively. Aside from the recess, the legislature is in session year-round, the Democratic Party currently holds supermajorities in both chambers of the California Legislature. The state senate currently consists of 27 Democrats and 13 Republicans, except for the period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election. The Senate has been in Democratic hands continuously since 1970, the first Californian State House was originally a hotel in San Jose owned by businessman Pierre Don Pedro Sainsevain and his associates. The State Legislature currently meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento, members of the Assembly are elected from 80 districts and serve two-year terms. Members of the Senate are elected from forty districts and serve four-year terms, twenty Senate seats are up for election at each two-year election cycle. Term limits were established in 1990 following the passage of Proposition 140. In June 2012, voters approved Proposition 28 which allows legislators to serve a maximum of 12 years without regard to whether the years are served in the State Assembly or the State Senate. The proceedings of the California State Legislature are briefly summarized in regularly published journals, which show votes, reports produced by California executive agencies, as well as the Legislature, were published in the Appendices to the Journals from 1849 to 1970. Since the 1990s, the legislature has provided a video feed for its sessions. Due to the expense and the obvious political downside, California did not keep records of actual speeches made by members of the Assembly. As a result, reconstructing legislative intent outside of an acts preamble is extremely difficult in California for legislation passed before the 1990s. Since 1993, the Legislature has hosted a web/ftp site in one form or another, the most sought-after legislative committee appointments are to banking, agriculture and insurance. A bill is a proposal to change, repeal, or add to existing state law, an Assembly Bill is one introduced in the Assembly, a Senate Bill, in the Senate. Bills are designated by number, in the order of introduction in each house, for example, AB16 refers to the 16th bill introduced in the Assembly. The numbering starts afresh each session, there may be one or more extraordinary sessions
21.
Gary Condit
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Gary Adrian Condit is a former politician and member of the Democratic Party who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003. Condit holds a B. B. A from the USC Marshall School of Business, Condit originally represented Californias 15th congressional district, and then later Californias 18th congressional district after redistricting following the 1990 census. Condit gained significant national attention for an affair with intern Chandra Levy. Condit was not candid and forthcoming with investigators about his relationship with Levy, Condit lost the 2002 Democratic primary based in large part on negative publicity from the scandal. Prosecutors later convicted an illegal immigrant and Mara Salvatrucha member, Ingmar Guandique, Condit began his career on the city council of Ceres, California, near Modesto, from 1972 to 1976—the last two years as mayor. He served on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors from 1976 to 1982, and was elected to the California State Assembly in 1982. In 1988, Condit was a member of the Gang of Five with Charles M. Calderon of Whittier, Gerald R. Eaves of Rialto, Rusty Areias of Los Banos and Steve Peace of Chula Vista. The group tried and failed to unseat Willie Brown, who was serving as Speaker of the Assembly of the California State Assembly at the time, Condit was elected to Congress in 1989 in a special election, after House Democratic Whip Tony Coelho resigned. He was elected to a term in 1990, and reelected five more times without serious difficulty. The Republicans didnt even put up a candidate in 1992 and 1998 and his most important committee assignment was as a senior member on the House Intelligence Committee in the months and years prior to the September 11 attacks. Like most Democrats from the Central Valley, Condit was somewhat more conservative than other Democrats from California, a Blue Dog Democrat, Condit voted against President Bill Clinton more frequently than all Congressional Democrats. Following the September 11,2001 attacks, interest in the Levy case declined, on December 7,2001, Condit announced he would run for re-election. He lost the Democratic primary election in March 2002 to his aide, then-Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza. Condits most notable vote in his last months in office was the resolution to expel Congressman James Traficant after his conviction on corruption charges, in the 420–1 vote on July 24,2002, Condit was the sole nay. In 2001, Condit became the subject of news coverage after the disappearance of Chandra Levy. Police questioned Condit two times, and both times he denied having an affair with her, however, Levys aunt eventually went public with conversations she had with her about their relationship, police questioned Condit a third time, and he confessed to the relationship. When the affair began, Condit was 53 and Levy was 23, while Condit was not named as an official suspect in the disappearance, Levys family suspected that Condit was withholding important information about her disappearance. This followed news reports that Condit had an affair with a flight attendant, because of the Levy scandal, Condit was portrayed on an episode of South Park where he was considered responsible for the disappearance of Chandra Levy. C
22.
Willie Brown (politician)
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Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its speaker, and later served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so. Under the current California term-limits law, no Speaker of the California State Assembly will be permitted to have a longer tenure than Browns, the San Francisco Chronicle called Brown one of San Franciscos most notable mayors who had celebrity beyond the citys boundaries. Brown was born in Mineola, Texas and graduated from Mineola Colored High School in 1951 and he moved to San Francisco in 1951, attending San Francisco State University and graduating in 1955 with a degree in liberal studies. Brown earned a J. D. from University of California and he spent several years in private practice before gaining election in his second attempt to the California Assembly in 1964. Brown became the Democrats whip in 1969 and speaker in 1980 and he was known for his ability to manage people and maintain party discipline. According to The New York Times, Brown became one of the countrys most powerful state legislators and his long tenure and powerful position were used as a focal point of Californias initiative campaign to limit the terms of state legislators, which passed in 1990. During the last of his three allowed post-initiative terms, Brown maintained control of the Assembly despite a slim Republican majority by gaining the vote of several Republicans, near the end of his final term, Brown left the legislature to become mayor of San Francisco. Brown served as San Francisco mayor from January 8,1996 until January 8,2004 and his tenure as mayor is marked by a significant increase in real estate development, public works, city beautification, and other large-scale city projects. He presided over the era at a time when San Franciscos economy was rapidly expanding. Brown presided over the city’s most diverse administration with more Asian Americans, women, Latinos, gays and he increased San Franciscos funding of Muni by tens of millions of dollars and ended the citys policy of punishing people for feeding the homeless. The SF Board of Supervisors opposed Browns agenda and some of his initiatives, in particular office, Brown was restricted by term limits from running for mayor and was succeeded by a political protege, Gavin Newsom. Brown was born in Mineola, a segregated town in east Texas marked by racial tensions, to Minnie Collins Boyd. Brown was the fourth of five children, during Browns childhood, mob violence periodically erupted in Mineola, keeping African Americans from voting. His first job was as a boy in a whites-only barber shop. He later worked as a janitor, fry cook, and field hand and he learned his work ethic at a young age from his grandmother. He graduated from MacFarland High School, a school he later described as substandard. Brown originally wanted to attend Stanford University and his interviewer from Stanford also taught at San Francisco State and was surprised by Brown’s ambition
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Bill Lockyer
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Lockyer attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a BA in Political Science in 1965. His first job was as a school history teacher. In 1986, Lockyer graduated with a JD from University of the Pacifics McGeorge School of Law, by an earlier marriage, he also has an adult daughter who is an attorney for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lockyer first won a State Assembly seat in a Special Election of September 4,1973, in his spare time, Lockyer attended law school classes in Sacramento and received a law degree from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific. And Democratic Speaker of the Assembly Willie Brown, who recalled that, by the time Lockyer left the Legislature in 1998, as a freshman legislator in 1974, Lockyer wrote the first legislation to provide state funding for emergency oil spill decontamination. Requiring city, county and regional cooperation, the Bay Trail marked its 20th year in 2009 with 293 miles so far open to hikers, bicyclists, joggers and walkers. Though Lockyer was nominally honored as father of the Bay Trail, in 1984, Lockyer sponsored the States first hate crimes legislation which, as later amended, provided that no person. Later, as Attorney General, Lockyer was responsible for coordinating enforcement of this statute by local law enforcement, doctors got promises that protections already in place against lawsuits would not be touched. Insurance companies won a reprieve from threatened regulations gaining momentum in the Legislature and this compromise had already been worked out, the dinner was meant to ratify a future peace pact among all the concerned parties to abide by the compromise. Lockyer, who had acted as mediator during the negotiations, scribbled the terms of the pact on a restaurant cloth napkin. The compromise bill was then ramrodded through the Assembly and State Senate on the last night of that years legislative session, though it was only Lockyers theatrical touch of writing the agreement on a napkin that made it especially memorable, the napkin deal became legendary in the State Capitol. The public is served, Lockyer said at the time. As Senate President Pro Tem, Lockyer was a key negotiator in these private negotiations, old-fashioned balanced budget, ”, linked to a bi-partisan billion-dollar tax mega-deal, a complex legislative package that cut state income taxes for middle class Californians. Elected Attorney General in 1998 after 25 years as a legislator with a small close-knit staff and he became one of the two most prominent state Attorneys General in the nation, rivaled in media attention only by New Yorks Eliot Spitzer. The two men were personal rivals as well, once coming to blows after screaming expletives at each other at a Los Angeles convention of the National Association of Attorneys General. That organization elected Lockyer its President in 2003, on other occasions, the positions Lockyer defended matched his own, as when he defended Californias 1996 legalization of medical marijuana against federal attacks by the Bush Administration. Lockyer found this particularly satisfying as he had come to strongly support compassionate use of Marijuana after living through his mothers and younger sisters deaths from leukemia. But the website did draw enormous public interest, receiving over 186,000,000 hits from more than 16,000,000 individual users in its first year of operation
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Nossaman
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Nossaman LLP is a national law firm with 160 attorneys and policy advisors located in seven offices throughout the United States. Clients of the Firm include multi-national corporations, public agencies, private businesses, trade associations, non-profits, E. George Joseph serves as Nossamans managing partner. The Firm was founded in 1942 in Los Angeles by Walter L. Nossaman, as a result of several mergers and acquisitions, the Firm’s name has morphed throughout the years. This was the first lawsuit filed against former bank officers by the FDIC arising out of the recent financial crisis and was also the first such suit to go to trial. Chambers and Partners continually recognizes Nossaman’s Eminent Domain, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, in 2015 and 2016, Nossaman was also named to Law360s lists of the 100 Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys and 100 Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys. Nossaman is a member of The Bridge Group, a network of law firms in the United States. This network offers expanded geographic reach and depth of experience to clients, including the resources, the National Law Journal named the acquittal the biggest defense win of the year. George J. Hochbrueckner is a member of the U. S. House of Representatives and current Senior Policy Advisor with Nossaman in Washington. Kussy is a current partner at Nossaman in Washington, DC, kurt W. Melchior was inducted into the California Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2004. He is a Nossaman Partner and serves as the Firms General Counsel, bonnie Neely was a six-term Humboldt County Supervisor and a 12-year member of the California Coastal Commission. She served on the Commission — which she chaired in 2009 and 2010 — as a governors appointee and she is currently a senior policy advisor at Nossaman. Jose J. Solorio is a former California State Assemblyman and Santa Ana City Councilmember, while in the Legislature, he chaired the Assemblys Insurance and Public Safety committees, and also served on the Transportation, Appropriations and Education committees. In addition, he chaired the Assemblys Select Committee on Addressing the States Water Crisis through Regional Approaches, Thornton pioneered the Habitat Conservation Plan concept creating the first such plan for the area around San Bruno Mountain. He authored and advocated the HCP provisions of the Endangered Species Act, since 2006, Mr. Thornton has been ranked as one of the top 10 environmental lawyers nationally by United States Lawyer Rankings. He is a partner at Nossaman and located in Orange County, geoffrey S. Yarema was appointed in 2007 by U. S. Dick Ackerman is former California Senate Republican leader. He left office in mid-2008 after reaching his term limit, William T. Bagley is a former California state assemblymember representing Marin. A Segment of the California 101 is named the William T. Bagley Freeway, charles Calderon is a former Majority Leader of the California State Assembly as well as the California State Senate. John F. Foran was a former California state senator and assemblymember, a segment of the California I-280 freeway is named after John F. Foran for his service to the California Transportation Commission
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California's 57th State Assembly district
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Californias 57th State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Ian Calderon of Whittier, the district encompasses an eastern part of the Gateway Cities region southeast of Los Angeles and a portion of the southwestern San Gabriel Valley. The district is primarily suburban and heavily Latino, California State Assembly California State Assembly districts Districts in California District map from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
