1.
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
2.
United States Constitution
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The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government, Articles Four, Five and Six entrench concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments and of the states in relationship to the federal government. Article Seven establishes the procedure used by the thirteen States to ratify it. In general, the first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty, the majority of the seventeen later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures, Amendments to the United States Constitution, unlike ones made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document. All four pages of the original U. S, according to the United States Senate, The Constitutions first three words—We the People—affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. From September 5,1774 to March 1,1781, the Continental Congress functioned as the government of the United States. The process of selecting the delegates for the First and Second Continental Congresses underscores the revolutionary role of the people of the colonies in establishing a governing body. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States and it was drafted by the Second Continental Congress from mid-1776 through late-1777, and ratification by all 13 states was completed by early 1781. Under the Articles of Confederation, the governments power was quite limited. The Confederation Congress could make decisions, but lacked enforcement powers, implementation of most decisions, including modifications to the Articles, required unanimous approval of all thirteen state legislatures. The Continental Congress could print money but the currency was worthless, Congress could borrow money, but couldnt pay it back. No state paid all their U. S. taxes, some paid nothing, some few paid an amount equal to interest on the national debt owed to their citizens, but no more. No interest was paid on debt owed foreign governments, by 1786, the United States would default on outstanding debts as their dates came due. Internationally, the Articles of Confederation did little to enhance the United States ability to defend its sovereignty, most of the troops in the 625-man United States Army were deployed facing – but not threatening – British forts on American soil. They had not been paid, some were deserting and others threatening mutiny, spain closed New Orleans to American commerce, U. S. officials protested, but to no effect. Barbary pirates began seizing American ships of commerce, the Treasury had no funds to pay their ransom, if any military crisis required action, the Congress had no credit or taxing power to finance a response. Domestically, the Articles of Confederation was failing to bring unity to the sentiments and interests of the various states
3.
Constitution of California
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The Constitution of the State of California is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U. S. state of California. Article 3, Section 2 of the current Constitution references the original boundaries as stated in the 1849 Constitution at Article 7. The result of Progressive mistrust of elected officials, the 1879 constitution is the third longest in the world, californias constitution is one of the longest collections of laws in the world, taking up 110 pages. Part of this length is caused by the fact that many voter initiatives take the form of a constitutional amendment, the constitution can be changed by initiatives passed by voters. Initiatives can be proposed by the governor, legislature, or by popular petition, many of the individual rights clauses in the state constitution have been construed as protecting rights even broader than the Bill of Rights in the federal constitution. This caused the California Supreme Court to find Capital Punishment unconstitional on state Constitutional grounds in the 1972 case of People v. Anderson, the constitution has undergone numerous changes since its original drafting. It was rewritten from scratch several times prior to the drafting of the current 1879 constitution, from 1911, the height of the U. S. Progressive Era, to 1986, the California Constitution was amended or revised over 500 times, the constitution gradually became increasingly bloated, leading to abortive efforts towards a third constitutional convention in 1897,1914,1919,1930,1934 and 1947. By 1962 the constitution had grown to 75,000 words and that year, the electorate approved the creation of a California Constitution Revision Commission, which worked on a comprehensive revision of the constitution from 1964 to 1976. The Commission ultimately removed about 40,000 words from the constitution, many of the signatories to the states original 1849 constitution were themselves prominent in their own right, and are therefore listed below. The list is notable for the inclusion of several Californios, the California Constitution is one of the longest in the world. Unlike other state constitutions, the California Constitution strongly protects the corporate existence of cities and counties, the Constitution gives charter cities, in particular, supreme authority over municipal affairs, even allowing such cities local laws to trump state law. By specifically enabling cities to pay counties to perform governmental functions for them, many of the individual rights clauses in the state constitution have been construed as protecting rights broader than the Bill of Rights in the federal constitution. The constitution also confers upon women equality of rights in entering or pursuing a business, profession, vocation and this is the earliest state constitutional equal rights provision on record. Two universities are expressly mentioned in the constitution, the University of California, UC is one of only nine state-run public universities in the United States whose independence from political interference is expressly guaranteed by the state constitution. Since 1900, Stanford has enjoyed the benefit of a constitutional clause shielding Stanford-owned property from taxes as long as it is used for educational purposes. The constitution of California distinguishes between constitutional amendments and revisions, the latter of which is considered to be a change to the entire constitution. A less extensive change in one or more of its provisions, both require passage of a California ballot proposition by voters, but they differ in how they may be proposed. S
4.
Law of California
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The law of California consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as case law. The California Codes form the general statutory law, when deciding a case, courts in California may rely on both primary and secondary sources of legal authority. Primary sources create the law directly by promulgating binding rules that must be followed in California, secondary sources influence the law indirectly by analyzing or explaining primary sources in order to clarify the current state of California law. California are obligated to follow primary sources of law when deciding cases, the Constitution of California is the foremost source of state law. Legislation is enacted within the California Statutes, which in turn have been codified into the 29 California Codes, State agencies promulgate regulations with the California Regulatory Notice Register, which are in turn codified in the California Code of Regulations. Counties and incorporated cities may promulgate ordinances which are usually codified in county or city codes. There are also sources of persuasive authority, which are not binding authority but are useful to lawyers. The foremost source of law is the Constitution of California. The California Constitution in turn is subordinate to the Constitution of the United States, pursuant to the state constitution, the California State Legislature and the Governor have enacted the California Statutes, which in turn have been codified into the 29 California Codes. The first four codes, enacted in 1872, were the Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, the Penal Code, however, these did not constitute a complete codification, and statutes on subject matter inappropriate for the four codes were simply not codified. In 1929, the Legislature finally established the California Code Commission as a permanent government agency, upon completing this task in 1953, the Code Commission was replaced by the California Law Revision Commission. Strangely, although there is a Code of Civil Procedure, there was never a Code of Criminal Procedure, the newest code is the Family Code, which was split off from the Civil Code in 1994. California has several different types of governments throughout the state. California is divided into 58 counties, including San Francisco and municipal areas incorporated as cities, school districts, which are independent of cities and counties, handle public education. Counties and incorporated cities may promulgate ordinances which are codified in county codes and city codes. Every act prohibited or declared unlawful, and every failure to perform an act required, by the ordinances are misdemeanor crimes, Californias legal system is based on common law. Like all U. S. states except Louisiana, California has a statute providing for the reception of English law. All statutes, regulations, and ordinances are subject to judicial review and they can be overturned by any state court of record if they impermissibly amend an initiative statute, are unconstitutional under the U. S
5.
Governor of California
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The position was created in 1849, the year before California became a state. The current governor is Jerry Brown, a Democrat who was inaugurated January 3,2011, in October 2013, Jerry Brown surpassed Earl Warren for the longest cumulative period of time served as governor. Governors are elected by ballot and serve terms of four years. Governors take office on the first Monday after January 1 after their election, there are two methods available to remove a governor before the expiration of the gubernatorial term of office. Impeachment and removal by the legislature The governor can be impeached for misconduct in office by the State Assembly, recall by the voters Petitions signed by California state voters equal in number to 12% of the last vote for the office of governor can launch a gubernatorial recall election. The voters can vote on whether or not to recall the incumbent governor. If a majority of the voters in the vote to recall the governor. The 2003 California recall began with a drive that successfully forced sitting Democratic Governor Gray Davis into a special recall election. It marked the first time in the history of California that a governor faced a recall election and he was subsequently voted out of office, becoming the second governor in the history of the United States to be recalled after Lynn Frazier of North Dakota in 1921. He was replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Lieutenant Governor of California is separately elected during the same election, not jointly as the running mate of the gubernatorial candidate. California has had a governor and a lieutenant governor of different parties 26 of the past 31 years, the lieutenant governor is also the President of the California State Senate. In practice, there is an agreement for the Lieutenant Governor not to perform more than perfunctory duties while the Governor is away from the state. This agreement was violated when Mike Curb was in office, as he signed several executive orders at odds with the Brown administration when Brown was out of the state. Court rulings have upheld the lieutenant governors right to perform the duties, peter Burnett had the longest post-governorship,44 years. He left office in 1851 and died in 1895, excluding governors who died in office, Robert Waterman had the shortest post-governorship. He died on April 12,1891, a three months and four days after the expiration of his term. Sworn in at the age of 30, J. Neely Johnson was the youngest governor from 1856 to 1858, sworn in at the age of 72, Jerry Brown became the oldest governor in 2011. Earl Warren was the governor to serve more than two consecutive terms in office
6.
Jerry Brown
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Edmund Gerald Jerry Brown Jr. is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 39th Governor of California since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, Brown previously served as the 34th governor from 1975 to 1983, as the only son of Edmund G. Pat Brown Sr. Elected governor in 1974 at age 36, Brown was the youngest California governor in 111 years, Brown was re-elected governor in 1978, and ran against fellow Democrat and incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 primaries. While challengers to incumbent presidents seldom gain traction, the challenge by Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts did, Brown declined to run for a third term in 1982, instead running for the United States Senate in 1982. However, Brown was defeated by Republican Pete Wilson, and many considered his career to be over. After traveling abroad, Brown returned to California and served as Chairman of the California Democratic Party, after six years out of politics, Brown returned to public life, serving as Mayor of Oakland, and then Attorney General of California. Brown decided to run for another term as governor in 2010, the law limited a governor to two terms, however, the four living governors when the law was passed remained eligible. Brown defeated Meg Whitman in 2010 to become the 39th governor in 2011, on October 7,2013, he became the governor in California history. Brown was re-elected in 2014, with sixty percent of the vote, as a consequence of the 28-year gap between his second and third terms, Brown has been both the sixth-youngest California governor, and the oldest California governor in history. Browns father was of half-Irish and half-German descent, Browns great-grandfather August Schuckman, a German immigrant, settled in California in 1852 during the California Gold Rush. Brown was a member of the California Cadet Corps at St. Ignatius High School, in 1955, Brown entered Santa Clara University for a year, and left to attend Sacred Heart Novitiate, a Jesuit novice house, intent on becoming a Catholic priest. Brown left the novitiate after three years, enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley in 1960, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics in 1961, Brown went on to Yale Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1964. After law school, Brown worked as a law clerk for California Supreme Court Justice Mathew Tobriner, returning to California, Brown took the state bar exam and passed on his second attempt. He then settled in Los Angeles and joined the law firm of Tuttle & Taylor, in 1969, Brown ran for the newly created Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, which oversaw community colleges in the city, and placed first in a field of 124. In 1970, Brown was elected California Secretary of State, Brown argued before the California Supreme Court and won cases against Standard Oil of California, International Telephone and Telegraph, Gulf Oil, and Mobil for election law violations. In addition, he forced legislators to comply with campaign disclosure laws, while holding this office, he discovered the use of falsely notarized documents by then-President Richard Nixon to fraudulently earn a tax deduction for donation of his pre-presidential papers. Brown also drafted and helped to pass the California Political Reform Act of 1974, Proposition 9, among other provisions, it established the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Brown won the primary with the recognition of his father, Pat Brown
7.
Lieutenant Governor of California
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The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer and vice-executive of the State of California. The lieutenant governor is elected to serve a term and can serve a maximum of two terms. California has had a governor and a lieutenant governor of different parties 26 of the past 31 years, California has had 41 lieutenant governors and five acting lieutenant governors since achieving statehood in 1850. The current lieutenant governor is Gavin Newsom, who was sworn into office on January 10,2011, in practice, there is a gentlemens agreement for the Lieutenant Governor not to perform more than perfunctory duties while the Governor is away from the state. This agreement was violated when Mike Curb was in office, as he signed several executive orders at odds with the administration of Jerry Brown, when Brown was out of the state. Court rulings have upheld the lieutenant governors right to perform the duties, the lieutenant governor is also the President of the California State Senate. Many California projects created through gubernatorial executive orders, or through the initiative process, thus, it is argued, California might benefit if the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor ran on the same ticket. The Lieutenant Governor would then be likely to help the Governor – who is subject to a greater degree of voter scrutiny – to implement his or her policies. By contrast the Attorney General of California oversees 5,300 employees, including 1,110 state attorneys, List of lieutenant governors of California List of current United States lieutenant governors Official website
8.
Gavin Newsom
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Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician and businessman, the former mayor of San Francisco, and the Lieutenant Governor of California since 2011. Newsom was formerly married to Fox News contributor Kimberly Guilfoyle and he was a prominent early advocate for same-sex marriage and was influential in legalizing cannabis in California. Newsom studied at Redwood High School and graduated from Santa Clara University, after graduation, he co-founded businesses with family friend Gordon Getty, who was an investor. Newsom drew voter attention with his Care Not Cash program, which was designed to move people into city-assisted care. In 2003 he was elected as the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, Newsom was re-elected in 2007 with 72 percent of the vote. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of California in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, in February 2015, Newsom announced he was opening a committee to run for Governor of California in 2018. Gavin Christopher Newsom was born in San Francisco, California, to Tessa Thomas and William Alfred Newsom III and he is a fourth-generation San Franciscan. He is of mostly Irish descent, one of his maternal great-grandfathers, Scotsman Thomas Addis, was a pioneer scientist in the field of nephrology, Newsom is the second cousin, twice removed, of musician Joanna Newsom. Newsoms parents separated when he was 2 and divorced in 1972, at age 10, Newsom moved with his mother and sister, to nearby Marin County. In May 2002, his mother died following a fight with breast cancer. While Newsom later reflected that he did not have a childhood, he attended kindergarten. He eventually transferred because of dyslexia that still affects him. His dyslexia has made it difficult for him to write, spell, read and he attended third through fifth grades at Notre Dame des Victoires, where he was placed in remedial reading classes. Newsom graduated from Redwood High School in 1985 and he played basketball and baseball in high school. Newsom was an outfielder in baseball and his baseball skills placed him on the cover of the Marin Independent Journal. Newsoms aunt was married to Ron Pelosi, the brother-in-law of former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, his sister recalled Christmas holidays when their mother told them there wouldnt be any gifts. Tessa opened their home to children, instilling in Newsom the importance of public service. His fathers finances were strapped in part because of his tendency to give away his earnings, Newsom worked several jobs in high school to help support his family
9.
Attorney General of California
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The Attorney General of California is the State Attorney General of California. The Department employs over 1,100 attorneys and 3,700 non-attorney employees, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term, with a maximum of two terms. The election is held at the statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Heads the Department of Justice, which is responsible for providing legal services. Acts as the counsel in state litigation. Oversees law enforcement agencies, including District Attorneys and Sheriffs, previously, the attorney general lacked jurisdiction over matters in the jurisdiction of locally-elected district attorneys and sheriffs. Warren went on to become Attorney General himself in 1938 where he reorganized states law enforcement into districts, for a comprehensive list, see List of Attorneys General of California. Representative George Deukmejian – Governor of California Jerry Brown – California Secretary of State, Governor of California Mayor, Oakland California Kamala Harris – U. S
10.
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
11.
Secretary of State of California
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The Secretary of State of California is the chief clerk of the U. S. State of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The Secretary of State is elected for four terms, like the states other constitutional officers. The current Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, took office on January 5,2015, the Secretary of State is the Californias Chief Elections Officer, overseeing all federal and state elections in the state and maintaining a database of registered voters. They are also responsible for disclosure of campaign and lobbyist financial information, the Secretary of States office also has a number of responsibilities related to corporations, the largest portion office is the Business Programs Division, which handles corporate filings. The Secretarys office also maintains a number of registries, including the Safe at Home confidential address program, and the Domestic Partners and Advance Health Care Directive. Other roles include safeguarding the California State Archives, and they are a trustee of the California Museum, California government and California politics List of company registers California Secretary of States official website
12.
Alex Padilla
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Alejandro Alex Padilla is an American politician, Democratic Party activist, engineer, and civil servant. He has served as the Secretary of State of California since winning the election on November 5,2014 against Republican Pete Peterson. He served in the California State Senate, representing the 20th District after his election to the position in November 2006, prior to serving in the Senate he served 7½ years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th District. First elected in 1999, he was elected president in July 2001. Padilla is one of three children of Santos and Lupe Padilla, both of whom emigrated from Mexico before meeting and marrying in Los Angeles. Padilla grew up in the community of Pacoima in Los Angeles and is a graduate of San Fernando High School in the northeast San Fernando Valley and he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. After graduation, he moved back to Pacoima and briefly worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft and he has served as president of the League of California Cities and was its youngest-ever president and the first Latino to lead the league. He serves as chair of the Los Angeles Leadership Council for the American Diabetes Association, Padilla had been a staff member to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein and California State Assembly member Tony Cardenas. On July 1,1999 at the age of 26, Padilla was sworn in as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, two years later his council colleagues elected him council president. Padilla was the first Latino and the youngest person elected president of the Los Angeles City Council, Padilla was elected to the State Senate in 2006 and re-elected in 2010, with nearly 70% of the vote. He left office on November 30,2014, after two terms in the body, on April 11,2013, Alex Padilla, then a term limited State Senator, announced his intention to run for the position. He was expected to face an intraparty battle with fellow Democrat Leland Yee, Padilla won the election in November against Republican Pete Peterson, who was endorsed by the Los Angeles Times, with 53. 6% of the vote. Secretary of State website Official State Senate website State Senate campaign website Padilla profile at JoinCalifornia. com Senator Padillas official YouTube channel
13.
California State Treasurer
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The California State Treasurer is responsible for the states investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller, the administration of the states budgets, financial analyses and planning, money allocation, and economic research is under the California Department of Finance. The state treasurer assumes office by way of election, the term of office is a four-year term but is limited to two terms. Elections for the State Treasurer are held on a concurrent basis with the election of the Governor. The current state treasurer is John Chiang, as the state’s banker, manages the state’s investments. Administers the sale of bonds and notes and is the investment officer for most state funds. Chairs or serves on several commissions, most of which relate to the marketing of bonds, pays out state funds when spent by the Controller and other state agencies. California Department of Finance Official California State Treasurer web site
14.
John Chiang (California politician)
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John Chiang is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has served as the California State Treasurer since January 5,2015. He previously served as California State Controller from 2007 to 2015, on May 17,2016, Chiang announced his campaign for Governor of California in the 2018 race. Chiang is the son of immigrants from Taiwan, Chiangs mother, Shen Yin-hsiang, was a Tainan native, who studied abroad in Japan before immigrating to the United States to pursue further studies. Chiangs parents met at the University of Notre Dame, and soon married, Chiang was born in New York City and grew up in Chicago. Chiang attended Carl Sandburg High School where he served as student body vice-president alongside student body president Dave Jones and he graduated with honors with a degree in finance from the University of South Florida and has a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Chiangs decision to pursue law was influenced by his grandfather, Shen Rong. He moved to Los Angeles in 1987 where he got involved with the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, Chiang began his career as a tax law specialist for the IRS. He worked as an attorney for then-California State Controller Gray Davis and he was appointed to the California Board of Equalization in 1997 after incumbent Brad Sherman resigned after being elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. Chiang was then elected to the office in 1998 and elected to a second term in 2002. He was Chair and represented the Fourth District, primarily serving southern Los Angeles County, Chiang ran for California State Controller in 2006. He won the Democratic primary with 53%, defeating State Senator Joe Dunn, in the general election, he defeated Republican State Assemblyman Tony Strickland by over 870,000 votes. Chiang was inaugurated on January 8,2007, Chiangs actions were praised as having gotten a needed discussion reignited. In June 2007, a U. S. District Judge banned the State Controllers office from seizing unclaimed property because the State was not giving fair notice to the owner and public. By October 2007, the U. S. District Judge found that Chiangs measures satisfie constitutional due process, Chiang claimed that he had both constitutional and statutory authority to continue payments and that Schwarzenegger was trying to make Chiang do something thats improper and illegal. He received support from the Democratic leadership in the state Senate, when Schwarzenegger issued a formal executive order, Chiang sent a formal letter to Schwarzenegger reiterating his position. At a rally of workers in Los Angeles, Chiang called them innocent victims of a political struggle. Chiang ran for a term in 2010. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced a rematch with Strickland in the general election, Chiang defeated him again, by over 1.83 million votes
15.
California State Controller
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The State Controller of California is the Chief Financial Officer of the State of California in the United States. The post has broader responsibilities and authority than the California State Treasurer, responsibilities include investigative authority for every dollar spent by the state, and being an ex-officio member of the states Board of Equalization. The State Controller is elected to a term but is limited to two terms. The current state controller is Betty Yee, as the state’s chief fiscal officer, acts as the state’s accountant and bookkeeper of all public funds. Administers the state system and unclaimed property laws. Serves on 76 boards and commissions, including the Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board, CalPERS, conducts audits and reviews of state operations. The office performs a multitude of financial audits, compliance audits and it is considered one of the premiere audit agencies of the State of California. Noted former Deputy State Controllers include Barrett McInerney, James Burton, and Laurette Healey
16.
Betty Yee
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Betty T. Yee is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has served as California State Controller since 2015. She previously served as a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2015 and she won the open seat for Controller in the 2014 election, with 54% of the vote. A native of the Parkside district of San Francisco, Yees parents emigrated from Guangdong Province and she handled the books in her familys neighborhood laundry and dry cleaning business while she grew up. She went on to attend Golden Gate University, from which she earned a degree in Public Administration. Yee worked for the Legislature and was then Governor Gray Daviss Chief Deputy Director for Budget, the governor and legislative leaders made decisions that sometimes didnt agree with our recommendations. She then became the Chief Deputy to Board of Equalization member Carole Migden and she was appointed to fill the seat when Migden vacated it after being elected to the State Senate. Yee was elected in her own right to the California Board of Equalization in 2006 from the 1st Board District and was re-elected in 2010 and she led the successful effort to force Amazon. com to collect sales taxes on online purchases, the so-called Amazon tax. She ran for California State Controller in the 2014 election to succeed term-limited Democrat John Chiang, in the nonpartisan blanket primary, Republican Ashley Swearengin, the Mayor of Fresno, and Yee finished first and second, respectively. Swearengin and Yee competed in the election, which Yee won by 3,810,304 votes to 3,249,668. As State Controller, Yee will sit on the California State Lands Commission and she supports investing in alternative energy and opposes fracking for oil. An advocate of tax reform, she opposes extending Governor Jerry Browns temporary tax increases, instead proposing to lower the sales tax. Yee also serves as Vice President of California Women Lead, a nonprofit, Betty T. Yee, Board Member, State Board of Equalization Betty Yee for Controller 2014
17.
California Insurance Commissioner
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California Insurance Commissioner is an elected executive office position in California. The officeholder is in charge of the California Department of Insurance, the current Insurance Commissioner is Democrat Dave Jones. Oversees and directs all functions of the Department of Insurance, licenses, regulates, and examines insurance companies. Answers public questions and complaints regarding the insurance industry, enforces the laws of the California Insurance Code and adopts regulations to implement the laws. The mission is to ensure vibrant markets where insurers keep their promises and the health and economic security of individuals, families, as a result of the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988, the elected office of the California Insurance Commissioner was created in 1991. Previously, the position was held by an appointed by the Governor. The Insurance Commissioner oversees the Department of Insurance, Democrat Dave Jones won the November 2,2010 election for California Insurance Commissioner. The Insurance Commissioner does not oversee the majority of Health Plans, HMO Health Plans and PPO Plans offered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California are overseen by the California Department of Managed Health Care
18.
Dave Jones (politician)
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David Evan Dave Jones is an American politician. He represented Californias 9th assembly district December 2004 through 2011 and he is currently Californias Insurance Commissioner. He is a member of the Democratic Party, Jones attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois where he served as student body president alongside student body vice-president John Chiang. He served for five and a years after winning a 1999 special election to replace Darrell Steinberg. Before his election to the city council, he worked for six years as a legal aid attorney with Legal Services of Northern California, in 1995, Jones was one of 13 Americans awarded a White House Fellowship. Jones served in the Clinton administration for three years and he first served as a special assistant to Janet Reno and later as her counsel. Jones received his degree from DePauw University, his law degree from Harvard Law School. Jones, a Democrat, chaired the Assembly Judiciary Committee for four years and he also chaired the Assembly Health Committee and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. He served on the Appropriations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, preventing HMOs and health insurers from charging men and women different rates for the same health insurance policies. First-in-the-nation legislation allowing Californians to share their personal vehicles in car-sharing pools without invalidating their auto insurance, securing billions in federal funding to improve Californias hospital health care safety net and fund childrens health care, by establishing a hospital provider fee. Protecting private medical records from mis-use and disclosure, creating the nations largest early childhood education and preschool program to give children the best possible start. Jones also authored legislation in 2010 which sought to regulate pet insurance by requiring pet insurance companies to be specific about which types coverage will be provided. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and did not become law, Jones was mentioned by several people as a potential opponent for Mayor Heather Fargo in 2008 due to his experience in local politics. However, Jones decided not to run and endorsed the mayor in her reelection bid against former NBA star. Jones supported Democrat Barack Obama in his race against Republican John McCain in the November 2008 Presidential Election, Jones 2011 inauguration speech indicated his strong support for implementing Obamas health care reform law in California. On November 13,2008, Jones announced his campaign California State Insurance Commissioner in 2010, Jones announced, The insurance commissioner should be a strong advocate for consumers, he said. I think with my background and experience, I would be a strong advocate. He was quickly endorsed by State Senate President Darrell Steinberg
19.
Tom Torlakson
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Tom Torlakson is an American politician from California. In 2010, he was elected to the position of California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and he is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served his three terms in the California State Assembly, representing the 11th district, which consists of portions of Contra Costa County. He also served two terms in the California State Senate, representing the 7th district, Torlakson was born in San Francisco on July 19,1949. His grandfather worked in San Francisco as a U. S. Coast Guard seaman, torlaksons father worked as a welder, building Liberty cargo ships for World War II. Torlaksons mother worked as a secretary and in the postal service. Merchant Marine during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1970 and his assignments included Guam, Vietnam, Thailand and later on Chevron oil tankers to Alaska which was his first job where he was a union member. In 1968, he received the Merchant Marines Vietnam Service Medal, after his maritime service, Torlakson attended the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a B. A. in History in 1971, Torlakson is married to Mae Cendana, a member of the Ambrose Recreation and Park District board of directors. He has two daughters, Tiffany and Tamara, Torlakson became a science teacher in 1972. He worked as a teacher in Bay Area high schools for six years and was a member of the California Federation of Teachers, Torlakson was elected to the Antioch City Council in 1978. Torlakson was selected as the Mayor Pro-Tem and he was involved in Antioch city politics from 1978 to 1981 when he was chairman of the Delta Protection Commission. Torlakson challenged George Miller IV, son of the congressman George Miller III, Torlakson was a campaigner with the slogan, His own name, his own record. Torlakson was elected to the Californias 11th State Assembly district in 1996 and 1998, Torlakson authored legislation to provide $50 million to elementary and junior high schools statewide for after-school programs that eventually was increased to $550 million annually. He was an architect of the plan for school facilities funding that became Proposition 1A, Californians approved with a 62% yes vote in November 1998, allowing $9.2 billion for new schools and for the modernization and rehabilitation of older schools. He also helped provide funding for day care and Head Start centers. Torlakson backed legislation that requires maintenance and mechanical inspections of all permanent amusement park rides. He sought the regulations after a fatal accident at Waterworld in Concord in 1997
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.
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
22.
Bill Monning
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William Bill Monning is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he is the current Senate Majority Leader, Monning currently represents the 17th Senate District, which encompasses the Central Coast. Before his election to the State Senate in 2012, Monning served in the California State Assembly and he is the former president and co-founder of Global Majority, Inc. an organization committed to education, training and advocacy in the field of non-violent conflict resolution. Monning served as a Senior Fulbright Specialist, receiving Fulbright scholarships to teach and research in Peru, Monning received a B. A. at University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He and his wife, Dana T. Kent, a physician, reside in Carmel. About three months later, the bill died in committee
23.
Jean Fuller
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Jeannie Lynn Jean Fuller is a U. S. politician who serves as the minority leader in the California State Senate. A Republican, she was previously a member of the California Assembly, Jean Fuller was born and raised in Kern County. She supplemented her education with coursework and seminars at the University of Southern California, Harvard University and she served as an educator in the Central Valley for more than 30 years, including time as Superintendent of the Bakersfield City School District. Statewide leadership roles include the California School Boards Association, Association of School Administrators, Fuller was named California Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in the 2004/2005 school year. Fuller earned national recognition for school improvement in 1998 when she was awarded the AASA Leadership for Learning Award, first elected to the California State Legislature in 2006, Fuller represented the 32nd Assembly district. Fuller went on to win the election for the California State Senate in for Californias 16th State Senate district in 2010. The 16th district includes parts of Kern, Tulare, and San Bernardino Counties as well as all of Inyo County, in 2015, Senator Fuller authored SB111, Securing Federal Funding for Schools that Serve Military Families. SB111, which was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, provides a 20% matching of funds for 11 California schools near or on a base, allocating $61 million in federal. In 2012, Fuller authored SB1367, the Archery Hunting/Firearms Bill and this bill revised the archery provisions of the Fish and Game code to authorize a peace officer to carry a firearm while hunting deer, while prohibiting use of that firearm to illegally hunt deer. SB1367 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, official website State Senator - Jean Fuller
24.
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
25.
Anthony Rendon
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Anthony Michael Rendon is an American baseball third baseman for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. Rendon played college baseball for the Rice University Owls, where he won the 2010 Dick Howser Trophy, Rendon was selected sixth overall in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft by the Nationals. Rendon is the son of Rene and Bridget Rendon and is of Mexican descent. His parents say Rendon started playing baseball at an early age. Rendon grew up on the southwest side of Houston and excelled academically and he was a star basketball player, track athlete and baseball player at Hodges Bend Middle School. For the first two and a years of high school, Rendon attended George Bush High School, before transferring to Lamar High School. Out of high school, Rendon was drafted in the 27th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves and he turned down their signing bonus to play for Rice University and head coach Wayne Graham. As a true freshman, he hit.388 with 20 home runs and 72 runs batted in, Rendon was also nominated for both the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award in his first season at the college level. He led the conference in offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage and home runs. He added 31 walks to his already gaudy offensive numbers, giving him a.496 on-base percentage. In addition to his prowess, he stole 9 bases in 11 attempts, two away from leading the team, and showed defensive ability at third base as well. However, in Rices last game, in the Baton Rouge Super Regional, as a sophomore in 2010 he was the winner of the Dick Howser Trophy and was Baseball Americas College Player of the Year, becoming the first underclassman to win the award. He is also only the player to be named Conference USA Player of the Year twice. He finished the season hitting.394 with 26 home runs and 85 runs batted in, again starting in one of the Owls 63 games. Rendons 26 home runs were the second highest single season total in school history, in his sophomore campaign, Rendon hit more home runs than he struck out, and his walks nearly tripled his strike out total. Again, Rendon flashed the leather, raising his fielding percentage to.978, after his Rice season ended, Rendon was invited to represent his country playing on the international circuit for Team USA. He suffered another ankle injury in the first game against South Korea. Houston mayor Annise Parker declared June 29,2010 to be Anthony Rendon Day in Houston, Rendon was a member of Wiess College while at Rice
26.
Chris Holden
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Christopher Holden is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 41st Assembly District, which encompasses the northern San Gabriel Valley and he is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Prior to his election to the Assembly in 2012, Holden was a Mayor and he is the son of longtime Los Angeles politician Nate Holden. Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Holden was a Pasadena city council member, and he is the second longest-serving city councilmember in the citys history, having served since 1989. Holden is an alumnus of Pasadena High School and San Diego State University and he first ran for seat 3 of the Pasadena City Council in 1985, but lost narrowly to incumbent Loretta Thompson-Glickman. He was elected four years later, and was appointed Mayor in 1997, during his term, the City charter was revised to allow for open election of the mayor. However, in the first citywide election, Holden was defeated by former Councilmember and former Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. Holden previously served as the Assembly Majority Floor Leader, in 2014, Holden was reelected to the Assembly with 59% of the vote. Nathaniel Tsai, the 18-year-old challenger to Holden, finished with 41% of the vote, in his first term, Holden introduced legislation to require California schools to teach about the significance of the Barack Obama presidency. He introduced legislation to tackle the problem of grease thievery at restaurants and he also introduced legislation to study and foster economic development and job creation. Official website—41st State Assembly district Campaign website Chris Holden Blog
27.
Chad Mayes
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Chad Mayes is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Republican representing the 42nd district, encompassing parts of Riverside, prior to being elected to the State Assembly, he was a Yucca Valley town councilmember. Mayes earned a Bachelor of Science in Government from Liberty University, before entering public service, Mayes worked as a financial advisor and tax preparer. Mayes served on the Yucca Valley Town Council from 2002–2011, and was elected by the council to serve as mayor. In 2004, Mayes and then-councilman Paul Cook voted against a proposed 42-percent pay increase for town elected officials, in his final budget as Mayor, Yucca Valley spent $8.7 million, a slight decrease from the previous year, and had over $5 million in reserves. Mayes was elected to the State Assembly in November 2014, with 57. 3% of the vote, Mayes was also appointed to the Select Committee on Renewable Energy Development and Restoration of the Salton Sea, and was named Chief Republican Whip. All three bills received unanimous support in their policy committee hearings. The son of a pastor, Mayes grew up in Yucca Valley, after graduating from Liberty University, Mayes married his wife Shanon at 24. Mayes currently plays guitar at his church, and performed with Kristin Olsen, Official website Official Biography Official Facebook Official Twitter Personal Twitter
28.
Judiciary of California
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The Judiciary of California is defined under the California Constitution, law, and regulations as part of the Government of California. Its administration is effected by the Judicial Council and its staff, the judicial system of California is the largest in the United States that is fully staffed by professional law-trained judges. As of 2012, the judiciary has more than 2,000 judicial officers that hear over 10 million cases each year In comparison. Although New York and Texas each technically have more judicial officers than California, the judiciary has a hierarchical structure with the Supreme Court at the apex, courts of appeal as the primary appellate courts, and the superior courts as the primary trial courts. The Supreme Court of California consists of the Chief Justice of California, the Court deals with about 8,800 cases per year, although review is discretionary in most cases, and it dismisses the vast majority of petitions without comment. It hears arguments and drafts full opinions for about 100 to 120 cases each year, the Supreme Court is headquartered in San Francisco, with branch offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento. It hears oral arguments each year in all three locations, the California courts of appeal are the intermediate appellate courts. The state is divided into six appellate districts, Notably, all published California appellate decisions are binding on all superior courts. The districts are divided into 19 divisions sitting throughout the state at 9 locations. In practice, this out to about 16,000 appeals per year. Under the common law, judicial opinions themselves have legal effect through the rule of stare decisis, but because of their crushing caseloads, the courts of appeal are permitted to take the shortcut of selecting only the best opinions for publication. This way, they can draft opinions fast and quickly dispose of the vast majority of cases, about 7% of their opinions are ultimately selected for publication and become part of California law. The first Court of Appeal to rule on a new issue will bind all lower superior courts statewide. However, litigants in other appellate districts may still appeal a superior courts ruling to their own Court of Appeal. However, where a superior court lies within one of the appellate districts actually involved in such a conflict, as mandated by the California Constitution, each of the 58 counties in California has a superior court. The Judicial Council of California is the arm of the judiciary of California. Pursuant to this role, they have adopted the California Rules of Court as their regulations, the Judicial Councils staff is responsible for implementing council policies. In addition, every court may make rules for its own government
29.
Supreme Court of California
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The Supreme Court of California is the court of last resort in the courts of the State of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and its decisions are binding on all other California state courts. Under the original 1849 California Constitution, the Court started with a chief justice, the court was expanded to five justices in 1862. Under the current 1879 constitution, the Court expanded to six associate justices and one chief justice, the justices are appointed by the Governor of California and are subject to retention elections. The Commission holds a hearing and if satisfied with the nominees qualifications. The nominee can then immediately fill a vacancy, or replace a departing justice at the beginning of the next judicial term. If a nominee is confirmed to fill a vacancy that arose partway through a judicial term, voters then determine whether to retain the justice for the remainder of the judicial term. At the terms conclusion, justices must again undergo a statewide election for a full 12-year term. If a majority votes no, the seat vacant and may be filled by the Governor. The electorate has occasionally exercised the power not to retain justices, Chief Justice Rose Bird and Associate Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin were staunchly opposed to capital punishment and were subsequently removed in the 1986 general election. Newly reelected Governor George Deukmejian was then able to elevate Associate Justice Malcolm M. Lucas to Chief Justice, four current justices were appointed by Republicans and three by a Democrat. There is one Filipino-American justice, one Hispanic, one African-American, the justices do not publicly discuss their religious views or affiliations. Two justices earned undergraduate degrees from a University of California school, in March 2017, Werdegar announced her intent to retire on August 31,2017. Between 1879 and 1966, the court was divided into two panels, Department One and Department Two. The chief justice divided cases evenly between the panels and also decided which cases would be heard en banc by the Court sitting as a whole, after a constitutional amendment in 1966, the Court currently sits as a whole when hearing all appeals. The procedure for all justices recuse themselves from a case has varied over time. In an average year the Court will decide to hear 83 cases, the Court is open for business year-round. The Court hears oral argument at least one week per month,10 months each year, since 1878, it has regularly heard oral argument each year at San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento
30.
Tani Cantil-Sakauye
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Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, a Filipino-American jurist, is the 28th Chief Justice of California. Prior to her current appointment, Cantil-Sakauye had served in offices on Californias appellate. She is the first Asian-Filipino American and the woman to serve as California’s chief justice. Born in Sacramento, California, as Tani Gorre Cantil, she was raised in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento and earned her high school diploma from C. K. McClatchy High School in 1977, her A. A. from Sacramento City College in 1978, her B. A. from the University of California, Davis in 1980, Cantil-Sakauye is technically of mixed descent. Her Hawaii-born father, Clarence, was of Filipino and Portuguese ancestry, while her mother, upon graduation from law school in 1984, Cantil was unable to find a job in law, so she became a blackjack dealer in Reno, Nevada. At the time the Sacramento County Public Defenders Office had refused to hire her because of her age, later that same year, Deputy District Attorney Russell Hom recruited Cantil to come to the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office. In 1988, Cantil left the District Attorneys office to become a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor George Deukmejian, the next year, Deukmejian appointed Cantil as a Deputy Legislative Secretary. In 1990, Deukmejian appointed her as a Judge of the Sacramento Municipal Court and she left the Municipal Court in 1997 when Governor Pete Wilson appointed Cantil-Sakauye as a judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court. She served there until 2005, when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Cantil-Sakauye as an Associate Justice of the California Third District Court of Appeal. On July 21,2010, Schwarzenegger nominated Cantil-Sakauye, who is also a Republican, on August 25,2010 the three-member California Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously approved her nomination as the next chief justice of California. The voters in the November 2010 general elections subsequently retained her for a 12-year term as Chief Justice. She has served as President of the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court, which is an organization for promoting civility, ethics, and professionalism in the practice of law. Beginning in 2007, she served as a Special Master. She married Mark Sakauye in 1994, who is a retired Sacramento Police Department Lieutenant, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye and Lieutenant Sakauye have two daughters. Still awed by the judicial branchs top job, the new chief justice digs in
31.
Kathryn Werdegar
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Kathryn Mickle Werdegar is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Pete Wilson in 1994 and she was retained by the electorate in November 2002, with 74. 1% percent of the vote. While at Boalt Hall, Werdegar served as editor-in-chief of the California Law Review, the Center for Public Integrity reported that Werdegar ruled in a case involving Wells Fargo & Co. a corporation in which she owned between $100,001 and $1 million in stock. The Center reported that Werdegar denied an appeal to a couple who accused Wells Fargo of predatory lending, the judge responded through California Supreme Court spokesman Cathal Conneely, the Center reported. The justice regrets the error and thanks you for bringing it to her attention, the Supreme Court is reexamining its internal conflict of interest procedures to prevent similar errors in the future, Conneely said. In 2008, Justice Werdegar joined the majority opinion in the consolidated California marriage cases known as In re Marriage Cases, the courts 4-3 ruling legalized same-sex marriage in California from June 19,2008 – November 4,2008. The majority ruled that sexual orientation is a class under the California constitution. The opinion was rooted in the Equal Protection Clause of the California constitution, the courts ruling was superseded by Proposition 8 passed by California voters. Prop 8 was ultimately ruled unconstitutional in 2010, with the appeals process concluding in June 2013. People v. Hill 17 Cal. 4th 800, Prosecutorial misconduct over the course of a trial can have such a cumulatively prejudicial effect as to require reversing a criminal conviction. Conservatorship of Wendland 26 Cal. Sharon S. v. Superior Court 31 Cal. 4th 417, California family law allowed a second parent adoption by the lesbian partner of the biological mother. People v. Diaz 51 Cal. 4th 84,103, The majority held police could search the contents of an arrested person’s mobile phone without a warrant, Justice Werdegar dissented, concluding the warrantless search violated the Fourth Amendment. The United States Supreme Court later reached the conclusion as Justice Werdegar. Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court 53 Cal. 4th 1004, Allowing a class action seeking compensation for a violation of California wage. The guarantee of breaks for meals means the employer must relieve the employee of all duties during the break period, the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. Biography at California Supreme Court website
32.
Ming Chin
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Ming William Chin is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. He was appointed to the California Supreme Court by Governor Pete Wilson on January 25,1996 and he was retained by the electorate in 1998 and 2010. Justice Chin is of Asian descent, in 1969, Chin was awarded a United States Army Commendation Medal and a Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War. He authored the most majority opinions at the Supreme Court during 1997 and he is well-known among California employment lawyers as one of the four current authors of the Rutter Group practice guide on employment litigation. In 2008, Chin was part of the minority in In re Marriage Cases. High school diploma, Bellarmine College Preparatory,1960 B. A, political Science, University of San Francisco,1964 J. D. Law, University of San Francisco School of Law,1967 Chin was born and raised in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He wed Carol Joe, a pharmacist in 1971, with whom he has two children, Jennifer and Jason
33.
Carol Corrigan
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Carol Ann Corrigan is an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. Corrigan, the daughter of a newspaperman, grew up in the San Joaquin Valley city of Stockton and she graduated from Saint Marys High School in Stockton, and attended the then women-only Catholic Holy Names College in Oakland. She received her Juris Doctor degree in 1975 and was admitted to the California bar the same year, Corrigan worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County, California from 1975, and as a senior prosecutor from 1985 until 1987 when she was appointed to the countys Municipal Court. In 1991 she became a Judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, in 1994 the Governor Pete Wilson appointed her as a Justice in the California Court of Appeal, First District. There, she gained a reputation for legal acumen, serving on a commission that overhauled the states court rules, Corrigan is unmarried and has resided in and around Oakland, California for most of her adult life. On December 9,2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated her to the Supreme Court of California, Corrigan was confirmed in this position January 4,2006. She was in the minority in the same-sex marriage case
34.
Goodwin Liu
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Goodwin Hon Liu is an American lawyer, educator and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. Before his appointment by California Governor Jerry Brown, Liu was Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Liu has been recognized for his writing on constitutional law, education policy, civil rights, and the Supreme Court. On February 24,2010, President Barack Obama nominated Liu to fill a vacancy on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, for more than a year, Lius nomination languished, amid significant opposition from Republicans in the U. S. Senate. On July 26,2011, Governor Jerry Brown nominated Liu to a seat on the Supreme Court of California, three days later, President Obama formally notified the Senate that he was withdrawing Lius nomination for the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He was sworn into the California Supreme Court on September 1,2011, Liu and his family moved to Clewiston, Florida, shortly after his birth and then in 1977, they relocated to Sacramento, California, where Liu graduated from Rio Americano High School. He earned a B. S. in biology at Stanford University, while there he was active in student politics as a member of the Peoples Platform, serving on the Council of Presidents of the ASSU. He attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and earned a M. Phil in philosophy, Liu received his J. D. from Yale Law School. Liu was married to Ann M. OLeary, the daughter of a worker and a union leader. She was a policy adviser in the Hillary Clintons 2016 Presidential Campaign. Liu and his wife have one daughter, Violet, and one son, on August 30,2016 OLeary and Liu announced in a joint statement that they were separating, as Liu had entered into a relationship with San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim. Liu is a chef and fisherman. Liu initially worked as a litigator at OMelveny & Myers in Washington. He also served as assistant to the deputy secretary of the U. S. Department of Education. He is also a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Constitution Society and he is currently a professor at University of California, Berkeley. He was elected to the American Law Institute in May 2008 and was elected to the ALI Council in May 2013 and he currently serves as the chair of the ALIs committee on the Young Scholars Medal. He serves on the boards of the National Womens Law Center and he took a job at Boalt Hall at the UC Berkeley, where he became Associate Dean and Professor of Law. In 2009 Liu was awarded the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award, on February 24,2010, President Obama nominated Liu to a new judgeship seat on the Ninth Circuit created by the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007, which became effective on January 21,2009. His nomination was filibustered by Republicans in the Senate and expired with the sine die adjournment of the 111th Congress and he was renominated to the same position on the first full day of the 112th Congress
35.
Leondra Kruger
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Leondra Reid Kruger is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, the courts youngest appointee, and a former Obama administration official. Born in the Los Angeles area, Kruger grew up in South Pasadena and she attended Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California. She then earned degrees from Harvard University and Yale Law School, in the summer of 1999, she interned at the United States attorneys office in Los Angeles. In 2000, she worked as an associate at Munger. Kruger worked as an associate at the Jenner & Block law firm from 2001 until 2002 and she then worked as a law clerk for Judge David Tatel on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2002 until 2003. Kruger then clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens from 2003 until 2004, from 2004 until 2006, Kruger was an associate at WilmerHales predecessor, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr. She then was an assistant professor in 2007 at the University of Chicago Law School. From 2007 until 2013, Kruger was an assistant to the United States Solicitor General, in 2013, Kruger became a deputy assistant attorney general at the United States Department of Justices Office of Legal Counsel. On November 24,2014, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he is appointing Kruger to the California Supreme Court and she was confirmed on December 29,2014 and would replace Justice Joyce L. Kennard. She was sworn in on January 5,2015, media related to Leondra Kruger at Wikimedia Commons
36.
California courts of appeal
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The California courts of appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U. S. state of California. The state is divided into six appellate districts. The courts of appeal form the largest state-level intermediate appellate court system in the United States, notably, all published California appellate decisions are binding on all trial courts. By way of contrast, there is no stare decisis in the California Court of Appeal. It is customary in federal courts and other courts to indicate in case citations the particular circuit or district of an intermediate appellate court that issued the decision cited. All California appellate courts are required by the California Constitution to decide cases in writing with reasons stated. Most Court of Appeal opinions are not published and have no precedential value, in addition, West Publishing traditionally included Court of Appeal opinions in its unofficial reporter, the Pacific Reporter. In 1959, West began publishing both Supreme Court and Court of Appeal opinions in Wests California Reporter, and no longer included Court of Appeal opinions in the Pacific Reporter. Due to their huge caseloads and volume of output, the courts of appeal in turn see the largest number of decisions appealed to the supreme court. The California Constitution originally made the Supreme Court the only appellate court for the whole state, the Court became so overloaded that it frequently issued summary dispositions in minor cases, meaning that it was merely saying affirmed or reversed without saying why. The states second Constitution, enacted in 1879, halted that practice by requiring the Court to issue every dispositive decision in writing with reasons stated. In 1889, the Legislature authorized the Supreme Court to appoint five commissioners to help with its work, despite implementing all these measures, the Supreme Court was no longer able to keep up with the states rapidly growing appellate caseload by the end of the 19th century. Accordingly, in 1903, the Legislature proposed an amendment to create what were then called the district courts of appeal. On November 8,1904, the electorate adopted the amendment, the district courts of appeal originally consisted of three appellate districts, headquartered in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, with three justices each. These first nine justices were appointed by the Governor, each district was assigned an ordinal number. In 1966, the district was dropped from the official names of the courts of appeal by another constitutional amendment which extensively revised the sections governing the state judiciary. This left Florida as the state in the United States with District Courts of Appeal. Since then, each of the courts of appeal has been named officially as the Court of Appeal of the State of California for a particular numbered appellate district
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Elections in California
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Elections in California are held to fill various local, state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every year, however. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time, recall elections can also be held. Additionally, statewide initiatives, legislative referrals and referenda may be on the ballot, every four years, the United States holds an indirect election for President and Vice President. In such elections, voters cast their votes for a slate of representatives who have pledged to cast their votes for a particular presidential and vice presidential candidate in the Electoral College. During the election, the voters of the state select the slate of electors on the ballot by voting for the ticket that they are pledged to, the slate of electors pledged to the ticket with the most votes statewide gets to vote in the Electoral College. Although, the electors are not obligated to vote for the candidates they are pledged to, the number of electors the state is allocated is equal to the number representatives in Congress that the state has. California has an election every four years and, in 2003. Primary elections were held in March or June until 2008, when they were held in February, general elections, which cover statewide issues, are held in November. On a county-by-county basis, elections also cover municipal issues, in addition, a special election can occur at any time. In this system voters may vote for any candidate in the primary, elections for President, Vice President, political party state central committees, and county central committees are party-nominated. Candidates may qualify in one of two ways, by payment of a fee, or by the collection of registered voters signatures on an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition, candidates must also file a candidate intention statement with the Secretary of State, as well as nomination forms with their home county. However, Audie Bock, a member of the Green Party, was elected in 1999 during what is known as special election musical chairs, local elections in California at the county and city level are officially non-partisan and political party affiliations are not included on local election ballots. A ballot proposition is a law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote. It may take the form of an amendment or an ordinary statute. A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a signed by members of the public under the initiative system. November 6,2018, United States gubernatorial elections, 2018#California See lists on the side for past election results. S
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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
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California Republican Party
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The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Jim Brulte, and is based in Burbank, California, the CRP also has a headquarters in Sacramento. The partys stated goals are to enhance economic prosperity within the state, cut taxes, the CRP is active throughout the entire state of California, and the party prides itself on providing common sense solutions to the most troubling issues. As of 2016 Republicans represent approximately 28% of the registered voters. Crime and justice—The California Republican Party supports the governments protecting the welfare of the people and creating fair, the party advocates victims rights under the position that the victim is just as important as the offender in a crime. They believe overcrowding is an issue that should be solved by the creation of both private and public prisons. The party also supports the use of punishment for heinous crimes. The party call for a cut on unnecessary spending in order to create government infrastructure that will boost the economy, the party also supports Right-to-work laws and opposes closed shop establishments. Education— The California Republican Party believes that all children have the right to a first-class education, the party supports parents and local school boards being the primary regulators of the education system. The party also supports incentives for quality educators and that school admission, the party also believes that unions have too much influence in Californias schools and that has caused the degradation of the curriculum and the marginalization of involvement by parents. Environment—The California Republican Party believes in long-term responsible stewardship of Californias natural resources, the party supports California industry being a world leader in developing and manufacturing safe, renewable and sustainable energy. The party also believes that city governments should be held to the standards of cleaning waste water as are applied to private industry. Equal Opportunity—We oppose quotas, special rights, set asides, or guaranteed equality of results and we support laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and housing based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. Family values—We support the two-parent family as the best environment for raising children, the Supreme Courts ruling cannot and must not be used to coerce a church or religious institution into performing marriages that their faith does not recognize. We believe public policy and education should not be exploited to advocate or teach any social or political agenda, healthcare—The California Republican Party opposes government mandated health care plans and single payer plans. The party also opposes any government healthcare plan for California that would involve taxes on doctors or hospitals, coverage for illegal aliens, the party also supports private sector solutions such as small business insurance pools, employment pricing reductions, guaranteed insurability and medical savings accounts. Immigration—The California Republican Party contends that the state of California is rich in the history of immigration, English should be mandatory in the workplace and businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English and all immigrants should be required to learn the language. Illegal aliens should be deported if they engage in criminal activity, the party supports the government offering intensive English language instruction to all who need it, including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs
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Green Party of California
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The Green Party of California is the California affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The party is a ballot-qualified in California, first established as such in 1991, in 1994 Margaret Garcia received 3.8 percent for Secretary of State, surpassing the 2 percent threshold necessary to retain statewide ballot status. Garcias total retained ballot status for the Green Party of California, because after the November 1994 election, had Garcia not received the total she did, the Green Party of California would have lost its ballot status as of January 1995. Since the 1994 elections, the party has had ballot access in California. In 1996 Arcata, California, a city with a population of about 17,000, became the first city ever to have a Green majority on the city council, greens controlled the council from 1996–1998 and again from 2004-2006. In November 2009, Fairfax, California gained a Green majority in city council, as of December 2013,55 GPCA members hold elected office
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Libertarian Party of California
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The Libertarian Party is a Libertarian political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism and the abolition of the welfare state. The LP was conceived at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado in 1971 and was formed on December 11,1971, in Colorado Springs. The founding of the party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration, the Vietnam War, conscription, the party generally promotes a classical liberal platform, in contrast to the Democrats modern liberalism and progressivism and the Republicans conservatism. Gary Johnson, the presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016, states that the LP is more culturally liberal than Democrats. Current cultural policy positions include ending the prohibition of drugs, supporting same-sex marriage, ending capital punishment. Many libertarians believe in lowering the age to 18. While it is the third largest political party in the United States, there are 499,492 voters registered as Libertarian in the 27 states that report Libertarian registration statistics and Washington, D. C. The LP was the party under which the first electoral vote was cast for a woman, Tonie Nathan, for Vice President in a United States presidential election, the first Libertarian National Convention was held in June 1972. In 1978, Dick Randolph of Alaska became the first elected Libertarian state legislator, in 1994, over 40 Libertarians were elected or appointed which was a record for the party at that time. 1995 saw a membership and voter registration for the party. In 1996, the Libertarian Party became the first third party to earn ballot status in all 50 states two presidential elections in a row, by the end of 2009,146 Libertarians were holding elected offices. He was renominated for president in 2016, this time choosing former Massachusetts Governor William Weld as his running mate, johnson/Weld shattered the Libertarian record for a presidential ticket, earning over 4.4 million votes. Though the party has never won a seat in the United States Congress, it has seen success in the context of state legislatures. Three Libertarians were elected to the Alaska House of Representatives between 1978 and 1984 and another four to the New Hampshire General Court in 1992, rhode Island State Representative Daniel P. Gordon was expelled from the Republicans and joined the Libertarian Party in 2011. Ebke was not up for re-election in 2016, dyer changed party affiliation to the Libertarian Party from the Republican Party in February 2017. In 1972, Libertarian Party was chosen as the partys name, the current slogan of the party is The Party of Principle. Also in 1972, the Libersign—an arrow angling upward through the abbreviation TANSTAAFL—was adopted as a party symbol, by the end of the decade, this was replaced with the Lady Liberty until 2015, with the adoption of the current Torch Eagle logo. In the 1990s several state libertarian parties adopted the Liberty Penguin as their official mascot, another mascot is the Libertarian porcupine, an icon that was originally designed by Kevin Breen in March 2006, that is also often associated with the Free State Project
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American Independent Party
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The American Independent Party is a far-right political party of the United States that was established in 1967. The party split in 1976 into the modern American Independent Party, from 1992 until 2008, the party was the California affiliate of the national Constitution Party. Its exit from the Constitution Party led to a dispute during the 2016 election. In 2016, the AIP cross-nominated Donald Trump and Mike Pence, the presidential and vice presidential nominees of the Republican Party, in 1968, the AIP was founded by Bill Shearer and his wife, Eileen Knowland Shearer. It nominated George C. Wallace as its candidate and retired U. S. Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice-presidential candidate. The Wallace/LeMay ticket received 13.5 percent of the vote and 46 electoral votes from the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia. No third-party candidate won more than one electoral vote since the 1968 election, in 1969, representatives from forty states established the American Party as the successor to the American Independent Party. In some places, such as Connecticut, the American Party was constituted as the American Conservative Party. Their candidate, William J. Davis, out-polled Republican Leonard Dunavant, with 16,375 votes to Dunavants 15,773, the American Party ran occasional congressional and gubernatorial candidates, but few made any real impact. In 1970, the AIP fielded a candidate for governor of South Carolina, Alfred W. Bethea, west defeated the Republican nominee, Albert Watson, an outgoing member of the United States House of Representatives. Carruth received 36,132 votes, not enough to affect the outcome in which Bumpers handily unseated Rockefeller, both parties have nominated candidates for the presidency and other offices. Neither the American Party nor the American Independent Party has had success. In the early 1980s, Bill Shearer led the American Independent Party into the Populist Party, since 1992, the American Independent Party has been the California affiliate of the national Constitution Party, formerly the U. S. Taxpayers Party, whose founders included the late Howard Phillips, a split in the American Independent Party occurred during the 2008 presidential campaign, one faction recognizing Jim King as chairman of the AIP with the other recognizing Ed Noonan as chairman. Noonans faction claims the old AIP main website while the King organization claims the AIPs blog, kings group met in Los Angeles on June 28–29, elected King to state chair. Ed Noonans faction, which included 8 of the 17 AIP officers, issues in the split were U. S. foreign policy and the influence of Constitution Party founder Howard Phillips on the state party. The King group elected to stay in the Constitution Party and supported its presidential candidate and it was not listed as the Qualified Political Party by the California Secretary of State and Baldwins name was not printed in the states ballots. Kings group sued for access and their case was dismissed without prejudice
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Peace and Freedom Party
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The Peace and Freedom Party is a nationally organized left-wing political party, with affiliates in more than a dozen American states, including California, Florida, Colorado, and Hawaii. The Peace and Freedom Party went national in 1968 as an organization opposed to the Vietnam War. In 2004,2008, and 2012, the presidential candidates were Leonard Peltier, Ralph Nader. According to its website, PFP is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. It is an advocate of environmentalism, aboriginal rights, rights to sexuality, health care, abortion, education, housing, employment. The Peace and Freedom Party grew out of unhappiness with the Democratic Partys support for the war in Vietnam, in 1966, three men ran for the U. S. House using the Peace and Freedom Party label. Herbert Aptheker received 3,562 votes in New Yorks 12th Congressional District, shaw received 1,974 votes in Washingtons 7th Congressional District, and Frank L. Patterson received 1,105 votes in Washingtons 2nd Congressional District. The party achieved ballot status in California in January 1968 by registering over 105,000 voters under its banner. It later got ballot status in 13 other states, but in most of those, the PFPs first national convention to nominate candidates for President and Vice President was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan on August 17-August 18,1968. Eldridge Cleaver was nominated for President over Richard C. Dick Gregory by a margin of 161.5 to 54. Cleaver, a felon and Black Panther spokesman, was technically not eligible to run. Cleaver personally preferred Yippie leader Jerry Rubin, Gregory appeared on the ballot in several states as the Peace and Freedom Party candidate as well as in New York and New Jersey as the candidate of the Freedom and Peace Party. Two states refused to list Cleaver on the ballot, although each state listed the Presidential Electors, a variety of people joined the PFP in its first election. Bob Avakian was a spokesman for the party in the San Francisco Area, the New York Peace and Freedom Party consisted of a fractious coalition of competing Marxist groups, along with libertarians led by economist Murray Rothbard. In the election of 1968, the PFP fared fairly well for a new third party, Gregory outpolled Cleaver, receiving 47,097 votes to Cleavers 36,623. In California and Utah, where no presidential nominee appeared on the ballot, the full nationwide vote for Presidential Electors was thus 111,607. PFP candidates for the U. S. Senate garnered an aggregate total of 105,411 votes. In Utah, the PFP fielded folk musician Bruce Utah Phillips for Congress, the PFP retained ballot status in California, which it retained except for the brief period 1999-2003
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