GOVERNMENT RELATIONS


New Legislative Leaders Take Charge A


By Dave Ackerman


s we move into the 2016 legislative year – to coin an old Bob Dylan song – “Te Times


Tey Are A-Changin” – and three of the four legislative leaders are new to the job. Senate President Kevin de León is now the “dean” of the legis- lative leadership, having been elected as Senate Leader by his colleagues in 2014 just two years ago. But de León is termed out in 2018 – so more change is in store for the future. Here is a look at the 2016 legislative


leadership. The Senate


Kevin de


León (D-Los Angeles)


is the first Latino elected President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate in more than 130 years, replacing Senator Darrell Steinberg in 2014. De León’s priorities are higher education, and combating climate change while building a low carbon economy. Long before arriving at the legislature, de León dedicated himself to public service and served immigrant communities through teaching U.S. citizenship courses. Te work led him to community


Kevin de León


organizing and taking a stand against 1994’s Proposition 187, a voter- approved statewide initiative that denied government services to undocu- mented immigrants. De León credits his immigrant mother for teaching him the nobility of a hard day’s work and a shared obligation to build a brighter future for the next generation. He was the first in his family to graduate from


www.AGC-CA.org


high school, later earning a degree with honors from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. Commenting on this year’s


budget proposal from the governor, de León said, “Tis budget reflects historic investments in our children’s education that will make a tremendous difference. But we still have to take a closer look at strengthening our healthcare system for the poor and developmentally disabled that has been starved for far too long.”


Jean Fuller (R- Bakersfield)


was elected Senate Repub- lican Leader last year, replacing Senator Bob


Jean Fuller


Huff, and assumed the leadership position in August 2015. Fuller was first elected to the State Assembly in 2006 and then to the Senate in 2010. She is held in high regard by the California Chamber of Commerce for her strong opposition to job-killer bills and commitment to small business. Much of Fuller’s career in the legis-


lature has been focused on improving California’s economy through commonsense reforms and smart fiscal policies. Investments in infrastructure and natural assets are two of her priorities. A California native, Fuller was


born in Bakersfield and earned her PhD from the University of California at Santa Barbara. During much of her career, Fuller served as the Super- intendent for the largest K-8 school


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