Jenny Oropeza

Jennifer Ann Oropeza (born September 27, 1957) is the California State Senator for the 28th district which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance; the Los Angeles communities of Cheviot Hills, Del Aire, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Lennox, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Palms, Playa del Rey, Rancho Park, San Pedro, West Los Angeles, Westchester, Wilmington and Venice; and part of the city of Long Beach. Oropeza was elected to her first term in the California State Senate in November 2006 and garnered 62 percent of the vote. She served in the California State Assembly for six years prior to that (2000-2006), In June 2007, Oropeza ran for California's 37th Congressional seat in a special election following the death of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald but Oropeza lost the primary to Laura Richardson. For more information about this race see California's 37th congressional district special election, 2007. Oropeza and Tom Mullins have been married since 1977.

Education

Oropeza began her career in public service by serving two terms as student body president while majoring in Business Administration at California State University, Long Beach. During that time, she was appointed by the governor to the Board of Trustees of the CSU system.

Long Beach School Board

Oropeza was a member of the Long Beach School Board from 1988 to 1994. Oropeza helped create the policies and programs that turned around the Long Beach School District. Today the district, which was awarded the 2003 Broad Prize for Urban Education, is nationally recognized as a model for reform and academic success. Oropeza led the effort to close the achievement gap and focus resources on underserved communities. She worked to create the highly regarded and innovative International School in her district, as a joint use project with the city.

Local government

In 1994, she was elected the first Latina member of the Long Beach City Council and won re-election in 1998. As City Council member, Jenny Oropeza helped revitalize Long Beach's historic downtown, which was reeling from massive cutbacks in the aerospace industry and the closing of the Naval Shipyard. Jenny brought mixed-use loft housing, quality restaurants and vibrant retail to downtown, and strengthened Long Beach's tourism and trade industries. She fought to give residents the right to challenge alcohol licenses and created the first new park in her city in over three decades.

As an MTA board member from 1996 through 2000, Oropeza represented southeast cities of Los Angeles County and served on MTA's Planning and Programming and Construction committees. While with the MTA, she also chaired the Goods Movement Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Assembly member

Oropeza was a member of the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006 for district 55. In January 2002, with barely a year's experience in the Assembly, Oropeza was named chair of the Assembly Budget Committee — on the eve of the worst deficit in California history. She served two years leading one of the toughest committees in the Legislature.

From 2004 to 2006, Oropeza chaired the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee. From that post, Oropeza, who served five years on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board, fought to improve highway and transit-funding policies. She is past Vice Chair of the dual-house Latino Caucus. In 2005, the League of California City's Latino Caucus named her Legislator of the Year; in 2006, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters awarded her the Smith-Weiss Environmental Champion Award for her work on issues from air pollution and cancer prevention to radiation and environmental advocacy.

Oropeza has long supported transportation improvements, including Proposition 42 in 2002, which sought to dedicate a portion of gasoline taxes toward construction. She also has a proven record working with government agencies to solve long-standing transportation problems, such as improved grade crossings and safety improvements in her district.

California State Senate

Run for the State Senate

On June 6, 2006, Oropeza won a very close Democratic primary against former Assembly member George Nakano. Oropeza was endorsed by the California Democratic Party and the California League of Conservation Voters [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/state/vote/oropeza_j/] . Nakano was endorsed by US Congresswoman Jane Harman and California Assemblyman Ted Lieu [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/state/vote/nakano_g/] . Oropeza captured 52.8% of the vote to Nakano's 47.2% [http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/state/race/casen28d/] .

Committees and caucuses

Oropeza chairs the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and is a member of the Appropriations; Transportation; and Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committees. She also chairs the select committees on Integrity of Elections and Public Health and the Environment and is a member of the Select Committees on the Alameda Corridor and Asian Pacific Affairs. In addition, she is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Fiscal Oversight and Bonded Indebtedness, the Senate Subcommittee on California Ports and Goods Movement, as well as the Streamlined Sales Tax Project board of governance and the Commission on the Status of Women. As one of 26 Latinos in the Legislature, Oropeza chairs the California Latino Caucus Policy Committee on Environmental Justice.

Legislation

Upon election to the State Senate, Oropeza introduced 24 bills. The policy areas ranged from preventing smoking in cars while minors are present (SB 7) to increasing the efforts of the California State Controller to contact the owners of unclaimed property (SB 920). Oropeza also introduced legislation in the areas of local sales, massage therapy, teacher credentialing, and air pollution in ports.

External links

* [http://www.sen.ca.gov/oropeza/ Official Senate Webpage]

References

*http://dist28.casen.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={9059559B-3D5E-4DC8-A8EE-E5B9DE257F70}
*http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/06/26/ca/la/vote/oropeza_j/bio.html
*http://www.oropeza4congress.com/
*http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/06/26/ca/la/race/usrep37/
*http://dist28.casen.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=%7B32DC8082-6C14-44C6-802F-AF3CDD980887%7D&DE=%7B7DC94076-4494-43EA-9B0A-EDA2195FFE31%7D
*http://www.ecovote.org/blog/?p=105