Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Liz Figueroa Papers
LP453  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Administrative Information
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content
  • Accruals
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Liz Figueroa Papers
    Dates: 1995-2006
    Collection number: LP453
    Creator: Figueroa, Liz
    Collection Size: 8 cubic feet
    Repository: California State Archives
    Sacramento, California
    Abstract: Liz Figueroa, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member from 1995 to 1998 and a State Senator from 1999 to 2006.The Liz Figueroa Papers contain two record series dating over an 11-year time period (1995-2006) and include 8 cubic feet of textual records. The two record series are Bill Files and Correspondence. The Bill Files (1995-2006) document her interests in healthcare, transportation, insurance, low income housing, privacy, environmental quality and conservation, and employment. The Correspondence (1995-2000) series provides insight into the daily workings of Figueroa's offices
    Physical location: California State Archives
    Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

    Administrative Information

    Access

    While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

    Publication Rights

    For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Liz Figueroa Papers, LP453:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

    Biography

    Liz Figueroa, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member from 1995 to 1998 and a State Senator from 1999 to 2006. Her 20th Assembly District covered the southeast corner of the San Francisco Bay Area and contained parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties, including cities such as Fremont, Milpitas, and Newark. The 10th Senate District was comprised of the 18th and 20th Assembly Districts; thus Figueroa represented much of the same constituency when she became a Senator.
    Figueroa was born on February 9, 1951, in San Francisco, California to immigrants from El Salvador. She attended College of San Mateo and University of California, Berkeley. In 1979, she founded Figueroa Employment Consultants, a business that provides job placement services to injured employees. At the age of eighteen, she was appointed to the San Mateo Human Relations Commission and, in 1987, became the first female board member of the Union Sanitary District. From 1988 to 1994, she was chair of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. Her husband is Robert Bloom, with whom she has two children.
    In her first bid for elective office in November 1994, Figueroa received 50% of the vote against Republican Scott Haggerty to win the seat of the 20th Assembly District. In 1996, she won against Republican Anthony Smith with 61% of the votes cast. Rather than wait for her term limits to expire in 2000, she opted to run in 1998 for the vacant State Senate seat of the 10th District. She handily won against Republican Bob Gough with 68% of votes cast. In 2002, she won by the same percentage against Republican Jim Gunther. Facing term limits in 2006, she ran in that year's June Primary Election for the office of Lieutenant Governor but was defeated by fellow Democrat John Garamendi.
    As of this writing, Figueroa is the Vice-President of Public Relations at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and serves on the board of many organizations: the Little Hoover Commission, Women in Government, Hispanic Community Affairs Council, Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Legal Assistance for Seniors, Centro Legal de la Raza Advisory Board, California Corporate Board Registry Advisory Board, AnewAmerica Women's Business Center, and the California Elected Women's Association for Education and Research (CEWAER).
    During her tenure in the Legislature, Liz Figueroa was a member of the following committees.
    California State Assembly, 1995-1998
    Leadership
    Women's Legislative Caucus, 1994-1998
    Standing Committees
    Budget, 1996-1998
    Consumer Protection, Governmental Efficiency and Economic Development, 1997-1998
    Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, 1995
    *Vice-Chair, 1995
    Health, 1997-1998
    Higher Education, 1996
    Human Services, 1996
    *Vice-Chair, 1996
    Insurance, 1995, 1997-1998
    *Chair, 1997-1998
    Judiciary, 1995-1998
    Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security, 1995
    Transportation, 1997-1998
    Select Committees
    Aerospace, 1997-1998
    *Chair, 1997-1998
    California's Women, 1998
    Education Technology, 1998
    Subcommittees
    Budget #5: Information Technology/Transportation, 1998
    Joint Committees
    Task Force on Personal Information and Privacy, 1998
    Worker's Compensation, 1998
    California State Senate, 1999-2006
    Leadership
    Democratic Senate Caucus, 2005-2006
    Internet Caucus, 2006
    Latino Caucus, 2005-2006
    Smart Growth Caucus, 2006
    Women's Legislative Caucus, 1998-2006
    *Chair, 2005
    Standing Committees
    Banking, Finance, and Insurance, 2005
    Business and Professions, 1999-2004
    *Chair, 1999-2004
    Business, Professions and Economic Development, 2005-2006
    *Chair, 2005-2006
    Environmental Quality, 2001-2005
    Government Modernization, Efficiency and Accountability, 2005-2006
    *Chair, 2005-2006
    Health, 2005-2006
    Health and Human Services, 1999-2004
    Industrial Relations, 1999-2000
    Insurance, 1999-2004
    Labor and Industrial Relations, 2001-2005
    Transportation, 1999-2004
    Select Committees
    Bay Area Infrastructure, 2002-2004
    Bay Area Transportation, 2001-2004
    Baylands Acquisition, 2003-2004
    California's Horse Racing Industry, 2002-2006
    California's Wine Industry, 2005-2006
    Children, Youth and Families, 2006
    *Chair, 2006
    Defense and Aerospace Industry, 2004
    Economic Development, 2001-2004
    Health Care for all Californians, 2003-2004
    International Trade Policy and State Legislation, 2004, 2006
    *Chair, 2004, 2006
    Technological Crime and the Consumer, 2001-2004
    *Chair, 2001-2004
    Subcommittees
    Business and Professions: Future of the Health Care Professions, 2004
    *Chair, 2004
    Business and Professions: International Trade Policy and State Legislation, 2006
    *Chair, 2006
    Business and Professions: Technological Crime and the Consumer, 2006
    *Chair, 2006
    Joint Committees
    Boards, Commissions and Consumer Protection, 2005-2006
    *Chair, 2005-2006
    Legislative Sunset Review, 2001-2004
    *Chair, 2001-2004

    Scope and Content

    The Liz Figueroa Papers contain two record series dating over an 11-year time period (1995-2006) and include 8 cubic feet of textual records. The two record series are Bill Files and Correspondence. The Bill Files (1995-2006) document her interests in healthcare, transportation, insurance, low income housing, privacy, environmental quality and conservation, and employment. The Correspondence (1995-2000) series provides insight into the daily workings of Figueroa's offices.

    Accruals

    No further accruals are expected.

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
    Consumer protection - California
    Medical care - California
    Transportation --California