Liz Figueroa Papers, 1995-2006

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Summary

Creators:
Figueroa, Liz
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
Extent:
8 cubic feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English

Background

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.

Biographical / historical:

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

Accruals:

No further accruals are expected.

Physical location:
California State Archives
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 653-2246
reference@sos.ca.gov
Website