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
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