Jenny Oropeza

• Biography:

  In November 2004, Jenny Oropeza won re-election to her third two-year term representing California's culturally diverse 55th Assembly District with an overwhelming 67 percent of more than 110,000 votes cast.

  Voters clearly recognized Oropeza for her lifelong civic involvement, local government leadership, and commitment to education, budget bravery and leadership on anti-pollution, transportation, gender-equity and minority issues.

  Indeed, Oropeza, with barely a year's experience in the Assembly, was named chair of the powerful Assembly budget committee in January 2002 – the eve of the worst deficit in California history – serving two years in one of the toughest policy committees in the Legislature.

  In February 2004, after narrowly missing being named Speaker, Oropeza was named chair of the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee. From that pulpit, Oropeza, who served five years on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, expects to lead the way to improve highway and transit-funding policies.

  She also is one of the highest-ranking Latinas in the Assembly and one of Southlandxs leaders of the Legislature's Latino caucus.

  Activist roots run deep

  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.

  In 1994, she became the first Latina member of the Long Beach City Council and won re-election in 1998. She previously served on the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education, winning election in 1988 and running unopposed in 1990.

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

  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.

  Born Sept. 27, 1957, Oropeza, (when you meet her, she'll probably ask you to call her Jenny), represents Carson, portions of the cities of Long Beach and Lakewood and the Los Angeles communities of Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway and Rancho Dominguez.

  Committee assignments

  In addition to chairing the Assembly Transportation Committee, Oropeza serves on the Agriculture Committee; the Committee on Appropriations; the Committee on Governmental Organization and the Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.

  Her other committee assignments include co-chair of the Select Committee on Title IX and the Select Committee on National Defense, Technology and Jobs.

  Legislative record

  During her tenure in the Assembly, Oropeza had several proposals signed into law, including measures that:

  1. Will save California $500 million per year by resolving a years-old insurance dispute.
  2. Provide the framework for a child-care program for military service members.
  3. Improve port security.
  4. Develop guidelines for the cultural competency of educators.
  5. Provide voters with sample ballots that specify their rights.
  6. Spell out that traffic cameras designed to catch motorists who run red lights are located for reasons of public safety, not maximum profit.
  7. Give neighborhoods and cities more local control over the sale of alcoholic beverages.
  8. Require a business plan for any California trade offices.
  9. Create a program to help attract qualified poll workers by allowing state employees to serve as poll workers as part of their work duties.
  10. Establish guidelines to prevent misleading dental advertising.
  11. Assist state agencies in contracting with businesses owned by disabled veterans.
  12. Require two-way communication devices on all public buses.
  13. Study the impact of Title IX programs in California's schools.

  Finally, on a more somber note, her resolution commemorating Sept. 11 as an annual day of remembrance and service will ensure that Californians each year honor those who were lost.

  Other leadership experience

  Oropeza was chair of the Assembly freshman class and was a shadow conferee for the 2001-2002 state budget conference committee. She currently serves as the Southern Vice-Chair of the Legislature's Latino Caucus. She also was named a delegate to the 2004 Democratic convention.

  Personal

  Oropeza and her husband, Tom Mullins, have been married since 1977. They live in a 1930s-era Craftsman bungalow in Long Beach that showcases impressionistic oil paintings by her late father, the son of Mexican immigrants. The oldest of three children, she enjoys reading political biographies and spending time with her husband.