Legislators Who Supported Local Government in 2007
Share this pageThroughout the year, many legislators offered assistance to the League or supported city issues in various ways. The following eight legislators, selected by the League’s lobbying team, stood out during the 2007 legislative session for their efforts in working with the League and their support for local government.
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Senator Joe Simitian (D-11, Palo Alto). As a former mayor of the City of Palo Alto, member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and president of the Palo Alto School Board, Senator Simitian has a background in local government that few legislators can match. He also is a certified land use planner. With this kind of experience, it’s no surprise that Senator Simitian has a reputation as a thoughtful policy-maker in the Capitol. In 2007, he demonstrated all his skills with his professional and statesmanlike conduct as chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in hearings on the controversial SB 303 (Ducheny), a developer-sponsored measure that proposed sweeping changes to local land use practices. Senator Simitian artfully managed the tensions and delved into the topic with a depth rarely seen in the Legislature. In the end, he insisted on a major rewrite of the bill that removed numerous provisions opposed by local governments.
Full article on the website of Western City Magazine