Darrell Steinberg
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Darrell Steven Steinberg (born October 15, 1959 in San Francisco, CA) is a Democratic politician from Sacramento, California. He is currently serving his first term in the California State Senate, representing the 6th District. He will be the next Senate Pro Tem when Don Perata is termed out of office.^[2] Steinberg had previously served as a member of the California State Assembly (1998-2004) and as a member of the Sacramento City Council. Steinberg is married to his wife Julie and has two children.

Before state legislature

Steinberg attended University of California, Los Angeles where he received his bachelors of arts degree in economics. He later attended University of California, Davis school of law where he received his judicial doctorate.^[3] Steinberg worked as an employee rights attorney for the California State Employees Association for 10 years and as an Administrative Law Judge and mediator. Steinberg served on the Sacramento City Council representing the 6th district prior to his election to the Assembly. Sacramento START (Students Today Achieving Results for Tomorrow), a free literacy-based public/private after-school program.^[3]

Assembly

Darrell Steinberg was a member of the California State Assembly from 1998 until he was termed out in 2004. Much of his Assembly district is contained within his current senate district.^[3] During his tenure in the Assembly, Steinberg served as Chair of the Assembly Committees on Budget, Appropriations, Judiciary, Labor and Employment, and the Select Committee on High Priority Schools.^[3] He authored 70 bills that were signed into law that included expansions to mental health, help low performing schools, expanding after school programs, extending Title IX , creating the Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation (SECAT) program to improve Central Valley air quality, and several bills in the areas of consumer protection and public safety.^[3]

While in the Assembly, he coauthored the 2004 California Ballot Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which imposes a 1% tax on incomes of $1,000,000 or more for mental health funding.^[3] He co-authored "Prop 63" with mental health lobbyist, Sherman Russell Selix, Jr.

The 9th District

The 9th district includes the city of Sacramento and some of the unincorporated urban and suburban areas south of the city.

State Senate

Steinberg is the chair of the the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.^[3] He also chairs the Senate Select Committee on High School Graduation.^[3] Steinberg also chairs the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.^[3] In February 2008, Steinberg was selected by Senate Democrats to replace Don Perata as Senate Pro Temp when Don Perata is termed out of office in late 2008.^[2] Until that date, Steinberg will work under Perata's "tutelage" to make for an easy transition.^[2] He will be the first Senate leader from Sacramento since 1883.^[2]

As a member of the State Senate, Steinberg continued many of the same causes he had undertaken as a member of the Assembly. He continued his work on improving test scores, aiding under performing schools, lowering dropout rates, and improving the state's mental health system.^[4][5] In 2007, Steinberg introduced a bill to cap the number of hours high school students can work at 20 if their grade point average is not 2.5 or higher.^[6]

The 6th District

The 6th District includes the capital city of Sacramento parts of Elk Grove and Citrus Heights.^[3]

External links

• State Senate Website

References

1. ^ League of California Cities. "2007 California State Legislature Convenes." Priority Focus. Copyright © 2006 League of California Cities. Accessed on August 17. 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Perata out, Sen. Darrell Steinberg in
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Senate Biography
4. ^ San Francisco Chronicle Editorial: "How to keep kids in school"
5. ^ Los Angeles Times: "Chair of state's mental health panel to resign"
6. ^ San Jose Mercury News Editorial: "State should limit students' work hours"

Offices held