Dean Florez

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Dean Florez (born April 5, 1963 in Shafter, California) is a California State Senator. He has represented the 16th District since 2002. He was reelected to a second term on November 7, 2006. Florez was born and raised in the Central Valley. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1998 and served two terms. His mostly rural district stretches across 300 miles anchored by the city of Bakersfield in the south and the city of Fresno at its northern tip.

Florez has legislated in areas of clean air, farm worker safety, high-speed rail and government accountability. He has served as chairman of numerous committees with jurisdiction over agriculture; water, parks and wildlife; banking, commerce and international trade; and government oversight. He currently chairs the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization which addresses issues relating to gaming, alcohol policy, government services and state emergencies.

Florez sponsored SB 700 which required farms, for the first time ever, to comply with provisions of the Federal Clean Air Act. Other legislation phases out the age-old practice of burning agricultural waste while taking into consideration the needs of farmers to find an alternative disposal method by giving biomass facilities added incentive to take farm waste over urban construction debris.

Florez has also gone against the importation and application of sewage sludge in his district and has fought against proposed mega-dumps and super-dairies. Florez has brought to the forefront of discussion how rural California is oftentimes used as the dumping ground for California’s waste and societal problems through laws, regulations and common practice.

Florez has also worked on farm worker safety. California was the first state to ban wooden bench seating on farm worker vans. Florez helped the effort which required seatbelts and front–facing seating on farm worker transportation vehicles and developed an enforcement program focused on California’s rural roads that is now being modeled for national legislation.

The grandson of farm laborers, Florez spent his early years in the Colonia outside of the city of Shafter, in Kern County. He graduated from Shafter High School, attended Bakersfield College and earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, where he also served as student body president. He went on to receive his MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to attending Harvard, he worked in the Legislature as a legislative and budget consultant.

Preceded by Jim Costa	California State Senator, 16th District 2002 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Robert Prenter	California State Assemblyman, 30th District 1998 – 2002	Succeeded by Nicole Parra

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