Karen Bass
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| Karen Bass | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 13, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Fabian Núñez |
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Member of the California State Assembly
from the 47th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 6, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Herb Wesson |
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| Born | October 3, 1953 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Politician |
Karen Bass (born October 3, 1953) is the Speaker of the California State Assembly. She has represented the 47th district since she was first elected in 2004.
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[edit] Leadership roles
Speaker Fabian Núñez selected Bass as the Majority Floor Leader for the California State Assembly during the 2007-2008 legislative session. During the 2005-2006 legislative session, Bass served as the Majority Whip. Bass also serves as the chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care and as vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Bass succeeded Núñez as Speaker on May 13, 2008, as Núñez was scheduled to be termed out of the Assembly on November 30, 2008.
[edit] Priorities
Bass considers Foster Care Reform to be one of her top priorities. She has helped secure $82 million in the 2006-2007 state budget for Foster Care Reform, which is the largest increased allocation in more than a decade and develop new laws to help improve the System. Healthy Families Insurance Coverage, is another bill of Bass's that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed to help prevent children from going without health insurance.
Bass, who is the vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, commissioned a report to research the basic demographic profile of Black Californians including the basic social and economic conditions. The State of Black California report included a statewide organizing effort to involve Black Californians in identifying their concerns and making legislative recommendations.
Schwarzenegger has signed 17 of Bass's bills into law focusing on Foster Care reform; Healthy Families Insurance Coverage to help prevent children from going without health insurance; a small business policy that removes red tape by preventing businesses from filling out duplicate certification forms for the city and state; and a measure that expands the Baldwin Hills Conservancy. She has also secured more than $2.3 million to help revitalize the historic Vision Theater in Los Angeles; and more than $600 million for Los Angeles Unified School District.
[edit] Background
Bass was raised in the Venice/Fairfax neighborhood and graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine – Physician Assistant Program, where she has been a faculty member for more than a decade. Bass worked as a Physician Assistant in the nation’s largest trauma center, Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center. Bass founded the Community Coalition, a direct response to the devastation of the drug epidemic and “war on drugs” on South Los Angeles.
[edit] The District
As the Assemblymember for the 47th District, Bass serves the cities and communities of Culver City, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, the Crenshaw District, Little Ethiopia and portions of Korea Town and South Los Angeles. Bass is the second consecutive Assemblymember from the 47th District to become Speaker, as her predecessor in the 47th District seat, Herb Wesson, was Núñez's predecessor as Speaker.
[edit] Assembly Speaker
With the defeat of Proposition 93, Speaker Fabian Núñez was termed out of the Assembly at the end of the 2007-2008 session. As the next-highest ranking Democrat in the Assembly, Bass was well-positioned to take the post. After consolidating the support of a number of Legislators who had previously also been seeking the Speakership, Bass was elected Speaker on February 28, 2008 and then sworn in as Speaker on May 13.[1]
[edit] Other
Bass served as a California Co-chair of Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in addition to her leadership of California African Americans for Obama, and her post on Obama's national African American Leadership Council.
[edit] Personal
Bass lives in the Baldwin Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles County. She suffered the loss of her only child, daughter Emilia Wright and son-in-law Michael Wright, in a car accident in 2006. She is single.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Matthew Yi. "L.A. lawmaker first African American woman to lead state Assembly", The San Francisco Chronicle, 29 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
[edit] References
| Preceded by Herb Wesson |
California State Assemblymember, 47th District December 6, 2004–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Fabian Núñez |
California State Assembly Speaker May 13, 2008–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Dario Frommer |
Assembly Majority Leader December 4, 2006 – May 13, 2008 |
Succeeded by Alberto Torrico |
| Preceded by Lloyd Levine |
State Assembly Majority Whip 2004 – November 30, 2006 |
Succeeded by Fiona Ma |
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