Karen Bass
From Ballotpedia
| Karen Bass | |
 | |
| California State Assembly District 47 | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2005 | |
| Current term ends 2010 | |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Profession | Founder/Exec Dir, Community Coalition |
| Website | Official website |
Contents |
Bass was elected by her Democratic colleagues in late 2008 to serve as the Speaker of the California Assembly after having served as the Majority Floor Leader from 2006-2008. In December 2009, she stepped down from the post in favor of John Perez.[1]
Bass has a B.S. in Health Services from California State University-Dominguez Hills and a Physician Assistant Certification from the School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
She founded and served as the executive director of Community Coalition starting in 1990. She has also worked as a clinical instructor at the USC School of Medicine (1986-present).
Fined over gift disclosure
In February 2010 Bass agreed to pay a fine of $600 for failing to disclose gifts from interest groups. Thirty other California lawmakers agreed to pay fines as well.[2]
Policy positions
State budget crisis
As the state of California faces ongoing budget deficits and turmoil in 2009, Joe Mathews of Blockbuster Democracy writes, "No one understands the political dynamics of volatile state revenues better than Ms. Bass....after negotiating three rounds of budget cuts in the past year she has grown weary of deficit politics."[3]
The California Commission on the 21st Century Economy, a commission Bass pushed to create at the end of 2008, announced at the end of July 2009 that it recommends that California adopt a flat, or flatter, personal income tax and cut or repeal corporate and sales taxes. The commission was asked to provide recommendations to reduce the volatility in tax revenues.[3]
Legislative scorecard
Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills, but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score. [4],[5]
On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, Bass ranked as a 91.[6]
Committee membership
Sponsored legislation
Bass's sponsored legislation includes:
- AB 262 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan
- AB 1327 - State Capitol Sustainability Task Force
- AB 1402 - Family connection grants
For details and a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.
Major donors
Karen Bass commemorates one-year anniversary as speaker |
Below are Bass's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2008 election:[7]
| Contributor | 2008 total |
|---|---|
| CA Building Industry Assoc | $20,036 |
| California Democratic Party | $16,613 |
| California Teachers Association | $14,400 |
| Service Employees Local 721 | $14,400 |
| Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters | $14,400 |
External links
- Official state assembly website of Karen Bass
- Biographical profile of Karen Bass on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2004, 2006, 2008
- Challenges and lessons from a year as Speaker
References
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, "Perez chosen Assembly speaker", December 10, 2009
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, "California lawmakers agree to pay fines over gift disclosure," February 2, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wall Street Journal, "Democrats for a Flat Tax?", July 11, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard", December 17, 2009
- ↑ Fox and Hounds Daily, "Random Thoughts on the Political Scene", December 18, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly", Downloadable 2009 Capitol Weekly State Legislative Scorecard
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2008 Campaign contributions
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