Gil Cedillo
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Anthony Cedillo is a politician and a member of the Democratic Party
. He is currently serving in the California State Assembly
.
Cedillo was a candidate for California's 32nd congressional district
seat, vacated by Hilda Solis
. A California's 32nd Congressional District Special Election, 2009
was held on May 19, 2009. Cedillo lost the Democratic primary against Board of Equalization Member Judy Chu
.
where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa
, now Mayor of Los Angeles. At Roosevelt, he was varsity quarterback
and excelled academically as well, receiving a full academic scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles
.
Cedillo graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology
in 1977 and receiving a Juris Doctor
degree from the People's College of Law
, an unaccredited law school in Los Angeles, in 1983. However, Cedillo failed the bar exam.
(SEIU), Los Angeles County
's largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. In his years as general manager, he protected youth programs and played a critical role in securing $364 million in federal assistance to ensure that the Los Angeles County Health Care system remained afloat. President Bill Clinton
stated that his decision to provide funding "was reached after critical consultations with SEIU.".
's 46th district
, and served there until 2002. In 2002, he was elected to the State Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants and as the author of the California DREAM Act
, Cedillo has also worked on increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness and encouraging economic development in his Downtown Los Angeles district. Gil Cedillo is a member of the Council of La Raza.
Cedillo was reelected in 2006 in a landslide, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, the Libertarian
candidate, received 3,469 votes. He is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and is a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.
On September 28, 2006, Cedillo was arrested along with approximately 200 others for blocking Century Blvd. in front of LAX, during a protest supporting the right for employees to unionize at the LAX hotels. Several people missed their flights because of the protest.
. Congresswoman Solis accepted an appointment from President-elect Barack Obama
for United States Labor Secretary. Cedillo lost to Judy Chu
, a former Monterey Park assemblywoman and vice-chairman of the State Board of Equalization. Despite Cedillo's long time relationship with organized labor, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, voted to endorse Chu. Cedillo received a majority of other major endorsements, including eight members of California's Congressional Delegation, LA Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, and more than 100 current and former public officials, including Senator Gloria Romero, Senator Ron Calderon, and Assemblymember Ed Chavez, who all dropped out of the race and endorsed Cedillo.
Cedillo was defeated in his 2009 bid for the 32d District seat. Chu received 15,338 votes (31.9%) while Cedillo received 11,244 votes, 31.9% to 23.4% in a primarily Latino district. Following his failed bid for U.S. Congress, Cedillo took over the California State Assembly's 45th District seat (which was vacated by Kevin DeLeon who won the 22d State Senate seat).
Cedillo served as chairman of California's Latino Congressional Caucus. In 2010, Cedillo authored California's SRC 113, a resolution for a statewide boycott of the State of Arizona, following Arizona's passage of SB 1070, an illegal immigration enforcement bill.
Cedillo is often referred to by opponents as "One Bill Gil," because of his repeated attempts to submit legislation authorizing California to issue drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.
that would allow illegal aliens to obtain driver's license
s. In 2001 and 2002, then-Governor
Gray Davis
vetoed two of Cedillo's bills that would have permitted licenses for illegal aliens. In the midst of the 2003 recall election, Davis backed and signed SB 60 (2003), Cedillo's driver's license bill. After Davis was recalled and Arnold Schwarzenegger
became governor, the state legislature, with Schwarzenegger's support, repealed the new law before it went into effect. Senator Cedillo agreed to repeal the law he wrote under the agreement with the Governor to work on a bipartisan bill. In 2004, Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2895, an identical bill to Senator Cedillo's SB 1160 that stalled in the legislature, saying that it did not meet his security concerns. The governor wanted a "marked license" that was identifiable. AB 2895 was introduced to the legislature by one of Cedillo's closest allies, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Núñez
.
In 2005, Cedillo authored SB 60, another driver's license bill. He made new modifications to the proposal, specifying that illegal aliens would not be able to use the driver's license for identification purposes such as boarding airplanes, opening bank accounts, registering to vote, or other privileges that U.S. citizens enjoy. Again, Schwarzenegger refused to sign the bill, citing that it did not meet his security concerns. After Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, Cedillo threatened to file a lawsuit against the Governor because of his belief that the Department of Motor Vehicles
misinterpreted SB 976 (1993) which first prohibited the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Illegal aliens who are in the process of becoming legal are considered to have authorized presence but not legal permanent residency status, and are known as people residing under the color of the law.
In 2006 and 2009, Cedillo again brought the proposal before the California legislature. Both failed.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He is currently serving in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
.
Cedillo was a candidate for California's 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers East Los Angeles and includes El Monte, Monterey Park and West Covina in Greater Los Angeles....
seat, vacated by Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
. A California's 32nd Congressional District Special Election, 2009
California's 32nd congressional district special election, 2009
California's 32nd congressional district special election, 2009 occurred on July 14, 2009, to fill the vacancy in California's 32nd congressional district...
was held on May 19, 2009. Cedillo lost the Democratic primary against Board of Equalization Member Judy Chu
Judy Chu
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
.
Early years and education
Cedillo grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles and is a lifelong resident of the 22nd District. His father worked as a mechanic at American Can in Vernon and was a member of the United Steelworkers of America. His mother was a garment worker at Sears and Times-Mirror Press. Cedillo attended Lorena Street and Euclid Avenue Elementary, Stevenson Junior High and Roosevelt HighTheodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles)
See also Roosevelt High School for schools of the same nameTheodore Roosevelt High School is a high school located in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, California named for the 26th president of the United States....
where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, now Mayor of Los Angeles. At Roosevelt, he was varsity quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and excelled academically as well, receiving a full academic scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Cedillo graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 1977 and receiving a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the People's College of Law
People's College of Law
The People's College of Law is an unaccredited, private, non-profit law school located in Los Angeles, California. PCL offers a part-time, four-year evening law program centered around work in the public interest.-History:...
, an unaccredited law school in Los Angeles, in 1983. However, Cedillo failed the bar exam.
Private sector
Cedillo worked for the Service Employees International UnionService Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
(SEIU), Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
's largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. In his years as general manager, he protected youth programs and played a critical role in securing $364 million in federal assistance to ensure that the Los Angeles County Health Care system remained afloat. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
stated that his decision to provide funding "was reached after critical consultations with SEIU.".
Politics
Cedillo won a special election on January 13, 1998, to the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
's 46th district
California's 46th State Assembly district
California's 46th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democratic Speaker John A...
, and served there until 2002. In 2002, he was elected to the State Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants and as the author of the California DREAM Act
California DREAM Act
The California Dream Act is a package of California State Laws that allow children who were brought into the US under the age of 16 without proper visas/immigration documentation who have attended school on a regular basis and otherwise meet in-state tuition and GPA requirements to apply for...
, Cedillo has also worked on increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness and encouraging economic development in his Downtown Los Angeles district. Gil Cedillo is a member of the Council of La Raza.
Cedillo was reelected in 2006 in a landslide, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, the Libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
candidate, received 3,469 votes. He is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and is a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.
On September 28, 2006, Cedillo was arrested along with approximately 200 others for blocking Century Blvd. in front of LAX, during a protest supporting the right for employees to unionize at the LAX hotels. Several people missed their flights because of the protest.
Congressional candidate
Cedillo officially announced his candidacy for the 32nd Congressional District seat on January 8, 2009, which was vacated by Congresswoman Hilda SolisHilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
. Congresswoman Solis accepted an appointment from President-elect Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for United States Labor Secretary. Cedillo lost to Judy Chu
Judy Chu
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
, a former Monterey Park assemblywoman and vice-chairman of the State Board of Equalization. Despite Cedillo's long time relationship with organized labor, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, voted to endorse Chu. Cedillo received a majority of other major endorsements, including eight members of California's Congressional Delegation, LA Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, and more than 100 current and former public officials, including Senator Gloria Romero, Senator Ron Calderon, and Assemblymember Ed Chavez, who all dropped out of the race and endorsed Cedillo.
Cedillo was defeated in his 2009 bid for the 32d District seat. Chu received 15,338 votes (31.9%) while Cedillo received 11,244 votes, 31.9% to 23.4% in a primarily Latino district. Following his failed bid for U.S. Congress, Cedillo took over the California State Assembly's 45th District seat (which was vacated by Kevin DeLeon who won the 22d State Senate seat).
Cedillo served as chairman of California's Latino Congressional Caucus. In 2010, Cedillo authored California's SRC 113, a resolution for a statewide boycott of the State of Arizona, following Arizona's passage of SB 1070, an illegal immigration enforcement bill.
Cedillo is often referred to by opponents as "One Bill Gil," because of his repeated attempts to submit legislation authorizing California to issue drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Driver's licenses for illegal aliens
Cedillo has tried nine times since 1998 to get bills passed in the California State LegislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
that would allow illegal aliens to obtain driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
s. In 2001 and 2002, then-Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
vetoed two of Cedillo's bills that would have permitted licenses for illegal aliens. In the midst of the 2003 recall election, Davis backed and signed SB 60 (2003), Cedillo's driver's license bill. After Davis was recalled and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
became governor, the state legislature, with Schwarzenegger's support, repealed the new law before it went into effect. Senator Cedillo agreed to repeal the law he wrote under the agreement with the Governor to work on a bipartisan bill. In 2004, Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2895, an identical bill to Senator Cedillo's SB 1160 that stalled in the legislature, saying that it did not meet his security concerns. The governor wanted a "marked license" that was identifiable. AB 2895 was introduced to the legislature by one of Cedillo's closest allies, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
.
In 2005, Cedillo authored SB 60, another driver's license bill. He made new modifications to the proposal, specifying that illegal aliens would not be able to use the driver's license for identification purposes such as boarding airplanes, opening bank accounts, registering to vote, or other privileges that U.S. citizens enjoy. Again, Schwarzenegger refused to sign the bill, citing that it did not meet his security concerns. After Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, Cedillo threatened to file a lawsuit against the Governor because of his belief that the Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
misinterpreted SB 976 (1993) which first prohibited the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Illegal aliens who are in the process of becoming legal are considered to have authorized presence but not legal permanent residency status, and are known as people residing under the color of the law.
In 2006 and 2009, Cedillo again brought the proposal before the California legislature. Both failed.