Joe Simitian
Encyclopedia
Saren Joseph Simitian is a Democratic California State Senator
elected in 2004. Simitian represents the 11th Senate District
, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo
, Santa Clara
, and Santa Cruz
counties.
Simitian chairs the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources. He is the author of California's 20% renewable energy portfolio standard
and California's data breach notification law, which requires companies and agencies to notify individuals when their personal information is compromised.
Simitian also authored several high profile transportation safety laws, including California's hands-free cell phone bill.
, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Mountain View
, Saratoga
, and Stanford, as well as portions of Sunnyvale
and San Jose
).
's 21st District
in November 2000, and re-elected to a second term in November 2002.
in November 2004 and is currently serving as State Senator for District 11. He defeated former Assemblyman and San Mateo County Supervisor Ted Lempert in the Democratic primary election, also prevailing in the general election. Simitian was re-elected to a second term in 2008. His current term ends in 2012.
According to the New York Times:
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
elected in 2004. Simitian represents the 11th Senate District
California's 11th State Senate district
California's 11th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Joe Simitian of Palo Alto.-District profile:...
, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, Santa Clara
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
counties.
Simitian chairs the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources. He is the author of California's 20% renewable energy portfolio standard
Renewable Portfolio Standard
A Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
and California's data breach notification law, which requires companies and agencies to notify individuals when their personal information is compromised.
Simitian also authored several high profile transportation safety laws, including California's hands-free cell phone bill.
Family
Joe Simitian is married to Mary Hughes, a Bay Area political consultant. Simitian proposed to Hughes on election night in 1996 upon being elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.Education
- Palo Alto High SchoolPalo Alto High SchoolPalo Alto Senior High School, known locally as "Paly," was founded in 1898 and is one of the oldest high schools in the region. Located in Palo Alto, California, United States, Paly is nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is adjacent to Stanford University. Paly is known for its academically...
Class of 1970 - Bachelor of Arts in Political SciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, cum laude (with academic honors), Colorado CollegeColorado CollegeThe Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... - Master of Arts, International Policy Studies, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
- Master of City Planning, University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
- Juris Doctor, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Early political career
Joe Simitian served as President of the Palo Alto School Board from 1983 to 1991. He was on the Palo Alto City Council from 1992 to 1996 and served as Mayor for part of that time.Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Simitian was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in November 1996. From 1997 to 2000 he represented District 5 (Los AltosLos Altos
Los Altos is the name of several places, including:* the former state of Los Altos, Central America, now divided between Guatemala and Mexico.* the city of Los Altos, California, in the United States....
, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Mountain View
Mountain View
-Canada:*Mountain View County, Alberta, a municipal district*Mountain View, Alberta, a hamlet in Cardston County*Mountain View, Ontario, a community in Prince Edward County*Mountain View No...
, Saratoga
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
, and Stanford, as well as portions of Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale may refer to:*Sunnyvale, California, a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, and the most populous place with this name*Sunnyvale, Auckland, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand*Sunnyvale, Otago, a suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand...
and San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
).
State Assembly
Simitian was elected 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 21st District
California's 21st State Assembly district
California's 21st State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Rich Gordon of Menlo Park.-District profile:San Mateo County - 30.22%*Atherton*East Palo Alto...
in November 2000, and re-elected to a second term in November 2002.
State Senate
Simitian was elected to the California State SenateCalifornia State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
in November 2004 and is currently serving as State Senator for District 11. He defeated former Assemblyman and San Mateo County Supervisor Ted Lempert in the Democratic primary election, also prevailing in the general election. Simitian was re-elected to a second term in 2008. His current term ends in 2012.
Legislation
Some of Joe Simitian's notable pieces of legislation include:- AB 700: Security breach notification law (2001)
- AB 2140: Criminalize elder abuseElder abuseElder abuse is a general term used to describe certain types of harm to older adults. Other terms commonly used include: "elder mistreatment," "senior abuse," "abuse in later life," "abuse of older adults," "abuse of older women," and "abuse of older men."...
(2002) - AB 2474: AntifreezeAntifreezeAntifreeze is a freeze preventive used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters....
bittering (2002) - AB 2672: Cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
sewageSewageSewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
dumping ban (2004) - SB 107: 20% Renewable energy portfolioRenewable Portfolio StandardA Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
(2005) - SB 201: Sustainable marine aquacultureAquacultureAquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
(2005) - SB 1613: Hands-free cell phone lawMobile phones and driving safetyMobile phone use while driving is common, but dangerous. Due to the number of accidents that are related to cell phone use while driving, some jurisdictions have made the use of a cell phone while driving illegal. Others have enacted laws to ban handheld mobile phone use, but allow use of a...
(2006) - SB 28: Prohibition on texting while driving (2007)
- SB 1298: Education information system (2008)
According to the New York Times:
Simitian, who led a successful fight to ban motorists from sending text messages and using hand-held phones, has reintroduced a bill that failed last year to fine bicyclists $20 for similar multitasking. . . . Mr. Simitian is proposing the $20 fine on bicyclists who send text messages and a $30 increase on the existing $20 penalty for doing the same activity while driving a car, a difference that he said reflects the relative risk the behavior poses to others.
“At some point,” he said, “you do have to simply rely on the good judgment of folks as they go through their daily lives.”
Mr. Simitian added that he believed that efforts to legislate against distraction outside the car could diminish the seriousness of hard-fought campaigns and laws meant to curb distracted driving.
“Is there a problem out there with distracted pedestrians? I’d be the first to acknowledge it,” he said. But, he added, “It’s appropriate to distinguish between 4,000 pounds of steel and glass coming at you and a pedestrian who may well put themselves at risk but probably poses less of a risk to the general public.”
Committees
Simitian serves on the following Senate committees:- Chair, Environmental Quality Committee
- Member, Budget Committee
- Chair, Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy, and Transportation
- Member, Education Committee
- Member, Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee
- Member, Natural Resources and Water Committee
- Member, Transportation and Housing Committee
- Chair, Select Committee on Privacy
- Chair, Select Committee on Delta Conservation, Conveyance, and Governance
- Member, Select Committee on Delta Stewardship and Sustainability
- Member, Select Committee on Climate Change and A.B. 32 Implementation
Awards
Simitian has received the following awards (partial list):- Californians Against WasteCalifornians Against WasteCalifornians Against Waste is an American environmental advocacy organization that takes action on local, state and national levels to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution through the expansion of a recycling economy...
, Legislator of the Year - Palo Alto Educators Association, Friend of Education Award
- Sierra Club, In Recognition of a Lifetime of Commitment
- Palo Alto Stanford Heritage Award, Preservationist of the Year
- Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, Friend of BAYMEC Award
- Junior Statesman Foundation, Distinguished Leader Award
- Housing Action Coalition, Housing Leadership Award
- Billy DeFrank Lesbian and Gay Community Center, Friend of the DeFrank Center Award
Current
- Board of Directors, American Leadership Forum – Silicon Valley
- Board of Advisors, Adolescent Counseling Services
- Board of Advisors, O'Neill Sea OdysseyO'Neill Sea OdysseyO'Neill Sea Odyssey is a non-profit organization located in Santa Cruz, California . It was founded in 1996 by wet suit innovator Jack O'Neill and provides students with hands-on lessons on marine habitat and the relationship between the oceans and the environment.The program provides a free...
- Honorary Council Member, Leadership Mountain View
- Advisory Team, San Mateo County Service Learning Project
- Trustee Emeritus, Junior State of AmericaJunior State of AmericaThe Junior State of America is an American non-partisan student-run youth organization. It is also the largest high school student-run organization in the country...
Past
- Co-Chair, Housing Leadership Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
- Board of Advisors, Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc.
- Board of Directors, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley NetworkSilicon Valley NetworkSilicon Valley Network is an initiative to create free wireless coverage throughout the Bay Area, or at least in San Francisco and the Peninsula....
- Steering Committee, Bay Area Council
- Member, California UN 50 Committee
- Explorer Scouts Advisor, Law Explorer Post No. 804
- North County Allocations Committee, United Way of Santa Clara County
- President, Friends of the Children's Theatre
- President of the Santa Clara County School Boards' Association
- President of the League of California Cities Peninsula Division
- Chairperson of the Santa Clara County Intergovernmental Council (IGC)
- Representative of the President of the United States, 1994 U.S. Delegation to Observe Elections in El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
- Elections Supervisor, 1997 and 1998 BosnianBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
Elections - Volunteer, International Rescue CommitteeInternational Rescue CommitteeThe International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
(IRC) 1999 refugee relief and resettlement efforts in AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...