Pat Wiggins
Encyclopedia
Patricia A. Wiggins is a former American
politician
and member of the Democratic party
. Wiggins served in the California State Assembly
, representing the 7th Assembly District
from 1998 until 2004, and in the California State Senate
from 2006 to 2010, representing the 2nd Senate District
. Wiggins previously served as a member of the Santa Rosa
city council.
's classic movie, The Great Waldo Pepper
, and her mother Grace was one of the first women ever to parachute.
, Solano
and Sonoma
counties) until she was forced out of office by term limits in December 2004. She served as Chair of the Local Government and Banking Committees. In 2000, as an Assemblywoman, Wiggins founded the Legislature's Smart Growth
Caucus (www.assembly.ca.gov/sgc), which grew to include 47 of the legislature's 120 members over the next few years. She is the author of AB 857 (statutes of 2002), pertaining to land use planning. AB 857 established California's spending priorities for future development to address sprawl, and to promote compact development. She is also the author of legislation to facilitate farmworker housing, to promote mixed use development, and to increase funding for agriculture.
Other legislative initiatives included:
In October 2001, then Wiggins brought together representatives of Napa County and all of its cities and urged them to plan collectively for the area's long-term housing needs. Local officials agreed, and went a step further by agreeing to work together on a comprehensive, county-wide land-use plan. Wiggins provided support throughout the process, which to date has resulted in significant agreements among the governmental entities involved. A comprehensive plan is expected in time for the next housing element cycle in 2007.
. In the Senate, Wiggins chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Public Employment & Retirement, the Senate Select Committee on California's Wine Industry, and the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries & Aquaculture.
During a Senate hearing on August 12th, 2008, Reverend Robert Jones
was testifying that politicians needed to engage communities in California to discuss the impact of global warming. Wiggins interrupted Jones saying "excuse me, but I think your arguments are bullshit." Wiggins was not reprimanded.
On February 17th, 2010, during the Joint Legislative Audit Committee meeting, Wiggins was heard yelling over a water canister and scolding her Senatorial aide.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and member of the Democratic party
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...
. Wiggins served 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...
, representing the 7th Assembly District
California's 7th State Assembly district
California's 7th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Michael Allen of Santa Rosa.-District profile:...
from 1998 until 2004, and in the California State Senate
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...
from 2006 to 2010, representing the 2nd Senate District
California's 2nd State Senate district
California's 2nd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa.-District profile:...
. Wiggins previously served as a member of the Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
city council.
Background
Wiggins is a second-generation Californian and a resident of Santa Rosa since 1985. She is married to Guy Conner, a computer software engineer, with whom she has two stepsons, Jim and Steve Silverman, and three grandchildren. Her father, Ralph Wiggins, was the stuntman responsible for the wing-walking maneuvers in Robert RedfordRobert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
's classic movie, The Great Waldo Pepper
The Great Waldo Pepper
The Great Waldo Pepper is a 1975 drama film directed, produced, and co-written by George Roy Hill. It stars Robert Redford as a discontented airplane pilot in the years 1926-1931....
, and her mother Grace was one of the first women ever to parachute.
State Assembly
Wiggins represented the 7th District (NapaNapa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
, Solano
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
and Sonoma
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
counties) until she was forced out of office by term limits in December 2004. She served as Chair of the Local Government and Banking Committees. In 2000, as an Assemblywoman, Wiggins founded the Legislature's Smart Growth
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
Caucus (www.assembly.ca.gov/sgc), which grew to include 47 of the legislature's 120 members over the next few years. She is the author of AB 857 (statutes of 2002), pertaining to land use planning. AB 857 established California's spending priorities for future development to address sprawl, and to promote compact development. She is also the author of legislation to facilitate farmworker housing, to promote mixed use development, and to increase funding for agriculture.
Other legislative initiatives included:
- AB 2878 (2001), which would have required cities to swap a portion of their sales taxSales taxA sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
revenue with counties for a portion of the counties' property tax revenue. - AB 1268 (initial version) (2003) which would have established statewide urban growth boundariesUrban growth boundaryAn urban growth boundary, or UGB, is a regional boundary, set in an attempt to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for higher density urban development and the area outside be used for lower density development.An urban growth boundary circumscribes an...
and inclusionary zoningInclusionary zoningInclusionary zoning, also known as inclusionary housing, is an American term which refers to municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes...
. - AB 2924 (2004) which would have provided grants to install solar panels on publicly subsidized housing developments.
In October 2001, then Wiggins brought together representatives of Napa County and all of its cities and urged them to plan collectively for the area's long-term housing needs. Local officials agreed, and went a step further by agreeing to work together on a comprehensive, county-wide land-use plan. Wiggins provided support throughout the process, which to date has resulted in significant agreements among the governmental entities involved. A comprehensive plan is expected in time for the next housing element cycle in 2007.
State Senate
Wiggins was elected to the California State Senate in November 2006, and on August 23, 2009, Wiggins announced that she would not run for re-election in 2010.. In the Senate, Wiggins chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Public Employment & Retirement, the Senate Select Committee on California's Wine Industry, and the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries & Aquaculture.
Controversies
Speculation began in March, 2010, as to whether or not Wiggins may have suffered from dementia and if she was fit to continue serving as a California State Senator. This speculation was based on some events that happened in the last two years of Wiggins' tenure as a Senator:During a Senate hearing on August 12th, 2008, Reverend Robert Jones
Robert Jones
Robert Jones or Rob Jones or Bob Jones or Bobby Jones may refer to:-Politics:*Robert Jones , British Conservative politician, MP 1983–1997...
was testifying that politicians needed to engage communities in California to discuss the impact of global warming. Wiggins interrupted Jones saying "excuse me, but I think your arguments are bullshit." Wiggins was not reprimanded.
On February 17th, 2010, during the Joint Legislative Audit Committee meeting, Wiggins was heard yelling over a water canister and scolding her Senatorial aide.