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Revision as of 20:55, 7 July 2014 by Ericablang (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Kevin de León | |
|---|---|
 de Léon in 2012 | |
| Member of the California Senate from the 22nd district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 6, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Gil Cedillo |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 45th district | |
| In office December 4, 2006 – December 6, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jackie Goldberg |
| Succeeded by | Gil Cedillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | San Diego, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Lluvia |
| Residence(s) | Los Angeles, California |
| Alma mater | Pitzer College University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Occupation | Senior Associate, National Education Association |
| Website | http://www.kevindeleon.com/ |
Kevin de León is a Democratic member of the California State Senate, elected to serve Los Angeles County's 22nd Senatorial district in November 2010. The district includes Downtown Los Angeles, East Hollywood, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Mt. Washington, Lincoln Heights, South Los Angeles, the Cities of Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, Vernon and Maywood, and unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County.
Political career
De León served four years as a State Assembly member for the 45th district that included Hollywood, Thai Town, Little Armenia, Historic Filipiniotown, Echo Park, Chinatown, El Sereno, Silverlake, Atwater Village, Mount Washington, Montecito Heights, Highland Park, Glassell Park and East Los Angeles.
Throughout his legislative career, De León focused much of his efforts on bills affecting the environment, the working poor, immigration and public safety. He was instrumental in last year's passage of a bill providing driver's licenses to immigrants in the country illegally, and made national headlines in 2012 by proposing a first-of-its-kind, state-run retirement savings plan for low-income workers.
During his eight years representing Los Angeles in the Legislature, de León has pressed the concerns of immigrants, low-wage workers and families suffering from gang violence. He has championed bills that restrict the sale of ammunition, improve energy efficiency in schools, expand urban park space, give driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and require overtime pay for domestic workers.
Kevin de León has been linked to an ongoing scandal of illegal payments/bribes, and federal investigation of his fellow CA Senator Ronald S. Calderon. Kevin de León denied involvement in the scandal, in December 2013. As of July 2014, de León has not been charged with any wrongdoing in relation to the Calderon case. A letter was released by the assistant U.S. attorney in charge of the case reporting that de León, "is a witness, not a target in the federal investigation." California’s political watchdog chose not to investigate de León saying that there was no substantial evidence he played a role in the scandal.
In Feburuary 2014, the media has reported that Senator DeLeon is included in the list of 37 California state politicians warned by the FPPC after their campaigns were benefited by California lobbyist Kevin Sloat. Sloat was found guilty of violating state laws in regard to lobbying and was subsequently ordered to pay $133,500 in fines for his actions.
Federal prosecutors have written a letter that says de León is a witness, not a target, in their investigation. And California’s political watchdog has decided not to investigate de León, saying there is no evidence he played a role in the $25,000 payment to Calderon’s brother’s group.
De León’s supporters say allegations in the affidavit reflect Calderon’s fictional boasting. They say supporters of de León’s main opponent for the pro tem position, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier of Concord, are unfairly using the Calderon scandal to cast doubt on de León’s ability to hold the post.
Career
De León taught English as a Second Language and U.S. Citizenship. During his five years at the California Teachers Association, De León worked to procure more funding for "high-priority schools" in low-income neighborhoods, more school construction, and health insurance for children. He also worked as a Senior Associate for the National Education Association in Washington, D.C.
Personal life
De León attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and received his degree from Pitzer College at the Claremont Colleges with Honors. He lives in Los Angeles and has one daughter.
De León is a member of the Alliance for a better California and the California Teachers Association.
Gun control
De León is an advocate of gun control. He proposed an annual permit tax of up to $50 to pay for background checks for criminal records and mental illness. In February 2008, as an assemblyman, De Léon introduced AB 2062 regulating sales of handgun ammunition; the bill passed the Assembly but died in the Senate. In December 2012, De León introduced Bill SB 53 in the California Legislature, in which he proposed stricter gun control by requiring ammunition buyer permit requirement and face-to-face ammo sales only at licensed dealers. De Leon has also criticized NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
DeLeon was the sponsor and author of California Assembly Bill 962 (AB 962) a gun control law in California, later signed into law by Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger on October 11, 2009. AB 962 was set to take effect on February 1, 2011, but was ruled unconstitutional by Fresno Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Hamilton on January 18, 2011, in Parker v. California.
DeLeon drew the ire of gun rights advocates following a January, 2014 press conference, in which he incorrectly used various pieces of weapon terminology interchangeably. He did so in a way that both contradicted the actual functions of those items, and incorrectly claimed that a semiautomatic firearm was capable of firing as many as thirty rounds in one half of one second, which is a higher rate of fire than the MG 42 heavy machine gun and similar to that of the airplane-mounted GAU-12 Equalizer:
This is a ghost gun. This right here has ability, with a thirty caliber clip, to disperse thirty bullets within half a second. Thirty magazine clip... in half a second.
On August 15, 2013, Senate Bill 53 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and put on the suspense file. This indicates that the bill is suspended from further committee action
See also
References
- http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-kevin-de-leon-20140619-story.html#page=1
- http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/01/05/3424401/kevin-de-leon-aims-to-move-past.html#storylink=cpy
- McGreevy, Patrick (December 16, 2013). "Sen. Kevin De Leon denies role in contribution to Calderon group". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
- Patrick, McGreevy. "Setback put Kevin de León on the path to Senate leadership". http://www.latimes.com. Eddy Hartenstein. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - Rosenhall, Laurel. "Kevin de León aims to move past Calderon scandal to lead Senate". http://www.sacbee.com. Cheryl Dell. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/11/6146072/record-setting-fine-hits-sacramento.html
- http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/01/05/3424401/kevin-de-leon-aims-to-move-past.html#storylink=cpy
- http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/59926/kevin-de-leon#.U7sG4xZeclI
- Sen. Kevin De Leon leads gun control campaign in California
- "State Assembly Narrowly Approves Legislation to Require Handgun Ammunition Dealers to be Licensed". YubaNet.com. May 30, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- California State Legislature
- State Sen. Kevin de Leon talks gun control and the NRA
- http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0951-1000/ab_962_bill_20091011_chaptered.html
- http://www.crpa.org/_e/page/1597/mr01_18_2011.htm
- Video on YouTube
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml
External links
Categories:
- Living people
- California Democrats
- California State Senators
- Teachers of English as a second or foreign language
- American gun control advocates
- Hispanic and Latino American politicians
- Members of the California State Assembly
- National Education Association
- Politicians from San Diego, California
- Politicians from Los Angeles, California
- Pitzer College alumni
- University of California, Santa Barbara alumni