State Senator Sheila Kuehl endorses Mary Pallant (CA-24)

by thereisnospoon [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Disclaimer: I volunteer as the Netroots Outreach Coordinator for the Mary Pallant Campaign

Mary Pallant's campaign (which I have written about here, here, here and elsewhere) got a big new boost today: the endorsement of progressive CA State Senator Sheila Kuehl.
Of course, Sheila Kuehl needs no introduction to regular Calitics readers: she has progressive credentials most of us can only dream of.  She was the first openly gay person in the California legislature, and she has been an incredible advocate for issues across the progressive spectrum from universal healthcare to the environment to civil rights.  Her signature issue of late has been the passage of SB 840, the California Universal Healthcare Act.  Sheila's bio speaks for itself, of course:

Sheila James Kuehl was elected to the State Senate in 2000 and again in 2004 after serving for six years in the State Assembly. During the 1997-98 legislative session, she was the first woman in California history to be named Speaker pro Tempore of the Assembly. She is also the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the California Legislature. A former pioneering civil rights attorney and law professor, Sen. Kuehl represents the 23rd Senate District in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. She is the chair of the Senate Health Committee and sits on the Agriculture, Appropriations, Environmental Quality, Joint Rules, Judiciary, Labor and Employment, and Natural Resources and Water Committees.  Ms. Kuehl is also chair of the Select Committee on School Safety and Chair of the Select Committee on the Health Effects of Radioactive and Chemical Contamination.  Senator Kuehl served as chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee from 2000-2006.

In her thirteen years in the State Legislature, Sen. Kuehl has authored 171 bills that have been signed into law, including legislation to establish paid family leave, establish the rights contained in Roe vs. Wade in California statute, overhaul California's child support services system; establish nurse to patient ratios in every hospital; require that housing developments of more than 500 units have identified sources of water; further protect domestic violence victims and their children; prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender and disability in the workplace and sexual orientation in education; increase the rights of crime victims; safeguard the environment and drinking water; many, many others.  Since 2003, she has led the fight in the legislature to achieve true universal health care in California, and, in 2006, brought SB 840, the California Universal Healthcare Act,  to the Governor's desk, the first time in U.S. history a single-payer healthcare bill had gone so far. Undaunted by its veto, Senator Kuehl continues to work to bring universal, affordable, quality health care to all Californians.

The Mary Pallant campaign is obviously honored to have State Senator Kuhl's endorsement.  As the true progressive in the race to unseat Elton Gallegly in CA-24, the endorsement is a perfect fit for us in our quest to give this district the sort of progressive representation its people deserve.

State Senator Kuehl is another in a long line of Democrats to support Mary's campaign as we head into the decisive June 3rd primary.  Other endorsements include:

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

California Nurses Association, CNA

Calitics Editorial Board A progressive open source news organization for California politics

International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America - UAW

Political Action Committee, Cal State University Channel Islands (CSUCI)

Progressive Democrats of America

Progressive Democrats of Ventura County

Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles

Progressive Democrats of Santa Monica Mountains

Individuals:

Cindy Asner , Activist, Board Member for California Clean Money

Jane Bright, Gold Star Families for Peace

Jeff Cohen, Author

Ray Cordova, Chair, South County Labor, AFL-CIO

Maureen Cruise, "Run Mary, Run!" Delegate for the 41st Assembly District

Rebecca Curtis, English Professor, Union Leader SMCFA

Ralph Erikson, Past president Malibu Democratic Club; retired Judge

Richard Francis, Attorney and Founder of SOAR (Save Our Open Space and Agricultural Resources

Lila Garrett, Host, KPFK Connect The Dots

Gary Gray, Professor; Musician/Composer

Susan Haskell, Consultant

Rita Henry

Larry Janss, Community Leader

Jim Kalember, Ex-Officio, 5-term publicly elected Trustee of the Oak Park Unified School District in Ventura County, CA

Sheila Kuehl, State Senator 23rd District California

Coby King, Co-Chair of Rules Committee, California Democratic Party

Hank Lacayo, President, California Congress of Seniors

Leah Lacayo, Ventura County Fair Board

Marie Lakin, NWPC VC

Rick Lebeck, Teacher, CTA Union Member

Sue Lebeck, Teacher, CTA Union Member

Trudi Loh, Attorney, Political Consultant

Ahjamu Makalani, Vice Chair, Progressive Caucus

Margie Murray, Vice President VDU, LACDCC

Jeff Norman, US Tour of Duty - "Mary Pallant is the real deal.  Blessed with a luminous heart and mind, she makes great things happen with seeming ease.  What more do you want?"

Thom O'Shaughnessy, OD Committee, California Democratic Party; Irish American Caucus

Brad Parker, President, Valley Democrats United; Member at Large Progressive Caucus

Fran Pavley, Former Assemblymember 41st AD; current candidate for State Senate District 23 Progressive Democrats of America

Dorothy Reik, President, PDSMM

Scott Ritter, Author, Former Marine, Former Weapons Inspector

Lyn Shaw, Chair, Women's Caucus California Democratic Party

Carol Smith, RN Mayor, City of Ojai

David Swanson, Washington Director of Democrats.com and of ImpeachPAC.org. He is co-founder of the AfterDowningStreet.org / CensureBush.org coalition, creator of KatrinaMarch.org, and a board member of Progressive Democrats of America.

Norman Solomon, Author of "Made Love, Got War" and "War Made Easy" (How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death). Nationally syndicated journalist, media critic and antiwar activist.

Wayne Williams, Photographer, Activist

Marsha Williams, Producer

Marcy Winograd, President, PDLA; 41st AD Eboard Rep

If you would like to support Mary's campaign to take back CA-24, please consider making a donation here.  I'll be back with a final update on the race after the primary!