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November 01, 2006
The Honorable Debra Bowen, California State Senator (D, Redondo Beach), 11-3-06
A lawmaker for more than a decade, Senator Debra Bowen continues to focus her attention on helping Californians improve their quality of life. Helping people take part in our democracy and get access to state government, giving them tools to protect their privacy and their pocketbook, and investing in California's natural resources and its children are the underlying themes that sum up Senator Bowen’s overall approach to being a state lawmaker.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Bowen graduated from Michigan State University in 1976 and earned her law degree from the University of Virginia in 1979. In 1984, she started her own California law firm specializing in small business start-ups, tax law, land use, and environmental issues, while her long history of community activism began when she got involved with her local Neighborhood Watch program. Bowen was elected to represent the 53rd Assembly District in 1992 and was re-elected in 1994 and 1996 before being elected to represent the 28th Senate District in 1998. Bowen was re-elected to her second and final four-year Senate term in 2002, representing the reapportioned 28th District which stretches from Venice in the north, down the coast to Redondo Beach, then east to include all or parts of Carson, San Pedro, Long Beach, and Wilmington.
Senator Bowen’s SB 370 (2005) requires all election results to be audited using the paper record produced by the new electronic voting machines. Her landmark, first-in-the-nation SB 168 (2001) makes it much more difficult for criminals to commit identity theft. Regarding protecting the environment and energy resources, Senator Bowen’s SB 1298 (2000) required the Air Resources Board to adopt strict emissions standards for distributed power generation facilities. Her SB 1143 (2002) sought to require the California Energy Commission to significantly increase the amount of renewable electrical power generated in the state.
Senator Bowen is the chairwoman of the Senate Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee and serves on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees.
Posted by David Lemberg at November 1, 2006 03:12 PM Return to SCIENCE AND SOCIETY home page