Darrell Steinberg

Darrell Steinberg
Steinberg in 2008
President pro tempore of the California State Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office December 1, 2008
Preceded by	Don Perata
Member of the California State Senate from the 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 4, 2006
Preceded by	Deborah Ortiz
Member of the California State Assembly from the 9th district
In office December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2004
Preceded by	Deborah Ortiz
Succeeded by	Dave Jones
Personal details
Born	(1959-10-15) October 15, 1959 San Francisco, California
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Julie Steinberg
Children	Jordana Ari
Residence	Sacramento, California
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.), University of California, Davis School of Law (J.D.)
Profession	Politician, Lawyer
Religion	Jewish

Darrell Steven Steinberg (born October 15, 1959) is a Democratic politician from Sacramento, California. He is currently serving his second term in the California State Senate, representing the 6th District. He has been the Senate President Pro Tem since 2008. Steinberg had previously served as a member of the California State Assembly (1998–2004) and as a member of the Sacramento City Council (1992–1998).

Education and early career

Steinberg received a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall).

Steinberg worked as an Employee Rights Attorney for the California State Employees Association for 10 years and as an Administrative Law Judge and mediator.

Steinberg served on the Sacramento City Council representing the 6th District, where he founded Sacramento START (Students Today Achieving Results for Tomorrow), a free literacy-based public/private after-school program.

California State Assembly

Darrell Steinberg was a member of the California State Assembly from 1998 until he was termed out in 2004.

Steinberg served as Chair of the Assembly Committees on Budget, Appropriations, Judiciary, Labor and Employment, and the Select Committee on High Priority Schools. He authored 70 bills that were signed into law that included expansions to mental health, helping low performing schools, expanding after-school programs, extending Title IX, creating the Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation (SECAT) program to improve Central Valley air quality, and several bills in the areas of consumer protection and public safety.

While in the Assembly, he co-authored the 2004 California Ballot Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which imposes a 1% tax on incomes of $1,000,000 or more for mental health funding. He co-authored "Prop 63" with mental health lobbyist, Sherman Russell Selix, Jr. He also served as a Commissioner for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (2004–2009).

The 9th District

In the 2000s, the 9th district included the city of Sacramento and some of the unincorporated urban and suburban areas south of the city.

State Senate

Steinberg is the President pro Tempore of the California State Senate. In February 2008, he was selected by Senate Democrats to become Pro Tem in the next legislative session, when the incumbent would be termed-out. He took office in November 2008 as the first Senate leader from Sacramento since 1883.

Before being elevated to Pro Tem, he was Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. He also chaired the Senate Select Committee on High School Graduation., the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, and the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.

As a member of the State Senate, Steinberg continued many of the same causes he had undertaken as a member of the Assembly. He continued his work on improving test scores, aiding under performing schools, lowering dropout rates, and improving the state's mental health system. In 2007, Steinberg introduced a bill to cap at 20 the number of hours high school students can work after school if their grade point average is not 2.5 or higher.

The 6th District

The 6th District includes the capital city of Sacramento parts of Elk Grove and Citrus Heights.

Personal

Steinberg is married to his wife Julie and has two children.

External links

• State Senate Website
• November 2010 interview at qu3stions.com
• Interview on PMAKid.com

Political offices
Preceded by Kim Mueller	Sacramento City Council, 6th District 1992–1998	Succeeded by Dave Jones
Preceded by Deborah Ortiz	California State Assembly, 9th District December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2004
Preceded by Sheila Kuehl	California State Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair 2000–2002	Succeeded by Ellen Corbett
Preceded by Carole Migden	California State Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair 2002–2004	Succeeded by Judy Chu
Preceded by Deborah Ortiz	California State Senate, 6th District December 4, 2006	Incumbent
Preceded by Don Perata	President pro tempore of the California State Senate November 30, 2008	Incumbent