Dominic L. Cortese

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Dominic L. Cortese (born 1932) is a former California State Assemblyman who served from 1980 until 1996. For most of his career, Cortese was a moderate Democrat, but in 1995 he gained national attention when he became a member of Ross Perot's Reform Party. He was the highest ranking elected official of the newly formed party at the time. There were international media reports of this event, including the fact that Cortese was being considered by Perot to be his Vice Presidential running mate in the 1996 election. For the first time in the history of the state there was a third party. Procedural matters such as rule waivers now had to be referred to all three parties, including the Reform Party one-man caucus. The Chief Clerk advised Cortese that he had cast over two hundred and fifty decisive votes (41st) during the session. He was welcomed to attend both Republican and Democratic caucuses, which he refrained from doing.

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[edit] Assembly career

Cortese served as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Local Government for years. In 1990, he switched to become the chairman of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife. He carried the landmark Cortese-Knox Local Government Reorganization Act, which is still called a "best seller" by the State Printing Office and is the guide for all local government annexations, boundaries, formations, detachments and new cities. He was asked to chair the Committee on Water Parks and Wildlife by then Speaker Willie Brown, during the period of California's 7-year drought, to act as a facilitator between rural, urban and residential water users including north vs. south, and spent an extensive amount of time to that end visiting those entities around the state. He authored key legislation involving the fisheries, water use and the method whereby the State Parks System would award concessions. The latter was especially the result of hearings he held regarding the scandal at Asilomar State Park in Monterey County. Registration of toxic storage facilities and underground tanks was part of a package that led to a registry called "the Cortese list".

The one bill that Cortese speaks of as being his most rewarding is a bill that required insurance companies to cover the cost of mammograms. After at a two-year battle with insurance company opposition, the bill was signed into law and has saved lives. He also carried the Constitutional Amendment that allowed local school districts to get voter approval for school bonds by a fifty percent vote. He carried the bill that guaranteed the vehicle license for local governments. As chair of the Local Government committee, Cortese was asked to intervene in the San Bruno Mountain dispute in Millbrae and was recognized by both sides as an "official" mediator. After countless hours of meetings, the dispute which had been ongoing for many years was resolved without legislation and without further litigation. Cortese also carried the legislation that led to the settlement of the Pete's Harbor dispute in nearby Redwood City which had been litigated for fourteen years prior between the venerable Pete Uccelli and the State Lands Commission.

In addition to chairing his own committee, Cortese at one point in his legislative career was asked by the Speaker to serve on eight additional committees. He also chaired a Select Committee on Neighborhood Violence, a Select Committee on Childcare, and a Committee on Wine Production and Economy under which he held numerous hearings around the state and established the groundbreaking rule for reciprocal shipping. The work of that committee was recognized nationally by the National Conference of State Legislatures, and Cortese was asked to chair a counterpart committee on the national level. That committee eventually held hearings across the entire country. He was the Speaker's appointee to the Seismic Safety Commission and the Little Hoover Commission. Legislation he carried for the Seismic Safety Commission included a long overdue update of the Uniform Building Code. Cortese carried a resolution creating the California Italian American Task Force, the membership of which was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson and included outstanding members of the Italian American community throughout the state. Inquiries were received from all over the country.

[edit] Speakership battle

Cortese was one of the Democrats that Republicans hoped to win over when they were struggling to gain the speakership in 1995. Brown had Assemblyman Dick Mountjoy expelled, so the Republicans only had 40 votes when they needed 41. Without Paul Horcher and Cortese, the Democrats had only 39 votes and one vacancy. Horcher, scorned by the Republicans in his earlier election, became an Independent and voted for Brown on the first roll call. Cortese abstained, but cast the single deciding vote on the second roll call with his wife sitting next to him at his desk. Cortese met privately with Jim Brulte, Brown's Republican adversary, and later with Brown and Horcher upon entering the Assembly chambers earlier that day.

[edit] Pre-Assembly career

Cortese served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from 1969 until 1980. It was his first election attempt during a period of heavy social unrest, and involved an extremely active campaign which led to his defeat of an entrenched sixteen-year incumbent. Cortese won two subsequent re-elections and during his tenure chaired the Board three times. He also chaired the Local Agency Formation District twice, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation District (which he was instrumental in creating) twice, and the Local Criminal Justice Planning Board created by Governor Ronald Reagan. He served as the Board's representative on the Regional Air Quality Board, the Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission, and ABAG. He was the Board's delegate to the local Economic Opportunity Commission (Federal War on Poverty). When the EOC was under threat of takeover by the Federal government, Cortese – along with two other local officials – founded the Economic and Social Opportunities Commission (ESO) which still exists. He was asked to meet with President Jimmy Carter during the 1979 oil crisis after his proposal to nationalize the oil companies was adopted by his Board and other cities and counties throughout the state. He was a founding member of the California Association of LAFCOS and was its President twice. From 1969 through 1980, the Board created the Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Human Relations Commission and established the countywide regional parks program by vote of the people.

[edit] Education

Cortese received of Bachelors of Science degree from Santa Clara University. He graduated from Pala Middle School in San Jose and graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory High School in 1950. He holds an Honorary Law Degree from Lincoln Law School. A college ROTC graduate, Cortese served for two years in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant.

[edit] Personal

Cortese is a Roman Catholic. He is married to Suzanne and has five successful adult children and nine grandchildren. One of his sons, David, currently serves on the San Jose City Council. He ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of San Jose in 2006, although he was chosen by newly elected Mayor Chuck Reed to serve as the City's Vice Mayor. Dave is currently a candidate for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, a seat his father was elected to nearly forty years ago. Together they have nearly forty years of continuous public service. The Cortese family eventually farmed extensive area in the Santa Clara Valley pioneered by Italian immigrant parents who, in their own right, became highly recognized for their contributions to the community. One of Dominic's proudest moments was the recognition he received as Honorary Citizen at a citywide townhall meeting in his father's hometown of Trabia, Italy. The record of the event was read and recorded into the Daily Journal during legislative proceedings in Sacramento. Although the family transitioned into development under obvious pressures of growth, they farmed and operated family fruit stand in the Evergreen area of San Jose until very recently. As benefactors, he and his wife Suzanne are members of the Wilson Society of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. They are members of the Felice Foundation created by Dr. Leo Buscaglia.

[edit] Election history

  • Elected to Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors 1968; re-elected in 1972,1976
  • Elected to the California State Legislature in 1980, Re-elected 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994
  • Reform Party Candidate 13th State Senate District 1996.
  • Elected to Alum Rock School Board (his elementary school) in 1998 to four-year term. He chaired the Board twice.

[edit] External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Leona H. Egeland		 California State Assemblyman, 24th District
1980-1992		 Succeeded by
Chuck Quackenbush
Preceded by
John Vasconcellos		 California State Assemblyman, 23rd District
1992-1996		 Succeeded by
Mike Honda