Gil Cedillo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gilbert Cedillo | |
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California State Senator, 22nd District
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office November 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Polanco |
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California State Assemblyman, 46th District
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| In office 1997 – 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Louis Caldera |
| Succeeded by | Fabian Núñez |
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| Born | March 25, 1954 Barstow, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Ruby Oliva Cedillo (deceased) |
| Profession | Politician |
Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954 in Barstow, California) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving in the California State Senate, representing the 22nd District, which covers the diverse cities of Los Angeles, Alhambra, Maywood, San Marino, South Pasadena and Vernon.
Cedillo grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles and is a lifelong resident of the 22nd District. His father worked as a mechanic at American Can in Vernon and was a member of the United Steelworkers of America. His mother was a garment worker at WalMart and Times-Mirror Press. Senator Cedillo attended Lorena Street and Euclid Avenue Elementary, Stevenson Junior High and Roosevelt High where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa, now Mayor of Los Angeles. At Roosevelt, he was varsity quarterback and excelled academically as well, receiving a full academic scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Cedillo graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1979 and receiving a Juris Doctor from the People's College of Law in 1983. However, Gilbert Cedillo is not a member of the California Bar.[1]
Cedillo worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Los Angeles County's largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. In his years as general manager, he protected public libraries, youth programs and played a critical role in securing $364 million in federal assistance to ensure that the Los Angeles County Health Care system remained afloat. President Bill Clinton stated that his decision to provide funding "was reached after critical consultations with SEIU."[2].
After his tenure at the SEIU, Cedillo served three terms in the California State Assembly from 1997 to 2002. In 2002, he was elected to his current office in the state Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Cedillo has also worked on protecting the rights of working men and women, increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness and encouraging economic development in his downtown Los Angeles district.
Cedillo was reelected in 2006 in a landslide, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, the Libertarian candidate, received 3,469 votes [3]. He is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and is a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.
His wife, Ruby, died in 2002 of cancer.
Cedillo is among many public figures featured in the United For Obama video produced in support of Sen. Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid, Si Se Puede Cambiar, from Andres Useche.
[edit] Drivers licenses for illegal immigrants
Cedillo has tried nine times since 1998 to get bills passed in the California State Legislature that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licences. His continual efforts to gain passage of such legislation has earned him the nickname "One-Bill Gil" among critics, most notably John and Ken of local talk station KFI.[citation needed] In 2001 and 2002, then-Governor Gray Davis vetoed two of Cedillo's bills that would have permitted licenses for illegal immigrants [4]. In the midst of the 2003 recall election, Davis backed and signed SB 60 (2003), Cedillo's driver's license bill [5]. After Davis was recalled and Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor, the state legislature, with Schwarzenegger's support, repealed the new law before it went into effect [6]. Senator Cedillo agreed to repeal the law he wrote under the agreement with the Governor to work on a bi-partisan bill. In 2004, Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2895, an identical bill to Senator Cedillo's SB 1160 that stalled in the legislature, saying that it did not meet his security concerns. The governor wanted a "marked license" that was identifiable [7]. AB 2895 was introduced to the legislature by one of Cedillo's closest allies, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Núñez [8].
In 2005, Cedillo authored SB 60, another driver's license bill. He made new modifications to the proposal, specifying that illegal immigrants would not be able to use the driver's license for identification purposes such as boarding airplanes, opening bank accounts, registering to vote, or other privileges that U.S. citizens enjoy [9]. Again, Schwarzenegger refused to sign the bill, citing that it did not meet his security concerns [10]. After Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, Cedillo threatened to file a lawsuit against the governor because of his belief that the Department of Motor Vehicles misinterpreted the SB 976 (1993) which first prohibited the issuance of driver's license to undocumented immigrants. Illegal immigrants who are in the process of becoming legal are considered to have authorized presence but not legal permanent residency status, known as people residing under the color of the law.
In May 2006, Cedillo once again brought the proposal before the California legislature. It is currently under consideration [11].
Cedillo has claimed that giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants would improve highway safety by allowing these individuals to learn the rules of the road, buy insurance, and reduce the likelihood that they would flee from the scene of an accident.
On September 28, 2006, Cedillo was arrested along with approximately 200 others for blocking Century Blvd. in front of LAX, during a protest supporting the illegal immigrant employees at the LAX hotels. Several people missed their flights because of the protest [12].
[edit] References
- ^ http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member.aspx Member Search
- ^ Alarcon - Union saves hospital jobs in LA
- ^ senate-amended.xls
- ^ California: Davis Vetoes Drivers Licenses for Illegal Immigrants - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime
- ^ Davis OKs licenses for illegal residents / Signing of bill after 2 vetoes is seen by some as bid for votes
- ^ CNN.com - Schwarzenegger scores victory in repeal of license law - Dec. 2, 2003
- ^ Pacific News Service > News > On Latino Minds: Schwarzenegger Can Handle Politics
- ^ Nunez Relents On Licenses Speaker Says He'D Allow Special Designation. - Free Online Library
- ^ SB 60 Senate Bill - Bill Analysis
- ^ SB 60 Senate Bill - Veto
- ^ Bill List
- ^ Bridget Johnson on Left Protests on National Review Online
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Louis Caldera |
California State Assemblyman, 46th District 1997-2002 |
Succeeded by Fabian Núñez |
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