Mark DeSaulnier - California Representative

Assembly Member Mark DeSaulnier (DE-SOWN-YEA) chairs the Select Committee on Growth Management and lends his expertise in local government and state regulation to the Assembly Committees on Transportation, Appropriations, Human Services, and Labor and Employment. These assignments are in addition to the Assembly Member’s appointment to the influential Committee on Rules which oversees amendments to the rules and matters relating to the business of the Legislature. DeSaulnier has authored twenty-three bills and joint or principal coauthored an additional eighteen bills for the 2007-2008 Legislative Session. His bills address the need to fight truancy among school children, and increase access to preschool, to prevent suicide and childhood obesity, to reduce pollution to our environment through

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Assembly Member Mark DeSaulnier (DE-SOWN-YEA) chairs the Select Committee on Growth Management and lends his expertise in local government and state regulation to the Assembly Committees on Transportation, Appropriations, Human Services, and Labor and Employment. These assignments are in addition to the Assembly Member’s appointment to the influential Committee on Rules which oversees amendments to the rules and matters relating to the business of the Legislature. DeSaulnier has authored twenty-three bills and joint or principal coauthored an additional eighteen bills for the 2007-2008 Legislative Session. His bills address the need to fight truancy among school children, and increase access to preschool, to prevent suicide and childhood obesity, to reduce pollution to our environment through biodegradable technologies and vehicle emission reductions, to better manage state-wide growth and to create opportunities for at-risk youth. A 13-year member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, DeSaulnier served as the board’s chairman. He has also addressed regional and state issues, serving on the California Air Resources Board, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Prior to becoming a supervisor, he served as the mayor of Concord and was a city councilmember from 1991 to 1993. He also served on the Concord Planning Commission and was a member of the University of California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program Advisory Committee. Air Quality: DeSaulnier has cultivated extensive experience in air quality management. The historic Contra Costa County Industrial Safety Ordinance and the Refinery Flare Rule for local refineries and chemical facilities sponsored by Supervisor DeSaulnier stand as landmark collaborative legislation that protect workers and the surrounding communities of Contra Costa County and beyond. Smart Growth: DeSaulnier continues to play a significant role in Regionalism and Smart Growth. He has long been a champion of the need for government agencies to collaboratively solve regional problems. He established the Interregional Partnership that has spearheaded legislation to change growth patterns. He instigated the Regional Agencies Smart Growth Strategy and the Contra Costa: Shaping Our Future, process. He is also the co-author of the Contra Costa County Smart Growth Action Plan. Health Care: Throughout his career in public service, DeSaulnier worked to greatly advanced healthcare access and quality of treatment for his constituents. He authored local measures to fight childhood obesity and to expand second-hand smoke regulations. Recognizing the great need for women's health services, DeSaulnier introduced a comprehensive Women's Health Program that would serve the health care needs of all women in Contra Costa County. The plan included construction of four new Women's Health Centers featuring a "one-stop shopping" approach to women's health needs. The Women's Health Centers are located in Bay Point, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Concord and Richmond. As a county supervisor, DeSaulnier annually spent surplus office funding for suicide prevention, alcohol and drug abuse counseling, preventative dental care for disadvantaged youth, and school breakfast programs. Children & Family Issues: The welfare and needs of children have been DeSaulnier’s major concern throughout his service. He has sponsored numerous initiatives on their behalf including the Contra Costa Children’s Report Card and the Children’s Accountability Act, both tools for evaluating children’s issues and the impact of county programs on children. He also established the annual Children and Families' Budget, a separate County budget that reviews and measures the effectiveness of County programs in these areas. His other projects for children include AfterSchool4All, the Future Fund and the Children and Families Committee of the Board of Supervisors. As Assembly Member for the 11th District, DeSaulnier proudly represents the vibrant cities of Antioch, Clayton, Concord, Hercules, Martinez, Pinole, and Pittsburg, as well as several unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County including Bay Point, Bayview-Montalvin, Clyde, Crockett, El Sobrante, Mountain View, Pacheco, Port Costa, Rodeo, Tara Hills and Vine Hill. Background: Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, DeSaulnier earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the College of the Holy Cross. An avid runner, he has completed twenty-one marathons. A longtime restaurateur, he lives in Concord with his two sons.

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