Gil Cedillo

Gilbert Cedillo
File:Senator Gilbert Cedillo.JPG
Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office July 1, 2013
Preceded by	Ed Reyes
Member of the California State Assembly from the 45th district
In office December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2012
Preceded by	Kevin de León
Succeeded by	Bob Blumenfield
Member of the California Senate from the 22nd district
In office December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2010
Preceded by	Richard Polanco
Succeeded by	Kevin de León
Member of the California State Assembly from the 46th district
In office January 14, 1998 – November 30, 2002
Preceded by	Louis Caldera
Succeeded by	Fabian Núñez
Personal details
Born	(1954-03-25) March 25, 1954 Barstow, California
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Ruby Oliva Cedillo (deceased)
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles People's College of Law
Profession	Politician

Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954 in Barstow, California) is an American politician, currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council for District 1, succeeding Ed Reyes after his election on May 21, 2013. Cedillo was a Democratic member of both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.

Cedillo was a candidate for California's 32nd congressional district seat, vacated by Hilda Solis. A California's 32nd Congressional District Special Election, 2009 was held on May 19, 2009. Cedillo lost the Democratic primary against Board of Equalization Member Judy Chu.

Early years and education

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 Sears and Times-Mirror Press. Cedillo attended Lorena Street and Euclid Avenue Elementary, Stevenson Junior High and Roosevelt High where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa, former 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 1977 and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Peoples College of Law, a law school in Los Angeles, in 1983.

Career

Private sector

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 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".

Politics

Cedillo won a special election on January 13, 1998, to the California State Assembly's 46th district, and served there until 2002. In 2002, he was elected to the State Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver's licenses to illegal aliens and as the author of the California DREAM Act, Cedillo has also worked on increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness, and encouraging economic development in his Downtown Los Angeles district. Gil Cedillo is a member of the Council of La Raza.

Cedillo was reelected in 2006, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, a Libertarian candidate, received 3,469 votes. He was Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and was a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.

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 right for employees to unionize at the LAX hotels. Several people missed their flights because of the protest.

Congressional candidate

Cedillo officially announced his candidacy for the 32nd Congressional District seat on January 8, 2009, which was vacated by Congresswoman Hilda Solis. Congresswoman Solis accepted an appointment from President-elect Barack Obama for United States Labor Secretary. Cedillo lost to Judy Chu, a former Monterey Park assemblywoman and vice-chairman of the State Board of Equalization. Despite Cedillo's longtime relationship with organized labor, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, voted to endorse Chu. Cedillo received a majority of other major endorsements, including eight members of California's Congressional Delegation, LA Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, and more than 100 current and former public officials, including Senator Gloria Romero, Senator Ron Calderon, and Assemblymember Ed Chavez, who all dropped out of the race and endorsed Cedillo.

Cedillo was defeated in his 2009 bid for the 32d District seat. Chu received 15,338 votes (31.9%) while Cedillo received 11,244 votes, 31.9% to 23.4% in a primarily Latino district. Following his failed bid for U.S. Congress, Cedillo took over the California State Assembly's 45th District seat (which was vacated by Kevin DeLeon who won the 22d State Senate seat).

Cedillo served as chairman of California's Latino Congressional Caucus. In 2010, Cedillo authored California's SRC 113, a resolution for a statewide boycott of the State of Arizona, following Arizona's passage of SB 1070, an illegal immigration enforcement bill.

Cedillo is often referred to by opponents as "One Bill Gil," because of his repeated attempts to submit legislation authorizing California to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens.

Figueroa Street bicycle lane

Cedillo has opposed street improvements for bicycle safety, publicly supporting the installation of a bike lane on North Figueroa st. before halting all work and dismissing cyclists as a tiny part of the population.

Driver's licenses for illegal aliens

Cedillo has tried nine times since 1998 to get bills passed in the California State Legislature that would allow illegal aliens in California to obtain driver's licenses. In 2001 and 2002, then-Governor Gray Davis vetoed two of Cedillo's bills that would have permitted licenses for illegal aliens. In the midst of the 2003 recall election, Davis backed and signed SB 60 (2003), Cedillo's driver's license bill. 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. Senator Cedillo agreed to repeal the law he wrote under the agreement with the Governor to work on a bipartisan 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. AB 2895 was introduced to the legislature by one of Cedillo's closest allies, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Núñez.

In 2005, Cedillo authored SB 60, another driver's license bill. He made new modifications to the proposal, specifying that illegal aliens 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. Again, Schwarzenegger refused to sign the bill, citing that it did not satisfy his security concerns. 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 SB 976 (1993) which first prohibited the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Those who are illegal who are in the process of becoming legal are considered to have authorized presence but not legal permanent residency status, and are known as people residing under the color of the law.

In 2006 and 2009, Cedillo again brought the proposal before the California legislature. Both failed. On October 3, 2013, California Governor Brown signed AB 60, allowing illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses. Cedillo remarked, ″It took a long time, but now it’s here. Today signifies much more than just another bill being signed by our governor. Today is history in the making because it is the day we return justice back to the people.″

California Dream Act

In 2011, Cedillo authored a pair of assembly bills to allow illegal aliens the ability to obtain financial aid for universities through both private and public sources. The assembly bills, known as AB 130 and AB 131 for private and public financial aid respectively, have been passed into law. The measures have drawn both praise and criticism from various organizations. Proponents claim that the bill would finally narrow the gap in education for a US Citizen and an illegal alien; thus providing equality and greater opportunity. Critics have expressed that the measure is a waste of taxpayer money for an already cash-strapped California with tuition costs increasing and many students unable to continue their education. In addition, the measure is fueling outrage from Californians who feel that illegal aliens are getting better treatment and more entitlements at their expense.

AB 353

In August 2011, at nearly the same time AB 131 was passed by the Senate, AB 353 also passed. The bill allows drivers without a license who are stopped at checkpoints to have a licensed driver retrieve the vehicle and thereby avoid having the vehicle impounded for 30 days. The bill, also authored by Gil Cedillo, makes it especially important for illegal aliens as California does not allow them to obtain driver licenses.

Filed for backpay during recession

In 2010, Cedillo attempted to reverse a pay cut approved by voters in 2009 for all 120 lawmakers (Prop. 25). Cedillo filed a claim in December 2010 with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board seeking back pay for what he maintains were illegal pay and benefit cuts. His complaint stemmed from the 2009 decision by the California Citizens Compensation Commission to slash legislators' pay and benefits by 18 percent. The cut reduced their wages from $116,208 to $95,291.

2012-13 events

Because of term limits, Cedillo could not run for reelection to the California State Legislature in 2012. He ran for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council representing Council District 1 and was elected in 2013.

In July 2013, the Los Cerritos News wrote a factually incorrect story regarding Gil Cedillo's son, Gil Cedillo, Jr., who was employed by a local water district. This story was later picked up by other media agencies, all of which failed to mention that Cedillo, Jr. (who was 31 years old when the article was written) had over 15 years of government, policy and management experience before being hired for the position with the water district. Cedillo, Jr. was hired by the water district board and the former general manager, Art Aguilar, said of him, "he was the best qualified of the candidates we had, without a doubt."

In December 2013, Cedillo authored a Los Angeles City Council resolution urging President Obama to halt most deportations and to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to "all immigrant families who are not engaged in criminal activity."

References

California Assembly
Preceded by Louis Caldera	California State Assemblymember, 46th District 1998-2002	Succeeded by Fabian Núñez
Preceded by Kevin de León	California State Assemblymember, 45th District 2010-2012	Succeeded by Bob Blumenfield
California Senate
Preceded by Richard Polanco	California State Senator, 22nd District 2002-2010	Succeeded by Kevin de León
Political offices
Preceded by Ed Reyes	Los Angeles City Councilmember, 1st district 2013–present	Incumbent

External links

• Cedillo's Personal Website