Lieu prepares to take over leadership of the API Legislative Caucus: The usually mild-mannered moderate Assemblyman Ted Lieu garnered headlines recently by lashing out at the governor’s dismal record on appointing minorities and women to judgeships.
What made an impact was that, instead of the API Caucus following the lead of the Black Caucus or Latino Caucus, it was Lieu who took the lead and served as the spokesperson on this issue, representing the three major ethnic caucuses. Members of the three caucuses make up one third of the state legislative body.
The well-respected Lieu is definitely ready and eager to follow the footsteps of the current chair Assemblyman Alberto Torrico who has helped make the API Legislative Caucus a force to be reckoned within the state Capitol.
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C.C. Yin and APAPA to the rescue: Sacramento’s C.C. Yin, founder of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, has long advocated for a statewide outreach effort to recruit APAs into the highest policy-making positions, appointed by the governor or the state legislature.
With Lieu’s recent campaign for more APA judicial appointments, Yin decided this was the appropriate time for his group to fund and launch a statewide recruitment effort for candidates from the APA legal community to seek judicial appointments.
Yin tapped Jeanette Dong, an old friend and well-known governmental affairs consultant from the East Bay, to head up the project. She will use her statewide network and expertise to organize a Web site, and develop a process to work with the state and local Asian Bar Associations and other recognized statewide APA leaders in the legal field to seek out highly recommended APA judicial candidates. Yin has received assurances from the Governor’s Appointment Office that Dong will have access to the governor’s Judicial Appointment Secretary Sharon Major-Lewis to make sure candidates understand the various levels of the application process. Dong will also make sure qualified APA candidates get fair consideration during the process.
“The judicial appointment recruitment process is the first phase of APAPA’s statewide recruitment efforts, because it is the most immediate area where APAPA can be the most helpful to the community and the governor’s office
The ultimate goal is to have a statewide process in place that will serve both as an additional resource to the Governor’s Appointment Office, as well as additional information and recruitment resource for any APA interested in serving in influential policy-making positions in state government,” stated C.C. Yin.
The group has already established a California State Appointment Advisory Board comprised of APA leaders throughout the state. Look for further public announcements soon.
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7/07 brings good luck to Assemblyman Van Tran: July was a good month for Tran, as he was recently named the chair of the Assembly Select Committee on International Trade by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.
The mission of the Select Committee is to collaborate with California’s business community in expanding import-export opportunities; to promote better relationships with foreign entities, specifically to find economic opportunities for California businesses; and to explore legislative policies to cultivate international trade, while resolving regulatory issues within the state.
San Francisco’s Assemblywoman Fiona Ma also is a member of Tran’s committee.
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Tran’s number one son: If you ask Tran why the constant big smile on his face of late, he will proudly tell you that during this lucky Year of the Pig he and his lovely wife, Cindy, became the proud parents of a 6 lbs. and 11 oz. boy named Alexander Thai-Son (”High Mountain” in Vietnamese).
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Warren Furutani is definitely in the race: Cheers could be heard around the state from Furutani fans, when they heard he was going to run again for the AD 65th seat vacated by Laura Richardson, who replaces the late Juanita MacDonald in Congress.
Furutani is the strongest candidate and is expected to win, but he does have some primary opponents. Members of the API Legislative Caucus have been contributing to Furutani from their own funds, and friends of the popular education and civil rights leader are working equally hard . The short window of time to campaign during a special election often means money is the key to victory.
If Furutani wins, it will bring the API Legislative Caucus number to 10, and with our state controller and Board of Equalization members, we will have a total of 14 state elected officers. We are getting there but still have a way to go.