Joe Simitian


Saren Joseph Simitian is a California Democratic politician. From 2004 to 2012, he was the State Senator representing California's 11th State Senate district, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. Approaching his term limit at the end of 2012, he ran for and was elected as a Santa Clara County Supervisor. He was re-elected to the same seat in 2016 and again in 2020.
Simitian's legislative and supervisorial record includes work on housing affordability, healthcare, government accountability, education, environmental protection, energy/climate, consumer protection, privacy, and highway safety. Simitian has been recognized as "one of the most effective legislators in Sacramento," and has been commended for improving educational access and housing for low-income families.
In the state legislature, Simitian chaired the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources. He is the author of California's 20% renewable energy portfolio standard and California's data breach notification law, which requires companies and agencies to notify individuals when their personal information is compromised. Simitian also authored several high-profile transportation safety laws, including California's hands-free cell phone bill.

Family

Joe Simitian is married to Mary Hughes, a Bay Area political consultant. Simitian proposed to Hughes on election night in 1996 upon being elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Education

Joe Simitian served as President of the Palo Alto School Board from 1983 to 1991. He was on the Palo Alto City Council from 1992 to 1996 and served as Mayor for part of that time.

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors

Simitian served until 2018 as President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor, and after winning reelection in 2020, continues to represent District 5. He was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 1996, serving from 1997 to 2000.
Simitian was elected again to the District 5 seat of the Board of Supervisors in 2012, after reaching his term limit in the State Senate. He was re-elected in 2016 with 89 percent of the vote.
As Supervisor, Simitian is credited with saving the 400 units of affordable housing at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, and he has proposed the building of affordable teacher housing in Palo Alto for teachers across the county. He also successfully pushed the County to fund multiple new playgrounds accessible to special needs children, following the creation of Palo Alto's Magical Bridge Playground.
Simitian has advanced multiple privacy-related initiatives at the county level. Under his guidance, Santa Clara County became "one of the first in the country" to hire a privacy specialist in a designated role to oversee its data-driven programs. He also secured passage of a surveillance ordinance, the first of its kind in the United States, requiring that police forces get explicit permission for new surveillance technology.
Simitian pushed for more civilian oversight for Sheriff and county jails and secured approval for body-worn cameras for Sheriff's Deputies and jail guards.

State Assembly

Simitian was elected to the California State Assembly's 21st District in November 2000, and re-elected to a second term in November 2002.
Legislation sponsored by Simitian and signed into law during this period includes:
Simitian was elected to the California State Senate in November 2004 for District 11. He defeated former Assemblyman and San Mateo County Supervisor Ted Lempert in the Democratic primary election, also prevailing in the general election. Simitian was re-elected to a second term in 2008. His second term ended in 2012. Simitian was one of only four Democratic Senators to vote against California's ambitious High Speed Rail plan.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has put Simitian on a list of individuals banned from entering the country. The decision was made after Simitian travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh without Baku's permission.
Simitian's legislation during his Senate term includes:
S.B. 107, 20% Renewable Energy Portfolio
S.B. 201, Sustainable Oceans Act, Aquaculture
S.B. 679, Funding for San Mateo County group homes
S.B. 1613, Hands-free cell phone law
S.B. 729, Water quality
S.B. 1609, Elder abuse prevention in reverse mortgages
S.B. 28, Prohibition on texting while driving
S.B. 966, Pharmaceutical waste disposal
S.B. 1298, Student Information System
S.B. 640, Sexual misconduct by public employees
S.B. 28, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta emergency preparedness Act
S.B. 509, Green chemistry: toxics information clearinghouse
S.B. X71, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act
S.B. 1342, Polling places
S.B. 1381, Kindergarten age/transitional kindergarten
S.B. 1411, Malicious online impersonation prevention
S.B. 1311, Small business loans, California Capital Access Program
S.B. 24, Data breach notification requirements
S.B. 1303, Red light camera reform
S.B. 1359, Tax check-offs for cancer research
S.B. 1538, Dense breast tissue notification
S.B. 36, Healthcare access for at-risk children
S.B. 2X, 33% Renewable Energy by 2020
S.B. 1739, Oil spill response training
S.B. 1456, CEQA reform
S.B. 226, CEQA streamlining
S.B. 1191, Default disclosure to prospective tenants

Committees

Simitian serves on the following committees on the Board of Supervisors:
Simitian served on the following Senate committees:
Simitian has received the following awards :
The following are some of Simitian's other activities:

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