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Holly Mitchell
DTo be claimed
Holly J. Mitchell is a Democratic member of the California State Senate, representing District 30. She was first elected to the chamber in a special election on July 23, 2013.
Mitchell served in the California State Assembly from 2010 to September 27, 2013, when she was sworn into the California State Senate.
Her professional experience includes working as a policy analyst for Senator Diane Watson of the California State Senate, a legislative advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty, an executive director for the Black Women's Health Project and the CEO/President of Crystal Stairs.
Chair, California's Legislative Black Caucus, present
Member, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, present
Member, Committee on Insurance, present
Chair, Select Committee on Women and Inequality: Strategies to Promote Opportunity, present
Former Member, Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, California State Assembly
Former Member, Advisory Council, Governors Office of Women's Health
Former Member, Appropriations Committee, California State Assembly
Former Member, Biliteracy and Dual Immersion Programs in California Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Breast Cancer Research Council, University of California
Former Chair, Budget Sub-committee #1 on Health & Human Services, California State Assembly
Former Member, Budget Subcommittee 5 on Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary
Former Member, California State Commission on the Status of Women
Former Member, Children with Special Needs Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Children with Special Needs Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Committee on Public Safety
Former Member, Emergency Management Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Joint Committee on Emergency Management, California State Senate
Former Member, Joint Committee on Rules, California State Senate
Former Member, Labor and Industrial Relations Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Legislative Budget Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Public Safety Committee, California State Senate
Former Member, Rules Committee, California State Senate
Former Chair, Select Committee on Foster Youth
Member, Senate Rules Committee
Former Member, Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services, California State Senate
Former Member, ubcommittee on Healthcare Workforce and Access to Care, California State Senate
Former Member, Women and Inequality-Strategies to Promote Opportunity Committee, California State Senate
Member, Women's Legislative Caucus
Member, Commission for Children, Youth and their Families, 2005
Chair, Budget and Fiscal Review
Member, Health
Member, Insurance
Chair, Joint Committee on the Legislative Budget
Member, Labor, Public Employment and Retirement
Member, Public Safety
Member, Select Committee on Mental Health
Chair, Select Committee on the Social Determinants of Children's Well-Being
Member, Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color
Member, Select Committee on Women, Work and Families
Chair, Subcommittee on the Selection of the Legislative Analyst
— Awards:
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice
2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No
3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes
4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes
5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No
6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No
7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No
8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No
9. Other or expanded principles
- I am the author of AB2348 to expand access to quality, affordable birth control by authorizing RNs to dispense contraception in clinics following standardized procedures; bill is sponsored by CA Planned Parenthood and is expected to be signed into law despite vigorous, organized opposition.
1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase
2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase
3. Environment
- Greatly Increase
4. Health care
- Greatly Increase
5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status
6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Greatly Increase
7. Welfare
- Greatly Increase
8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Alcohol taxes
- Greatly Increase
2. Tobacco taxes
- Greatly Increase
3. Corporate taxes
- Greatly Increase
4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Increase
5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status
6. Sales taxes
- Slightly Increase
7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Slightly Decrease
8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Maintain Status
9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Greatly Increase
10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Tapping into California's "rainy day" fund
- Yes
2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No
3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No
4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No
5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No
6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Increasing contributions by current and future employees?
- Yes
2. Hybrid retirement plans that combine guaranteed and privately-managed benefits?
- Yes
3. Raising the retirement age for new employees?
- Yes
4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Individual
- Yes
2. Political Action Committee
- Yes
3. Corporate
- Yes
4. Political Party
- Yes
5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes
6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes
7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes
8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No
9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No
2. Do you support the California prison realignment program?
- Yes
3. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes
4. Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes
5. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No
6. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- No
7. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- No
2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes
3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes
4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes
5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes
6. Do you support the high speed rail project between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
- Yes
7. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- Yes
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes
2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes
3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- Yes
4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No
5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes
6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes
7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes
2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes
3. Do you support state funding for improvements to California's energy infrastructure?
- Yes
4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes
5. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- Yes
6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- Yes
2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes
3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No
4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes
2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes
3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No
4. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes
5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes
6. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- No
2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes
3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes
4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- If re-elected, I intend to continue using my post as Chair of California Assembly's Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services to preserve and enhance our safety net to protect the most vulnerable Californians - children, seniors, the disabled, families and minorities - from slipping into poverty or being unable to access quality, affordable health care, child care, social services and education. My other priorities include foster care, the developmentally disabled and at-risk youths, advocating for increased revenues from corporate and high-income sectors.
By Kelsey Duckett U.S. Representative Karen Bass and California State Assembly Member Holly Mitchell recognized women veterans at a special event on Monday night, but acknowledged that California has a long way to go in caring for these vets when they come home. Congresswoman Karen Bass and State Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell held a forum Monday night in Culver City to honor, recognize and listen to the needs of women veterans, who will be amongst the many vets seeking care for service injuries--specifically post-traumatic stress disorder--after the end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Many Americans responded to the call to serve after the horrific events of Sept. 11," she said. "And many of these Americans were women--some have paid the ultimate price, while others are returning home with no access to health care, counseling, employment or the care they need. This has to change." California has 161,400 female veterans, which is 9.1 percent of the nation's female veteran population--more women serving in the military than other state. While the amount of women serving in the military has steadily rose, the dedication of funds to take care of these women when they return home has not increased, Bass said. The national unemployment rate for post 9/11 female veterans was 14.7 percent in September, while the rate for male veterans was 11.1 percent. These unemployment statistics are expected to worsen after the 10,000 servicemen and servicewomen return from Afghanistan and 46,000 return home from Iraq by year's end--many who will be in need of serious care, whether they are physically disabled or suffering from mental trauma. Bass told those in attendance that the issue of jobs needs to be moved to top priority for veterans returning home: "Everyone is looking for work in California, this is a state that already has high unemployment rates, we have do to something," she said. "As the troops come home, the unemployment situation will only worsen if we do not address the need. We have to fast forward some resources, we have to get counseling, housing, jobs, health care--this needs to be front and center on our agenda." In fact, Bass was approached by several women veterans in attendance that reminded her "not to forget the women that will leave the forum to go sleep in their car or on the street." On any given night, women veterans make up 5 percent of the nation's 107,000 homeless veterans. And California as a state has more homeless women veterans than any other state in the country, Bass said. It was this comment from Bass, and stories from two women in the audience that prompted Culver City Mayor Micheal O'Leary to vow get on the phone with the City Manager John Nachbar and take immediate action: "I am shocked and horrified by what I am hearing here tonight," O'Leary said. "It disturbs me that our country has the money to send our children to war, but doesn't have the money to bring them back and take care of them." He also announced to the audience that women veterans are encouraged to go to Culver City Hall for assistance. "We will provide you with a phone and a place to sit down," he said. "We will work with you until you have a place to go and get on your feet. We will provide these services for a week or more if necessary." Mitchell echoed Bass' concern for women veterans, and said something has to be done and fast to help these women get back into the community they left to fight for the freedoms Americans enjoy everyday. "We are hearing horrifying stories of women who have lost custody of their children because their service in Iraq or Afghanistan was extended," she said. "We will not tolerate this. This is a top priority, and an extremely important issue and we will support our women veterans." Mitchell acknowledged her and Bass' frustration in hosting a meeting where they wouldn't be able to provide immediate answers or in most cases assistance, but said the forum was necessary in taking steps in the right direction. "There is nothing we can hand you today, and that is difficult for us," she told the audience. "But this is a meaningful step and this is our way of showing our commitment, these are well deserved issues. These are our top priorities." Private First Class Bee Abrams Cohen, who is 101 and is the longest surviving female veteran in the United States, gave a key statement on the state of veteran affairs on Monday night. Her message to the representatives was clear--it's time for action. "I remember when John F. Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,'" she said. "But now it is time that the country finally did something for our veterans. The time is now. The veterans returning home, and the veterans already home need the assistance they deserve."
