Fiona Ma
Encyclopedia
Fiona Ma is the Speaker pro Tempore California State Assembly
and a San Francisco
politician
, and a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
.
immigrants. Her grandfather, Lieutenant General Ma Zhen, was the first mayor of Kunming
, Republic of China
. Ma has a younger brother and sister. Born and raised in New York
, she attended Baker Elementary School before graduating from Great Neck North Middle and High School. Her father, Dr. William Ma was a civil engineer
who later specialized in construction claims and litigation before he retired and her mother was a high school art teacher for 20 years before moving to San Francisco to be closer to her parents, William and Mary Doo. William was posted as a minister at the San Francisco Swatow Christian Church in San Francisco's Sunset District. Ma received a bachelor's degree in accounting at Rochester Institute of Technology
, a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University
, and an MBA from Pepperdine University
. She is currently a CPA
. and a Member of the Aspen Institute's 2009 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows
as a part-time district representative from 1995 until her election to the Board of Supervisors in 2002. She was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton, which produced a report to Congress on the 60 top policy recommendations to help small businesses grow and prosper in the 21st century.
On November 7, 2006 Ma received 70 percent of the votes and defeated her two opponents for California Assembly Republican
Howard Epstein and Green
Barry Hermanson. She replaced Leland Yee
as 12th District Assemblywoman.
Ma was appointed Assembly Majority Whip by the speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Núñez
A position which she held for 3 years . In 2010, Speaker of the Assembly John A. Pérez appointed Assemblywoman Fiona Ma to the leadership position of Speaker pro Tempore. As presiding officer and member of the leadership team, Assemblywoman Ma guides Assembly Members through the daily business of the house, responds to parliamentary inquiries, issue rulings on points of order when necessary, and is responsible for guiding legislative priorities. Recently Ma presided over the record-breaking 18 hours session to pass California's budget.
As an Assemblywoman, Ma authored ground breaking legislation on banning toxic chemicals in products for babies and small children. Ma's legislation was later incorporated into Senator Dianne Feinstein's federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 signed by Pres George W Bush on Aug 15, 2008 . She also worked on the creation of a state-wide high-speed rail
, giving equal rights to men and women to change their last names when they are married or become domestic partners and is a co-author of SB 840, a bill that creates a single payer universal health care system throughout California.
Scientific research shows that these chemicals can have a negative effect on human health and may increase the risk of premature birth, early onset of puberty, lower sperm count, increased reproductive defects, and even cancer. These chemicals are already banned in 14 countries and the European Union, which has made the United States a toxic toy dumping ground. Four of the six phthalates banned in the bill have already been placed on California’s Proposition 65 list as reproductive toxins.
Ma works to remove the stigma of the disease in the Asian community by actively speaking out about the importance of testing and vaccination. In 2008, Ma introduced Assembly Bill 158 which requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to apply for a federal waiver to expand Medi-Cal eligibility for individuals with chronic hepatitis B. AB 158 did not make it through the legislative process due to costs associated with the bill. In 2009, Ma introduced a resolution declaring May 2009 as Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California. The resolution supports collaborating with all interested parties to raise public awareness about HBV. It also supports the development of a comprehensive, statewide HBV prevention and treatment plan. Ma serves as unofficial chairperson for San Francisco Hep B Free - the largest, most intensive health care campaign for APIs in the U.S. and one that is looked upon as a model for the nation in eliminating HBV. In May 2010, San Francisco Hep B Free launched its controversial "Which One Deserves to Die" ad campaign which received national coverage that featured Ma in the NY Times and on CBS, ABC, PBS, NPR, Sirius Radio, and more.
shelters
throughout the state. She has hosted several hearings on Teen Dating Violence
, Violence in the LGBT Community, shelters
and Domestic Violence Effects on Children
.
An amended AB 74 has passed the state Assembly and will now head to the Senate. The Assembly voted 72-0 to support AB 74. The bill now seeks to establish safety guidelines for electronic-music concerts when they are held on publicly owned properties such as the Cow Palace, which is located in Ma's 12th Assembly District."California needs to better monitor and control events occurring on state properties," Ma said in a news release. "AB 74 is intended to prevent the loss of life and make safety a top priority at events on state property."The bill would require the state agency intending to host any rave expected to draw 10,000 people or more to assess potential problems, the need for law enforcement and medical personnel, and other related issues. If the agency concludes there's a strong possibility for loss of life or harm to participants, the show's promoter would be required to prepare a plan to provide an adequate law-enforcement presence, control drug use and potentially prohibit minors.
The law has been criticized by number of groups supporting electronic dance music
and freedom of expression.
Select Committees:
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
and a San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
.
Personal life
Ma is the oldest of three children born to William and Sophia Ma, both ChinesePeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
immigrants. Her grandfather, Lieutenant General Ma Zhen, was the first mayor of Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Ma has a younger brother and sister. Born and raised in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, she attended Baker Elementary School before graduating from Great Neck North Middle and High School. Her father, Dr. William Ma was a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who later specialized in construction claims and litigation before he retired and her mother was a high school art teacher for 20 years before moving to San Francisco to be closer to her parents, William and Mary Doo. William was posted as a minister at the San Francisco Swatow Christian Church in San Francisco's Sunset District. Ma received a bachelor's degree in accounting at Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
, a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in the South of Market district, immediately south of the Financial District of downtown San Francisco, California...
, and an MBA from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
. She is currently a CPA
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
. and a Member of the Aspen Institute's 2009 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows
Political career
Ma was on the staff of former state Senate President John BurtonJohn L. Burton
John Lowell Burton is the current Chairman of the California Democratic Party. He is an American politician who served as a Democratic California State Senator from 1996 until 2004, representing the 3rd district. From 1998 until he was forced out of office by term limits in 2004, he served as the...
as a part-time district representative from 1995 until her election to the Board of Supervisors in 2002. She was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton, which produced a report to Congress on the 60 top policy recommendations to help small businesses grow and prosper in the 21st century.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Ma was later elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors from 2002 to 2006 representing District 4, the Sunset District. While serving on that board, her major legislative push was to shut down massage parlors who illegally trafficked persons into the country and used them to run illegal prostitution rings. She also led the effort to create the city's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program following the passage of Prop 209 to enable small businesses to more easily participate in public works projects.12th District Assemblywoman
Ma won the Democratic nomination to represent California's 12th Assembly District against fellow Democrat Janet Reilly in the state primary election of June 6, 2006. The campaign was one of the most expensive legislative primary races in the state of California.On November 7, 2006 Ma received 70 percent of the votes and defeated her two opponents for California Assembly Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Howard Epstein and Green
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
Barry Hermanson. She replaced Leland Yee
Leland Yee
Leland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
as 12th District Assemblywoman.
Ma was appointed Assembly Majority Whip by the speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
A position which she held for 3 years . In 2010, Speaker of the Assembly John A. Pérez appointed Assemblywoman Fiona Ma to the leadership position of Speaker pro Tempore. As presiding officer and member of the leadership team, Assemblywoman Ma guides Assembly Members through the daily business of the house, responds to parliamentary inquiries, issue rulings on points of order when necessary, and is responsible for guiding legislative priorities. Recently Ma presided over the record-breaking 18 hours session to pass California's budget.
As an Assemblywoman, Ma authored ground breaking legislation on banning toxic chemicals in products for babies and small children. Ma's legislation was later incorporated into Senator Dianne Feinstein's federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 signed by Pres George W Bush on Aug 15, 2008 . She also worked on the creation of a state-wide high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
, giving equal rights to men and women to change their last names when they are married or become domestic partners and is a co-author of SB 840, a bill that creates a single payer universal health care system throughout California.
High Speed Rail
At the start of her first term, Assemblywoman Ma convened the bi-cameral and bi-partisan high speed rail caucus. The caucus worked to protect and restore budget funding for the High Speed Rail Authority and fought to keep the High Speed Rail bond on the November 2008 ballot. Assemblywoman Ma joint-authored AB 3034, the Safe Reliable, High-Speed Train Bond Act for the 21st Century—Prop 1-A on the November 2008 ballot. Assemblywoman Ma was a leader in the campaign to pass Prop 1-A, which was approved with 53% of the vote. She continues to work on the effort to capture federal funding the High Speed Rail Authority.Ban on toxic chemicals in children's toys.
Also known as the Rubber Duck bill, Ma authored AB 1108, a bill that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of toys and child care products intended for use by children under the age of three that contain toxic chemicals known as phthalates. These substances are used in soft plastic toys and other baby products such as bath books, rubber ducks, and baby teethers.Scientific research shows that these chemicals can have a negative effect on human health and may increase the risk of premature birth, early onset of puberty, lower sperm count, increased reproductive defects, and even cancer. These chemicals are already banned in 14 countries and the European Union, which has made the United States a toxic toy dumping ground. Four of the six phthalates banned in the bill have already been placed on California’s Proposition 65 list as reproductive toxins.
Fighting to eliminate hepatitis
At the age of 22, Ma learned she had hepatitis B (HBV), a virus that causes 80% of all liver cancer if left untreated and one that shows no symptoms until it's almost too late. Approximately 1.4 million Americans are infected with HBV, and more than half of them are Asian/Pacific Islander (API) Americans. It is estimated that 1 in 10 APIs are chronically infected with HBV. Like most APIs, Ma contracted HBV from her mother at birth via perinatal exposure. San Francisco has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation because of its high API population, and HBV-related liver cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among API men living in California.Ma works to remove the stigma of the disease in the Asian community by actively speaking out about the importance of testing and vaccination. In 2008, Ma introduced Assembly Bill 158 which requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to apply for a federal waiver to expand Medi-Cal eligibility for individuals with chronic hepatitis B. AB 158 did not make it through the legislative process due to costs associated with the bill. In 2009, Ma introduced a resolution declaring May 2009 as Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California. The resolution supports collaborating with all interested parties to raise public awareness about HBV. It also supports the development of a comprehensive, statewide HBV prevention and treatment plan. Ma serves as unofficial chairperson for San Francisco Hep B Free - the largest, most intensive health care campaign for APIs in the U.S. and one that is looked upon as a model for the nation in eliminating HBV. In May 2010, San Francisco Hep B Free launched its controversial "Which One Deserves to Die" ad campaign which received national coverage that featured Ma in the NY Times and on CBS, ABC, PBS, NPR, Sirius Radio, and more.
Domestic Violence
Assemblywoman Ma has a long history protecting victims of assault and violence as the Chairwoman of the Select Committee on Domestic Violence. She sponsored Assembly Concurrent Resolution 6 which raised awareness about teen dating violence. She authored (and got signed into law) AB 1771 making it easier for judges to issue restraining orders and AB 258 which replaces “primary aggressor” with “dominant aggressor” in the Penal Code. She also co-authored SB 13, which re-allocated $16.3 million to prevent the closure of domestic violenceDomestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
shelters
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
throughout the state. She has hosted several hearings on Teen Dating Violence
Teen dating violence
-What is teen dating violence?:Teen dating violence is defined as the physical, sexual, or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship. According to the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the prevalence of teen dating violence is often misunderstood...
, Violence in the LGBT Community, shelters
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
and Domestic Violence Effects on Children
Effects of domestic violence on children
Effects of domestic violence on children, result from witnessing domestic violence in a home where one of their parents are abusing the other parent, plays a tremendous role on the well-being and developmental growth of children witnessing the violence...
.
Safety Regulations at raves on State property
On December 21, 2010, Fiona Ma introduced Assembly Bill #74 which would make it a misdemeanor to hold any event in any location at night that is not an established bar or theater, lasts for more than three and a half hours, and plays any form of pre-recorded music. The law would prohibit the playing of "pre-recorded" music at outdoor music festivals, political rallies, and similar public events. The bill comes in response to substance abuse-related deaths, injuries and arrests involving electronic-music shows last year at the Cow Palace and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.The Cow Palace has already prohibited raves for the foreseeable future.An amended AB 74 has passed the state Assembly and will now head to the Senate. The Assembly voted 72-0 to support AB 74. The bill now seeks to establish safety guidelines for electronic-music concerts when they are held on publicly owned properties such as the Cow Palace, which is located in Ma's 12th Assembly District."California needs to better monitor and control events occurring on state properties," Ma said in a news release. "AB 74 is intended to prevent the loss of life and make safety a top priority at events on state property."The bill would require the state agency intending to host any rave expected to draw 10,000 people or more to assess potential problems, the need for law enforcement and medical personnel, and other related issues. If the agency concludes there's a strong possibility for loss of life or harm to participants, the show's promoter would be required to prepare a plan to provide an adequate law-enforcement presence, control drug use and potentially prohibit minors.
The law has been criticized by number of groups supporting electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and freedom of expression.
Assembly Committee Membership
Standing Committees:- Committee on Agriculture
- Committee on Higher Education
- Committee on Housing and Community Development
- Committee on Labor and Employment
- Committee on Public Safety
- Committee on Revenue and Taxation
Select Committees:
- Select Committee on Domestic Violence
- Select Committee on Foster Care
- Select Committee on Rail Transportation
- Select Committee on Preservation of California’s Entertainment Industry