George Runner
Encyclopedia
George C. Runner, Jr. is the Republican
Board Member for District 2 of the five-member California Board of Equalization
(the only publicly elected tax commission in the United States).
From 2004 to 2010, he was a California State Senator representing the 17th Senate District
, which includes portions of Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County, and was the Republican Caucus
Chair from 2004 to 2009, which is the second-highest Republican leadership post in the California State Senate. From 1996 to 2002, he was a California State Assembly
man representing the 36th Assembly District
, which at the time consisted of portions of Los Angeles County.
, Runner moved with his family to Lancaster, California
as a young child. After attending local public schools in Lancaster, Runner earned a Bachelor's Degree
in Business Management from the University of Redlands
and a graduate certificate in Management
from Azusa Pacific University
.
. He served as Lancaster's Vice Mayor from 1994 to 1995 and as Mayor
of Lancaster from 1995 to 1996. During his mayoral term, the California Business Journal named Lancaster the number one mid-size city with which to do business.
and served in the State Assembly for three terms, from 1996 to 2002. During this time of service, Runner served as Vice Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
In 2004, he was elected to the Senate to represent the 17th Senate District
.
Currently, Runner is the Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus. He is also the Vice Chair of the Senate Banking, Finance, and Insurance Committee, Vice Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Defense and Aerospace Industries.
During his legislative career, Runner has been named Legislator of the Year by:
He also received the Pursuit of Justice Award from the Association of Deputy District Attorneys–Los Angeles County
.
system, which has successfully utilized the Emergency Alert System
to involve the general public in the search for abducted children and has aided in numerous successful parent-child reunions.
, California's version of Jessica's Law
. The measure passed with the support of 71% of California voters, and passed in 57 of California's 58 counties.
Jessica's Law ensures that all sexual offenders who are convicted of activity with children under the age of 14 are put into a prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years or 25 years to life. It eliminates all "first-offense" sexual offense
provisions from California law.
It also eliminates all "good-time" credits for sexual offenders serving prison terms; under the authored provisions they are required to serve their entire sentence and will not be released for good behavior. The law requires that sex offenders who are released from prison wear a GPS bracelet for life.
It also creates a 2,000-foot (615 meter) zone around schools and parks in which registered sex offenders are prohibited from residing.
legislation. On July 19, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed the bill into law, making California the first state in the union to have a permanent Ronald Reagan
Day. Ronald Reagan Day would be celebrated each February 6 as a "day of special significance" in California, which would not be a state holiday, nor would give any workers a day off, but rather would be a day that schools "are encouraged to conduct exercises remembering the life of Ronald Reagan, recognizing his accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made" to California. Ronald Reagan Day is California's third day of special significance honoring a specific person, after John Muir
Day, and Harvey Milk Day
.
to use the Emergency Alert System
when a peace officer
has been killed, seriously wounded, or assaulted with a deadly weapon.
as a taxpayer advocate on local tax issues in California.
. In his bid for the Republican nomination for the BOE, Runner was endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
, the California Republican Assembly
, the Santa Clarita Valley Tea Party
, radio talk show hosts John and Ken
, former Governor Pete Wilson
, and former Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Bill Simon, among others.
Runner won the Republican nomination for BOE after defeating Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi
and incumbent BOE Member Barbara Alby
in the June 2010 primary. Runner is the first person to defeat an incumbent BOE member's reelection bid since 1978 and only the fifth person to do so in California history. Runner won the November 2010 general election for the seat, defeating Democrat tax attorney Chris Parker. Alby inexplicably resigned on December 31, 2010, four days before Runner was to be sworn in. Consequently, Runner's Chief of Staff, Sean Wallentine
, was sworn in as acting BOE Member until Runner could be sworn in on January 3, 2011, at which point Wallentine became Runner's Chief Deputy at the BOE.
, doing so from 2004 to 2008. She succeeded him as the 17th District Senator in 2011.
They have a son, Micah, daughter-in-law, Sandy, daughter Rebekah (who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard
), and three grandchildren.
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...
Board Member for District 2 of the five-member California Board of Equalization
State Board of Equalization (California)
The State Board of Equalization is a public agency charged with tax administration and fee collection in the state of California in the United States. The areas of authority of the Board fall into four broad areas: sales and use taxes, property taxes, special taxes, and acting as an appellate body...
(the only publicly elected tax commission in the United States).
From 2004 to 2010, he was a California State Senator representing the 17th Senate District
California's 17th State Senate district
California's 17th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is represented by Republican Sharon Runner of Lancaster.-District profile:...
, which includes portions of Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County, and was the Republican Caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
Chair from 2004 to 2009, which is the second-highest Republican leadership post in the California State Senate. From 1996 to 2002, he was a California State Assembly
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...
man representing the 36th Assembly District
California's 36th State Assembly district
California's 36th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Steve Knight of Palmdale.-District profile:...
, which at the time consisted of portions of Los Angeles County.
Early life
Born in Scotia, New YorkScotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
, Runner moved with his family to Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
as a young child. After attending local public schools in Lancaster, Runner earned a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Business Management from the University of Redlands
University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by...
and a graduate certificate in Management
Scientific management
Scientific management, also called Taylorism, was a theory of management that analyzed and synthesized workflows. Its main objective was improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management...
from Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
.
Private school founding
With his wife Sharon, George Runner founded the Desert Christian Schools.
"We wanted a school for not only everyone else's children, but for our own children, where we knew they were going to hear about God in an exciting way; a place where their faith was not just some parallel subject matter, but was integrated effectively throughout history, math, science and English."
Local politics
In 1992, Runner was elected to the Lancaster City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. He served as Lancaster's Vice Mayor from 1994 to 1995 and as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Lancaster from 1995 to 1996. During his mayoral term, the California Business Journal named Lancaster the number one mid-size city with which to do business.
Legislative politics
In 1996, Runner was elected to represent the 36th Assembly DistrictCalifornia's 36th State Assembly district
California's 36th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Steve Knight of Palmdale.-District profile:...
and served in the State Assembly for three terms, from 1996 to 2002. During this time of service, Runner served as Vice Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
In 2004, he was elected to the Senate to represent the 17th Senate District
California's 17th State Senate district
California's 17th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is represented by Republican Sharon Runner of Lancaster.-District profile:...
.
Currently, Runner is the Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus. He is also the Vice Chair of the Senate Banking, Finance, and Insurance Committee, Vice Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Defense and Aerospace Industries.
During his legislative career, Runner has been named Legislator of the Year by:
- The California State SheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s Association - Crime Victims United
- California Sexual Assault Investigators Association
- Coalition of Chief Probation Officers
- California Coalition of Directors of Environmental Health
- California Community College Trustees
- California Building Industry AssociationCalifornia Building Industry AssociationThe California Building Industry Association is a state trade association in the United States. Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, the CBIA's mission is to advocate on behalf of the housing and the building industry....
He also received the Pursuit of Justice Award from the Association of Deputy District Attorneys–Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
.
AMBER Alert
In 2002, Runner authored California's AMBER AlertAMBER Alert
An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
system, which has successfully utilized the Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
to involve the general public in the search for abducted children and has aided in numerous successful parent-child reunions.
Jessica's Law
In 2006, along with his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, George Runner authored Proposition 83California Proposition 83 (2006)
Proposition 83 of 2006 was a statute enacted by 70% of California voters on November 7, 2006, authored by State Senator George Runner and State Assemblywoman Sharon Runner...
, California's version of Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law is the informal name given to a 2005 Florida law, as well as laws in several other states, designed to punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend...
. The measure passed with the support of 71% of California voters, and passed in 57 of California's 58 counties.
Jessica's Law ensures that all sexual offenders who are convicted of activity with children under the age of 14 are put into a prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years or 25 years to life. It eliminates all "first-offense" sexual offense
Sex and the law
In general, laws proscribe acts which are considered either sexual abuse, or behavior that societies consider to be inappropriate and against the social norms. In addition, certain categories of activity may be considered crimes even if freely consented to...
provisions from California law.
It also eliminates all "good-time" credits for sexual offenders serving prison terms; under the authored provisions they are required to serve their entire sentence and will not be released for good behavior. The law requires that sex offenders who are released from prison wear a GPS bracelet for life.
It also creates a 2,000-foot (615 meter) zone around schools and parks in which registered sex offenders are prohibited from residing.
Ronald Reagan Day
On February 3, 2010, Runner introduced SB 944, the nation's first Ronald Reagan DayRonald Reagan Day
Ronald Reagan Day is a day of recognition that occurs every February 6, starting in 2011, in the state of California for Ronald Reagan, who was that state's Governor from 1967–1975 and President of the United States from 1981–1989...
legislation. On July 19, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
signed the bill into law, making California the first state in the union to have a permanent Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Day. Ronald Reagan Day would be celebrated each February 6 as a "day of special significance" in California, which would not be a state holiday, nor would give any workers a day off, but rather would be a day that schools "are encouraged to conduct exercises remembering the life of Ronald Reagan, recognizing his accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made" to California. Ronald Reagan Day is California's third day of special significance honoring a specific person, after John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
Day, and Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Milk Day is organized by the Harvey Milk Foundation and celebrated globally each year held May 22 in memory of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist assassinated in 1978.-California Day of Special Significance:...
.
Blue Alert
In 2010, Runner authored California's Blue Alert system, which authorizes the California Highway PatrolCalifornia Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
to use the Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
when a peace officer
Peace officer
A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...
has been killed, seriously wounded, or assaulted with a deadly weapon.
Taxpayer advocacy
Since 2009, Runner has served with Americans for ProsperityAmericans for Prosperity
Americans for Prosperity is a Washington, D.C.–based political advocacy group. According to their literature, they promote economic policy that supports business, and restrains regulation by government...
as a taxpayer advocate on local tax issues in California.
Board of Equalization
In February 2009, Runner announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat on the Board of Equalization (BOE)State Board of Equalization (California)
The State Board of Equalization is a public agency charged with tax administration and fee collection in the state of California in the United States. The areas of authority of the Board fall into four broad areas: sales and use taxes, property taxes, special taxes, and acting as an appellate body...
. In his bid for the Republican nomination for the BOE, Runner was endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a political organization that helped sponsor Proposition 13 in California in 1978.It was founded by California Republican Howard Jarvis. The organization has outlived its founder, and continues to operate to the present day under the same name, opposing all...
, the California Republican Assembly
California Republican Assembly
The California Republican Assembly is a conservative California Republican activist group. It is the oldest and largest grassroots volunteer organization chartered by the California Republican Party....
, the Santa Clarita Valley Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, radio talk show hosts John and Ken
John and Ken
John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
, former Governor Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
, and former Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Bill Simon, among others.
Runner won the Republican nomination for BOE after defeating Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi
Alan Nakanishi
Alan S. Nakanishi, M.D., was a Republican Assemblymember from California's 10th State Assembly district, serving from 2002 to 2008. In 2010, Dr. Nakanishi was a candidate for the State Board of Equalization.-Early Life:...
and incumbent BOE Member Barbara Alby
Barbara Alby
Barbara Alby is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican Party. She first sought elective office in 1991, running in a special election for the Sacramento-based 5th district in the California State Assembly. She lost that race to fellow Republican B. T. Collins,...
in the June 2010 primary. Runner is the first person to defeat an incumbent BOE member's reelection bid since 1978 and only the fifth person to do so in California history. Runner won the November 2010 general election for the seat, defeating Democrat tax attorney Chris Parker. Alby inexplicably resigned on December 31, 2010, four days before Runner was to be sworn in. Consequently, Runner's Chief of Staff, Sean Wallentine
Sean Wallentine
Sean Wallentine is a Republican former acting Member of the California State Board of Equalization, representing the 2nd District, holding office for three days from Friday, December 31, 2010 to Monday, January 3, 2011...
, was sworn in as acting BOE Member until Runner could be sworn in on January 3, 2011, at which point Wallentine became Runner's Chief Deputy at the BOE.
Family
He married Sharon Oden in 1973. She succeeded him as the 36th District Assemblymember in 2002. Then-Senator and then-Assemblywoman Runner were the first husband and wife to serve concurrently in the California State LegislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
, doing so from 2004 to 2008. She succeeded him as the 17th District Senator in 2011.
They have a son, Micah, daughter-in-law, Sandy, daughter Rebekah (who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
), and three grandchildren.