Mark Leno
Encyclopedia
Mark Leno is an American politician, representing California's 3rd Senate district, which includes parts of San Francisco
and Sonoma County
, as well as the entirety of Marin County
. He was elected in 2008 and is the first openly gay
man to serve in the Senate. Leno was previously one of the first two openly gay men (along with John Laird) to serve in the Assembly. He also served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
between 1998 and 2002 after being appointed by Willie Brown
. Leno is the owner of Budget Signs Inc., a small business.
In 2008, he won the Democratic Party
nomination for California's 3rd Senate district with 43.8 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent
Senator Carole Migden
, who had 28.6 percent of the vote, and former Assemblyman Joe Nation, who had 27.6 percent of the vote. He was then elected with 80% of the vote in the general election.
n immigrants. He is a native of Wisconsin
and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder
, then went on to become valedictorian of his graduating class at the American College in Jerusalem, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts
degree. Leno also spent two years in rabbi
nical studies at Hebrew Union College
in New York. Afterward, he moved to San Francisco on the invitation of his sister. He lived his first four years in the Tenderloin before moving to the Noe Valley
neighborhood. In 1978, Leno started Budget Signs as owner and operator. The business incorporated in 1982. Working with his life partner, Douglas Jackson, the business continued to grow and their involvement in community affairs steadily expanded. Jackson died from complications related to AIDS
in 1990. Despite this loss, Leno continued his efforts in community service.
in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Leno was the chair of the Assembly's powerful Appropriations Committee, as well as the Select Committee on Childhood Obesity & Related Diabetes.
services, the San Francisco LGBT Community Center
, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Democratic Party. Leno was appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by Willie Brown
in 1998. Within six months of the appointment, Leno introduced legislation to allow tenants to replace a roommate without losing their lease, measures to aid those with HIV
/AIDS, and a measure to promote the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
to help low income residents. He authored legislation to ban mercury thermometers, one of the first in the country. Leno's district included the The Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park
, Diamond Heights
, Twin Peaks
, Duboce Triangle
, and the westernmost part of the Mission District
. As a supervisor, he also supported Proposition L, the slow-growth measure, in 2000. He authored legislation to protect neighborhood business districts from big box retail. Leno also served as a statewide spokesman for the No on Proposition 22 campaign.
In 2001, he passed an ordinance providing equal access to the city's health plan for transgender
employees of San Francisco.
Leno also helped create the nation's first medical cannabis
identification card program in San Francisco upon which was based California's statewide program.
s that became the first bill of its kind to pass a legislative body in the United States. The bill passed both the Assembly
and the State Senate
, but was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger
. In 2007, Leno introduced AB 43, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, that would have allowed for same-sex marriage. This bill passed the Assembly and Senate, but was again vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
. Same-sex marriage was legalized by the California Supreme Court in a May 2008 decision
, becoming effective June 16, 2008.
In 2006, Leno and Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
co-authored a bill that would legalize the cultivation of non-hallucinogenic hemp
. The bill does not conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act
, and would mandate that hemp be tested to ensure it is non-hallucinogenic. Leno also authored California Assembly Bill Number AB 1668 - on Feb 23, 2007—a bill encouraging Open Document Formats ODF
in California.
In Leno's first two terms in the Assembly, 58 of his bills where signed into law. Leno co-authored AB 32 to cap greenhouse emissions. He authored AB 706 to prohibit the use of fire retardants in upholstered furniture. He authored AB 2573 to allow San Francisco public utilities to install solar panels on public infrastructure. Leno also authored Assembly Bill 1358, the California Complete Streets Act, to require cities and counties to consider including walking and bicycling in their general plan
s. He coauthored the AB 583, "California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act," to bring public financing to political campaigns.
Leno was a principal co-author of SB 840, the "Single-Payer Universal Health Care Act." The bill provided health care
coverage for all Californians and would have replaced hundreds of health insurance
companies with state provided coverage. The bill did not call for state control of the health care delivery system. Leno authored several bills to increase funding for programs for at-risk and low-achieving students and foster children.
In 2008, Leno introduced legislation he named the "Airline Passenger Bill of Rights." The bill requires airlines to provide basic needs for passengers, such as water, snacks, fresh air, sanitary restrooms, and lights if a plane is delayed on a tarmac at a California airport.
He is also the author of SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act.
in Los Angeles
with their Sheila Kuehl Trail Blazer Award, the Lazarus Project’s Lazarus Award for Marriage Equality, the California Young Democrats’ Mentor of the Year, Partners Ending Domestic Abuse’s Kamala Harris Leadership Award and Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim
’s 2006 Herman Humanitarian Award.
In 2005, he was honored by the California Attorneys For Criminal Justice with their “Scales of Justice Award” in recognition to his fair and balanced approach in chairing the Assembly Public Safety Committee. He also received the “Lifetime Friend and Champion” award from the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club
and was chosen by OUT Magazine
as one of 2005’s “Most Intriguing Gay Men.”
In 2004, Leno received the Award of Courage from American Foundation for AIDS Research
and he was honored by the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles at their 25th Anniversary. He also served as Chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus
.
In 2003, Leno earned recognition from the American Heart Association
, the California Association of Food Banks and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
.
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...
and Sonoma County
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, as well as the entirety of Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
. He was elected in 2008 and is the first openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man to serve in the Senate. Leno was previously one of the first two openly gay men (along with John Laird) to serve in the Assembly. He also served as a 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:...
between 1998 and 2002 after being appointed by Willie Brown
Willie Brown (politician)
Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its Speaker, and afterward served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so...
. Leno is the owner of Budget Signs Inc., a small business.
In 2008, he won the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for California's 3rd Senate district with 43.8 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Senator Carole Migden
Carole Migden
Carole Migden is an American politician from San Francisco, California who represented the third district of the California State Senate from 2004 to 2008 and the 13th district of the California State Assembly from 1996 to 2002....
, who had 28.6 percent of the vote, and former Assemblyman Joe Nation, who had 27.6 percent of the vote. He was then elected with 80% of the vote in the general election.
Before elected office
Leno is the grandson of Jewish RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n immigrants. He is a native of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, then went on to become valedictorian of his graduating class at the American College in Jerusalem, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. Leno also spent two years in rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nical studies at Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
in New York. Afterward, he moved to San Francisco on the invitation of his sister. He lived his first four years in the Tenderloin before moving to the Noe Valley
Noe Valley, San Francisco, California
-Location:Its borders are generally considered to be 22nd Street to the north, Randall Street to the south, Dolores Street to the east, and Grand View Avenue to the west. These borders are understood to be somewhat flexible, particularly by real estate agents...
neighborhood. In 1978, Leno started Budget Signs as owner and operator. The business incorporated in 1982. Working with his life partner, Douglas Jackson, the business continued to grow and their involvement in community affairs steadily expanded. Jackson died from complications related to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1990. Despite this loss, Leno continued his efforts in community service.
Political career
Leno was elected citywide to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1998 and reelected in the reinstated district races of 2000. He was then elected to the California State AssemblyCalifornia 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...
in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Leno was the chair of the Assembly's powerful Appropriations Committee, as well as the Select Committee on Childhood Obesity & Related Diabetes.
Board of Supervisors
Prior to his election, Leno's political background included raising money for candidates and causes such as AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
services, the San Francisco LGBT Community Center
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center is a nonprofit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population of San Francisco, California and nearby communities, located at 1800 Market Street in San Francisco....
, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Democratic Party. Leno was appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by Willie Brown
Willie Brown (politician)
Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its Speaker, and afterward served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so...
in 1998. Within six months of the appointment, Leno introduced legislation to allow tenants to replace a roommate without losing their lease, measures to aid those with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS, and a measure to promote the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
to help low income residents. He authored legislation to ban mercury thermometers, one of the first in the country. Leno's district included the The Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park
Glen Park, San Francisco, California
Glen Park is a small neighborhood in San Francisco, California, named for the adjacent Glen Canyon Park.-Location:It is at the southern edge of the hills in the interior of the city, to the south of Diamond Heights and Noe Valley, west of Bernal Heights, and east of Glen Canyon Park...
, Diamond Heights
Diamond Heights, San Francisco, California
Diamond Heights is a neighborhood in the middle part of San Francisco, California, roughly bordered by Diamond Heights Boulevard and Noe Valley on the east side and Glen Canyon Park on the west side.-History:...
, Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks, San Francisco, California
The Twin Peaks are two hills with an elevation of about near the geographic center of San Francisco, California. Except for Mount Davidson, they are the highest points in the city.-Location and climate:...
, Duboce Triangle
Duboce Triangle, San Francisco, California
The Duboce Triangle neighborhood is located near the center of San Francisco, just below the hilly slopes of Buena Vista between the neighborhoods of the Castro/Eureka Valley, the Mission District, and the Lower Haight....
, and the westernmost part of the Mission District
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
. As a supervisor, he also supported Proposition L, the slow-growth measure, in 2000. He authored legislation to protect neighborhood business districts from big box retail. Leno also served as a statewide spokesman for the No on Proposition 22 campaign.
In 2001, he passed an ordinance providing equal access to the city's health plan for transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
employees of San Francisco.
Leno also helped create the nation's first medical cannabis
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis refers to the use of parts of the herb cannabis as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine...
identification card program in San Francisco upon which was based California's statewide program.
State Assembly
In 2005, Leno authored AB 849, a bill legalizing same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
s that became the first bill of its kind to pass a legislative body in the United States. The bill passed both the 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...
and the State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, but was vetoed by Governor 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....
. In 2007, Leno introduced AB 43, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, that would have allowed for same-sex marriage. This bill passed the Assembly and Senate, but was again vetoed by 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....
. Same-sex marriage was legalized by the California Supreme Court in a May 2008 decision
In re Marriage Cases
In re Marriage Cases 43 Cal.4th 757 [76 Cal.Rptr.3d 683, 183 P.3d 384], was a California Supreme Court case with the dual holding that "statutes that treat persons differently because of their sexual orientation should be subjected to strict scrutiny" and the existing "California legislative and...
, becoming effective June 16, 2008.
In 2006, Leno and Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
Chuck DeVore
Charles S. "Chuck" DeVore is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010 and represented the 70th District, which includes portions of Orange County...
co-authored a bill that would legalize the cultivation of non-hallucinogenic hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
. The bill does not conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain...
, and would mandate that hemp be tested to ensure it is non-hallucinogenic. Leno also authored California Assembly Bill Number AB 1668 - on Feb 23, 2007—a bill encouraging Open Document Formats ODF
ODF
ODF may be an acronym for:* OpenDocument format, a standard for electronic office documents** OpenDocument Fellowship, a volunteer organisation with members around the world to promote the use and development of the OpenDocument format....
in California.
In Leno's first two terms in the Assembly, 58 of his bills where signed into law. Leno co-authored AB 32 to cap greenhouse emissions. He authored AB 706 to prohibit the use of fire retardants in upholstered furniture. He authored AB 2573 to allow San Francisco public utilities to install solar panels on public infrastructure. Leno also authored Assembly Bill 1358, the California Complete Streets Act, to require cities and counties to consider including walking and bicycling in their general plan
General plan
A general plan is the policy of acceptable land uses in each jurisdiction. Each city and county adopts and updates their General Plan to guide the growth and land development of their community, for both the current period and the long term...
s. He coauthored the AB 583, "California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act," to bring public financing to political campaigns.
Leno was a principal co-author of SB 840, the "Single-Payer Universal Health Care Act." The bill provided health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
coverage for all Californians and would have replaced hundreds of health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
companies with state provided coverage. The bill did not call for state control of the health care delivery system. Leno authored several bills to increase funding for programs for at-risk and low-achieving students and foster children.
In 2008, Leno introduced legislation he named the "Airline Passenger Bill of Rights." The bill requires airlines to provide basic needs for passengers, such as water, snacks, fresh air, sanitary restrooms, and lights if a plane is delayed on a tarmac at a California airport.
He is also the author of SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act.
Awards and honors
Leno has been honored for his public service by many organizations. In 2006, he was honored by the Stonewall Democratic ClubStonewall Democrats
The National Stonewall Democrats is an LGBT-rights group based in Washington, D.C. with a political affiliation to the Democratic Party. The word "Stonewall" in its name refers to the 1969 Stonewall riots, a pivotal event in the history of gay rights....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with their Sheila Kuehl Trail Blazer Award, the Lazarus Project’s Lazarus Award for Marriage Equality, the California Young Democrats’ Mentor of the Year, Partners Ending Domestic Abuse’s Kamala Harris Leadership Award and Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim
Beth Chayim Chadashim
, also called BCC, is a synagogue located at 6090 West Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles, California. Affiliated with Reform Judaism, it was founded in 1972 as the world's first lesbian and gay synagogue. Current clergy is Rabbi Lisa Edwards and Cantor Juval Porat...
’s 2006 Herman Humanitarian Award.
In 2005, he was honored by the California Attorneys For Criminal Justice with their “Scales of Justice Award” in recognition to his fair and balanced approach in chairing the Assembly Public Safety Committee. He also received the “Lifetime Friend and Champion” award from the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club
Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club
Based in San Francisco, California, the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club is a chapter of the Stonewall Democrats, named after LGBT politician and activist Harvey Milk. Believing that the existing Alice B...
and was chosen by OUT Magazine
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
as one of 2005’s “Most Intriguing Gay Men.”
In 2004, Leno received the Award of Courage from American Foundation for AIDS Research
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
and he was honored by the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles at their 25th Anniversary. He also served as Chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus
California Legislative LGBT Caucus
The California Legislative LGBT Caucus is an American political organization formed in June 2002 and composed of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the California State Legislature...
.
In 2003, Leno earned recognition from the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
, the California Association of Food Banks and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a socio-political group of family members and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Its mission statement describes the goals of PFLAG as promoting health and well being of LGBT persons as well as actively supporting...
.