18 Facts About Deborah Ortiz

Deborah Ortiz was first elected to public office in a special election in March 1993 when she was elected to the Sacramento City Council.

Deborah Ortiz had served on the Sacramento County Planning Commission, the Oak Park Project Area Committee and the UC Davis Medical Center Community Advisory Board.

Deborah Ortiz was known as a major advocate for Oak Park, the neighborhood where she lived and was raised.

Deborah Ortiz authored an ordinance that required gun dealers to register with the police department and precluded them from locating near schools and day care centers.

In 1995, Deborah Ortiz managed to have US Bank open the first new bank in Oak Park in thirty years.

Deborah Ortiz focused on health and passed the first law in the nation protecting embryonic stem cell research.

Deborah Ortiz was the first legislator to ban sodas from primary and middle schools when she passed SB 677 in 2003.

Deborah Ortiz passed laws that created the California Biomonitoring Program, established the California Lead Abatement standards program, established the standards for Chromium 6 in drinking water, and created the California Department of Public Health.

Deborah Ortiz authored the historic Cal Grant Scholarship Program that guarantees college grants for poor and working class students who attend California schools.

Deborah Ortiz is well known for authoring the California Freedom of Access to Clinic and Church Entrances Act and the Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act in 2001.

Deborah Ortiz authored laws that required criminal background checks for school employees after the death of Michelle Montoya at Rio Linda High School.

Deborah Ortiz passed laws to create funding for ovarian cancer research and laws to ensure access to emergency contraception.

Deborah Ortiz authored SB 400 that allowed public employees to receive more generous pensions and provided local government the authority to vote to increase public employee pensions.

Deborah Ortiz was termed out of office in 2006 having served two terms in the Senate.

However, Deborah Ortiz lost the June 6,2006 Democratic primary to fellow State Senator Debra Bowen who ended up defeating McPherson in November.

Deborah Ortiz was born and raised in the Oak Park neighborhood of the City of Sacramento.

Deborah Ortiz attended UC Davis for her undergraduate studies and received her Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law.

Deborah Ortiz was elected to the Los Rios Community College Board of Trustees in 2010 and reelected in 2014.