Candidate for
State Senator; District 11

Political Philosophy:

To support public education and a woman's right to choose; to help working families; to protect the environment; to help those most in need; and to work on the most critical problems of our region-traffic congestion and the lack of affordable housing.

Landmark Legislation

• Saved the Headwaters Forest
• California Solid Waste Recycling Act
• Uniform Electronic Transactions Act
• California Clean Air Act
• California Safe Drinking Water Act
• Campaign Finance Disclosure Reform

Byron Sher helped refine Governor Davis' education reforms to increase funding and greater accountability in our public schools.

When class size reduction for K through 3 passed the legislature, Byron successfully secured funding so districts could build additional classrooms.

Senator Sher wrote the "continuity of care" law requiring HMO's to allow patients such as pregnant women to stay with their same doctor when HMO's terminate doctors from their health plan.

He introduced legislation to establish in California a first-of-its-kind statewide asthma assessment and intervention program to try to prevent asthma and to ensure medical professionals are better prepared to treat asthma attacks.

Byron Sher wrote the first California law validating electronic transactions and authorizing use of digital signatures in e-commerce.

He also authored the law extending research and development tax credit for high tech companies.

And he sponsored the law allowing businesses to file on-line, electronic "paperless" reports required by law.

Senator Sher wrote the law to expand California's "Bottle Bill" in order to increase recycling and reduce littering of aluminum, glass, and plastic beverage containers.

He was instrumental in the acquisition of the Headwaters Forest (largest remaining stand of ancient redwoods held in private ownership); and in establishing tough new restrictions on logging practices on California's North Coast.

As chair of the budget sub-committee responsible for transportation, Senator Sher reduced project bottlenecks at CALTRANS.

He supported $1.2 billion in additional expenditures for transportation improvement projects to help reduce Bay Area traffic congestion.

He supported increased funding for CaITrain commuter operations, adding trains to the Peninsula and South Bay routes.

He successfully advocated for additional budget funds for light rail stations in Santa Clara County.

As a California budget sub-committee chair, Senator Sher helped produce the 1999 California budget on time, the first in 16 years.

Senator Sher voted for the largest tax cut in California history by reducing the vehicle license fee.

Byron Sher also authored the law making California's research and development tax credit permanent.

He helped save millions by supporting tough audits and accountability standards for state government.