Candidate for
State Senator; District 40

DENISE MORENO DUCHENY CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE 40th DISTRICT

Denise Moreno Ducheny, a Democrat, was elected to the California State Assembly on April 12, 1994 in a special election, and was re-elected in November of 1994, 1996, and 1998 to full terms representing the 79th District. The district included South San Diego, National City and portions of Chula Vista.

Assemblywoman Ducheny served as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee between 1997 and 2000, and served as Vice-Chair in 1996. As such, she was the first San Diegan, first woman, and first Latino legislator ever to be appointed to this powerful position overseeing the state's $100 billion spending plan. As a legislator, she also served as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, as Chair of the Select Committee on California-Mexico Affairs, as Co-Chair of the Special Committee on Welfare Reform, as Vice-Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and as Vice-Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus. In addition, Ms. Ducheny served as a member of the Assembly Committees on Agriculture; Banking and Finance; Budget; Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials; Governmental Organization; Health; Housing and Community Development; Human Services; Information Technology; Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security; Revenue and Taxation; Water Parks and Wildlife; and the Select Committees on California Ports; California-Mexico Affairs; Indian Gaming; the Commission of the Californias; the Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and Classification; and the Coastal Conservancy Board.

During her tenure, the Assemblywoman successfully negotiated several state budgets that provided funding for public schools, colleges and universities, state parks, natural resources, farmworker housing and the largest tax relief package in history for working Californians. Her tireless budget work resulted in the continuous reduction in fees for University of California, California State University, and California Community College students. She was successful in reducing park fees across the state, as well as securing billions of dollars in additional funding for the successful Class-Size-Reduction program, millions of dollars for library books and instructional materials, additional financial aid awards for college students, and expanding academic preparation and outreach programs helping disadvantaged students attend college.

In addition, Assemblywoman Ducheny authored landmark legislation including the CALWorks Welfare Reform Act of 1997, which assisted many in the transition from welfare to work; the College Affordability Act, which rolled back student fees at the UC, CSU, and Community Colleges for the first time in 13 years; the Reverse Mortgage bill, which provided protection to senior homeowners and consumers; the California Public School Library Act, which provided an additional funding source for school libraries; the Indian Child Welfare Act; the California Public Beach Restoration Act; legislation requiring all teachers to have a language development certificate to teach K-12 students; and legislation regarding vacant residential structures, which enabled local government to rehabilitate vacant dwellings to improve the quality of life in their communities.

Assemblymember Ducheny worked diligently to improve California's bi-national relationship with the Republic of Mexico by coordinating various agriculture, water and business tours with U.S. and Mexican officials, conducting several border meetings to discuss cross-border business, transportation, education and health issues, and working with federal elected and administrative officials to further enhance our cooperative relationships, including the establishment of a permanent Office of Bi-national Border Health to facilitate cooperation between health officials and health professionals in California and Mexico and to reduce the risk of disease in the border region.

Assemblymember Ducheny tirelessly represented the best interests of youth in her district by facilitating tours for junior high school students to high tech and biotechnology companies to increase student participation in the sciences and to increase and develop the future workforce in these areas, and has been a staunch supporter of prevention programs that help keep youth away from drugs and crime.

As a legislator, Assemblywoman Ducheny has been recognized for her outstanding accomplishments by many organizations including; Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, California State Student Association, UC Alumni Association, Industrial Environmental Association, Council of Philippine American Organizations, Planning and Conservation League, Western Alliance of Farmworker Advocates, California School Library Association, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego, San Diego La Raza Lawyers, American Electronics Association, California Indian Legal Services; California Building Industry Association, among others.

Ms. Ducheny was born in Southern California, where she attended public high school and received a four-year scholarship from Twentieth-Century Fox Film Corporation to attend Pomona College. While in college she studied Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico, then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She went on to study economic history at the University of Lund, Sweden.

While attending the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, Ms. Ducheny served as student director of the Southwestern Clinical Law Center. She has been practicing law in South San Diego since 1979, when she earned her Juris Doctor and was admitted to the California State Bar.

Former Assemblywoman Ducheny previously served as an elected trustee of the governing board of the San Diego Community College District, as a member of the board of directors of the California Community College Trustees Association, and as Founder and Chair of the Association of Latino Community College Trustees.

Following her service in the State Assembly, former Assemblywoman Denise Moreno Ducheny has served as a Presidential Fellow at San Diego State University, Regent's lecturer at the University of California Riverside, Board Member of the San Diego Natural History Museum, Commissioner for the State Commission on the Californias, Commissioner for the San Diego County Regional Governance Efficiency Commission, Member of the California Border Environmental Co-operation Commission and Trustee of the Anza Borrego Desert Park Foundation.

Denise Moreno Ducheny is presently running for the California State Senate 40th District, which includes Southern portions of the city of San Diego, all of National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado. The District runs along the California border and includes all of Imperial County and the cities of Indio, Coachella, Cathedral City, Blythe and rural areas in Riverside County. Denise has been married for 22 years to Al Ducheny, a political consultant and community activist in San Diego.

Campaign consultant and manager is Al Ducheny. Volunteer coordinator is Lorena Anaya.

Campaign Office 2168 Logan Avenue San Diego, CA 92113

Campaign Phone 619-232-0040

Office 619-239-1388

Fax 619-239-1366

Home 619-236-9788

E-Mail ducheny@sandiego.com

E-Mail ducheny@pacbell.net Web http://www.ducheny.com