Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 19

Lou Papan has a distinguished career of public service. He was first elected to the California State Assembly 1972, where he served until 1986. Papan served as Speaker Pro Tempore from 1974 to 1976, and chaired the powerful Assembly Rules Committee from 1976 to 1986. After leaving office in 1986, Papan returned to the Assembly in 1996 and was re-elected in 1998 with over 70% of the vote in his district. Papan is the Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee and is the Dean of the Assembly.

Papan is well known as an advocate for disabled children. He has written laws improving public instruction for disabled students and the required reporting of child and elder abuse. Papan has also written legislation to significantly reform California's banking and insurance industries, make all legislative records public through the Open Records Act, and ensure the viability and professional management of the public employees and state teachers retirement systems in California. Papan was also successful in securing funding to purchase beach front property in Pacifica for the state parks system and to protect endangered species in an area proposed for development on San Bruno Mountain.

As Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, Papan oversaw the restoration of the State Capitol, a six-year project with a $67 million budget -- the project was completed on budget and on time. The Rules Committee was also responsible for the creation of the first minority outreach program in the State Legislature under his leadership.

The son of Greek immigrants, Papan received his BA in Economics in 1951 from Syracuse University in New York. He served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. Papan was also a Special Agent in the FBI in San Francisco and Chicago. He has been a real estate broker and general insurance agent since 1958 and co-founded the Peninsula Bank of Commerce in 1981.

Papan, a widower, has two grown daughters: Virginia and Diane. Virginia formerly worked as a Deputy Attorney General and now is the Deputy Director of the California Office of Criminal Justice Planning. Diane practices law in San Francisco. Papan's wife, Irene, was the Executive Director of John's Closet -- an organization that provides new clothes for needy children.

Papan received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1996. The award is given by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) to ethnic Americans who have made significant contributions to this country.