Carol Liu

State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) has been named to three important education-related committees on Capitol Hill, putting her in a prime position as she prepares to guide legislation down winding paths where allies are needed at every curve. A former public school teacher and administrator, Liu was already chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee before the latest round of committee assignments last week. While Dan Schnur, director of USC's Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, said the appointments wouldn't directly impact the senator's ability to get education legislation passed, they couldn't hurt.

Claudia Peschiutta LA CRESCENTA -- Carol Liu will never finish doing everything she wants to do. There will always be more people to meet, more causes to take on, more books to read and more documents to study. One of the most important, time-consuming things on her life's "to-do" list at the moment is running for the 44th Assembly District. As a girl growing up in Oakland, Liu, now 58, sought to be disciplined. "I really wanted to go to a girls' school so I would focus," she said.

Adam Carter is only 27, but he's already worked for the Pasadena area's top Democratic officeholders. Carter starts work this week as the new district representative for state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) in the Pasadena and Altadena areas, Liu announced Wednesday.  PASADENA SUN

Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) introduced legislation Thursday she contends that, had been in place during fiscal year 2010-11, would have resulted in about $3.5 million in additional funds for local governments in California. The bill, sponsored by state Controller John Chiang, would help cities and counties collect money that they are owed. Chiang's office would be able to offset funds that a person or business owes to local governments when they file a claim for unclaimed financial accounts through the state's program that tracks those accounts.

As the old cliche goes, "the silence has been deafening" in La Canada regarding Assembly Bill 2160. This bill would take decisions on a wide variety of issues, such as curriculum, textbooks and standards, from elected school officials and make them part of the collective bargaining process. Instead of being open to the public, these issues would be decided behind closed doors by people who are unaccountable to the public, namely union negotiators. Leading newspapers from San Diego to Sacramento, including locals like the Daily News of Los Angeles, Pasadena Star News and San Marino Tribune, have written editorials strongly opposing AB 2160.

The California Library Association has named State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) its 2011 Legislator of the Year. The organization represents public, academic and specialty libraries across the state. Liu was recognized for her leadership in helping to preserve public library funding in this year's state budget, said Pasadena Public Library Director Jan Sanders. “As the chairwoman of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, and as a member of the Senate Budget Committee, she fully understood the 'real world' impacts of the devastating cuts that were being proposed for three major library programs,” Sanders said in a statement.

Claudia Peschiutta MONTROSE - It was party time for local Democrats. Party legislators and candidates turned out for the "Democratic Unity to Victory Celebration," a picnic held Sunday at the Gardens of Hillmont in Pasadena. The event was sponsored by the 44th Assembly District Committee of the California Democratic Party. State Assemblyman Jack Scott (D-Montrose) and Carol Liu, the Democrat challenging Susan Carpenter McMillan for Scott's seat, were there, as was state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale)

Results as of press time, 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. -- U.S. Congress District 26 David Dreier 56% Cynthia Matthews 41% (R) (D) U.S. Congress District 29 Adam B. 63% Harry Scolinos 33% Schiff (D) (R) State Senate District 21 Jack Scott 78% Bob New (L) 22% (D) State Senate District 29 Bob Margett 64% Rufino Bautista 31% (R) Jr. (D) State Assembly District 43 Dario 77% Sandor J. Woren 23% Frommer (D) (L) State Assembly District 44 Carol Liu (D)

Janine Marnien GOP club hosts assembly candidate LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- The Foothills Republican Club hosted Assembly candidate Dan O'Connell at its Oct. 17 meeting. O'Connell is running against incumbent Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge) in the upcoming election. He spoke on his experiences as a deputy district attorney prosecuting narcotics crimes. The Foothills Republican Club meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. The next meeting is Nov. 14 at the Republican Headquarters, 2512 Foothill Blvd.

In a disingenuous attempt to change the subject, Chris Davis ("Teaching bill is not the would-be disaster we're led to believe," May 7) attempts to shift the focus from Carol Liu's failure to oppose AB 2160 to her support of AB 2347. While both bills are bad for our children and our schools, AB 2160 is by far the worst of the two. By concentrating on the lesser of these two evil bills, Davis attempts to marginalize opposition to both bills. Given the content of Davis' letter, it is obvious that he is a teacher.

State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) has been named to three important education-related committees on Capitol Hill, putting her in a prime position as she prepares to guide legislation down winding paths where allies are needed at every curve. A former public school teacher and administrator, Liu was already chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee before the latest round of committee assignments last week. While Dan Schnur, director of USC's Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, said the appointments wouldn't directly impact the senator's ability to get education legislation passed, they couldn't hurt.

State Sen. Carol Liu teamed up with 10-year-old Gerry Orz on Wednesday to talk about the bullying that plagues local schools. As a third-grader in the San Gabriel Unified School District last year, Gerry was bullied for having two moms and for being too tall, among other things. “Kids would kick him to the ground. His pants were torn up,” his mother, Kate Orz, said. But Gerry didn't say a word on Wednesday because he had taken a daylong vow of silence to honor those who suffered from bullying this year.

Local Democratic incumbents for state offices and the U.S. House easily cleared challenges from their Republican opponents Tuesday. Even in the hotly contested race for the 43rd Assembly District, incumbent Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) never lost a comfortable lead over Republican challenger Greg Krikorian, a Glendale school board member, as the election returns -- hampered by fog and air transit delays -- trickled in well past midnight. With all precincts reporting, Gatto won the district with 60.5% of the electorate, or 72,797 votes to Kirkorian's 47,615, according to the California Secretary of State.

Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) is maintaining his lead over Glendale school board member Greg Krikorian, with the incumbent garnering 15,340 votes to his Republican challenger's 13,209. But with just one precinct reporting, the vote tallies could still take a wild swing, according to the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder. With eight precincts reporting in the 25th District for state Senate, Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge) is holding on to her lead, 37,884 votes to the 29,687 garnered by her Republican challenger Gilbert Gonzales, according to the California Secretary of State.

With thousands of students unable to get the classes they need, state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) on Monday touted legislation that would force those entering the community college system to have an education plan - and stick with it. Speaking at Glendale Community College, Liu said the legislation she c-authored - and which is awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown's signature - would support students at the front-end of their education by making...

State Sen. Carol Liu could do little to assuage fears about funding cuts during a recent address to local education officials, describing them as “heartbreaking.” She also warned of competing November ballot tax initiatives that could end up doing more harm to public school funding. The California Legislature has adopted budgets during the last three years that have resulted in $26 billion in cuts to public services, Liu said during the Glendale Unified school board meeting Tuesday.

Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) introduced legislation Thursday she contends that, had been in place during fiscal year 2010-11, would have resulted in about $3.5 million in additional funds for local governments in California. The bill, sponsored by state Controller John Chiang, would help cities and counties collect money that they are owed. Chiang's office would be able to offset funds that a person or business owes to local governments when they file a claim for unclaimed financial accounts through the state's program that tracks those accounts.

Local lawmakers plan to tackle a variety of issues in 2012, not the least of which may be campaigning for re-election. Prominent U.S. Congressional Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and Howard Berman (D-Valley Village) will be facing off against each other in an open primary in June. The two Democratic heavy-hitters were drawn into the same district after a citizens' committee revised legislative district boundaries in California earlier this year. GOP challengers Susan Shelley and Mark Reed also plan to enter the race for the new 30th Congressional District, which includes part of western Burbank.

Local lawmakers expressed frustrationthis week that Gov. Jerry Brown ordered $1 billion in mid-year cuts, pointing to the move as proof of the inability of Democratic and Republican legislators to work together. Among the cuts triggered by lower-than-expected revenues were elimination of funding for free school-bus service, a reduction of $100 million each to the University of California and California State University systems and cuts in services for the developmentally disabled.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) - struggling to find his political footing in a changing landscape of legislative districts - is moving into a gray area, stuck between a potential congressional bid and what would be an uncomfortable challenge for long-time political ally state Sen. Carol Liu's seat. Portantino, who will be termed out of office next year, has so far refused to say which way he intends to go, but his two-track approach could also put him at odds with some donors, who contributed $310,000 to support a challenge to unseat Rep. David Dreier, a longtime San Gabriel Valley Republican.