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Fran Pavley—An Environmental Legend—Wins Democratic Primary for Kuehl Senate Seat

Beats Assemblymember Lloyd Levine by Two-to-One

By Frank D. Russo

Fran Pavley, (pictured at right) served three terms in the California State Assembly before having to leave because of term limits, has decisively won the Democratic primary and will be returning to the State Senate to succeed Sheila Kuehl in representing the parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, including the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and the Westside of Los Angeles.

Those are big shoes to fill, but Pavley is considered a legend in her own time by environmental groups as the author of the “Pavley Bill,” AB 1493 on tail pipe emissions of greenhouse gases that recently was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and has been fought by the Bush administration. She also was the author of AB 32, the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, along with then Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez. AB 32 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger and has been widely touted nationally as a model for other states as well as internationally. Her leadership on the most important environmental issue facing the world in the 21st Century has been recognized by many entities, including being selected as one of Scientific American's Top Technology Leaders in Transportation, and receiving the 2006 California League of Conservation Voters "Global Warming Leadership Award" along with former Vice President Al Gore.

Pavley won with 66.4% of the vote to current Assemblymember Lloyd Levine’s 33.6% to win the Democratic nomination. She carried both the Los Angeles County part of the district as well as the smaller portion in Ventura County.

She was endorsed by Senator Sheila Kuehl for the seat that Kuehl has had to leave due to term limits.

Pavley was also endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters, despite Levine having a perfect 100% rating on the organization’s environmental scorecard for his votes on legislation in 2006 and 2007.

Her AB 1493 requires the Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and light duty trucks by 30% by the year 2016. It was the first bill of its kind in the country and was featured on a special segment on the PBS, which you can watch.

In the Assembly, she became known as one of the most effective legislators, seeing over 70 of her bills and resolutions become law. She focused on education, the environment, consumer protection, public safety and creating a clean, secure energy future for California and the U.S.

It’s not as if the voters in this district had a bad choice between her and Levine. He has authored significant environmental legislation including the recycling of plastic bags and discouraging their use in markets and drug stores. He’s also spearheaded a movement to phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs in California for more efficient ones.

And Levine has not been shy in tackling difficult policy areas –for instance carrying legislation to make pet spaying and neutering mandatory. This and other legislation on death with dignity, modeled after Oregon’s law have drawn him the wrath of those opposed. In fact, AB 1634, the Healthy Pets Act received so much mail that it broke fax machines in the Capitol.

We carried an article in April of 2007 looking at this race and predicting that Pavley would prevail on the basis of polling and name identification.

We’ll miss Levine and welcome Fran Pavley to the Senate. She should have no difficulty in winning in November.

Posted on June 04, 2008

Comments

Congratulations to Ms. Pavley!
This was a loud and resounding NO to fanatical animal rights views and nanny state legislation.
The nasty attacks of Bob Barker against Ms. Pavley and anybody opposed to Levine backfired.

Posted by: B.B. at June 4, 2008 08:05 AM

You may miss Levine if for nothing else than to give you fodder for your articles. The rest of us will NOT miss him, hence the reason he was so soundly defeated. Animal and freedom lovers every where rejoiced as "Nanny Levine" went down in electoral flames.. perhaps Judie Mancuso will have a "job" for him but even she seems to have jumped off of the sinking "SS Levine".. a life preserver anyone.. anyone.. anyone....oh well...

Posted by: Jan Dykema at June 4, 2008 01:19 PM

First it was Rick Santorum (remember him?) who pushed the PAWS federalization of pet ownership. He was voted out. Now comes Levine, who wants to mandate surgery on all pets. He's just been shot down in flames as well. When will these people learn that J Q Public *does not want* the Animal Rights agenda?

Posted by: Carol Furnee at June 4, 2008 07:33 PM

Levine cares NOTHING about his constituents. They told him to cease and desist - he hasn't enough brains to understand! He deserves to be UN-employed!!! We want the personal rights and freedoms that our founding fathers promised us! We don't want to explain why our country went FACIST when we meet them at the Pearly Gates!!!

Posted by: Carol at June 5, 2008 08:38 AM

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