She said McPherson has been too restrictive in drafting regulations for voters registering under new federal identification requirements. As many as 40% of new registrants in Los Angeles County risk not being cleared in time to vote in June.
Ortiz, 49, has spent her adult life in public service, working several staff jobs at the Capitol before being the first Latina elected to the Sacramento City Council. She served from 1993 to 1996, when she was elected to the Assembly. She served one term, then was elected to the Senate.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday June 23, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 76 words Type of Material: Correction
Secretary of state: An article in the May 14 California section on two Democrats running for secretary of state indicated that a member of incumbent Bruce McPherson's transition team in 2005, a former deputy secretary of state, became a member of the lobbying firm representing electronic voting system manufacturer Diebold Inc. According to the firm, GCG Rose and Kindel, Adan Ortega Jr. was an independent subcontractor when he worked for McPherson and later became an employee.
Ortiz has focused much of her legislative effort on healthcare and heads the Senate Health Committee. She spent nearly $500,000 and a significant chunk of 2005 preparing to run for state insurance commissioner before jumping to the secretary of state race.
In April, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger backed her plan to establish a department of public health to focus on outbreaks of disease and food poisoning and to oversee the care of 100,000 people living in nursing homes. The bill also called for restructuring the California Department of Health Services.
Last year, Schwarzenegger signed an Ortiz bill requiring pharmacists to fill prescriptions such as morning-after birth control pills even if they have moral objections. A separate bill bars hospitals from charging uninsured patients more than they charge Medicaid and Medicare for the same treatment.
A leader on legislative oversight of stem cell research money, Ortiz wants the recipients of all stem cell grants or loans to share half of their net licensing revenue with the state if the state shared the expense of developing or protecting their patents. The share would be 25% if a patent was developed without state funds.
"Throughout my career, I have not cowered to special interests," she said in a "why-I'm-running" statement. "I have stood by policies that I believe are in the best interest of Californians. This is the spirit I will take with me to the secretary of state's office."
Bowen has been the most vocal in challenging McPherson, a moderate former legislator from Santa Cruz whom many lauded for restoring credibility to the office after Shelley's departure. Bowen, 50, launched her campaign eight months before Ortiz, after considering runs for state attorney general and controller.
