Sheila Kuehl

Thank you for your story on Assemblywoman Sheila J. Kuehl (Sept. 12). As a student at Loyola Law School, I was privileged to attend her class on women and the law. She is a friendly, intelligent woman, who is deeply concerned about the political and social issues affecting our state and our society. It is too bad that other members of the Assembly cannot follow Kuehl's example and set aside blind ideology and partisan bickering. She is an example of our political system at its best--a system in which politicians strive for common ground, instead of pandering to the worst fears and prejudices of the people in order to scare up votes.

SACRAMENTO -- Former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) made it official Thursday. She will be a candidate for the seat being vacated by Zev Yaroslavsky on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Kuehl, who served as chair of the Senate Health Committee during part of her 14-year tenure in Sacramento, said the board was a natural fit for her policy interests. “I have been steeped in the very issues that are under the purview of our Supervisors every day,” Kuehl said in a statement mailed to supporters seeking donations for her campaign.

In your article on the Democratic primary race for state Senate between [Assembly members] Sheila Kuehl and Wally Knox ("Friendly Foes Meet in 1st Debate," Oct. 8), you state that their views and voting records are nearly identical. However, on one issue, their views and voting records are clearly on opposite sides. Sheila Kuehl has introduced legislation to raise the cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice suits. Wally Knox opposes and has voted against such legislation.

Schwarzenegger's report card Re "An amateur governor and the mess he's made," Opinion, Aug. 9 What is Sheila Kuehl's point when she writes that "there is no room for amateurism in government"? Ha ha ha ha ha. (Wiping tears from eyes.) Really?! Is that why she left government? Considering the total mess made by the so-called professional politicians in Sacramento, does professional politico Kuehl think circumstances would be better if we left things to the "pros"?

Oxnard and Port Hueneme residents are invited to meet their future representative, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), at a reception Saturday. The free reception, hosted by outgoing Sen. Jack O'Connell (D-San Luis Obispo), will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Rosenmund Ranch, 2705 E. Pleasant Valley Road, Oxnard. Oxnard and Port Hueneme were shifted from O'Connell's Senate district to Kuehl's during this year's redistricting. The changes go into effect in December 2002.

State Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) will host a discussion Thursday of the 310 area code overlay. Under the overlay plan, a new area code--424--would serve the same geographic area as 310 on the Westside of Los Angeles and the South Bay. But because of vocal objections from customers and lawmakers, the July 17 introduction of the overlay code was postponed to allow regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission to review alternatives. The town hall meeting is set for 7 p.

Who will make big news in the business world this year? Who will emerge from relative obscurity to become a major player? To start the new year, Times business reporters selected people from their beats who they believe will be among those to watch in 2000--in Southern California, across the country and around the world. Some are well known, having made big news in previous years. Others are not exactly household names but nevertheless are likely to make a major impact in their fields.

In Elaine Dutka's March 20 article on the angry reaction to the movie "The Silence of the Lambs," Tammy Bruce of the National Organization for Women says "the bottom line is that violence does happen primarily to women and you need to portray that reality." In fact, with the exception of children, women are the segment of the population least frequently victimized by violence. (Young males corner the market here.) Similarly, Sheila Kuehl of the Southern California Women's Law Center asserts that violence against women in films is "taken for granted like the air we breathe."

Hollywood's talent managers, who have been wringing their hands over a pending bill in Sacramento that would regulate them in the same way the state now regulates agents, won't have to worry for now. Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) said she plans to amend a bill she has introduced so that it more narrowly targets unscrupulous managers who prey on aspiring actors who can't afford an agent.

The Malibu City Council has approved a scaled-back version of a marine refuge, limiting the proposed coastal sanctuary to two small no-take zones and designated tide pools after legislators said they could not back a more extensive plan. In letters to the city, Sen.

Facing a certain veto, state lawmakers have abandoned their effort to require that textbooks in California schools detail the history and achievements of gays and lesbians in America. Supporters removed that provision of the gay rights bill, which passed the California Senate in May, so that the measure only bars teaching anything that "reflects adversely" on people because of their sexual orientation. Schools would also be prohibited from sponsoring any activities that sanction such a bias.

This city once again saw the melding of the personal and political Monday when state Sen. Sheila Kuehl presided over the marriages of six couples who have long been active in the gay and lesbian community, including Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg. In back-to-back ceremonies on the steps of the City Hall rotunda, Kuehl, California's first openly gay state legislator, pronounced her close friends and political colleagues married to tears and shouts of jubilation.

Oxnard and Port Hueneme residents are invited to meet their future representative, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), at a reception Saturday. The free reception, hosted by outgoing Sen. Jack O'Connell (D-San Luis Obispo), will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Rosenmund Ranch, 2705 E. Pleasant Valley Road, Oxnard. Oxnard and Port Hueneme were shifted from O'Connell's Senate district to Kuehl's during this year's redistricting. The changes go into effect in December 2002.

Newly elected state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), 59, became well known during her three terms in the Assembly as an activist for women's issues, child-support reform, environmental protection and gay and lesbian rights. She was the first openly gay state legislator and the first woman named speaker pro tem of the Assembly. But four decades ago, Kuehl achieved national fame far beyond that of any of her colleagues in the Legislature.

The San Fernando Valley can expect to wield even more political muscle in Sacramento in the next two years as voters returned several veteran lawmakers to the capital. Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks) was breezing to an easy win in his central Valley district. In fact, most Democrats dominated. "There will be a lot of power from the Valley," said U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) from Democratic headquarters in Encino. "Especially with Speaker Hertzberg."

"Republican" is not a word Jayne Murphy Shapiro uses lightly. At least not in the solidly Democratic 41st Assembly District, a scenic stretch of beaches and mountains where Shapiro is convinced that the "R-word," as she calls it, hurts her more than it helps. At a recent candidate's forum, a gray-haired man rushed up to Shapiro when she finished speaking to ask her party affiliation. "I can't find it anywhere on your campaign literature," he said.

In their second face-to-face appearance in the San Fernando Valley, Assembly members Sheila Kuehl and Wally Knox struggled to distinguish themselves Tuesday night for 70 people at a Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance forum here. But the courtly exchange seemed only to further flummox some audience members, who confessed to liking both candidates. Forced by term limits to leave the Assembly, the two liberal Democrats are vying for the 23rd Senate District seat being vacated by Sen.

The San Fernando Valley can expect to wield even more political muscle in Sacramento in the next two years as voters returned several veteran lawmakers to the capital. Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks) was breezing to an easy win in his central Valley district. In fact, most Democrats dominated. "There will be a lot of power from the Valley," said U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) from Democratic headquarters in Encino. "Especially with Speaker Hertzberg."

Sheila Kuehl was on a roll as she greeted supporters at an upbeat victory party. The Democratic Assembly member had amassed a commanding lead over rival Wally Knox, and dozens of well-wishers crowded around to sing her praises. She wore a glittery string of Mardi Gras beads that a jovial supporter had draped around her neck. But Kuehl was missing a crucial item as she made the rounds at a Santa Monica restaurant: her eyeglasses.

With the final countdown to the March 7 primary underway, money is pouring into local campaign coffers, highlighting the importance of some area races. Amanda Susskind, running for the Assembly, reported more than $100,000 in contributions from Native American tribes in her latest campaign finance report. Susskind's 42nd Assembly District Democratic primary race is already one of the most expensive primaries of its kind in California history.