Anthony Portantino

Anthony J. Portantino (born January 29, 1961) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 25th Senate District which encompasses portions of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. He is the Chair of the State Senate’s Influential Appropriations Committee.

Anthony J. Portantino
Member of the California State Senate
from the 25th district
Assumed office
December 5, 2016
Preceded byCarol Liu
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 44th district
In office
December 6, 2006 – November 30, 2012
Preceded byCarol Liu
Succeeded byChris Holden
Personal details
Born (1961-01-29) January 29, 1961
Long Branch, New Jersey
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materAlbright College

Prior to his election to the State Senate, Portantino served in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012, representing the 44th Assembly District. He was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, graduated from Albright College in Reading Pennsylvania and came to California in the mid 1980s to work in film and television. He won election to the State Senate in 2016 after defeating Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

Professional Career Portantino’s professional experience includes producing the film Time of Tears, Line Producing the American Playhouse El Regalo de Paquito, Production Designer on Grizzly Adams: The Mark of the Bear and Art Director on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries.

Political Career Portantino served two terms on the La Cañada Flintridge City Council, from 1999 until 2006. In the Assembly, Portantino passed legislation to create California’s Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program, make the open carry of handguns and long guns a crime in California and championed transparency and accountability. He also worked with the PTA to pass legislation to bring 911 immunity to teenagers who call for help when a compatriot is struggling with alcohol poisoning.

He Chaired the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee and was a strong supporter of Public Education. He helped launch a unique summer fellowship between the University of California and Historically Black Colleges and Universities called the Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders. The SIEML added HSIs, Hispanic Serving Universities and continues every summer.The University of San Diego Rady School of Management named a scholarship to the SIEML in Portantino's honor.

Portantino carried legislation to bring whistle blower protection to the legislature several times while in the Assembly and was the original Co-author of AB 403, the bill that was eventually signed into law after the #MeToo movement. He authored the companion bill, SB 419, to expand retaliation protections.

Then Assemblymember Portantino also opposed the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies that had included a dedicated funding source for affordable housing in California. His opposition to the RDA termination, leaderships efforts to raise tuition at CSU and UC and other issues with the state budget and transparency led to Portantino's punishment by Assembly leaders, the 2011 legislative session.

Upon terming out of the State Assembly, he was asked to join the Unruh Institute at the University of Southern California and served as a legislator in Residence at USC and an adjunct Lecturer where he taught the course Values Based Political Leadership. Portantino ran for the State Senate in 2016 against long-time Republican Supervisor Michael Antonovich. The race was one of the most hotly contested open senate contests of that legislative cycle.

Upon being elected to the State Senate, Portantino first served as the Chair of the Senate’s Budget Subcommittee on Education where he helped to increase funding for K-12 and special education. After a 3-year effort, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 328 authored by Portantino making California the first state in the country to embrace the science behind school start time and teenage sleep patterns and needs. Data shows that when teens start school later in the morning, test scores go up and depression, anxiety and other mental health issues decrease.

Portantino continued his leadership on mental health issues, placing the suicide hotline number on the back of all student ID’s, he worked with the First District PTA to promote Youth Mental Health First Aid and used a personal family story to help modernize the mental health review process. And, he worked again to increase funding for special needs students in California.

Senator Portantino continued his efforts on gun reform by passing bills to raise the gun purchase age in California to 21 (SB 61) and he passed a landmark gun storage bill to keep violent weapons out of the wrong hands (SB 172). In the current legislative session, he is carrying legislation (SB 914) to close the loophole that put a weapon in the hands of the Poway Synagogue shooter.

After a six decades, Senator Portantino brought closure to the 710 freeway battle by pass-ing SB 7 a comprehensive bill that terminated the threat of the freeway, protected the five non-profits in the 710 corridor, paved the way for the city of Pasadena to develop the surplus freeway stub and facilitates the sale of the CalTrans owned properties.

Portantino, as Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, made a controversial housing bill, SB 50, a two-year bill. The following year, SB 50 failed to garner the necessary votes to pass off the State Senate floor. Two landmark environmental bills authored by Portantino were signed into law in 2018, SB 1263 and SB 1422. One tasks the Ocean Protection Council to clean up our precious oceans and the latter requires water districts to test for levels of micro plastics and include those findings in their annual contaminant reports.

Portantino’s SB 1243 set up P-TECH within California’s community colleges to create academic partnerships for "new collar" tech jobs and he worked with the Senate Budget Team to create a $19 million dollar rapid rehousing plan for homeless University of Cali-fornia, Cal State and Community College Students. He continued with efforts to solidify state law behind fertility preservation for women and men facing cancer treatment through the passage of SB 600. The 25th State Senate District is home to a large and vibrant Armenian American Community. Senator Portantino Chairs the State Senate Select Committee on California Armenia, Artsakh Art, Trade, Economic and Cultural Exchange. He has traveled to Armenia and Artsakh several times to foster cooperative relationships between California and Armenia. Recently the City of Glendale used a State Grant requested by Portantino for its tech accelerator. Glendale awarded a grant to Hero House, an Armenia tech company in Glen-dale. He also personally negotiated the reestablishment of a California Trade Desk in Yerevan and was in New York with Governor Newsom and Prime Minister Pashinyan for the historic signing of the MOU between Armenian and California. He also requested the creation of 24 law school scholarships at UC Hastings for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the American University in Armenia.

Personal Life Senator Portantino is the proud father of two daughters, a long time PTA member, 20-year AYSO soccer referee and has been a long-time usher at St. Bede RC Church. In 2019, Senator Portantino received the prestigious Ellis Island Award in the Great Hall on the Island in New York Harbor. He was recently awarded the PTA Founders Day Award for his long-time service. Other honors received include: 2019 • Children’s Hero Award Recipient — California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry • Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy Award — American Academy of Sleep Medicine • Legislative Award — Disability Rights California • Heart & Soul Award Recipient — East Area Progressive Democrats • Distinguished Legislative Leadership Award — League of California Cities

2018 • Honorary Service Award — First District PTA

2017 • Civic Award — Pasadena NAACP • Legislator of the Year Award — Armenian National Committee of America / Wes-tern Region

2015 • Truman Award/Outstanding Volunteer of the Year — Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley 2014 • Co-Parent of the Year — National Parents Day 2013 • Marge Wyatt Award — Options Child Care

2012 • Legislator of the Year — San Gabriel Valley Civic Alliance • Legislative Advocacy Award – Awarded by the women’s reproductive health organization, Fertile Action • Legislator of the Year – Junior League of California Statewide Recognition for promoting issues related to women’s health • Legislator of the Year – California Police Chiefs Association • Special Recognition/Appreciation – Project 10 / Models of Pride • Special Recognition – Project Amiga presented the award to Anthony for his commitment to Project Amiga’s mission of providing vocational education and train-ing to women in underserved communities • Special Community Recognition – Pasadena City College Commencement • Special Recognition Honorary Degree – Glendale Community College

2011 • Extraordinary Advocate Award – California Coalition Against Sexual Assault • Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Los Angeles Chapter Award • Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, San Gabriel Valley Chapter Award • Legislator of the Year — Assembly Democratic Caucus – Around the Capitol • Legislator of the Year — Armenian National Committee of America / Western Region • The Andrew Escajeda Humanitarian Award – Presented by the Pasadena Health Department on World Aids Day • Metropolitan Baptist Church Recognition – Community Activism & Achievements in the Pasadena/Altadena Community • Hero Award – Stonewall Young Democrats

2010 • President’s Award — California Association of Museums • Assembly Legislator of the Year — Aging Services of California • Special Recognition — Campaign for College Opportunity

2009 • Assembly Member of the Year — AFSCME Local 3299 • W. Bill Young Congressional Award — National Marrow Donor Program- Only California Legislator to receive award • Public Policy Award — Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter – County-wide Recognition • Legislator of the Year — Lobby Corps, Associated Students of the University of California, Davis

2008 • “A” grade 2007–2008 California Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity • Friend of California Community Colleges Award — California Community Colleges • Legislator of the Year — AFSCME Local 3299 • Legislator of the Year — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists • NAACP Pasadena — Recognition and Keynote Speaker • Legislative Leadership Award — Deputy Probation Officers • Leadership Award – Sons of Italy California

2007 • Freshman of the Year — Faculty Association of California Community Colleges • Legislator of the Year — Teamsters Joint Council 42 (23 Teamster Locals) • Special Recognition — Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire • Distinguished Service Board of Directors – Habitat for Humanity San Gabriel Valley • Recognition – Campaign for College Opportunity

References
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