Ted Lieu
Assemblymember Ted Lieu represents the 53rd Assembly District, which stretches from Venice and parts of Los Angeles to Torrance and Lomita along the coast. He was elected in September 2005, re-elected in November 2006, and re-elected again in November 2008.
Assemblymember Lieu has led the fight in California against Wall Street’s excesses and fought to reform the subprime mortgage system and reduce home foreclosures. As an activist legislator, he has taken on special interests and successfully authored laws in the areas of public safety, child sex offenders, domestic violence, the environment, education, health care, veterans issues, and transportation. Numerous law enforcement, civic, and community groups have recognized Ted for his accomplishments.
Some of his legislative achievements include the following:
- AB 1900 prevents convicted child sex offenders from working with children, (Chapter 340, Statutes of 2006);
- AB 2052 allows a victim of domestic violence to break a rental lease if the victim provides a police report or temporary restraining order to the landlord, (Chapter 440, Statutes of 2008);
- AB 86 gives school districts the ability to discipline students who engage in cyberbullying, (Chapter 646, Statutes of 2008);
- AB 800 requires reporting of sewage spills thereby allowing the local public safety official to close down beaches and public areas affected by such spills, (Chapter 371, Statutes of 2007);
- AB 236 mandates the state to prioritize the purchase of fleet cars to enhance fuel efficiency and carbon reduction, and requires alternative fuel capable vehicles to use alternative fuels, (Chapter 593, Statutes of 2007);
- AB 392 requires employers to give spouses of armed forces members returning from deployment two weeks of unpaid leave if requested by the spouse, (Chapter 361, Statutes of 2007); and
- AB 1150 bans health insurance companies from providing financial incentives to their employees for terminating health care coverage of patients, (Chapter 188, Statutes of 2008).
Dedicated to his country, Assemblymember Lieu currently holds the rank of Major in the United States Air Force Reserves. He served on active duty for four years as a member of the JAG Corps. As a military prosecutor and adviser to commanders, he has received numerous awards and medals for his service and dedication to men and women in our Armed Forces, both abroad and locally.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Assemblymember Lieu served on the Torrance City Council, as well as the City's Environmental Quality & Energy Conservation Commission. While on the City Council he worked with the Friends of Torrance Animals to improve the quality of animal control services and reduce the unnecessary euthanization of animals.
He also served on the Rampart Independent Review Panel, which conducted a review of the Los Angeles Police Department after the Rampart scandal and issued strong recommendations for reform.
Assemblymember Lieu has experience in the private sector as well and worked in the field of civil law. He also served as a judicial clerk to the late Honorable Thomas Tang of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Assemblymember Lieu graduated from Stanford University in 1991 earning a bachelor's of science in computer science and a bachelor of arts in political science. In 1994, he graduated magna cum laude with a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and received four American Jurisprudence awards.
Assemblymember Lieu is Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee. He is also a member of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, Assembly Judiciary Committee and Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee.
The love of his life, his wife Betty, is a former California Deputy Attorney General. They reside in the City of Torrance with their two sons – Brennan and Austin.