Official Links: WEBSITE
assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov
PRESS RELEASES FACEBOOK LINKEDINMarc Berman has been a busy man in statewide office, sending 47 bills to the governor’s office in his first two terms, according to his official website. His site notes that Berman also has one of the highest legislative success rates, authoring bills on the environment, education, and mental health among young people, among a wide variety of topics.
First elected in 2016 with 54.4 percent of the vote, Berman cruised to re-election in 2018 and 2020 with more than 75 percent of the vote in both races. After redistricting he ended up running in District 23; in the November 2022 general election, he got 72.1 of the vote.
Background
Prior to his assembly election, Berman served on Palo Alto City Council and worked as a civil attorney, first admitted to the California State Bar in 2008. A native of Dallas, Texas, the legislator did his undergraduate work at Georgetown University and earned his law degree from the University of Southern California. He lives in Palo Alto.
Select Legislation
AB 730, Elections: deceptive audio or visual media: Berman authored this bill, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in October 2019, to prohibit “deep fake” style videos. According to the Associated Press, Berman told a Senate committee that the law wasn’t meant to restrict free speech, though he added, “Somebody doesn’t have the right to put their words in my mouth.”
AB 302, Parking: homeless students: This unsuccessful bill would have allowed community college students to sleep in their cars on-campus. Berman said, according to the Sacramento Bee, that fellow legislators told him the bill “made them feel icky,” though he also thought it helped focus attention on an important issue.
AB 184, Planning for Sea Level Rise Database: This Berman bill, which was signed into law in September 2017, extending a statewide database to prepare for rising sea levels.
