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Governmental service can be an upward escalator, with today’s city councilor hoping to be tomorrow’s assembly member. Kansen Chu has bucked this trend, announcing in 2019 he’d be leaving the assembly to run for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
“I feel I can be more effective working in a local government,” Chu told San Jose Spotlight.
In his final months in the legislature, Chu rounding out a stint during which he was focused on areas such as public safety, environmental protection, and mental health.
Background
Chu immigrated from Taiwan in 1976 as a graduate student and has made much of his time in the U.S. Prior to his election to the state assembly, Chu became the first Chinese-American elected to San Jose City Council. He also served on Berryessa Union School District, worked as an IBM programmer for 18 years, and owned and operated a Chinese restaurant for 16 years. He lives in San Jose with his wife, Daisy, and has two adult children and two grandchildren.
Committees
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, & Internet Media (chair)
Joint Committee on the Arts (vice chair)
Revenue and Taxation
Select Committee on Hate Crimes (chair)
Transportation
Water, Parks, and Wildlife
Select Legislation
AB 7, Daylight saving time: Chu is among eight authors or co-authors of this bill, which would mandate that California observe daylight saving time year-round. The bill has been on hold since mid-2019, though Chu said via Twitter that it wasn’t dead. President Donald Trump had signaled his support for the time change, which would need federal approval.
AB 807, Daylight saving time: AB 7 wasn’t Chu’s first foray into trying to establish permanent daylight saving time in California. AB 807, which Chu introduced in early 2017 and which was signed into law the following year, gives the state legislature authority to make the time change permanent.
AB 1235, Youth homelessness prevention centers: Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2019, this bill that Chu authored allows homeless and runaway youth to spend longer amounts of time in shelters, which the law renames as “youth homelessness prevention centers.”
District Boundaries and Office Locations
Chu’s district extends from Fremont at its northernmost section of the Silicon Valley, down south to Morgan Hill and east toward the Central Valley. It includes the cities of Newark, Milpitas, and Santa Clara. As such, Chu has offices located in the following places:
Capitol office: State Capitol – Room 3126, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA, 94249-0025. Phone: (916) 319-2025. Fax: (916) 319-2125.
District office: 1313 N. Milpitas Blvd, Suite #255, Milpitas, Ca 95035. Phone: (408) 262-2501. Fax: (408) 262-2512.
