State of California California State Senate Senator Jim Beall

In his final term as a state senator, which ended in December 2020, Jim Beall did not slow down. The veteran legislator boasts nearly four decades of public service in Santa Clara County, having first been elected to San Jose City Council in 1980.

Beall served as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and has worked on numerous related initiatives, including helping secure $730 million in 2018 for an extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit. He has also advocated building affordable housing, increasing governmental efficiency, and expanding access to scenic and rural areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Background

After serving 14 years on the council, Beall was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 1994. He served 12 years on the board until being elected in 2006 to the California State Assembly’s 24th District, where he represented southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County.

A lifelong resident of San Jose, Beall studied urban planning and political science at San Jose State University and worked as a businessman prior to his city council election. He has been married to his wife, Patricia, for more than 30 years and has two stepsons and a grandson.

As for his future, the Silicon Valley Business Journal has opined that Beall could run for mayor of San Jose.

Committees

Budget and Fiscal Review
Budget Subcommittee #5 on Corrections, Public Safety, and the Judiciary
Governance and Finance
Human Services
Select Committee on Mental Health (chair)
Select Committee on Passenger Rail
Select Committee on Climate Changes and AB 32 Implementation
Transportation (chair) 

Select Legislation

SB 1, informally known as the gas tax: Beall introduced California’s 2017 transportation funding bill, which set a $0.12 per gallon tax for a “road maintenance and rehabilitation program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system,” according to its text. The California League of Cities estimated that the bill would provide $500 million to $650 million annually to cities.

SB 3, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018: This bill, which Beall introduced in 2016 and which was signed into law the following year, could provide up to $15 billion for affordable housing projects “for working families, seniors, vets, and the homeless,” according to Beall’s website.

SB 12, Mental health services: youth: This bill, currently in committee, would provide mental health services to youths, including establishing 100 drop-in centers around the state and encouraging the state legislature to provide funding for these centers.

District Boundaries and Office Locations

Beall’s sprawling district includes 950,000 constituents and the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, and much of San Jose. As such, Beall maintains the following offices:

Capitol office: State Capitol, Room 2082, Sacramento, CA, 95814. Phone: (916) 651-4015. Fax: (916) 651-4915

Campbell district office: 2105 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 154, Campbell, CA, 95008. Phone: (408) 558-1295. Fax: (408) 558-1296

San Jose district office: Open by appointment at 100 Paseo de San Antonio, Suite 209, San Jose, CA, 95113. Phone: (408) 286-8318