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Curren D. Price, Jr. (D) - District 26

Senator Curren D. Price, Jr.

Curren Price was elected in May 2009 to represent the 26th District in the State Senate, which included the cities of Los Angeles and Culver City including the communities of Beverlywood, Century City, West Los Angeles, Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood, Larchmont, Hancock Park, South Los Angeles, Larchmont, Baldwin Hills, Koreatown, Silver Lake and Los Feliz. Price previously served in the California State Assembly.   

Senator Price earned a reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective leader. He was a strong advocate for investing in our public schools, empowering parents and challenging all students to meet higher academic standards. He sought to give all Californians, regardless of income or socioeconomic status, the chance to go to college and develop the skills needed to succeed in today’s highly competitive workplace.

As a leading champion for working families, Senator Price fought to protect the rights of California workers. He led efforts to support homecare workers, hotel workers, security guards and other workers that are vital to California’s economy, in order to organize for better wages and benefits.

Senator Price worked to expand the quality and affordability of health care for all Californians and authored legislation that would allow parents to add dependent children up to age 27 to their employer-based health plans. He also joined colleagues to pass legislation that would have led to universal health care, and authored legislation that was signed into law requiring hospitals to provide public notification prior to closing its doors or eliminating vital health services.

Senator Price was a state leader who works across party lines to find common ground, who spoke his conscience, and who got things done for his constituents. His passion to serve his community led him to work towards expanding and improving job training opportunities, particularly for our youth, and investing in our families and their futures.

As a strong and consistent advocate for small business, Senator Price proved that he was among California’s most influential voices advocating for creating new opportunities for small business enterprises. He believed in policies that sparked economic growth, encouraged innovation, opened the doors of opportunity for all, created jobs and stimulated our state’s economy. He authored legislation that would increase opportunities for small businesses to compete for state contracts and would offer incentives for creating new jobs.

In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Senator Price was chosen by Senate Leadership to serve on a range of important legislative committees that reflected his priorities and interests. Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg appointed Senator Price to chair the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, a committee with jurisdiction over legislation related to business and professional services, practices and regulations, and international trade.

In 2006, Mr. Price established and chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Procurement. Mr. Price continued to chair the Select Committee on Procurement, which ensured that small businesses fully participate in state contracting and procurement opportunities.

Senator Price also chaired the Joint Legislative Committee on Arts, and served as a member of the Education, Insurance and Public Safety committees. He was a member of the Select Committee on High Speed Rail. He also chaired the Legislative Black Caucus, vowing to push for improvements in education, health and jobs.

 Additionally, Senator Price was selected to serve on the following committees: Appropriations, Banking Finance and Insurance, Education, Governmental Organization and Local Government. He also serves on Select Committees focusing on California’s Horse Racing Industry, California’s Wine Industry, Constitutional Reform, the Census, Improving State Government and Obesity and Diabetes.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Senator Price attended Morningside High School in Inglewood and received a scholarship to Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He studied law at Santa Clara University and graduated in 1976 with a Juris Doctor degree.

After receiving his degree, Senator Price moved to Washington D.C., where he was active for ten years in the telecommunications industry.  As an advocate for minority enterprise, he was a frequent speaker at conferences sponsored by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Senator Price returned to California in 1988, serving as a deputy to two members of the Los Angeles City Council.  He later served as the Southern California Coordinator for a statewide association that provided training to assist community-based organizations develop commercial real estate projects. Senator Price has life time teaching credentials for Adult Education and the California Community Colleges.

Prior to serving in the California Legislature, Senator Price was a 2-term member of the Inglewood City Council. He has also been a business owner and consultant.

Throughout his tenure as an elected official, Senator Price has been awarded numerous honors in recognition of his legislation and advocacy on behalf of students, working families, and small businesses. Over the past three years, he has been awarded “Legislator of the Year” by the University of California Student Association, the West Basin Municipal Water District and the Southern California Apartment Owners Association. Additionally, Senator Price received high legislative scores for the 2009 legislative session from two of California’s top consumer groups. He received a score of 100% from the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) and a score of 93% from the Consumer Federation of California.

In 2013 Curren Price was elected to the Los Angeles City Council.

Session: 
2013-14