Poochigian Sworn In For A Second Term

In a ceremony today in the State Capitol’s Senate chambers, Senator Chuck Poochigian was sworn in for a second term in the Senate.

Last month, Poochigian was re-elected to represent the new 14th Senate District, which was significantly changed by redistricting last year. The redistricting plan moved the district, which previously covered much of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties, northward to include territory within the counties of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.

Senator Poochigian was also re-elected to serve as Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus.

Undoubtedly, the most pressing issue facing the Legislature this year is the state’s well-documented fiscal crisis. Among his chief priorities this year, Poochigian plans to focus on a common sense approach to solving the budget crisis without penalizing taxpayers.

Senator Poochigian has served on the following policy committees: Agriculture and Water Resources (Vice Chair), Appropriations; Revenue and Taxation (Vice Chair); Family, Child and Youth Development; and Privacy. Poochigian also serves on four Joint Committees: Legislative Audit, Developing a Master Plan for Education, Preparing California for the 21st Century, and Fairs Allocation and Classification.

Born in Fresno in 1949, Chuck is a third generation resident of the San Joaquin Valley. His family has farmed in the valley since 1918. Chuck and his wife, Debbie, were married in 1977 and have three children. He received his degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno, in 1972 and his law degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1975.

Senator Poochigian practiced general civil and business law from 1975 until 1988 when he was selected by then-Governor George Deukmejian to serve as Chief Deputy Appointments Secretary. In 1991 Governor Pete Wilson chose him to serve as his Appointments Secretary, assisting in the evaluation and selection of candidates for key administration officials and judicial appointments. In 1994, Poochigian was elected to represent the 29th Assembly

District, serving two terms in the Assembly before being elected to serve as Senator of the 14th District in 1998.