Leland Yee, Ph.D.
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Category: California Democrats
Image:Lelandyee Speaker pro tem.jpg
Assemblyman Leland Yee
He is known to the Chinese media and the Chinese constituents in his district as 余胤良. Elected to the California State Assembly in November 2002, Leland Yee represents the 12th Assembly District, which includes San Francisco and San Mateo counties. In 2004, Assemblymember Yee became the first Asian Pacific American to be appointed Speaker pro Tempore, making him the second highest ranking Democrat in the California State Assembly.
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Early life
- At the age of three, Leland Yee immigrated to San Francisco from Guangdong, China.
- Dr. Leland Yee is a Naturalized United States Citizen.
Education
- He was educated in San Francisco's public schools.
- Yee received a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley.
- Yee received his master's San Francisco State University.
- Yee received a Ph.D. in Child Psychology from the University of Hawaii.
Family Life
- Dr.Yee met and married his wife Maxine during his studies in 1972. They have been married for 33 years.
- Together they raised four children and educated them in San Francisco's public schools.
Political Career
School Board
- Dr. Leland Yee was elected to the San Francisco school board in 1988.
- Served two four-year terms on the School Board including one as Board President.
District 4 Supervisor
- Dr. Leland Yee ran for Sunset Supervisor in 1996 and won the election.
- Yee was appointed to chair of the Finance Committee.
- In the Finance Committee, he was in charge of fiscal responsibility and accountability and established the largest "Rainy Day" budget reserve in San Francisco's history.
- He was re-elected to the board of Supervisors in 2002.
- In 1998, he proposed new restriction on adult-oriented businesses in an effort to curtail prostitution.
- Yee introduced and passed the General Obligation Bond Accountability Act and helped to pass the Sunshine Ordinance to allow the public real access to what goes on at City Hall.
District 12 Assemblyman
- Elected to the California State Assembly in November 2002, Leland Yee represents the 12th Assembly District.
- In his first year in the Legislature, he was appointed to the Speaker’s leadership team as the Assistant Speaker pro Tempore.
- In 2004, Assembly member Yee became the first Asian Pacific American to be appointed Speaker pro Tempore in California, the number two position in the California State Assembly.
- Speaker Pro Tem Yee was also elected President of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators.
- Dr. Leland Yee is known as a critic of the video game industry, supporting free speech but believing that violent games should be kept out of children's hands at the point of sale. He is, however, a supporter of the video game industry's right to manufacture games that are aimed at a mature or adult market.
- In 2005 Yee lambasted the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) for not giving Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas an AO for Adults Only rating. This was because of the hot coffee mod created by "hackers"(claimed by Rockstar Games) who hacked Grand Theft Auto. Elements of the mod was in the earlier versions of the game but locked away by Rockstar Games. Rockstar later removed the elements in the later released versions of the game.
- Police and parent groups are concerned about violent video games causing children to be desensitized to violence. They also believe that the video makers should be held accountable in these type of crimes. Others believe it is not the direct cause of the violence. Both of Yee's bills passed with a wide support due in part by all the media attention and support by parents.
- Yee is the author of California Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793, which was signed into law on October 7, 2005, which would prohibit the sales of "ultra-violent" games in California to persons under the age of eighteen. Judge Ronald Whyte issued a preliminary injunction against the law on December 22 2005. Judge Whyte will soon deliver his final opinion on the constitutionality of California Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793
- Yee received death threat as a result of authoring Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793.
State Senate Candidacy
- On June 6, 2006, Yee defeated his opponents Mike Nevin and Lou Papan to win the Democratic nomination for the California State Senate, representing the 8th District.. In the final vote tally to be certified on June 27th, 2006 by San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum,[1] Yee gathered 51.9 percent, Nevin received 35.4 percent and Papan took 12.7 percent of the vote. Since Jan. 1, Nevin spent $887,562.80 of campaign contributions, Yee spent $673,372.59 and Papan ran a modest campaign, spending just $289,862.64. He will run for the seat on November 7, 2006 against other party nominees.
Historic Election
- With San Francisco and San Mateo County having a high Democratic base Yee is expected to be elected as Senator for the 8th District on November 7th, 2006. This will be a notable election making him the first Senator of Asian descent in California history.
Legislative Recognitions
- He has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the California School Nutrition Association, California Psychiatric Association, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, and Mental Health Directors Association.
- In 2006 he was name “Person of the Year” by GamePolitics.com, a leading video game news site.
- In 2005, Speaker pro Tem Yee successfully passed 22 pieces of legislation, 12 of which were chaptered into law.
- Most notably, AB 1179 protects children from the harmful effects of ultra-violent video games.
- AB 451 returns millions of dollars to airport communities across the state.
- AB 637 allows properly trained foster parents to administer life-saving shots for their foster children.
- AB 800 guarantees a patient’s spoken language is included in his/her medical records.
- AJR 14 officially declares California’s opposition to any weakening of the federal offshore oil drilling moratorium.
- In 2004, Speaker pro Tem Yee was also elected President of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators.
- In 2004, Yee successfully passed 19 pieces of legislation, 15 of which were chaptered into law.
- AB 3042 helps protect children from being exploited through prostitution.
- AB 2412 helps part-time community college faculty to access earned unemployment benefits.
- AB 1793 gives parents a tool in choosing appropriate video games for their children by requiring retailers to post signs about the rating system.
- ACR 195 brings greater awareness of the need for literacy instruction for visually impaired students through the use of Braille.
- ACR 158 officially declares each January as Mental Wellness Month in California.
- In 2003, Yee’s first year in the Legislature, he successfully passed 11 bills, of which all 11 were signed into law.
- AB 504 increased fines for littering in parks and open space districts.
- AB 938 offers incentives to mental health practitioners working in medically under-served communities.
- AB 1102 requires evaluation of current mental health sensitivity training for law enforcement officers. AB 1371 strengthens informed consent requirements for mentally ill patients involved in medical research.
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