Fran Pavley sets sights on Senate

Fran Pavley Term limits have forced Fran Pavley to leave her job after six year as the 41st Assembly member, but the Agoura Hills resident says there's still much work to be done in Sacramento.

Although Pavley, who was the first mayor of Agoura Hills in 1982, has left the halls of the state capitol, she feels she's working harder than ever after accepting a position as a senior climate advisor with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Santa Monica. Pavley also is gearing up for a run at the state Senate in 2008.

Considered to be one of the Assembly's top leaders of the new millennium, Pavley wrote more than 70 bills and resolutions that were signed into law. Her work on environmental issues, especially global warming, gained worldwide recognition.

Looking back

Despite her swift rise in Sacramento politics, Pavley said her heart remains in Agoura Hills. She remembers the city's incorporation as if it were yesterday.

She reminisced with The Acorn about becoming mayor of the new city and how the same issues of the early 1980s- education and the environment- remain her top priorities today.

Pavley said her first goal as mayor was to place a moratorium on development.

"The county had approved so many developments there were attacks by developers and interest groups (after the building frenzy was halted)," said Pavley, a fourterm mayor.

With no offices, telephones or staff, the city's founding fathers conducted their business around a table in Pavley's Liberty Canyon home.

Policies began to take shape over how the land should be used in Agoura Hills. Protecting oak trees was an early priority, along with maintaining the community's small town ambience. Under Pavley, billboards were banned from businesses lining the 101 Freeway corridor.

Agoura Hills also became the first city in Los Angeles County to ban shake shingle roofs due to fire risk.

In addition, Pavley led the charge to prohibit the state from constructing a medium security prison near Old Agoura.

"Local government is a good training ground," Pavley said, but her occupation as a middle school teacher proved to be equally valuable.

"Never let students know they rattled you," Pavley said. "You have to stay calm in the midst of chaos."

She said the patience she learned as a teacher helped her immensely during her three terms in the Assembly.

Leader on environment

Although Pavley championed scores of bills, it was Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, and Assembly Bill 1493, the Clean Car Regulations law, that catapulted Pavley into the nationwide spotlight.

AB 32 established a first-ever, comprehensive program using regulatory and market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gases. The global warming bill is expected to spur investment in alternative fuels, renewable energy and clean technologies.

Assembly Bill 1493 requires the Calif. Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and light duty trucks by 30 percent in the year 2016.

Scientific American magazine selected Pavley as its top technology leader in transportation. And last year the California League of Conservation Voters handed Pavley and former Vice President Al Gore its "Global Warming Leadership" award.

Today and tomorrow

Pavley said her work on global warming and her appointment as a Distinguished Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy have kept her more than busy.

"It's quite an honor," Pavley said of her UCLA post. "There's no money but there's free parking," she joked.

In the midst of a hectic work schedule that includes frequent speeches around the country on the environment, Pavley is preparing for her Senate campaign.She hopes to win the seat currently occupied by Sheila Kuehl.

Pavley has collected a broad following of VIP supporters, including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Through it all, Pavley remains the same nofrills, focused politician who on a recent rainy day in Agoura Hills wore her husband's raincoat by mistake and left her Acorn interview for a meeting in Oxnard determined that she would be on time.

For more information, visit www.franpavley.com.