Mary Hayashi

Early life and career

Prior to serving in the California State Legislature, Mary Hayashi served as the Alameda County Coordinator in the winning campaign to pass California Proposition 63 (2004), which provides increased funding for prevention and treatment services in county and statewide mental health programs. Mary Hayashi served as a Commissioner on the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, which was created to monitor the implementation of California Proposition 63 (2004). She is also a member of the Executive Committee for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private partnership that helps guide the implementation of the goals and objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

Mary Hayashi has worked for several non-profit and philanthropic organizations dedicated to healthcare issues including the American Public Health Association, the Foundation Consortium for California’s Children and Youth, and the National Asian Women’s Health Organization. In 2016 Mary Hayashi was appointed Project Director of the Women's Sport Safety Initiative, a special project fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation dedicated to protecting the lives of women and girls by raising awareness of sports-related injuries.

Mary Hayashi served as a member of the California Board of Registered Nursing and as Chair of the Planned Parenthood Golden Gate Political Action Committee. She was also a board member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and Research!America, which successfully doubled the federal budget for the National Institutes of Health. She is a former board member of Girls Inc of Alameda County, and served as the honorary chair for their “Strong, Smart and Bold” annual luncheon.

Mary Hayashi’s journey from her childhood in Korea to prominence as a health care leader is documented in her book, Far from Home: Shattering the Myth of the Model Minority. She has been honored by diverse organizations for her work on behalf of minority health and women, from Redbook Magazine and Ladies' Home Journal, to Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center. Mary was named Legislator of the Year by the California Medical Association and the American Red Cross. She also received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club. Mary earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics from the University of San Francisco and her Master in Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University. She lives in Hayward, California with her husband Dennis Hayashi, a judge with the Alameda County Superior Court.

Hayashi unsuccessfully ran for Alameda County Board of Supervisors seat 2 in 2012. She came in third after Richard Valle and Union City Mayor Mark Green.

California State Assembly

In the Legislature, Mary authored a number of bills focused on health and education reform. Among her bills that have been signed into law is AB 25, a concussion safety bill that placed California alongside Washington as the states with the toughest return-to-play laws for student athletes.

Mary also authored AB 108, prohibiting health plans and insurers from rescinding an individual health insurance policy, protecting consumers from losing their health care coverage during the times they need it most. In addition, she authored AB 235, a mental health parity bill that requires insurers to cover treatment for psychiatric emergencies without prior authorization, and AB 509, which served as the catalyst for establishing California’s first Office of Suicide Prevention. She has also championed public education, authoring AB 142 to help increase funding for schools through changes to the California State Lottery.

Campaigns

In February 2014, Hayashi announced her candidacy in the 2014 Democratic primary election for the California State Senate, in the 10th District.

After running a nearly $800,000 campaign in California's 10th Senate District Primary Election on June 3, 2014, Mary Hayashi came in a distant third.

Shoplifting

In late October 2011, she was charged with felony grand theft after being caught on video surveillance shoplifting $2,445 worth of merchandise from San Francisco's Neiman Marcus store. Prosecutors said that Hayashi had taken the items into a dressing room, put them in a shopping bag, and walked out of the store. Her attorney and spokesman have stated that she had intended to pay for the items but became distracted by a cellphone call and a snack at the cafe and inadvertently left the store without paying.

Her shoplifting conviction proved too damaging for her to overcome. During the campaign, a website was put up to highlight the shoplifting incident and features her mugshot as well as a timeline of the events following her arrest and conviction.

During the campaign, Hayashi repeatedly denied that she was responsible for the shoplifting incident, again citing a medical condition and distraction. Surveillance video from the incident was released, showing her in the store and being apprehended after she left the store.

Hayashi subsequently pleaded no contest to charges of shoplifting in San Francisco Superior Court, reduced from the earlier felony grand theft charges. She was sentenced to $180 fine and three years probation and was ordered to stay more than 50 feet from the store. Her attorney suggested her actions may have been the result of a benign brain tumor.

Official statement for shoplifting incident

Mary Hayashi issued the following official statement in response to "unintentional shoplifting incident":

"I accept responsibility and I offer apologies, not excuses," Hayashi said in a written statement. She declined an interview request.

Shortly after the Castro Valley Democrat's arrest in October on a felony charge of stealing nearly $2,500 in clothing, Sam Singer, Hayashi's spokesman, said she had been inside a Neiman Marcus store and walked out of the store while talking on her cellular phone.

Following Hayashi's no contest plea—which means no guilt was admitted—her attorney Doug Rappaport said the legislator's behavior had been affected by a benign brain tumor that is curable, treatable and no longer is affecting her.

Hayashi, in her written statement today, did not address the severity of her tumor, when she was diagnosed, or what effect it had on her behavior.

"There were a number of personal factors that led to the situation where I made this absent-minded error," she said. "My medical condition may have complicated the situation, however, I want to be clear that I take full personal responsibility for my actions."

Hayashi said she is "taking steps to deal with my health" while continuing to serve as a legislator.

"After a lifetime of public service, this has been a painful experience -- but one of my own making," she said.

"The simple fact is I unintentionally walked out of a store with items I had not paid for. Of course, I intended to purchase what I had, but I didn't. Losing track of how fast you are driving is no excuse for speeding. And losing track of clothing I was purchasing is no excuse for walking out of a store without paying."