Mike Davis (politician)

Early life and education

Mike Davis was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Masters of Public Administration Degree from California State University at Northridge, and a Masters of Arts Degree in Behavioral Science with a concentration in Negotiations and Conflict Management from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He has also completed Innovations in Governance Program and State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and is the first elected official to obtain the Executive Master of Leadership Degree from the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development.

Early political career

Davis started The Images of Blacks in America Symposium at UCLA, which is a conference for high school and college students and professionals. Davis served as Chairman of the Western Regional Social Action Committee of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and past member of the National Social Action Commission. Davis also served on the Black Advisory Committee to the Los Angeles Police Department Commission.

Davis was elected President of the New Frontier Democratic Club. He served as a member of the Democratic Party County Central Committee and the Democratic National Committee. He was elected super delegate to the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Democratic National Conventions. Davis was appointed as a Barack Obama Delegate at the 2008 DNC and reappointed at 2012 DNC. He was the 48th Assembly District 2004 Democrat of the Year. Davis served as 2008 Legislator of the Year for California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials, 2009 Outstanding Legislator by California Sheriffs Association: 2010, The Thomas Kilgore Service Award, USC Alumni Association; and 2011 Tom Bradley Award from the American Society for Public Administration. He received the 2011 Legislator of the Year from the Los Angeles National Women's Political Caucus and 2012 Political Achievement Award from New Frontier Democratic Club.

Before being elected to the Assembly, Davis served as Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke’s Senior Deputy Director. He also served as District Director for Congresswoman Maxine Waters during her tenure in the California State Assembly and when she was elected to Congress.

Assembly

Davis won the June 3, 2006 primary against civil rights attorney Anthony Willoughby with over 53% of the vote. He won the general election against Republican Brenda Carol Green with over 88% of the vote [1].

Davis served as Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and coordinated the California Legislative Black Caucus Policy Weekend in this capacity. He also served as chair on the Select Committee on Rail Transportation. Additionally, Davis served as member of the Assembly Committees on Appropriations, Environmental Safety, Local Government, Committee on Rules, Joint Committee on Rules and the Select Committees on High Speed Rail and Procurement. Davis was a member of Los Angeles Coliseum Commission and California Cultural and Historical Endowment Commission. He served as Chair of the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committee as well as past member of the Select Committee on the Preservation of the Entertainment Industry.

Assemblyman Davis also served as a member of the National Council of the American Society for Public Administration. He is the first California Legislator to endorse U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President.

Mike Davis successfully acquired the Governor’s signature on his bill AB 868 which requires the California Energy Commission to do a one year study of the temperature of fuel at the pumps to determine if Californians are getting all of the gas they are purchasing. Assemblyman Davis made history when Governor Jerry Brown signed his bill AB 420 (Redistricting) ending prison gerrymandering in California. This practice where prisoners are counted in areas where they are incarcerated and not where they live for redistricting unfairly dilutes minority representation. California became the fourth state in the country to end the unfair practice. Davis also achieved the passage of AB 126 which urges judicial diversity in the appointment of minoritites and women to serve as judges in California's State Superior Courts.

The Davis legislative agenda includes increasing penalties for those who create mortgage fraud in California. His bill AB 1950(extend statue of limitiation from 1 to 3 years) is sponsored by California Attorney General Kamala Harris as a part of the state's "California Homeowners Bills of Rights". Moreover, he also authored AB 327 (3 strikes reform) which passed the Assembly and sought to reform the three strikes policy to include a serious or violent offense before assigning 25 years to violators, saving the state millions of dollars. Assemblyman Davis co-chaired the California Initiative on Three Strikes (Proposition 36) which won with over 70% of the vote.

Assemblyman Davis started his career assisting Congressman John Conyers in the fight to establish Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr’s Birthday as a National Holiday. He has established an Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., National Holiday Program and Living Legends African American History Program at California African American Museum. In addition, Assemblyman Davis has also developed both a Korean Advisory Council and Latino Advisory Council in the 48th District.

Davis authored legislation, creating California law on topics such as: Public utilities procurement for minority owned businesses, career technical education, elder and dependent adult abuse, notaries public, gasoline dispensing: weight and measures, vandalism penalties:community service,Political Reform Act of 1974:electronic filing, and military service job protection, student athletic contracts, gang injunctions, public service recognition week, multifamily housing for veterans,arts education month, long-term health care facilities: admission contracts, firearm permits policy, judicial diversity, mortgage fraud, and criminal justice reform (three strikes policy).