{{Short description|American politician (born 1974)}} {{about|the politician|the skater and actress|Kirsten Olson|the statistician|Kristen Olson}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kristin Olsen | image = Kristin Olsen Picture.jpg | caption = | office = Member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors | term_start = January 10, 2017 | term_end = January 10, 2021 | predecessor = Bill O’Brien | successor = Buck Condit | office2 = Minority Leader of the California Assembly | term_start2 = November 6, 2014 | term_end2 = January 4, 2016 | predecessor2 = Connie Conway | successor2 = Chad Mayes | state_assembly3 = California | district3 = 12th | term_start3 = December 3, 2012 | term_end3 = November 30, 2016 | predecessor3 = Fiona Ma | successor3 = Heath Flora | state_assembly4 = California | district4 = 25th district | term_start4 = December 6, 2010 | term_end4 = November 30, 2012 | predecessor4 = Tom Berryhill | successor4 = Bob Wieckowski | office5 = Member of the Modesto City Council<br />from the 5th district | term_start5 = December 21, 2005 | term_end5 = December 6, 2010 | predecessor5 = Denny Jackman | successor5 = Stephanie Burnside | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|01|19}} | birth_place = Modesto, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | children = | alma_mater = Westmont College | occupation = Business Owner<br />politician | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Kristin Olsen''' (born January 19, 1974)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110815220923/http://www.govbuddy.com/directory/CA/kristin-olsen/3166/ Assembly Member Kristin Olsen of California]</ref> is an American business owner and politician. She served on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors from 2017 to 2021. From 2010 to 2016 she served in the California State Assembly representing the 12th district and serving as the Assembly Minority Leader. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, she was a member of the Modesto City Council. Olsen is a Republican and lives in Riverbank.
== Background == Olsen was elected to the Modesto City Council in 2005, and re-elected in 2009. While on the City Council, Olsen served as a member of the Safety & Communities Committee and as Vice Chair of the Finance Committee. Prior to this Olsen served as Vice Chair of the Finance Committee and was a member of the Safety & Communities Committee.
In addition to serving on the City Council, Olsen directed marketing and communications programs as Assistant Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs at California State University, Stanislaus. Furthermore, Olsen has served on the Modesto Citizens Housing and Community Development Committee, as well as on the Modesto City Planning Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/25/?p=bio |title= Kristin Olsen Biography |access-date=August 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006093631/http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/25/?p=bio |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |website= California Assembly Republican Caucus}}</ref>
Olsen served as the vice-chair of the California Republican Party for a brief time in 2017. Olsen resigned from the position citing "personal and professional obligations" that would not allow her to effectively help lead the party.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-olsen-steps-down-as-california-gop-vice-1506906883-htmlstory.html|title=California GOP vice chair steps down, setting off search for state party's next leader|last=Mehta|first=Seema|date=October 1, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref>
== Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors == As a member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, Olsen worked on a variety of issues including developing more reliable water infrastructure, improving county health services and alleviating homelessness.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.stancounty.com/board/district1.shtm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016165849/http://www.stancounty.com/board/district1.shtm|archivedate=2020-10-16|title=District 1 Supervisor - Kristin Olsen|website=Stanislaus County, California Board of Supervisors}}</ref> As a Supervisor, Olsen was appointed to represent the County on the Commission of the California County Tobacco Securitization Agency, North County Corridor Transportation Express Authority, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Board of Directors, and the Stanislaus County Remote Access Network (RAN) Board.<ref name=":0" />
After leaving the State Assembly and joining the Board of Supervisors, Olsen became a board member for California Women Lead, which is a nonpartisan organization that recruits and trains women to run for elected office. She also serves on the supervisory (audit) committee of the Valley First Credit Union and the board of New Way California.<ref name=":0" />
== California State Assembly == Olsen was elected to the California State Assembly in 2010. She received the plurality of votes in the June Republican primary election contested by six candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-primary/ |title= June 8, 2010, Primary Election - Statement of Vote |accessdate=August 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811010550/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-primary/ |archivedate=August 11, 2011|website=California Secretary of State}}></ref> In the November 2010 General Election, Olsen received 100% of the vote for the 25th district and easily won reelection for her seat in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-general/73-state-assembly.pdf |title=State Assemblymember 1st Assembly District |accessdate=November 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018063255/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-general/73-state-assembly.pdf |archivedate=October 18, 2012|website= California Secretary of State}}></ref>
Olsen was praised for being one of eight Republican Assembly Members to release her office operating budget during a controversy between the Speaker of the Assembly John A. Perez and Assemblyman Anthony Portantino. Portantino had alleged that Speaker Perez reduced the operating budget for Portantino's office in retaliation for his "no" vote on the 2011-12 State budget. Portantino went on to release his office spending to the public while Perez and the Assembly Rules committee refused to release the budgets for all of the Assembly despite Public Record requests from newspapers.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
Olsen was one of the first Republican members that responded by releasing their office spending in defense of the principle of government transparency. The ''Sacramento Bee'' and ''Modesto Bee'' praised Olsen for being willing to open her budget to public scrutiny claiming that citizens deserve the right to know how their money is being spent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.modbee.com/2011/08/24/1829031/at-least-some-legislatorsembrace.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320031836/http://www.modbee.com/2011/08/24/1829031/at-least-some-legislatorsembrace.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 20, 2012|title=At least some legislators embrace idea of sunshine - Bee Editorials|newspaper=Modesto Bee|date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/22/3852093/editorial-at-least-a-few-at-capitol.html|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120910042231/http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/22/3852093/editorial-at-least-a-few-at-capitol.html|url-status=dead|title=Editorial: At least a few at Capitol embrace some sunshine|date=September 10, 2012|archivedate=September 10, 2012|website=archive.is}}</ref>
Olsen was named a 2014 Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Rodel Fellowship Program|url=http://www.aspeninstitute.org/leadership-programs/aspen-institute-rodel-fellowships-public-le-/about-rodel-fellowship-program}}</ref>
=== Legislation === During 2012, Olsen introduced a controversial bill that would ban teachers from having romantic relationships with a student regardless of whether the student was over 18, the age of consent in California. Teachers who violated the ban could face prosecution for a felony and lose their state funded retirement pension. The bill was in response to a Modesto high school teacher who left his wife and children for one of his students following her 18th birthday.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/mom-california-teen-living-teacher-pushes-bill-banning/story?id=16019045#.UVOBwBxQGz4|title=Mom of California Teen Living With Teacher Pushes for Bill Banning Student-Teacher Dating - ABC News|date=March 28, 2012|publisher=Abcnews.go.com|accessdate=May 14, 2014}}</ref> While the proposed bill received a substantial amount of media coverage, the bill ultimately failed to get any votes in the Assembly Public Safety committee and was defeated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/18/4422151/california-lawmakers-kill-bill.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429012623/http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/18/4422151/california-lawmakers-kill-bill.html|archivedate=April 29, 2012|title= California lawmakers kill bill to create felony for teacher-student trysts|date= April 18, 2012|newspaper=Sacramento Bee}}</ref>
Olsen introduced the Legislative Transparency Act during the 2011-2012 Legislative Session which would have required potential legislation to be reviewable online for public viewing at least 72 hours prior to being voted on. Olsen's bill would have stopped the popular practice utilized by Assembly and Senate Democrats where legislation is introduced and passed simultaneously thus nullifying the normal vetting and public review process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2011/09/17/california-legislatures-gut-and-amend-bills-avoid-scrutiny/|title=California Legislature's gut-and-amend bills avoid scrutiny|date=September 17, 2011|publisher=Presstelegram.com|accessdate=May 14, 2014}}</ref> This process has been utilized to pass bills with wide-ranging and substantial policy effects in recent years. Assembly Democrats defeated the bill in the Elections Committee hearing on a 2–2 vote with 2 committee members abstaining.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/bill-to-require-more-legislative-transparency-dies-in-assembly.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418222424/http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/bill-to-require-more-legislative-transparency-dies-in-assembly.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2012|title=Capitol Alert: Bill to require more legislative transparency dies in Assembly|last=Sanders|first=Jim|date=|publisher=Blogs.sacbee.com|accessdate=May 14, 2014}}</ref>
thumb|Olsen visiting a school classroomOlsen was the Vice Chair of both the Education and Agriculture Committees. She was also a member of the Insurance, Higher Education and Accountability and Administrative Review Committees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/AD12/?p=committee|title=Kristin Olsen | Committee Membership|date=|publisher=Arc.asm.ca.gov|accessdate=May 14, 2014|archive-date=May 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514134257/http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/AD12/?p=committee|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Elections === {{see also|California State Assembly elections, 2014}} {{Election box open primary begin no change | title = California's 12th State Assembly district election, 2014 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Republican Party | candidate = Kristin Olsen (incumbent) | votes = 38,892 | percentage = 67.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Democratic Party | candidate = Harinder Grewal | votes = 18,742 | percentage = 32.5 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 57,634 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box open primary general election no change}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = California Republican Party | candidate = Kristin Olsen (incumbent) | votes = 63,003 | percentage = 67.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Democratic Party | candidate = Harinder Grewal | votes = 30,752 | percentage = 32.8 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 93,755 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = California Republican Party }} {{Election box end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Kristin}} Category:1974 births Category:American anti-abortion activists Category:California city council members Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the California State Assembly Category:Politicians from Modesto Category:Women state legislators in California Category:Women city councillors in California Category:People from Stanislaus County, California Category:Activists from California Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the California State Legislature