Martha Escutia

{{Short description|American politician and attorney (born 1957)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Martha Escutia | image = Martha Escutia, 2013.jpg | caption = Escutia in 2013 | state_senate = California State | district = 30th | term = December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2006<ref>{{cite web|title=Record of State Senators 1849–2025, p. 31 |url=https://secretary.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2025-02/senators-and-officers-1849_2025.pdf |publisher=Office of the Secretary of the Senate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223124708/https://secretary.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2025-02/senators-and-officers-1849_2025.pdf |archive-date=February 23, 2025 |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> | predecessor = Charles Calderon | successor = Ronald Calderon | state_assembly1 = California | district1 = 50th | term1 = December 7, 1992 – November 30, 1998<ref>{{cite web|date= |title=Record of Members of the Assembly 1849–2025, p. 56 |url=https://secretary.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2025-02/assembly_service_and_officers_1849_2025.pdf|publisher=Office of the Secretary of the Senate}}</ref> | predecessor1 = Curtis R. Tucker Jr. | successor1 = Marco Antonio Firebaugh | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|1|16}} | birth_place = East Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Leo Victor Briones|1994}} | children = 2 | party = Democratic | education = University of Southern California (BS)<br />Georgetown University (JD) }} '''Martha M. Escutia''' (born January 16, 1957) is an American politician and attorney. She served in the California Assembly from 1992 to 1998 and the California Senate from 1998 to 2006.

== Early life and education == Escutia was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. She earned a Bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She also holds certificates in Advanced International Legal Studies relating to Trade and Tariffs from the World Court at The Hague and in Foreign Investment from the National Autonomous University in Mexico City.

== Career == Escutia represented California’s 30th District. In the Senate, she chaired the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications (EU&C), as well as the Health and Human Services Committee. She was the first Latina to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the Assembly, she was the first woman to chair the Judiciary Committee. She also became the first woman to lead the 27-member California Legislative Latino Caucus and chaired the California Legislative Women's Caucus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congressional Record |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-154/issue-90/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E1106-5 |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=www.congress.gov}}</ref>

Escutia authored legislation that established the first low-cost auto insurance program for low-income residents in Los Angeles County, California and San Francisco, California.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2005-08-09 |title=ACIC Says Premature to Expand Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2005/08/10/58186.htm |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=Insurance Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

She was named "Legislator of the Year" by the California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shea.senate.ca.gov/sites/shea.senate.ca.gov/files/hispanic_health_state_legislative_say_2005.pdf|title=HISPANIC HEALTH STATE LEGISLATIVE DAY|access-date=12 April 2026}} </ref> received the "Good Housekeeping Award for Women in Government" for her work on Children's Environmental Health Protections, and in 1999, she earned the "Legislator of the Year Award" from the California School Boards Association.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elected Women: 100 Years in California Legislature |url=https://www.library.ca.gov/collections/online-exhibits/elected-women/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=California State Library |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2005, the Corona New Primary Center in Bell, California, was renamed the Martha Escutia Primary Center in her honor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our School |url=https://marthapc.lausd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3797092&type=d&pREC_ID=2456023 |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=marthapc.lausd.org |language=en}}</ref>

Since 2013, Escutia has served as Vice President for Government Relations at the University of Southern California.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contact Us {{!}} Communities {{!}} USC|url=https://communities.usc.edu/about/contact/|website=communities.usc.edu|access-date=2020-05-17}}</ref> She also served as a Fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Martha Escutia |url=https://dornsife.usc.edu/center-for-political-future/fellows-program/former-fellows/martha-escutia/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=USC Center for the Political Future |language=en-US}}</ref>

Escutia also serves on the Board for College Futures,<ref>{{cite web|title=College Futures Board of Directors |url=https://collegefutures.org/about/board-of-directors/|publisher=College Futures Foundation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501130716/https://collegefutures.org/about/board-of-directors/ |archive-date=May 1, 2025 |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> a nonprofit that seeks to increase the rate of postsecondary education completion among underserved populations.

As of 2019, Escutia was appointed to the California High Speed Rail Authority Board.<ref>{{cite web |title=Martha M. Escutia, Board Member |url=https://hsr.ca.gov/about/board-of-directors/board-members/martha-escutia/ |publisher=State of California |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320075309/https://www.hsr.ca.gov/about/board-of-directors/board-members/martha-escutia/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> The Authority is responsible for the planning, designing, building and operating of the high-speed rail line.

== Personal life == Escutia married Leo Victor Briones in 1994. They have two children.

== References == <references />

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090831231302/http://www.manatt.com/attorneys.aspx?id=4421 Escutia's Profile with Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050422083051/http://www.csba.org/qa/escutia.htm California School Boards Association Q&A with Martha Escutia] * [http://www.thesenatorsfirm.com/meet-the-attorneys/senator-martha-m-escutia Profile and The Senators firm] * {{C-SPAN|85550}} * [http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/5961 Martha Escutia on JoinCalifornia]

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ca-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Curtis Tucker}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Member of the California Assembly}}<br />from the 50th district|years=1992–1998}} {{s-aft|after=Marco Antonio Firebaugh}} |- {{s-par|us-ca-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Charles M. Calderon}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the California Senate<br />from the 30th district|years=1998–2006}} {{s-aft|after=Ronald S. Calderon}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Escutia, Martha}} Category:1957 births Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:California state senators Category:Georgetown University Law Center alumni Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in California Category:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Category:Living people Category:Members of the California State Assembly Category:American politicians of Mexican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American people in California politics Category:People from East Los Angeles, California Category:USC Sol Price School of Public Policy alumni Category:Women state legislators in California Category:21st-century members of the California State Legislature Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature Category:20th-century American women politicians