Fabian Nunez
He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008. During his last two terms, Nunez was the Assembly Speaker, the 66th person to hold that position.
Career
Prior to elective office
From 1996 to 2000, Fabian Núñez served as the Political Director for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and, between 2000-2002, was the Government Affairs Director for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
As an elected official
Núñez was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 46th district in 2002.
Later, on February 9, 2004 he was selected as the Speaker of the California Assembly.
New laws sponsored by Núñez included prescription drug price reductions, a one dollar increase in the minimum wage, a package of measures alleviate global warming (cosponsored with Assembly member Fran Pavley), reform of the management structure of the Los Angeles Unified School District (at the behest of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa), and measures to promote competition among cable television providers (cosponsored by Assembly member Lloyd Levine).
Due to term limits, Núñez had to retire from the Assembly after 2008. Starting in fall 2007, he actively campaigned in support of a statewide proposition to amend the term limits law, including being made eligible to serve an additional six years as speaker.
This ballot measure, (California Proposition 93 (2008)), was widely seen as a power grab on the part of Núñez and Senate Majority Leader Don Perata. In the election of February 5th, 2008 the voters of California rejected Proposition 93. He was succeeded by John Perez.
Goodwill mission to Mexico
In August 2005, Núñez traveled to Mexico to meet with the president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, other high level government officials, and business leaders. The declared purpose of his journey was to strengthen ties between Mexico and California that he claimed had deteriorated under California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the invitation of Nunez, president Fox eventually traveled to Sacramento and addressed a special joint session of the California State Legislature.
Allegations of funding improprieties
On October 10, 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that Núñez had allegedly spent tens of thousands of dollars of campaign money for personal expenses, such as $1800 for a meal at a Parisian restaurant and $5000 for wine from Bordeaux. The Sacramento Bee has alleged that Núñez played the race card when questioned about his use of campaign funds by saying, "Everyone's done it like this," and "The difference is there are some in politics who want to judge me in a certain manner.
Because of the fact I am Mexican, they think I have to sleep under a cactus and eat from taco stands."
Some have criticized Núñez for sponsoring major legislation because as Speaker, they believe he should allow other Democratic members to write the legislation and get the credit. Others have criticized Núñez for campaigning on behalf of measures in joint appearances with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger because Núñez was a Campaign Co-Chair for Democratic gubernatorial challenger State Treasurer Phil Angelides.
In the past, Núñez has campaigned with the Governor on behalf of the Governor's Strategic Growth Plan (infrastructure bonds) but has recently ended public appearances, along with Democratic State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, possibly to appease his critics. He was born in San Diego, California to Mexican parents, but the family lived in Tijuana, Mexico (across the international border from San Diego) until Fabian was 8 years old.
He spent the rest of his youth in Logan Heights, a San Diego neighborhood. At the second wedding, Núñez's best man was Antonio Villaraigosa, a former California Assembly Speaker and since 2005 the Mayor of Los Angeles.
Núñez currently lives in the Arden Arcade area of Sacramento with his wife Maria and their children.
Núñez also co-rented a penthouse apartment in downtown Los Angeles with Dan Weitzman, a decade-long friend and a prominent donor to his campaigns.
On December 2, 2008, his son, Esteban Nunez, was one of four people charged with murder and other crimes in connection with the October 4 stabbing death of a San Diego college student.