Robert Hertzberg

Former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Majority Leader of the California State Senate

Senate Majority Leader Robert Hertzberg was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1996. He then served as the 64thSpeaker of the Assembly, twice unanimously elected by his colleagues. For the decade that followed, Hertzberg worked as a clean energy entrepreneur, where he helped create one of the first solar companies in Los Angeles, and co-launched a company that produced solar panels for use around the world. In recognition of his efforts in Rwanda, he received the “World Bank Award for Lighting Africa,” and Guardian Magazine named him one of the “50 People Who Could Save the Planet.”

Hertzberg returned to government when he was elected to represent the San Fernando Valley in the California State Senate in 2014. Hertzberg’s environmental expertise and his penchant for problem solving have played a key role in his accomplishments in the Senate to date. Hertzberg has advanced environmental protection laws, championed clean water access, and passed legislation to prepare for droughts. From bail reform to data privacy, Hertzberg approaches every problem through a lens of governing for the next generation. A lawyer by trade, Hertzberg earned his law degree from UC Hastings College of the Law. The Los Angeles Business Journal named him one of the top ten lawyers in Los Angeles, and The Daily Journal has repeatedly named him one of the top 100 lawyers in California.

Hertzberg was previously a member of Think Long California.

By Robert Hertzberg

Gavin Newsom

Op-Ed: Tap the state’s future surpluses to give everyone a share in California’s wealth

State Senator Robert Hertzberg and Nathan Gardels, Co-Founder of the Berggruen Institute, Discuss Direct Democracy in California

Direct Democracy in California Needs Some More Tweaks. Here are Two