Betty Karnette (née Petty; September 13, 1931 – September 8, 2021) was an American politician who served in the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

from 1992 to 1994 and from 2004 to 2008 and in the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...

from 1996 to 2004. She was elected to a second stint in the California State Assembly in November 2004 to represent the 54th district. Her district included the cities of

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

Palos Verdes Estates Palos Verdes Estates (''Palos Verdes'', Spanish for "Green Sticks") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was master-planned by the noted American landscape architect and ...

Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Palos Verdes (Spanish for "Green Sticks Ranch") is a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, neighboring other cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, including Palos Verdes Estate ...

, Rolling Hills,

Rolling Hills Estates Rolling Hills Estates is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. On the northern side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, facing Torrance, Rolling Hills Estates is mostly residential. Incorporated in 1957, Rolling Hills Estates has ...

, San Pedro, and Signal Hill. Her district contained parts of the

Port of Long Beach The Port of Long Beach, also known as the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach, is a container port in the United States, which adjoins Port of Los Angeles. Acting as a major gateway for US–Asian trade, the port occupies of land wit ...

and the

Port of Los Angeles The Port of Los Angeles is a seaport managed by the Los Angeles Harbor Department, a unit of the City of Los Angeles. It occupies of land and water with of waterfront and adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach. Promoted as "America's Port", t ...

Biography

Karnette served one previous term in the State Assembly from 1992 until she was defeated by

Steven T. Kuykendall Steven T. Kuykendall (January 27, 1947 – January 22, 2021) was an American politician and Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from from 1999 to 2001 in the 106th Congress. He defeated Democrat Janice Hahn in the 1998 electi ...

in 1994. She also served in the

from 1996 until she was termed out in 2004. Her committee assignments included the Rules; Appropriations; Transportation; Insurance; and the Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committees. She chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Ports. Betty Karnette died on September 8, 2021, in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, five days shy of her 90th birthday.

Legislative accomplishments

* Authoring legislation requiring that voters be able to review the political contributions received by candidates for public office (SB 49). * Authoring legislation allowing the use of "

battered woman syndrome Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is a pattern of signs and symptoms displayed by a woman who has suffered persistent intimate partner violence: whether psychological, physical, or sexual, from her male partner. It is classified in the ICD-9 (code ) a ...

" to be used in defense of those convicted of killing abusive spouses (SB 799). * Creating the Aquatic Invasive Species council within the Department of Fish and Game (SB 1573). * Directing and assisting in development of a statewide study to improve transportation conditions linked with gateways for global trade.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karnette, Betty 1931 births 2021 deaths Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Democratic Party California state senators Women state legislators in California People from Paducah, Kentucky 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians