Early life, education, and career
The daughter of two Mexican college professors, Escamilla was born in 1978 and raised in Mexico. After moving to the United States in 1996, Escamilla graduated from Marian Catholic High School in San Diego, CA. She then earned her Bachelor of Science at the University of Utah in business marketing in 2000. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration, which she earned from the University of Utah in 2005. Luz is married to former Arizona lawmaker Juan Carlos Escamilla. He proposed to Luz on the Utah Senate floor during the 2014 legislative session. Luz Escamilla is a director for the Zions Bank Business Resource Center. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are often referred to as Mormons.Political career
Senator Escamilla serves as the minority assistant whip in the Utah State Senate]2012 Utah State Senate election
Legislation
2016 sponsored bills
Notable legislation
During the 2011 Legislative Session, Escamilla pioneered groundbreaking immigration reform legislation, SB60, which would issue illegal immigrants already living in Utah an "accountability card," giving them the right to work without changing their legal status. Immigrants would have to pass a criminal background check and learn English to obtain the permit. Immigration experts have hailed Escamilla's immigration bill and Escamilla herself as "ground breaking" and "creative." While her SB60 did not pass, it was a model for a guest worker program that ultimately did pass the 2011 Legislature. Escamilla has also proposed a bill that would protect the rights of fathers against fraudulent adoption practices. SB 63 would have allowed a compact of states to share punitive father's records. This would help protect father's rights if mothers took their children out of the state without the father's knowledge. The bill was not voted on the floor before Utah's 45-day session was completed. Escamilla introduced a bill to fund the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to install air and water monitors at the site of the proposed Utah Inland Port, to establish baseline readings for future comparison. An environmental impact study of the proposed port has not been completed.External links
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escamilla, Luz 1978 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American politicians of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American state legislators Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Latter Day Saints from Utah Living people Mexican emigrants to the United States Politicians from Salt Lake City University of Utah alumni Democratic Party Utah state senators Women state legislators in Utah