Bill Leonard (politician)
Bill Leonard | |
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California State Board of Equalization Board Member, 2nd District | |
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In office January 6, 2003 – March 10, 2010 |
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| Governor |
Gray Davis Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Preceded by | Dean Andal |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Alby |
| Member of the California Senate | |
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In office December 7, 1992 – November 30, 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Hill |
| Succeeded by | Jim Brulte |
| Constituency | 31st district |
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In office December 5, 1988 – November 30, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | H. L. Richardson |
| Succeeded by | Teresa Patterson Hughes |
| Constituency | 25th district |
| Minority Leader of the California Assembly | |
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In office June 17, 1997 – November 5, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Curt Pringle |
| Succeeded by | Rod Pacheco |
| Member of the California State Assembly | |
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In office December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Brulte |
| Succeeded by | Robert Dutton |
| Constituency | 63rd |
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In office December 6, 1982 – November 30, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Dick Mountjoy |
| Succeeded by | Paul A. Woodruff |
| Constituency | 61st district |
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In office December 4, 1978 – November 30, 1982 |
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| Preceded by | Jerry Lewis |
| Succeeded by | John Lewis |
| Constituency | 67th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 29, 1947 San Bernardino, California, US |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sherry Boldizsar |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of California, Irvine |
William R. Leonard (born October 29, 1947) is a Republican U.S. politician who served as a member of the California State Board of Equalization from 2002 until his resignation in March 2010.
Early life
After earning his B.A. in history from the University of California, Irvine, Leonard worked in real estate and property management.
Political career
Leonard served on the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District before being elected to the California State Assembly in 1978 on the coattails of Proposition 13.
In 1988, after serving five terms in the Assembly, he was elected to the California State Senate, representing an 11,000-square-mile (28,000 km2) district. During his time in the Senate, Leonard was the longest-serving Republican Caucus Chairman, holding the post from 1990 until term limits forced him to leave the Senate in 1996.
During his time in the Senate, Leonard wrote California's Leonard Law, the only law in the United States to extend First Amendment rights to students at private colleges and universities.
In 1996, by a margin of 63%–37%, voters returned Leonard to the Assembly, where he served as Republican Leader from 1997 to 1998. He was re-elected in 1998 with 72% of the vote and in 2000 with 58% of the vote in a three-way race.
After term limits forced Leonard to leave the Assembly in 2002, he won election to represent the Second District on the five-member State Board of Equalization with 59% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2006 with 55.8% of the vote.
Leonard resigned from the State Board of Equalization in March 2010 in order to join Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration.