[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 115 (Friday, July 15, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING SENATOR LOIS WOLK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 14, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Senator Lois Wolk upon her retirement from the California State Senate.
  Senator Wolk has lived in Davis, California since 1978, and began her 
career in public service in 1990 when she was elected to the Davis City 
Council. During her service as a councilmember, Senator Wolk 
prioritized initiatives that improved environmental sustainability and 
expanded access to health services for the people of Davis, including 
leading the efforts to restore and preserve Putah Creek and to build 
Sutter Davis Hospital.
  Senator Wolk was elected to serve as a Yolo County Supervisor in 
1998, and while serving on the board of Supervisors she spearheaded 
efforts to improve children's welfare. The culmination of those efforts 
was the creation of Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center for abused 
children, a Crisis Nursery, and a new Juvenile Hall. Given the 
importance of agriculture to Yolo County's economy, Senator Wolk led a 
major revision of the county's Agricultural Zoning Ordinance as a 
supervisor to preserve the county's land quality for generations to 
come.
  After her service as County Supervisor, Senator Wolk was elected to 
the California State Assembly for three consecutive terms, serving from 
2002 until 2008. She became the first woman to chair the Assembly 
Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, where she advanced legislation 
addressing flood protection, the crisis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin 
Delta and climate change.
  Senator Wolk was elected to the California State Senate in 2008. As a 
senator, she has introduced and advanced legislation related to 
environmental protections and social equality. She also spearheaded the 
creation of a statewide registry to ensure more children are immunized 
and to increase consumer access to affordable clean energy. Most 
recently, Senator Wolk led the effort to pass the groundbreaking End of 
Life Option Act, ensuring that Californians suffering from terminal 
illness can choose to die on their own terms. Senator Wolk currently 
serves as the Majority Whip and chairs the Senate Budget Subcommittee 
on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation.
  Mr. Speaker, Senator Wolk is my friend and a valued colleague, and 
has been an exemplary public servant for close to three decades and it 
is therefore fitting and proper that we honor her here today.

                          ____________________