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Alfred E. Alquist | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theCalifornia Senate from the13th district | |
| In office December 3, 1984 – November 30, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | John Garamendi |
| Succeeded by | John Vasconcellos |
| In office January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | John F. McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | John Garamendi |
| Member of theCalifornia Senate from the11th district | |
| In office December 6, 1976 – November 30, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas C. Petris |
| Succeeded by | Becky Morgan |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the24th district | |
| In office January 7, 1963 – January 2, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Edward M. Gaffney |
| Succeeded by | John Vasconcellos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1908-08-02)August 2, 1908 Memphis,Tennessee |
| Died | March 27, 2006(2006-03-27) (aged 97) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mai Alquist,Elaine Alquist |
| Children | Alan Alquist |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Alfred E. Alquist (August 2, 1908 – March 27, 2006) was aCaliforniapolitician.
Born in 1908 inMemphis, Tennessee, the son of aSwedish immigrant who worked for the railroads, Alquist was barely a teenager when he started carrying water to railroad work crews. He became a timekeeper, switchman, brakeman and conductor, before serving with theArmy Air Forces duringWorld War II. He was ayardmaster for theSouthern Pacific Railroad when he and his first wife, Mai Alquist, moved toSan Jose, California in 1947.
Alquist was elected to theCalifornia State Assembly in 1962, and four years later, theState Senate, where he served for 30 years. A forceful and savvy state legislator, he chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee for 15 years. He also routinely chaired the two-house conference committee that wrote the final version of the state budget before it went to the Assembly and Senate floors.
He was the Democratic nominee forLieutenant Governor of California in 1970 but was defeated by incumbent Republican Lieutenant GovernorEdwin Reinecke.[1]
He was perhaps best known for his co-authorship of the landmark 1974 law, known as the Warren-Alquist Act, which created theCalifornia Energy Commission and became a national model. In the legislature, Alquist also helped to establish theSanta Clara County transit system, the state's earthquake safety programsOffice of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), which became the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) in 2022, andHospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act (HSSA), and the state Energy Commission. A pragmaticNew DealDemocrat, he earned a reputation for helping the poor and representing the interests of labor. When term limits forced him to retire in 1996, he was the Legislature's ranking member.
Alquist died ofpneumonia inSacramento, California, in 2006. He was 97 years old.[2] A state office building in downtown San Jose, which he had advocated to get built, is named for him. His second wife,Elaine Alquist, served in both the State Assembly and State Senate before and after his death, representing much of the same territory her husband had. She held his same Senate seat for two terms, from 2004 to 2012.
