Sally Tanner
{{Short description|American politician (1926–2021)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sally Tanner
| image = DesmondTutu-SallyTanner1986Jan.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Rev. Desmond Tutu and Sally Tanner during his visit to California in 1986
| state_assembly = California
| district = 60th
| term = December 4, 1978 – November 30, 1992
| preceded = Joseph B. Montoya
| succeeded = Paul Horcher
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|12|28}}
| birth_place = East Chicago, Indiana, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|8|20|1926|12|28}}
| death_place = Ferndale, California, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| occupation = advertising design and commercial art
| spouse = Patricia Hofstetter
| residence =
| children = 2
| relations =
| alma_mater = Pasadena Community College
}}
Sally Tanner (December 28, 1926 – August 20, 2021) was an American politician who represented California's 60th District in the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1992.{{cite web
| title =Sally Tanner | work = Election History for the State of California | publisher = Join California | url =http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2953 | access-date = 18 August 2012 }} During her legislative career she served as chair of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. Tanner authored a consumer protection act that came to be colloquially referred to as the California Lemon Law (lemon law). In 1987 she co-founded the legislature's "Woman of the Year" program. She became a recipient of the honor in 2009. She was a Democrat.
Education and background
Tanner attended Pasadena Community College and the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles, California, after which she worked in advertising design and commercial art.{{cite web
| title =Sally Tanner: Capitol Family Art
| work =California Capitol Exhibits
| publisher =Capitol Museum, Sacramento California
| url =http://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/exhibitgallery.aspx?Content2=2626&Content3=0
| access-date = 18 August 2012}} She married and had two sons, Timothy and Christopher.
Political career
Tanner's political career began as a volunteer for the 1956 Adlai Stevenson II presidential campaign{{cite news
| last =Bird | first =Andrew | title =Sally Tanner of Ferndale 1st Assembly District Woman of the Year
| publisher =Office of Assemblyman Wes Chesbro | date =12 March 2009
| url =http://asmdc.org/members/a01/news-room/press-releases/item/2851-sally-tanner-of-ferndale-1st-assembly-district-woman-of-the-year | access-date = 18 August 2012}}
followed by experience as an Administrative Assistant to both 58th District California Assemblyman Harvey Johnson for ten years and Congressman George E. Danielson. In 1979 Tanner ran for Representative from California's 60th District and served for 14 years.
In 1981, she helped Willie Brown become California's first African American Speaker of the Assembly. When he helped create California's first standing committee on the environment, the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, Tanner was appointed the first chair.{{cite news
| title =Bond Money OKd by Voters : Hearings to Begin on Toxic Cleanup Costs | work =Los Angeles Times
| date =21 February 1985 }}
The committee generally considered bills relating to environmental pollutants, chemical and toxic hazards, and product safety.{{cite web
| title =Inventory of the California State Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee Records
| work =California State Archives Online Archive of California | publisher =California Secretary of State
| url =http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt8199r9bq/entire_text/
| access-date = 18 August 2012 }}
Tanner introduced numerous bills to clean up the environment throughout her career. In 1982, she authored a California law (Civil Code Section § 1793.22 et. seq.) which was officially named the Tanner Consumer Protection Act,{{cite web| title =California Lemon Law Information| work =Programs and Services for Consumers| publisher =Better Business Bureau| url =http://www.bbb.org/us/california-lemon-law/| access-date =23 August 2012| url-status=dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082323/http://www.bbb.org/us/california-lemon-law/| archive-date =6 September 2012}}{{cite web |date=13 February 2012 |title=California Lemon Law |url=http://law.onecle.com/california/civil/1793.22.html |access-date=23 August 2012 |work=State Laws California: California Civil Code Section 1793.22 – 1793.26 |publisher=Onecle}} even though commonly and officially known as the "California Lemon Law."{{cite news
| last =Frith | first =Stefanie |title =California Lemon Law turns 20 today | publisher = Associated Press
| date =20 June 2002 }} It mandates refunds, replacements or compensation to consumers for life-threatening problems unfixed in new vehicles for the first 18,000 miles or 18 months, whichever is first.{{cite web
| title =Motor Vehicle Warranty and Lemon Law | work =Services and Information | date =10 February 2012 | publisher =State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General | url =http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon
| access-date = 23 August 2012 }} On 1 January 2001, the law was amended to consider a vehicle a lemon if two repair attempts fail.{{cite web
| title =Section 1793 Consumer Warranty Protection Amended Ch. 1023, Stats. 1979. Effective January 1, 1980.
| work =Civil Code | publisher =California Division of Motor Vehicles | url =http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/appndxa/civil/civ1793.htm | access-date = 23 August 2012}}
Tanner was a founding member of the California Legislative Women's Caucus in 1985.{{cite web
| title =The First Legislative Women's Caucus | work =Caucus History | publisher =California Legislative Women's Caucus. | url =http://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/caucus-history | access-date = 18 August 2012 }} At the same time, she was appointed to the Governor's task force on waste, energy and technology and asked to formulate a state waste management plan by Governor George Deukmejian.{{cite news
| title =El Monte: Governor Appoints Tanner | work =Los Angeles Times | date =5 December 1985
}}
In 1987, with Republican Assemblywoman Bev Hansen, Tanner co-founded the legislative "Woman of the Year" program.
Later life and death
When she retired in 1992, Sally Tanner Park ({{coord|34|5|25.03|N|118|5|14.25|W|region:US}}) in Rosemead, California{{cite web
| title =City Facilities/Services | work =Community Resources, Links & Directory | publisher =City of Rosemead, California
| url =http://www.cityofrosemead.org/index.aspx?page=293
| access-date = 18 August 2012 }}{{cite news
| title =Park's New Name Honors Tanner | work =Los Angeles Times | date =1 October 1992 }} and a street in El Monte was named Sally Tanner Drive in her honor.{{cite web
| title =El Monte, California | work =Street Map | publisher =Mapquest | url =http://mapq.st/OMOEsZ | access-date = 5 September 2012}}{{cite web
| title =Morning Announcements | work =Archive | publisher =El Monte High School, El Monte, California | date =11 May 2012
| url =http://www.emhs.schoolloop.com/cms/public_news_archive?d=x&group_id=1204426352741&return_url=1301259441064
| access-date = 5 September 2012 }}
In retirement in Ferndale, California, Tanner fished, read and painted, and started the local Democratic Caucus.
In 2009, as part of Women's History Month, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro named Tanner to be the First Assembly District's Woman of the Year. Chesbro said, "The Northcoast was very fortunate when one of California's great environmental leaders, Sally Tanner chose to move to Ferndale for her retirement. Sally has lived quietly in Ferndale, but she has been a great source of wisdom and advice for me and my predecessors in the Assembly, Patty Berg and Dan Hauser."
In 2013, Tanner and Patricia Hofstetter, a retired California municipal court judge, were the only two female competitors in the 31st Annual Chopper Steelhead Derby on the Smith and Chetco rivers which they won by catching and releasing the largest fish of the derby, a 36.5 inch steelhead.{{cite news|title=Derby winners...|newspaper=The Ferndale Enterprise|date=March 7, 2013}}
Tanner died in Ferndale, California in August 2021 at the age of 94.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-24 |title=Former Assemblywoman, Ferndale resident Sally Tanner remembered by community |url=https://www.times-standard.com/2021/08/24/former-assemblywoman-ferndale-resident-sally-tanner-remembered-by-community |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=Times-Standard |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2953 Join California Sally Tanner]
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{{succession box
| title = California State Assembly, 60th District
| before = Joseph B. Montoya
| after = Paul Horcher
| years = December 4, 1978 – November 30, 1992
}}
{{s-end}}
{{commons category|Sally Tanner}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Sally}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
Category:People from East Chicago, Indiana
Category:People from Ferndale, California
Category:Women state legislators in California
Category:21st-century American women
Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature