Background
Hernandez, Edward was born on June 20, 1957 in New York, New York, United States.
Hernandez, Edward was born on June 20, 1957 in New York, New York, United States.
Fordham University (Bachelor of Arts, 1979. Juris Doctor, 1982); spoken languages: Spanish.
Previously, he served in the California Assembly, representing the 57th Assembly District from 2006 until 2010, when he ran for an open Senate seat. The district includes the cities of Azusa Baldwin Park Covina, Louisiana Puente, and West Covina. Hernández earned his bachelor"s degree from California State University, Fullerton and he earned his optometry degree from Indiana University.
In 2000 and 2001, Hernández served as president of the California Optometric Association.
Prior to serving in the Assembly, he was President of the California Board of Optometry. Hernández main legislative priorities are providing quality, affordable health care to residents in California, increasing access to health care for all Californians, and implementing the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acting.
He has donated his time and skills from his training to the community by providing free eye care to low-income children and working with the local schools to examine the eyes of thousands of school children. He also has given free care to at-risk diabetic patients.
Hernández is married to Diane, also an optometrist.
He has one daughter from that marriage, and one from a previous marriage. The Hernández family resides in Azusa. In 2010, Hernández ran a successful campaign for the California State Senate, to represent the 22nd Senate district.
He is running unopposed in the 2014 election, and will be termed out of the Senate in 2018.
Hernández authored and introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment Number.5 (SCA5), which proposed an amendment to the Constitution of the State to repeal portions of California Proposition 209, in order to allow the State of California to consider race in student admissions. lieutenant was passed in the California Senate on January
30, 2014. Proposition 209 prohibits state government institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity, specifically in the areas of public employment, public contracting, and public education.
Proposition 209 is considered by others to be a proposition which has resulted in low minority enrollment, and to have been driven by racial divisions.
A member of the Democratic Party, he serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health for the California State Senate.