Betty Karnette was elected to a second stint in the California State Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 (United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

) in November, 2004, to represent the 54th District. Her district included the cities of Avalon

Avalon, California

Avalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...

, Long Beach

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills

Rolling Hills, California

Rolling Hills is a city in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,860, down from 1,871 at the 2000 census...

, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Signal Hill

Signal Hill, California

Signal Hill is a small city in California located in the Greater Los Angeles area. Signal Hill, completely surrounded by the city of Long Beach, was incorporated on April 22, 1924, roughly three years after oil was discovered in Signal Hill. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

. Her district contained parts of the Port of Long Beach

Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach, also known as Long Beach’s Harbor Department, is the 2nd busiest container port in the USA. It adjoins the separate Port of Los Angeles. Acting as a major gateway for U.S.-Asian trade, the port occupies of land with of waterfront in the city of Long Beach, California...

 and the Port of Los Angeles

Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...

.

Legislative history

Karnette served one previous term in the State Assembly from 1992 until she was defeated by Steven T. Kuykendall

Steven T. Kuykendall

Steven T. Kuykendall is an American politician and former Republican member of the House of Representatives from from 1999 to 2001 in the 106th Congress. He defeated Democrat Janice Hahn in the 1998 election with 49% of the vote. He was defeated for reelection in 2000 by his predecessor Jane...

 in 1994. She also served in the California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 from 1996 until she was termed out in 2004. Her committee assignments included the Rules; Appropriations; Transportation; Insurance; and the Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committees. She chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Ports.

Legislative accomplishments

• Authoring legislation requiring that voters be able to review the political contributions received by candidates for public office (SB 49).
• Authoring legislation allowing the use of "battered woman syndrome" to be used in defense of those convicted of killing abusive spouses (SB 799).
• Creating the Aquatic Invasive Species council within the Department of Fish and Game
  California Department of Fish and Game
  The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
  
  (SB 1573).
• Directing and assisting in development of a statewide study to improve transportation conditions linked with gateways for global trade.