Escutia represented California’s 30th District. In the Senate, she chaired the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications (EU&C), as well as the Health and Human Services Committee. She was the first Latina to chair the
Senate Judiciary Committee. In the Assembly, she was the first woman to chair the Judiciary Committee. She also became the first woman to lead the 27-member California Legislative Latino Caucus and chaired the California Legislative Women's Caucus. Escutia authored legislation that established the first low-cost auto insurance program for low-income residents in
Los Angeles County, California and
San Francisco, California. She was named "Legislator of the Year" by the
California Labor Federation (
AFL-CIO), received the "Good Housekeeping Award for Women in Government" for her work on Children's Environmental Health Protections, and in 1999, she earned the "Legislator of the Year Award" from the California School Boards Association. In November 2005, the Corona New Primary Center in
Bell, California, was renamed the Martha Escutia Primary Center in her honor. Since 2013, Escutia has served as Vice President for Government Relations at the
University of Southern California. She also served as a Fellow at the
USC Center for the Political Future. Escutia also serves on the Board for College Futures, a nonprofit that seeks to increase the rate of postsecondary education completion among underserved populations. As of 2019, Escutia was appointed to the
California High Speed Rail Authority Board. The Authority is responsible for the planning, designing, building and operating of the high-speed rail line. == Personal life ==