Honor a quien Honor Merece: Senator Gil Cedillo. Si se pudo.

I want to congratulate the California Senator Gilbert Cedillo on his recent selection of Honor by National Hispanic Media. I am so proud of Mr. Gilbert Cedillo. I have been a longtime Student of his work as well as Mr. Joe Baca, Antonio Villaraigosa, Luis Gutierrez, Jose Serrano, and many more. And in my mind it's about time they finally recognized his accomplishment, encourage and talent. In Fact, I believe his recognizion is long overdue. Once again Mr. Gilbert Cedillo, My sincere congratulations on your nomination. With State Senator Gilbert Cedillo, the old proverb should be: "If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try, again."

He also advocates legislation designed to permit children of Undocumented immigrants to apply for scholarships for California-sponsored colleges and to create pathways to citizenship for all immigrants to, "build on foundation of this nation and continue our legacy as a nation of immigrants."

Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954 in Barstow, California) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving in the California State Senate, representing the 22nd District, which covers the diverse cities of Los Angeles, Alhambra, Maywood, San Marino, South Pasadena and Vernon.
Cedillo grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles and is a lifelong resident of the 22nd District. His father worked as a mechanic at American Can in Vernon and was a member of the United Steelworkers of America. His mother was a garment worker at Sears and Times-Mirror Press. Senator Cedillo attended Lorena Street and Euclid Avenue Elementary, Stevenson Junior High and Roosevelt High where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa, now Mayor of Los Angeles. At Roosevelt, he was varsity quarterback and excelled academically as well, receiving a full academic scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Cedillo graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1979 and receiving a Juris Doctor from the People's College of Law in 1983. However, Gilbert Cedillo is not a member of the California Bar.
Cedillo worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Los Angeles County's largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. In his years as general manager, he protected public libraries,[citation needed] youth programs and played a critical role in securing $364 million in federal assistance to ensure that the Los Angeles County Health Care system remained afloat. President Bill Clinton stated that his decision to provide funding "was reached after critical consultations with SEIU.".
After his tenure at the SEIU, Cedillo served three terms in the California State Assembly from 1997 to 2002. In 2002, he was elected to his current office in the state Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Cedillo has also worked on protecting the rights of working men and women[citation needed], increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness and encouraging economic development in his downtown Los Angeles district.
Cedillo was reelected in 2006 in a landslide, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, the Libertarian candidate, received 3,469 votes. He is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and is a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.

Cedillo is among many public figures featured in the United For Obama video produced in support of Sen. Barack Obama's 2008 presidential , Si Se Puede Cambiar. Si se Pudo, Si Se Pudo.