Alumni Profiles in Government
Liz Hill ’73
California ’s Chief Legislative Analyst
Determining the impacts of proposed budgets and legislation of the sixth largest economy in the world is no small feat. But for Liz Hill ’73, this has been business as usual for nearly thirty years in the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) in Sacramento.
For almost twenty years, Hill has served as the Chief Legislative Analyst for the State of California. In this capacity she manages a staff of fifty-two experts ranging from economists, lawyers, and teachers, to former journalists to determine the likely outcomes of all legislation in the state’s legislature.
Easily the biggest task Hill and her office takes on annually is an analysis of the $100 billion budget for the State of California. One would think Hill would be hands-off on the project. But, instead, she manages to read and sign off on each of the more than 1,000 pages in the annual budget report.
The respected and objective analyses from the LAO often affect whether legislation and proposed budgets will pass. For this, Hill has frustrated Democrats and Republicans alike. But, she has also played a key role in ensuring the effectiveness of California’s laws and spending.
Hill studied Human Biology and played guard on the Stanford Basket ball team before earning her Masters in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.
For more information on the Legislative Analyst’s Office, check out their website online at http://www.lao.ca.gov/