Mike Roos

Mike Roos is a consultant to Capitol Counsel LLC and engages in government relations, corporate issues management, media relations and ballot measure campaigns.

A political strategist and legislative leader in California for over 14 years, Mr. Roos served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991. In his second legislative term, he was chosen by his caucus as Majority Floor Leader. He served in that position for six years until he was elected by the 80-member body as Speaker Pro Tempore of the State Assembly.

Some of Mr. Roos’ major legislative achievements include the Roberti-Roos Weapons Control Act of 1989 – landmark legislation banning assault weapons, and the Mello Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982, which provided local government with an innovative, alternate method of financing basic and much needed public facilities. The first and strictest laws to date protecting the confidentiality of HIV test results were authored by Mr. Roos in 1985, as well as the law creating the pioneer Alternative Test Sites Program, which established centers where individuals could receive free, anonymous testing for the AIDS antibody.

In 1976, Mr. Roos served as a member of the state finance committee for the Carter presidential campaign. President Carter named Mike Roos to the position of State Director of his 1980 presidential campaign in California. In 1988, he was the California co-chair for U.S. Senator Paul Simon’s presidential campaign.

In 1997, Mike was asked by actor/director/producer, Rob Reiner to serve as the campaign director for California Children and Families Initiative, an initiative originated by Reiner. In 1998, this initiative successfully moved on to become a ballot proposition known as Prop 10, State and County Early Childhood Development Programs. Proposition 10 became law on January 1, 1999. He was also the Chair of Proposition 34 which passed in 2000, and Proposition 46 that passed in 2002.

Mr. Roos attended Christian Brothers High School and Tulane University in New Orleans, where he earned a grant-in-aid for baseball. In 2005, he was inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame. After receiving a political science degree in 1967, he moved west to accept a National Institute of Child Health Fellowship at the University of Southern California.