Battin also was active in Junior Achievement, working with his wife to instill the entrepreneurial spirit in elementary school children.

He defeated one term incumbent Julie Bornstein who, according to the California Political Almanac, was on the fast track to be Assembly Speaker Willie Brown's successor.

As a member of the Assembly, he passed laws to increase penalties for chronic drunk drivers and co-authored historic legislation that is helping steer welfare recipients into full-time jobs, easing county caseloads.

AB2219, the "21st Century California Classrooms Act," will create special tax credits for companies who donate computer equipment to public and private schools.

Designed to help introduce California students to new skills and the Internet, the bill is similar to federal legislation passed the year before.

Battin's goals were to streamline government regulations and to reduce taxes to improve the competitiveness of California businesses.

He introduced SB 33 to ensure that the state's incest loophole is closed and that family members who molest children are treated under the law the same as other predators.

He helped bring $4 million in ADA "equalization" funds to local schools and $600,000 for a community college library.