Armenians may gain Senate power

GLENDALE — A bipartisan group of legislators formed the Assembly Armenian American Legislative Caucus on Monday, which they hope will support and create legislation that benefits the state's 700,000 Armenian Americans.

Co-founders Dario Frommer, a Democrat who represents Burbank and Glendale, and Greg Aghazarian, a Republican who represents Stockton, hope the state Senate will soon recognize the bi-partisan group.

"Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks who reach out and educate others," said Frommer, Assembly majority leader. "Here in California we have a large and vibrant Armenian community, not just in my district, but in Fresno and other places, and we want to bring those folks together."

The Assembly also passed a resolution on Monday designating Sept. 21, 2006, as Armenian Independence Day.

The group is modeled after the 11-year-old Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, which is 159 members strong, he said. The caucus has pushed for American recognition of the Armenian Genocide and free-trade issues with the 15-year-old former Soviet state, Frommer said.

Armenians have a century-old history in the state and they play a role in shaping public policy at every level of government, Frommer said.

California is the first state to form an Armenian caucus, said Savey Tufenkian, a 30-year Glendale resident and member of the Armenian Assembly of America.

"I think it's wonderful and it's about time," Tufenkian said. "We would like to be part of the whole community as Armenians. We want to be recognized as a country and that our genocide should be recognized.

Though California has a trade office in Armenia, Tufenkian would like to see an expansion of trade between the landlocked country and the state.

"We need to do whatever is needed to improve the lives of Armenians," she said.

Such a caucus is long overdue, said Burbank Unified School Board member Paul Krekorian, who won the Democrat primary for the 43rd District, which Frommer will vacate this year because of term limits.

"I've been a little surprised that legislators who consider themselves friends of the Armenian community did not create one like this years ago," he said. "But what matters to most to Armenians is the same that matters to all Americans: Excellent public schools, good jobs, health care for seniors and the opportunity to send their kids to college."

California is home to the largest Armenian community in the United States, Frommer said.

About 70,000 Armenian Americans — the largest concentration of Armenians outside of Armenia — live in his district, Frommer said.