Michael Anthony Gatto, (born October 19, 1974) is an American public official. After being elected to the California State Assembly in a special election, he served as Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Consumer Protection & Privacy Committee, and Chairman of the Utilities & Commerce Committee, and was the author of several pieces of notable legislation. He served four terms, representing Los Angeles, Glendale, and Burbank. Data analyses of the voting records conducted by the Sacramento Bee newspaper concluded that Gatto was one of the most independent lawmakers. Gatto is known for authoring and passing the first California Rainy Day Fund, a constitutional amendment to force the state to put away money during good times—a measure that California Governor Jerry Brown subsequently adopted as his own. In October 2019, Gatto authored a statewide ballot initiative to comprehensively address the state's homelessness crisis. In March 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom adopted the same principles in Gatto's proposal. Early life, education, and previous career Gatto grew up in the Franklin Hills and Silver Lake neighborhoods of Los Angeles. His grandfather was an immigrant coal miner. Gatto was raised, and is a practicing Roman Catholic. Gatto earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1996 and a J.D. from Loyola Law School's night school, magna cum laude, in 2004. He worked as an aide to Congressman Brad Sherman for five years, during and after law school. As an attorney, he worked first at O'Melveny & Myers and later at Mayer Brown; his practice focused on representing small- and medium-sized businesses to resolve issues with the government. Gatto also served in the administrations of three different mayors of Los Angeles as President of the El Pueblo (Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority) Commission. Elections to the Assembly Gatto won three elections in seven weeks in 2010, and was sworn into the Assembly in mid-June. During the election, Gatto secured the endorsement of the Los Angeles Daily News, which wrote that Gatto was "fiscally minded and intelligent... the kind of legislator California needs." Gatto's 43rd Assembly District included Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge, and the Los Angeles communities of Atwater Village, Franklin Hills, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, the Hollywood Hills, and half of Hollywood. 2014 California State Assembly Legislative career In 2010, Gatto introduced legislation to reduce municipal pension costs. His bill