Ducheny served as chair of the California State Assembly in 1994 to 2000. She was the first San Diegan, first woman, and first Latino ever to be appointed to this powerful position overseeing the state's $100 billion spending plan. While in the Assembly, Ducheny served as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee between 1997 and 2000, and as Vice-Chair in 1996. She also served, as Chair of the Select Committee on California-Mexico Affairs, as Co-Chair of the Special Committee on Welfare Reform, as Vice-Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and as Vice-Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus. Ducheny served in numerous committees and authored landmark legislation, including the CAL Works Welfare Reform Act of 1997, which assisted many in the transition from welfare to work; the College Affordability Act, which rolled back student fees at the University of California, California State University, and Community Collegesfor the first time in 13 years; the Reverse Mortgage bill, which provided protection to senior homeowners and consumers; the California Public School Library Act, which provided an additional funding source for school libraries; the Indian Child Welfare Act; the California development certificate to teach K-12 students; and legislation regarding vacant residential structures, which enabled local government to rehabilitate vacant dwellings to improve the quality of life in their communities.
State Senate
She was first elected to represent the 40th District in the California State Senate in November 2002. Ducheny chaired the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. She served as Vice Chair of the Agriculture Committee, a member of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and also chairs the Select Committees on California-Mexico Cooperation and Oversight of the UC Energy Labs. She has been a strong advocate of a so-far unsuccessful effort to repeal California's mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
In the 2012 congressional elections Moreno Ducheny announced that she would run against Democrat Juan Vargas. Vargas spent some of his funds on mailers to help Republican Michael Crimmins, who he preferred to face in the general election in this heavily Democratic seat. Vargas spent $40–50,000 helping Crimmins, at least eight times more than Crimmins spent himself.
