No. 42: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

42. Dorothy Rothrock

Dorothy Rothrock is the president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, which accurately bills itself as “the only statewide organization solely dedicated to advocating on behalf of the state’s manufacturing and technology companies.” The CMTA, with 400 companies under its belt, plays a significant role in the Capitol, and Rothrock is a big reason why. Rothrock, who’s been CMTA president since 2014, is fast and energetic and seems to be everywhere at once. She leads the association’s fight against what it regards as too much regulation, unnecessary tax increases and government meddling in the lifeblood of California’s huge economy. She argues, for example, that “California is one of only four states that imposes a sales tax on the purchase of new machinery and equipment. To tax both the ‘input’ and the final manufactured product amounts to ‘double taxation’ and is poor tax policy.” Rothrock is the first female president of the CMTA, and before ascending to the top spot, she worked as the association’s vice president of Government Affairs since 2000.

Updated Aug. 15, 2o18