McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, working to combat some of the state's most pressing public safety issues such as retail theft, gun violence, and drug abuse.

From 2014 to 2023, McCarty served as the Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, overseeing historic increases in early education, funding public schools at record levels, and expanding college access and affordability.

McCarty has authored over 90 measures that became law including several groundbreaking measures - The Universal Preschool Act, the American River Parkway Conservancy Act, Independent Investigations in Police Shootings, HOPE California - Mandatory Drug Treatment for Repeat Felons, Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated and most recently, the Financial Literacy Act.

A lifelong Sacramentan, McCarty began his career as a Housing and Redevelopment Commissioner, and then served on the Sacramento City Council for a decade.

After receiving his high school diploma through adult education, he attended American River Community College and earned degrees from CSU Long Beach and CSU Sacramento. McCarty and his wife Leticia live in Sacramento with their twin daughters Victoria and Barbara.