Toni Atkins served eight years on the San Diego City Council and was briefly the city’s interim mayor before coming to the Assembly in 2010. Atkins says housing is a big priority for her.
“If I can add my own personal concern, reducing homelessness and providing affordable housing, including for our state’s growing population of veterans,” she says.
San Jose State University Political Science Professor Larry Gerston says Atkins will become the most powerful person in the legislature.
“The speaker appoints the Rules Committee and certainly has great influence over the members of the Rules Committee”, says Gerston. “The Rules Committee in turn appoints all the various committee chairs.”
Atkins takes over the speakership as the state deals with a continuing drought and tries to meet federal court orders to reduce prison overcrowding.
She is scheduled to take over for out-going Speaker John Pèrez this Spring.
May 30, 2018Fair Political Practices Commission chairperson Jodi Remke announced Tuesday that she will step down on Friday. It follows months of acrimony with other commissioners.
February 22, 2018His resignation followed an outside investigation, which found that Mendoza likely engaged in "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six different women, including former staffers and fellows. The allegations date back to 2007.
February 20, 2018A summary of the Senate’s outside investigation comes after the chamber’s Rules Committee met in closed session to discuss Mendoza’s fate for the second weekday in a row.
January 18, 2018New legislative efforts supporting the “Me Too” anti-harassment movement could change the reporting process for victims filing complaints.
October 26, 2017Women in California politics, protesting sexual harassment and abuse at the Capitol, distrust the response from legislative leaders.
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