Acting Governor Monique Limón signing legislation. (Governor's press office)
Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón made history Wednesday by serving as California’s first-ever Latina Acting Governor while Gov. Gavin Newsom is out-of-state.
Newsom traveled to Chicago on Wednesday to attend the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center and is expected back on Thursday. Usually, Lt. Gov Eleni Kounalakis would serve in Newsom’s stead, but she is also currently out-of-state. As president of the Senate, Limón is the next highest-ranked official in California.
Even more historic, Limón was the first Latina to sign legislation into state law as Acting Governor, the governor’s press office announced Wednesday. She signed four Senate bills into law, all dealing with local government.
“These bills help modernize local government operations, reduce administrative burdens and help conserve taxpayer resources,” Limón said in a statement. “I am honored to sign these bills as Acting Governor and I thank the authors for their work on these policies that support the function of local government.”
In 2022, Kounalakis, who is currently running for State Treasurer, became the first woman to sign a bill into law.
Today, there are a record number of 22 Latinas in the California Legislature. In state legislatures nationwide, Latinas currently hold 221 seats, up from 192 in 2024, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.