California Politics: Huge gains for women in the Legislature
Source: Los Angeles Times
SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature that will be sworn in Monday will include more women than ever before, accounting for about 42% of state lawmakers.
That might not sound like much for a progressive state like California — home to a roster of powerful female politicians who have smashed down barriers in Washington, D.C., including the first woman vice president, Kamala Harris; first woman House speaker, Nancy Pelosi; and the longest-serving woman senator, Dianne Feinstein.
But compared with the paltry representation women have had in Sacramento in recent years, the coming change amounts to a huge jump. Five years ago, just 22% of state lawmakers were women. In 2017, as my former colleagues at CalMatters pointed out, the Legislature included more white men named Jim than Black and Asian American women combined.
Click here to read the full article published by Los Angeles Times on 2 December 2022.
SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature that will be sworn in Monday will include more women than ever before, accounting for about 42% of state lawmakers.
That might not sound like much for a progressive state like California — home to a roster of powerful female politicians who have smashed down barriers in Washington, D.C., including the first woman vice president, Kamala Harris; first woman House speaker, Nancy Pelosi; and the longest-serving woman senator, Dianne Feinstein.
But compared with the paltry representation women have had in Sacramento in recent years, the coming change amounts to a huge jump. Five years ago, just 22% of state lawmakers were women. In 2017, as my former colleagues at CalMatters pointed out, the Legislature included more white men named Jim than Black and Asian American women combined.
Click here to read the full article published by Los Angeles Times on 2 December 2022.