Leona Egeland Rice: Pioneering Feminist Assemblymember
Leona Egeland Rice was a pioneer first in the lobby corps, and then in the California Assembly where she served three terms ending in 1980.
In this oral history interview, conducted at her home in Napa by journalist Dan Morain, she recalls how she won even though the California Democratic Party would not endorse women. Legislators—Bill Lockyer, Willie Brown, George Moscone and March Fong Eu—did support her in that first campaign in 1974.
Assemblymember Egeland was one of two women in the 120-member legislature in 1974, and quickly made her presence known. She tells the story of why she was assigned the smallest office in the Capitol and how she got a larger office, the derivation of the term “assemblymember,” and how she persuaded her bank to change its policy to issue credit cards to women in their own names.
She also recalls her legislation related to fetal alcohol syndrome, stalking, funding for pre- and post-natal testing, the times she was offered bribes, and her work with Assemblyman Frank Lanterman, one of the giants of the Legislature in middle part of the 20th Century, on mental health care issues.
She sat down with veteran journalist Dan Morain for an extensive interview as part of the Open California Oral History Project. This program was made possible by a grant from the California State Library. The interview was conducted in Napa, California on January 22, 2024 it has been edited for clarity and continuity.
In three parts.