A billboard urging approval for SB 50 in Santa Clara. (Photo: Sundry Photography, via Shutterstock)Moments after the state Senate failed to pass SB 50, a bill that would have relaxed zoning laws to combat the state’s housing crisis, Senate Leader Toni Atkins vowed to pass housing legislation this year. But after three attempts — and three failures — to get SB 50 to the governor’s desk, the outlook rains uncertain.
Incoming state Senate Leader Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, flanked by Sen. Ricardo Lara, left, at a meeting with Mexican government officials. (Photo: California State Senate)This month, the San Diego lawmaker is set to replace Kevin de León as leader of the California Senate. She will be the first woman and first open lesbian to hold the position. She also will be the first person since the 19th century to hold both of the Legislature’s top jobs – Assembly speaker and Senate leader.
Lobbyist Pamela Lopez testifies before an Assembly committee about sexual harassment in the Capitol. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/APLeaders in the California Senate and Assembly have promised transparency as they combat sexual harassment in the Capitol, but so far most information from misconduct investigations remains hidden from public view. The Senate announced a contract with lawyers from two independent firms to investigate sexual harassment complaints, but attorney-client privilege could shield the investigations from public disclosure.
State Senate Leader Kevin de León at a conference last year in Mexico City. (Photo: Fernando Ramirez, El Universal, via AP)The contrast between Kevin de León and his political opponent Dianne Feinstein is stark. De León, the leader of the state Senate, grew up in the San Diego barrio of Logan Heights. His mother cleaned houses and did odd jobs to support the family. Feinstein grew up in a wealthy family in a posh section of San Francisco, the daughter of a prominent surgeon and a beautiful mother.