Toni Atkins

Last updated
Toni Atkins
Member of the California State Senate Toni Gayle Atkins.jpg
51st President pro tempore of the California State Senate
In office
March 21, 2018 –February 5, 2024
California's 78th State Assembly district election, 2014
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Toni Atkins (incumbent)45,92260.2
Republican Barbara Decker21,54528.2
Republican Kevin D. Melton8,85511.6
Total votes76,322 100.0
General election
Democratic Toni Atkins (incumbent) 72,224 61.6
Republican Barbara Decker45,08838.4
Total votes117,312 100.0
Democratic hold

State Senate

She ran as candidate for the California's 39th State Senate district in 2016, initially challenging the incumbent Marty Block, also a Democrat, before Block bowed out. [22] In the general election, she defeated Republican John Renison with 63% of the vote. [23]

In 2018, Atkins succeeded Kevin de León as State Senate President pro tempore. This made her the first woman and the first openly LGBT person to lead the California State Senate. [8] [9]

Housing legislation

In May 2019, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Anthony Portantino blocked Senate Bill 50 from leaving committee and entering the Senate for debate and voting. The bill proposed major reforms to address the California housing shortage by reducing local control (such as requiring the permitting of more apartment construction near public transit and in suburbs with high-paying jobs). Atkins refused to step in and take the bill out of committee, which was within her powers. [24] [25] Proponents of the bill accused Portantino of abusing his powers to deny SB50 a debate and a vote in the Senate. [26] Atkins' action stopped legislators from bringing the bill back for consideration that year. [24] Due to this delay, the bill could not be considered by the Senate until 2020. [24]

In January 2020, when the bill was being reconsidered, Atkins exercised her parliamentary powers to move the bill out of Portantino's committee. The bill made it to the senate floor and was subsequently defeated after multiple floor votes. [27] [28]

Climate legislation

Atkins has faced criticism for accepting donations from fossil fuel corporations and failing to pass major climate legislation. [29] In particular, critics noted that she appointed opponents of climate action to committees on which they would have an outsized impact on climate legislation. [29] [30]

Personal life

Atkins is one of eight members of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus. She lives in the South Park neighborhood with her spouse, Jennifer LeSar. [31]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "JoinCalifornia - Toni G. Atkins". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  2. 1 2 Mason, Melanie (March 17, 2014). "Assemblywoman Toni Atkins voted in as speaker-elect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Capitol Alert: It's official: Toni Atkins elected speaker of California Assembly - sacbee.com".
  4. ↑ Chokshi, Niraj. "For a fleeting moment today, California will have its first openly gay governor". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "California Assembly Speaker Becomes First Gay Governor For A Few Hours". 31 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Toni Atkins will briefly be California's first openly gay governor". Los Angeles Times. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  7. ↑ La, Lynn (2023-07-07). "How Toni Atkins made California history". CalMatters. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  8. 1 2 "Toni Atkins will be first woman and the first openly gay person to lead California Senate". Sacramento Bee. December 7, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "First woman, LGBT lawmaker to lead California Senate". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved Dec 23, 2020.
  10. ↑ Zavala, Ashley (2024-01-20). "Toni Atkins launches campaign for California governor". KCRA. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  11. ↑ Casey, Dan. "Casey: The most powerful female pol ever to emerge from Virginia?". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  12. ↑ "Atkins Named California Assembly Majority Leader". Emory & Henry College. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  13. ↑ "San Diego's decade-long budget travails may be nearing an end", Los Angeles Times, April 12, 2012
  14. ↑ "Toni Atkins to serve as San Diego's deputy mayor until new mayor elected". North County Times . 2005-07-25. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
  15. ↑ "California Secretary of State: November 2011 election results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  16. ↑ "Presidential General Election, November 6, 2012". San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  17. ↑ "Atkins Bill denying abusive spousal rights moves to Assembly floor" Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine , San Diego LGBT Weekly, March 20, 2012
  18. ↑ Gardner, Michael (January 22, 2014). "San Diego's Atkins to be next Assembly speaker". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  19. ↑ Mason, Melanie (September 19, 2015). "Democratic clash: Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins to challenge Sen. Marty Block". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "Did Toni Atkins side with "dirty energy companies"? | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  21. ↑ "Toni Atkins to step down as Assembly speaker in March". FOX5 San Diego - San Diego News, Weather, Traffic and Sports | KSWB. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  22. ↑ McGreevey, Patrick (28 January 2016). "Sen. Block bows out of race against Atkins". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  23. ↑ "Toni Atkins (California)". Ballotpedia.
  24. 1 2 3 "California's big housing bill is dead for the year. Here's what's left - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  25. ↑ White, Jeremy B.; Marinucci, Carla; ALEX; Nieves, Er; Massara, Graph. "TRUMP swipes at CALIFORNIA — ATKINS denies HOUSING pleas — BECERRA overruled on COP RECORDS release — BORDER WALL EMERGENCY in court". POLITICO. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  26. ↑ "Supporters unite in last-chance effort to save California's most controversial housing bill". The Mercury News. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  27. ↑ "State Senate head saved California's most important housing bill, showing what leadership is made of". Los Angeles Times. Jan 23, 2020. Retrieved Dec 23, 2020.
  28. ↑ Sheyner, Gennady. "Contentious housing bill SB 50 dies on the Senate floor". www.paloaltoonline.com. Retrieved Dec 23, 2020.
  29. 1 2 Creasman, Mary (August 23, 2021). "California's top Democrats took money from big oil and gas. Then climate legislation died". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on Aug 23, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Will Democrats stop appointing legislators with fossil fuel investments to key committees in 2022? • Sacramento News & Review". Sacramento News & Review. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
  31. ↑ "Senator Toni Atkins: Biography". California State Senate Majority Caucus. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
California Assembly
Preceded by Majority Leader of the California Assembly
2012–2014		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the California Assembly
2014–2016		Succeeded by
California Senate
Preceded by President pro tempore of the California State Senate
2018–2024		Succeeded by
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