Karen Bass to Take Over as Speaker of California Assembly May 15th--Impact on California Budget

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Nunez Will Step Down Sooner Than Planned
• Cogdill New Senate Republican Leader April 15th

By Marty D. Omoto
Director/Organizer
California Disability Community Action Network

Assemblymember Karen Bass (Democrat - Los Angeles, 47th District), a former community organizer will make national history when she officially as the 67th Assembly Speaker on May 15th - four months sooner than planned, with Fabian Nunez (Democrat - Los Angeles, 46th District) stepping down after four years.

"I'm excited to be a history maker. It's an honor that my accomplishments will inspire others to get involved in the process to make change a reality," said Bass, who will become the first African American woman in US history to serve as the Speaker of a state legislature.

Assembly Speaker Nunez, who will be forced out of the Assembly at the end of November due to term limits, originally planned to stay on as the Assembly's top official until the end of the 2008 session. Nunez may possibly run for Insurance Commissioner or some other statewide office in 2010.

Cogdill Takes Over as New Senate Republican Leader Succeeding Ackerman

Earlier in the week, on April 15th, Sen. Dave Cogdill (Republican - Fresno, 14th District) [pictured right], officially became the new Senate Republican Leader, taking over from Sen. Dick Ackerman (Republican - Tustin, 33rd District), who like Nunez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (Democrat - Oakland, 9th District) is being forced out by term limits.

Bass Will Be First Female Democrat to Serve as Assembly Speaker

Bass will be the first female Democrat serve as Assembly Speaker, following the brief two month speakership in 1995 of Republican Doris Allen. Allen won the speakership with only the support of outgoing Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and the Democratic caucus plus one other Republican member.

"The wisdom of the Caucus is going to break the glass ceiling, to say, finally we're going to elect a Democratic woman to be the Speaker of the California Assembly," Speaker Fabian Núñez said when Bass won the Speakership election on March 5.