Latest news with #SenateDemocraticCaucus
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats pick first woman of color to be next state Senate president
California's state Democrats are shaking up leadership, with the Senate Democratic Caucus pledging unanimous support to Sen. Monique Limón (D-Goleta), who will take over as Senate president pro tem in early 2026. Limón, who was elected to the state Senate in 2020, is chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate banking committee. The 45-year-old Central Coast native served in the Assembly for four years before her Senate campaign and worked in higher education at UC Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County School Board before entering politics. She highlighted the importance of the moment, noting that the caucus, amid ICE raids led by the Trump administration targeting minorities in Los Angeles and across the state, elected her — the first woman of color to hold the position. The uncertain times, she said, were "a reminder of why leadership today, tomorrow and in the future matters, because leadership thinks about and influences the direction in all moments, but, in particular, in these very challenging moments. And for me, it is unbelievably humbling to be here." Recently, Limón has been vocal on the Sable Offshore Pipeline project, which aims to repair and reopen a pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara County that spilled 21,000 gallons of crude oil in 2015. This year she wrote a measure, Senate Bill 542, in response to the project that would require more community input on reopening pipelines and better safety guidelines to find weak points that could lead to another spill. "No one has fought harder to make college more affordable than Monique Limón," said current Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who also applauded her work on wildfire recovery. "She is a tireless voice for the Central Coast in rural parts of this great state." McGuire took leadership of the Senate in a unanimous vote by Democrats with former speaker and gubernatorial candidate Toni Atkins' blessing in February. He pledged to protect the state's progressive ideals ahead of a problematic state budget that continued to bubble over, with the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress supporting cuts in federal aid to the state for heathcare for low-income Californians, education and research and other essential programs. The Sonoma County Democrat's takeover was part of a wider change — both legislative houses were led by lawmakers from Northern California this year, leaving Southern California legislators with limited control. Limón's district covers Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. McGuire terms out of office next year and may be planning a run for insurance commissioner in 2026 but wouldn't confirm his plans despite collecting more than $220,000 in contributions so far this year. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats pick first woman of color to be next state Senate president
California's state Democrats are shaking up leadership, with the Senate Democratic Caucus pledging unanimous support to Sen. Monique Limón (D-Goleta), who will take over as Senate president pro tem in early 2026. Limón, who was elected to the state Senate in 2020, is chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate banking committee. The 45-year-old Central Coast native served in the Assembly for four years before her Senate campaign and worked in higher education at UC Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County School Board before entering politics. She highlighted the importance of the moment, noting that the caucus, amid ICE raids led by the Trump administration targeting minorities in Los Angeles and across the state, elected her — the first woman of color to hold the position. The uncertain times, she said, were "a reminder of why leadership today, tomorrow and in the future matters, because leadership thinks about and influences the direction in all moments, but, in particular, in these very challenging moments. And for me, it is unbelievably humbling to be here." Recently, Limón has been vocal on the Sable Offshore Pipeline project, which aims to repair and reopen a pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara County that spilled 21,000 gallons of crude oil in 2015. This year she wrote a measure, Senate Bill 542, in response to the project that would require more community input on reopening pipelines and better safety guidelines to find weak points that could lead to another spill. "No one has fought harder to make college more affordable than Monique Limón," said current Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who also applauded her work on wildfire recovery. "She is a tireless voice for the Central Coast in rural parts of this great state." McGuire took leadership of the Senate in a unanimous vote by Democrats with former speaker and gubernatorial candidate Toni Atkins' blessing in February. He pledged to protect the state's progressive ideals ahead of a problematic state budget that continued to bubble over, with the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress supporting cuts in federal aid to the state for heathcare for low-income Californians, education and research and other essential programs. The Sonoma County Democrat's takeover was part of a wider change — both legislative houses were led by lawmakers from Northern California this year, leaving Southern California legislators with limited control. Limón's district covers Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. McGuire terms out of office next year and may be planning a run for insurance commissioner in 2026 but wouldn't confirm his plans despite collecting more than $220,000 in contributions so far this year. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Democrats pick first woman of color to be next state Senate president
SACRAMENTO — California's state Democrats are shaking up leadership, with the Senate Democratic Caucus pledging unanimous support to Sen. Monique Limón (D-Goleta), who will take over as Senate president pro tem in early 2026. Limón, who was elected to the state Senate in 2020, is chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate banking committee. The 45-year-old Central Coast native served in the Assembly for four years before her Senate campaign and worked in higher education at UC Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County School Board before entering politics. She highlighted the importance of the moment, noting that the caucus, amid ICE raids led by the Trump administration targeting minorities in Los Angeles and across the state, elected her — the first woman of color to hold the position. The uncertain times, she said, were 'a reminder of why leadership today, tomorrow and in the future matters, because leadership thinks about and influences the direction in all moments, but, in particular, in these very challenging moments. And for me, it is unbelievably humbling to be here.' Recently, Limón has been vocal on the Sable Offshore Pipeline project, which aims to repair and reopen a pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara County that spilled 21,000 gallons of crude oil in 2015. This year she wrote a measure, Senate Bill 542, in response to the project that would require more community input on reopening pipelines and better safety guidelines to find weak points that could lead to another spill. 'No one has fought harder to make college more affordable than Monique Limón,' said current Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who also applauded her work on wildfire recovery. 'She is a tireless voice for the Central Coast in rural parts of this great state.' McGuire took leadership of the Senate in a unanimous vote by Democrats with former speaker and gubernatorial candidate Toni Atkins' blessing in February. He pledged to protect the state's progressive ideals ahead of a problematic state budget that continued to bubble over, with the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress supporting cuts in federal aid to the state for heathcare for low-income Californians, education and research and other essential programs. The Sonoma County Democrat's takeover was part of a wider change — both legislative houses were led by lawmakers from Northern California this year, leaving Southern California legislators with limited control. Limón's district covers Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. McGuire terms out of office next year and may be planning a run for insurance commissioner in 2026 but wouldn't confirm his plans despite collecting more than $220,000 in contributions so far this year.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rising Dem star distances herself from 'inclusive language' as newsletters reveal a different story
U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow told a Michigan crowd last month that gender-inclusive language was pushed by the Democratic Party's "more progressive groups," despite including "inclusive language" in her constituent newsletters as recently as November. McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, said at the Michigan Democratic Party Rural Summit on April 12 that she "got some flack" from Democrats who encouraged her to use "inclusive language" around the time of the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to the states. "You may have heard phrases like 'birthing persons' or 'chestfeeding,' which was a push by some of our more progressive groups to be more inclusive, so that we were capturing the fact that occasionally, trans men or women may need reproductive care," McMorrow said. "That is not untrue. But, if we were thinking about who we needed to move to our side to have the votes we needed to accomplish the goal, when you say things that are kind of made-up phrases, it becomes really alienating." While McMorrow acknowledges how that language can actually be "alienating" to voters outside the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and is running a campaign that rejects "performative nonsense," McMorrow chose to include that very language in several constituent newsletters describing Michigan legislation supported by the Senate Democratic Caucus. Rising Star Dem Critical Of Schumer's Leadership Launches 2026 Bid In Key Senate Battleground As recently as November 2024, McMorrow's constituent newsletter – which highlights the Michigan Democrat's legislative agenda, spotlights community events and shares good news from the district – including descriptions of Senate bills using "inclusive language," like "birthing parent." Read On The Fox News App Why Pete Buttigieg Said No To Running For The Senate Next Year In McMorrow's newsletter, Senate Bills 1127 and 1128 are described as requiring "private insurers and Medicaid to provide coverage for group-based pregnancy support programs, which are shown to result in improved health outcomes for both the birthing parent and baby." Similar language was included in a newsletter the month before describing the Momnibus bill package as "amplifying the voices of Black and Brown birthing people." The same "birthing individuals" language was included in an April 2024 newsletter, describing the Momnibus bill package as created to "strengthen community-driven programs, enhance prenatal care and maternal healthcare, and amplify the voices of Black birthing individuals, mothers, women, families, and stakeholders." While descriptions of "birthing" people or individuals are included in McMorrow's newsletter, her campaign said she did not write those words. Andrew Mamo, McMorrow for Michigan spokesman, told Fox News Digital in a statement: "As she wrote in her book and says on the campaign trail, Mallory knows Democrats need to talk like real people and not use fabricated language that, while intending to be 'inclusive,' sounds so unfamiliar that it's weird to a majority of people. These legislative updates weren't written by Mallory, and she has continued to advocate even within her own caucus the need to change how Democrats speak." The campaign said that while the state senator writes a portion of her constituent newsletters, the "birthing" language had been written by the Senate Democratic Caucus. However, those bill descriptions are not attributed to anyone in McMorrow's newsletter. McMorrow's campaign also pointed to pages in her book released in March that argued the pressure to use "inclusive language" fails at "defining your audience," as Democrats continue to grapple with losing the House, Senate and White House in November. McMorrow, considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid for U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters early last month, framing herself as an outsider and calling for a new generation of leaders in Washington. McMorrow has said she would not vote for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to continue as the party leader, adding that it is time for him to step back. The 38-year-old Michigan state senator garnered national attention for her viral speech to the Michigan state senate in 2022, where she pushed back on allegations from a Republican lawmaker that she was "grooming" and "sexualizing" children. "I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme," McMorrow said, calling out Republican state Sen. Lana Theis for invoking her name in a fundraising email. "We will not let hate win."Original article source: Rising Dem star distances herself from 'inclusive language' as newsletters reveal a different story
Fox News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Rising Dem star distances herself from 'inclusive language' as newsletters reveal a different story
U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow told a Michigan crowd last month that gender-inclusive language was pushed by the Democratic Party's "more progressive groups," despite including "inclusive language" in her constituent newsletters as recently as November. McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, said at the Michigan Democratic Party Rural Summit on April 12 that she "got some flack" from Democrats who encouraged her to use "inclusive language" around the time of the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to the states. "You may have heard phrases like 'birthing persons' or 'chestfeeding,' which was a push by some of our more progressive groups to be more inclusive, so that we were capturing the fact that occasionally, trans men or women may need reproductive care," McMorrow said. "That is not untrue. But, if we were thinking about who we needed to move to our side to have the votes we needed to accomplish the goal, when you say things that are kind of made-up phrases, it becomes really alienating." While McMorrow acknowledges how that language can actually be "alienating" to voters outside the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and is running a campaign that rejects "performative nonsense," McMorrow chose to include that very language in several constituent newsletters describing Michigan legislation supported by the Senate Democratic Caucus. As recently as November 2024, McMorrow's constituent newsletter – which highlights the Michigan Democrat's legislative agenda, spotlights community events and shares good news from the district – including descriptions of Senate bills using "inclusive language," like "birthing parent." In McMorrow's newsletter, Senate Bills 1127 and 1128 are described as requiring "private insurers and Medicaid to provide coverage for group-based pregnancy support programs, which are shown to result in improved health outcomes for both the birthing parent and baby." Similar language was included in a newsletter the month before describing the Momnibus bill package as "amplifying the voices of Black and Brown birthing people." The same "birthing individuals" language was included in an April 2024 newsletter, describing the Momnibus bill package as created to "strengthen community-driven programs, enhance prenatal care and maternal healthcare, and amplify the voices of Black birthing individuals, mothers, women, families, and stakeholders." While descriptions of "birthing" people or individuals are included in McMorrow's newsletter, her campaign said she did not write those words. Andrew Mamo, McMorrow for Michigan spokesman, told Fox News Digital in a statement: "As she wrote in her book and says on the campaign trail, Mallory knows Democrats need to talk like real people and not use fabricated language that, while intending to be 'inclusive,' sounds so unfamiliar that it's weird to a majority of people. These legislative updates weren't written by Mallory, and she has continued to advocate even within her own caucus the need to change how Democrats speak." The campaign said that while the state senator writes a portion of her constituent newsletters, the "birthing" language had been written by the Senate Democratic Caucus. However, those bill descriptions are not attributed to anyone in McMorrow's newsletter. McMorrow's campaign also pointed to pages in her book released in March that argued the pressure to use "inclusive language" fails at "defining your audience," as Democrats continue to grapple with losing the House, Senate and White House in November. McMorrow, considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid for U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters early last month, framing herself as an outsider and calling for a new generation of leaders in Washington. McMorrow has said she would not vote for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to continue as the party leader, adding that it is time for him to step back. The 38-year-old Michigan state senator garnered national attention for her viral speech to the Michigan state senate in 2022, where she pushed back on allegations from a Republican lawmaker that she was "grooming" and "sexualizing" children. "I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme," McMorrow said, calling out Republican state Sen. Lana Theis for invoking her name in a fundraising email. "We will not let hate win."
