Toni Atkins is scheduled to take the oath of office Monday as the first speaker of the California State Assembly from San Diego.
The Democrat is currently the Assembly majority leader. She will succeed current Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles, who is being termed out this fall and is running for state controller.
Atkins, a former San Diego City Council member, was voted in as the successor to Perez in March. It was first revealed around three months ago that she had accumulated enough votes to win the office.
Atkins will be the first lesbian to run the state Legislature’s lower chamber. The speaker is charged with the overall management and supervision of the Assembly; appoints members to committees and subcommittees; allocates funds, staffing, and other resources for operations; and establishes committee schedules.
The speaker is also responsible for making or recommending appointments to state panels, and serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees.
— City News Service