California Assembly prepares to honor outgoing speaker by naming a room after him

Andrew Sheeler
·3 min read
11
Former State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, greets attendees to a March 22, 2023, event at the University Ballroom at Sacramento State.

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

THE SPEAKER ANTHONY RENDON PRESS ROOM?

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, is about to call time on a storied legislative career. But we likely won’t be hearing the last of his name anytime soon. California lawmakers are poised to consider HR 47, which would rename room 317 in the Capitol as the “Speaker Anthony Rendon Press Room.”

The name might raise some eyebrows, as even the resolution honoring Rendon doesn’t mention any particular accomplishments relative to press freedom.

The resolution does highlight Rendon’s lengthy time as speaker — the longest serving since California set term limits for state lawmakers — and mentions that he led the largest majority of Democrats since 1875.

Rendon’s speakership “led to substantial institutional reforms and achievements, as well as the implementation of extensive public policy improvements for the people of California,” according to the resolution.

It also recognizes that Rendon was a hands-off speaker, preferring to empower committee chairs and decentralize his role.

The resolution further notes that Rendon, along with his Senate counterpart, Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins, helped the Legislature weather the storm that was COVID-19. He also appointed the first Muslim legislative chaplain in U.S. history and the first Buddhist chaplain in Assembly history.

A bronze plaque will be installed outside the room.

BONTA, REP. THOMPSON HIGHLIGHT THE WORK NEEDED TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE

Though data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that California has some of the lowest gun violence in the country, it remains a grim reality for many residents. Every three hours, one is killed by a gun, according to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.

Bonta met Friday with Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, who chairs the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, to discuss the need for “bold state and federal action,” according to a statement from Bonta’s office.

“There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023, and gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children. Enough has long-been enough.” Bonta said in a statement. “Gun safety laws work, and yet time and time again, they’ve been stopped or delayed from being implemented on a national scale by the gun lobby and the politicians in their pockets.”

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 296 mass shootings — defined as four or more people shot and killed in one incident — in America through the first 171 days of 2023.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“People tell you this your whole life, but I admit it wasn’t until my 40s that I finally grasped: What you believe about yourself internally absolutely impacts how people respond to you externally.”

- Lobbyist Kristina Bas Hamilton, via Twitter.

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