TONI ATKINS, SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
Speaker Toni Atkins was first elected to the California State Assembly in November 2010 to represent the 76th Assembly District. She was re-elected in November 2012 to represent the newly redrawn 78th Assembly District which includes the coastal San Diego communities from Imperial Beach, along the Mexican border, north to Solana Beach, as well as most of central San Diego.
Atkins previously served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008 and as Acting Mayor in 2005. As a councilmember, Atkins led the effort to enact the nation’s first Housing State of Emergency in San Diego. She also worked to create San Diego’s first inclusionary housing policy and led the Council in adopting a Living Wage Ordinance.
In the Assembly, Atkins serves as the Speaker. As an Assemblymember, her legislative priorities are economic development and affordable housing, veterans issues, environmental issues, and LGBT equality.
This legislative session, the Speaker’s legislative package has covered a wide array of topics. She successfully carried two bills beneficial to our military community – one which urges other counties to implement Veterans Treatment Courts and another to give tax breaks to base thrift stores that support military families. She currently has a number of bills on the Governor’s desk awaiting action, including 2 bills that will increase the amount of affordable housing being built and another that will bring improvements to the process of dissolving redevelopment programs. She also carried a bill that will position the Del Mar Racetrack for securing the coveted Breeders Cup and another that creates a Snoopy license plate to support California’s museums. Her remaining bills focus on water pollution from copper based boat hull paint, improving access to abortion, and simplifying the process for transgender people to obtain name changes.
The Speaker is originally from southwestern Virginia and graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in political science with a focus on community organizing. In July 2004, she completed the senior executive program at the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She currently lives in the South Park/Golden Hill community of San Diego with her spouse Jennifer LeSar and their dogs, Haley and Joey.
Atkins previously served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008 and as Acting Mayor in 2005. As a councilmember, Atkins led the effort to enact the nation’s first Housing State of Emergency in San Diego. She also worked to create San Diego’s first inclusionary housing policy and led the Council in adopting a Living Wage Ordinance.
In the Assembly, Atkins serves as the Speaker. As an Assemblymember, her legislative priorities are economic development and affordable housing, veterans issues, environmental issues, and LGBT equality.
This legislative session, the Speaker’s legislative package has covered a wide array of topics. She successfully carried two bills beneficial to our military community – one which urges other counties to implement Veterans Treatment Courts and another to give tax breaks to base thrift stores that support military families. She currently has a number of bills on the Governor’s desk awaiting action, including 2 bills that will increase the amount of affordable housing being built and another that will bring improvements to the process of dissolving redevelopment programs. She also carried a bill that will position the Del Mar Racetrack for securing the coveted Breeders Cup and another that creates a Snoopy license plate to support California’s museums. Her remaining bills focus on water pollution from copper based boat hull paint, improving access to abortion, and simplifying the process for transgender people to obtain name changes.
The Speaker is originally from southwestern Virginia and graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in political science with a focus on community organizing. In July 2004, she completed the senior executive program at the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She currently lives in the South Park/Golden Hill community of San Diego with her spouse Jennifer LeSar and their dogs, Haley and Joey.