Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare, released the following statement on Monday about the swearing-in of San Diego Assemblywoman Toni Atkins as the 69th Speaker of the California Assembly:
“Today, California witnessed something that has happened only twice before in our state’s history – the swearing-in of a woman as the Speaker of the Assembly. This is an especially poignant occasion for me, as today marks the first time in state history that the assembly speaker and the minority leader are both women.
“As we mark this important milestone, I congratulate Toni Atkins for officially taking the reins of power as our new speaker. I also want to salute my friend John A. Pérez for his service to the people of California as our speaker over the past four years. While Speaker Atkins and I will not perfectly align on every issue, I extend to her my hand of bipartisan cooperation, and stand ready to work across party lines to ensure that the voices of all Californians are well represented in the People’s House.”