California State Assembly Chooses Karen Bass As New Assembly Speaker

Wednesday, February 27th

It's Bass

Assemblywoman Karen Bass captured the speakership Wednesday night to replace Speaker Fabian Nunez following a round of closed-door meetings in the Capitol.

Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat and the Assembly's majority leader, received a majority of support in the Democratic caucus to win the job. Nunez engineered the deal that put her over the top. Several legislators, including some who had hoped to be speaker themselves, announced as they left the meeting that  Bass had won.

"She's got it," said Assemblyman Hector de la Torre, D-Southgate, after the final meeting.The action is expected to be formally ratified on March 11 at a Democratic caucus meeting.

Karen Bass will be the first African-American woman to serve in the post.

For more details, the following press stories: The Sacramento Bee ,Capitol Weekly, Greg Lucas weblog.