It was way past her daughter's bedtime, but California lawmaker Buffy Wicks nonetheless brought the four-week-old infant onto the stat...
It was way past her daughter's bedtime, but California lawmaker Buffy Wicks nonetheless brought the four-week-old infant onto the state Assembly floor at around midnight on Monday to support a housing bill after being denied a vote by proxy.
Assemblywoman Wicks, a Democrat representing Berkeley and Oakland who welcomed her daughter Elly in July, cradled the newborn in her arms beneath a striped blanket as she cast her vote in a futile attempt to save the housing legislation.
'I was actually in the middle of feeding my daughter when this bill came up,' the mom-of-two lawmaker said through a mask covering her face. 'Please, please, please pass this bill, and I'm going to go finish feeding my daughter.'
Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland, addresses lawmakers on a housing bill while holding her one-month-old daughter Elly in her arms during the final hours of the California legislative session Monday
Wicks requested permission from legislative leaders to vote remotely during the coronavirus pandemic because of her newborn but was denied
The remarkable moment prompted applause from some of her colleagues and quickly went viral on social media, drawing the attention of Hillary Clinton and former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who tweeted at her: '@BuffyWicks has proven time and again she'll always do what’s best for her constituents. But in case we need an extra testament to her character, here it is. Strong women get things done!'
Wicks, who previously worked in the Obama White House, made the decision to interrupt her maternity leave and bring her infant daughter to the state Capitol in Sacramento on Monday night after her proxy request was denied by Assembly Speaker Antony Rendon on the grounds that she was not at higher risk from COVID-19.
Rendon's decision has been roundly criticized, including in an editorial published by the San Francisco Chronicle that opened with the words,' 'Shame on Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.'
Wicks raced to Sacramento on Monday night with her newborn baby in tow to cast her vote
She posed with baby Elly alongside pregnant Assemblymember Monique Limon (right)
Rendon apologized to Wicks on Tuesday night, saying 'my intention was never to be inconsiderate toward her, her role as a legislator, or her role as a mother.'
'The Assembly needs do do better. I commit to doing better,' Rendon said.
In an interview, Wicks said she was not angry with Rendon denying her request, saying 'we're all dealing with how we manage this new world' and said she hoped her experience would serve as a 'teachable moment.'
'I think it touches a chord of what a lot of women are feeling around the country right now, especially with COVID,' Wicks said. 'It’s not really about me, it's about the constraints I think families are feeling across the board.'
Wicks is pictured reading a bedtime story to her two girls, 3-year-old Jojo and four-week-old Elly
Despite Wicks' best efforts, Senate Bill 1120, which would have made it easier to build multi-housing units in areas zoned for single-family homes, failed to pass the Assembly.
Wicks tweeted she was 'absolutely devastated' by the outcome of Monday's vote.
'Our housing crisis requires us to act, and tonight we failed to do that,' she continued. 'But I promise you this: I will *always* show up for housing - no matter what.'
The state Legislature was shut down for nearly two and a half months starting in March. And when lawmakers returned, they had to keep their distance from each other, making it difficult to build consensus on tough issues.
Multiple high-profile bills, among them the effort supported by Wicks to help alleviate the housing crisis in California, failed to pass on Monday as Assembly members simply ran out of time to get them back before the Senate for a final vote.
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