AM Alert: California Senate rededicates hearing room to women senators

The state Senate skipped last week’s Women of the Year festivities, but it has its own honor planned for Women’s History Month: a rededication of the Rose Ann Vuich Hearing Room, named for the Central Valley Democrat who became the first woman elected to the California Senate in 1976.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León will unveil several new wall hangings, comprised of black-and-white headshots of the 42 women who have served in the Senate, noon in Room 2040 of the Capitol, to be followed a reception in the pro tem’s office. Current lawmakers will be joined by former Sens. Dede Alpert, Elaine Alquist, Debra Bowen, Ellen Corbett, Denise Ducheny, Martha Escutia, Noreen Evans, Liz Figueroa, Christine Kehoe, Sharon Runner and Diane Watson.

The senators who will be recognized are:

VIDEO: It’s that time of year when the Legislature finally gets to legislating, Dan Walters says.

ODE TO A POEM: More than 40,000 high school students across the state memorized and performed poems as part of the 10th annual California Poetry Out Loud competition, but only forty have made it to the finals in Sacramento. The deciding rounds will take place at 8 a.m. in Room 4202 of the Capitol, with judges including former California Poet Laureate Al Young and filmmaker Christopher Coppola. The winner of the competition, which is organized by the California Arts Council, advances to a national championship in Washington, D.C., in April.

LUCK OF THE IRISH?: A surprise winner in 2012 who helped clinch the Democrats’ two-thirds supermajority, former Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva was unceremoniously defeated in her 2014 re-election bid. All of four months later, so begins her comeback attempt. Quirk-Silva is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day-themed fundraiser for her 2016 Assembly campaign, 5 p.m. at Streamers Jazz Club & Café in Fullerton. Suggested contributions range from $25 to $1,000.

NEW DIRECTIONS: The California Community Colleges Board of Governors gathers over the next two days for its bimonthly meeting, starting at noon at the chancellor’s office on Q Street. The board will consider final approval for 12 of the pilot bachelor’s degrees programs announced in January, and hear about a new transfer agreement the system is developing with nine historically black colleges and universities across the country.

UNDER THE COVERAGE: California Coverage & Health Initiatives, which promotes health care access and enrollment, holds its Champions for Coverage Awards, emceed by former Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, 5 p.m. at the Citizen Hotel on J Street. Among the honorees are Assemblyman Roger Hernández, D-Baldwin Park, and former Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, who retired last year after 40 years in Congress.

CELEBRATIONS: Happy birthday to Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, who turns 56 today.

This story was originally published March 15, 2015 at 11:00 PM.