The Bee Editorial Board endorses this impressive leader for the California Assembly | Opinion
California’s 11th Assembly District covers all of Solano County as well as parts of Contra Costa and Sacramento counties. Democrat Lori Wilson is running for re-election against Republican and civil engineer Dave Ennis.
We endorse Wilson because as she nears the end of her very first term in the Assembly, she has proven that she’s a talented leader with a bright future.
A freshman assembly member, Wilson already holds three chair positions, serving as head of the California Legislative Black Caucus and the Select Committee on Transportation and Emergency Preparedness as well as co-chair of the Delta Caucus alongside outgoing Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas also appointed Wilson to the position of majority whip.
Wilson has made a name for herself while battling breast cancer. Before undergoing medical treatment, Wilson was already an advocate for healthcare affordability and accessibility. Now, having seen the inequities of treatment first-hand, she says her constituents can expect at least one piece of legislation each year from her office that tackles the issue of healthcare equity. (She finished cancer treatments last fall and has had clean scans ever since.)
Serving on the Sonoma County Water Agency has given Wilson experience in the interconnected nature of California’s water system.
This positions her to be a strong representative of her Bay-Delta territory. There, huge issues remain unresolved on whether and how to update the conveyance of the State Water Project to flood control needs that will only grow due to sea level rise.
This knowledge will also come in handy with the California Forever project, a proposed city that currently has no water supply and must find one to ever get off a drawing board.
In 2018, Wilson was elected mayor of Suisun City after serving on the city council since 2012. She was the first Black female mayor in city history.
Wilson is the first legislator in the history of California to openly discuss being the parent of a transgender child. She is committed to making the state a safe haven for trans people.
“Right here in California, we have municipal legislators and school boards taking action opposed to our trans youth,” Wilson said. “There is more work to be done (so that) if someone from another state comes here to seek refuge, we really are protecting them.”
Wilson’s bills that were signed into law by the governor include two that support flood control projects, habitat restoration and the needs of farmers in Solano County.
Republican and civil engineer Dave Ennis is running against Wilson.
Wilson is a rising star in California politics. Her constituents should be proud of her stellar first assembly term and re-elect her accordingly for a promising second term.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat are editorials, and who writes them?
Editorials represent the collective opinion of The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board.
They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members or the views of Bee reporters in the news section. Bee reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions. The same rules apply to our sister publications, The Modesto Bee, Fresno Bee, Merced Sun-Star and San Luis Obispo Tribune.
In Sacramento, our board includes Bee Executive Editor Colleen McCain Nelson, McClatchy California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writers Robin Epley, Tom Philp, LeBron Antonio Hill and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer.
In Fresno and Merced, the board includes Central Valley Executive Editor Don Blount, Senior Editor Christopher Kirkpatrick, Opinion Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and opinion writer Tad Weber.
In Modesto, the board includes Senior Editor Carlos Virgen and in San Luis Obispo, it includes Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.
We base our opinions on reporting by our colleagues in the news section, and our own reporting and interviews. Our members attend public meetings, call people and follow-up on story ideas from readers just as news reporters do. Unlike objective reporters, we share our judgments and state clearly what we think should happen based on our knowledge.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
Tell us what you think
You may or may not agree with our perspective. We believe disagreement is healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy. If you would like to share your own views on events important to the Sacramento region, you may write a letter to the editor (150 words or less) using this form, or email an op-ed (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com. Due to a high volume of submissions, we are not able to publish everything we receive.
Support The Sacramento Bee
These conversations are important for our community. Keep the conversation going by supporting The Sacramento Bee. Subscribe here.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 2:03 PM with the headline "The Bee Editorial Board endorses this impressive leader for the California Assembly | Opinion."