For the 1st time in California history, a woman has signed a bill into law

(Image credit: Panayiotis Tzamaros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

published 1 April 2022

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) on Thursday became the first woman in state history to sign a bill into law.

With Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on vacation out of the country, Kounalakis is acting governor until his return. On Thursday morning, the state legislature voted to extend an eviction moratorium through June 30, and because the current law expires on Friday, Kounalakis had to quickly sign the emergency bill.

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Elected in 2018, Kounalakis is the state's first female lieutenant governor. There are now four women holding statewide office and 38 women in the legislature, which are both all-time highs, The Associated Press reports. Newsom could have changed his plans so he could sign Thursday's bill into law, Kounalakis said, but he's "extremely supportive of elevating people around him, particularly those from underrepresented groups. And I am very grateful to him for helping to make this happen."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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