WSSNews | Volume 39 No. 40

2025 in Review:

Assemblymember Lori Wilson getsSeven Questions - Advocate for Equity, the Environment, and More

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media nia legislator to publicly discuss being the parent of a transgender child an act of visibility that has helped advanced representation at a time when political tensions re- lated to social issues and culture have intensified. California Black Media spoke with Wilson about her successes and disappointments this year and her outlook for 2026.

What stands out to you as your most important achievement this year and why?

Getting SB 237 passed in the Assembly. I had the opportunity to co-lead a diverse workgroup of colleagues, spanning a wide range of ideological perspectives on en- vironmental issues. Leading this group and developing a policy that the Legislature could support helped strengthen my confidence in my leadership and negotiation abilities, and it reaffirmed the value of bringing people together around complex challenges.

Assemblymember Lori D. Wil- son (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Sola- no County's first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, com- munity investment, and inclusive leadership.

She represents the state's 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions of Contra Costa and Sacramento Counties. In her first 18 months in office, she advanced 11 bills to the Governor's desk and secured millions in state funding for criti- cal local needs, from housing and electric vehicle infrastructure to flood resilience, transportation improvements, and public safety. Her rise has also included several historic firsts: she is the only Black woman ever appointed to lead the influential Assembly Transpor- tation Committee, and the first freshman legislator elected Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. She has also been a vocal advocate for vulnerable commu- nities, becoming the first Califor-

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Assemblymember Tina McKin- nor (D-Inglewood) represents California's 61st Assembly Dis- trict, covering areas including Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, Venice, Westchester, and West Athens.

As a member of the Califor- nia Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), McKinnor has become a promi- nent voice in the Legislature. Elected in 2022, she chairs the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation and leads the Assem- bly Public Employment and Re- tirement Committee. Before tak ing office, McKinnor served as a longtime civic engagement direc- tor, managed political campaigns, and worked as chief of staff for former Assemblymembers Steven Bradford and Autumn Burke. She brings deep experience in orga- nizing, community advocacy, and policymaking particularly on housing, reparations, education, and workers' rights.

In 2025, McKinnor pushed for- ward legislation on renters' pro- tections, re-entry programs, repa- rations legislation, and efforts to WESTSIDESTORY NEWSPAPER

2025 in Review: Assemblymember Tina McKinnor gets Seven Questions for, Champion of Reparations, Housing and Workers' Rights

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media support Inglewood Unified School District. She spoke with Califor- nia Black Media to reflect on the year and her work. Here are her responses to seven key questions, edited for length and clarity.

Looking back on 2025, what do you see as your biggest win-the thing you're proudest of getting done or moving forward? Assembly Bill (AB) 628. If rent is $3,000, people should at least have a stove and a refrigerator. I thought it was ridiculous that people were renting without basic appliances, so making sure every rental unit includes them was im- portant.

I'm also proud that I was able to secure $8.4 million in the state budget for people coming home from incarceration. That includes the Homecoming Project, the menopause program for incarcer- ated women, and the Justice Lead- ers Program. I want people to be able to come home and live-and not go back.

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