Overview:
In being sworn in to her new role, the Goleta Democrat decries immigration raids and says she carries a copy of her passport to protect herself
As the new leader of the state Senate, Santa Barbara County’s Monique Limón plans to put immigration issues at the top of her agenda.
Limón, who was born and grew up in the 21st Senate District she now represents, was sworn in this week after having been picked as the new Senate president pro tempore. She becomes the first Latina to hold the post. She is the daughter of immigrants.
At her swearing-in ceremony, the Democrat referenced the fear that immigration raids have wrought on California and her desire to honor contributions of those who arrived from other lands. She said no one is safe from the raids and that she carries a copy of her passport on her phone.
“I see people are being targeted because of the way they look, the language they speak and the jobs they hold,” Limón said in speaking to the Senate, Gov. Gavin Newsom, family and guests at the ceremony in Sacramento. She said she is proud to lead in a legislature where members “who care and who do not back down from protecting.”
She said her district, which includes not only Santa Barbara but also parts of San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, is a force in protecting the environment and natural resources.
“We have a collaborative business community that is expanding our region’s reach from tech to agribusiness, to tourism, to the wine industry,” Limón said.
She also said the Central Coast is “resilient,” having rebounded from disasters like the 1925 earthquake and 2017 Thomas Fire.
She called on senators to work together, to put aside political differences including Republicans’ “diehard love of former President Reagan” to accomplish goals.
As a mother to a daughter herself, the only mom to ever lead to the Senate, Limón said she understands the needs of parents, especially when it comes to childcare.
“I know what it’s like to get a pit in your stomach when you get a call from your child’s school because you child doesn’t feel well,” she said.
Limón was elected to the state Senate in 2020, having previously served in the Assembly. She worked as an educator for a total of 14 years at UCSB and Santa Barbara City College. She was a member of the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s board from 2010 to 2016.
In the Senate, she has held several key leadership posts and was chair of Banking and Financial Institutions and Natural Resources and Water committees. She has also chaired the Senate Democratic Caucus.