Fire started to spread when California legislator Mia Bonta was assigned to lead the budget committee that oversees the office of the CA attorney general, her husband.
The issue started burning when The Sacramento Bee had it in their editorial titled “Lawmaker Mia Bonta should not oversee the budget for the CA attorney general — her husband.”
When California Capitol correspondent Ashley Zavala persistently asked her questions about the “inappropriateness” of the designation, the response from Mia Bonta was an apparent ricochet of the issue.
Bonta Explains
“Almost within my lifetime there would have been the ‘appearance of impropriety’ for me to marry my husband of a different racial background,” she said. “I’m certain a woman voting ‘appeared improper’ as well in our recent history.”
This fueled the controversy as the Bontas were comparing their current situation to racism and misogyny, which was seen by many as not the issue. Her response was viewed by many as a “clear deviation” and a deliberate affront to the many people who have suffered — and continue to endure — under those widespread biases.
Similarly, many were of the opinion that Mia Bonta’s response is an attempt to bend culpability and play the role of “victim” in what can only be labeled as an out-and-out maneuver to go around the transparency that people demand from government officials.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, in a statement, had this to s
ay in defense of the Bontas: “I believe Ms. Bonta will continue to be independent and unbiased in her legislative judgment, as she has been since starting her service in the Assembly,” said Rendon, adding that the assembly has a “robust and transparent budget process designed with checks and balances to ensure the best possible budget is passed.”
When Zavala polled California’s 80-member assembly over the issue, the results showed that 59 wouldn’t comment, five said Mia Bonta overseeing her husband’s budget was inappropriate, and 14 said it was just fine.
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