A new mom and California state lawmaker refused to be denied after she was told she couldn't use a proxy to vote while staying home with her newborn.
Buffy Wicks gave birth to her daughter about a month ago. When the assembly speaker told her she couldn't use a proxy vote, she rushed to the floor to cast her vote on a housing bill.
The incident has gone viral, highlighting the struggle of working mothers. The assembly speaker has since apologized-admitting he should have been more considerate.
The Assembly had recently changed its rules to allow members at high risk for the coronavirus to vote by proxy. But Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon denied Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks' request, saying she did not qualify as "high risk" for the disease.
Rendon later apologized to Wicks on Tuesday night, saying "my intention was never to be inconsiderate toward her, her role as a legislator, or her role as a mother."
"The Assembly needs do do better. I commit to doing better," Rendon said.
In an interview, Wicks said she wasn't angry with Rendon denying her request, saying "we're all dealing with how we manage this new world" and said she hoped her experience would serve as a "teachable moment."
"I think it touches a chord of what a lot of women are feeling around the country right now, especially with COVID," Wicks said. "It's not really about me, it's about the constraints I think families are feeling across the board."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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