Asian American leaders back Filipino American's appointment as California's attorney general

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMEMBER ROB BONTA

Support for a Filipino American legislator to be appointed as California's next Attorney General is gaining momentum.

If the state's current Attorney General Xavier Becerra is confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden's Health and Human Services Secretary, that will leave a vacancy for California's top lawman. That's when Gov. Gavin Newsom could appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta as his new AG.

As soon as Biden nominated Becerra, endorsements for Bonta began to pop up in letters to the governor and in the media.

Bonta, 48, has represented Assembly District 18 since 2012 when he was elected as California's first Filipino American state legislator.

A host of AAPI political leaders, including some of the best known statewide politicians, have thrown their support behind Bonta. Among AAPI leaders who declared their support for Bonta during a press conference Tuesday were former U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Controller Betty Yee.

If Bonta were to be appointed California's AG, he would be the first Asian American to hold that politically powerful and highly visible position.

Bonta earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He grew up in La Paz, California, the headquarters of the United Farm Workers. His parents were union organizers for the UFW.

In the state legislator, one of his first bills signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown made UFW founder and labor legend Larry Itliong's birthday a day to be observed in the state.

He has also tackled a wide range of California's most urgent and difficult issues such as: Criminal Justice Reform, Environmental Policy, Tenant Rights (Just Cause Evictions), Pension Reform (CalSTRS), Protecting Consumers from Surprise Medical Bills, Banning Private Prisons, and Cannabis Policy. 

A letter sent to Newsom from Filipino American elected leaders and former office holders emphasized his nearly 15 years of experience as a practicing attorney with litigation experience in the public and private sectors. Bonta has legal experience in key areas, including civil rights, criminal law, governmental affairs, consumer protection, contract, and fraud. He also has significant experience as a practicing governmental attorney, serving as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for nearly a decade.

Several criminal justice advocacy groups also announced their support for Bonta last week, citing his leadership in the Assembly fighting to outlaw private prisons, end cash bail and reform sentencing laws.

“He will be a partner in helping end mass incarceration and implementing evidence-based changes to our criminal justice system,” executive director of Re:Store Justice California Adnan Khan told the Sacramento Bee.

Becerra, who has filed numerous lawsuits against policies instigated by the Trump administration, still must undergo confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate but with the Democrats taking charge in the Senate, his nominations should go through without difficulty.

EDITOR'S NOTE; A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers should consult several sources of news to form their own opinion.