Sen. Kevin de Leon Elected President Pro Tem of State Senate

Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, was elected today president pro tem of the state Senate.

De Leon is scheduled to succeed Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, on Oct. 15.

"As always, job one must be jobs," de Leon said. "That means continuing to provide fiscal stability, promote innovation, invest in our physical and digital infrastructure and remove barriers to growth. It also means continuing California's global leadership in demonstrating that economic growth and environmental protection are mutually dependent, not exclusive.

"But most of all, we must also  make sure we are continuing to invest in the primary jobs engine of the innovation economy -- public education," he said.

De Leon will take over a troubled state Senate, in which three of his Democratic colleagues are facing criminal charges. He will be the first Latino leader of the body since 1883.

Mayor Eric Garcetti hailed de Leon as a "champion for local communities and neighborhoods throughout California."

"I know Senator de Leon and I will work closely together to deliver L.A.'s fair share from Sacramento, creating good jobs and improving communities along the L.A. River and beyond," Garcetti said.

—City News Service