By David Courtland and Carlos Garcia
State Senator Monique Limon made history as she filled in for Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 signing four bills in her role as the first-ever Latina Acting Governor while Newsom was out of state. Limon was borne in Santa Barbara and she is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico.
“I am honored to be the first Latina to serve as Acting Governor of California,” Limon said. “Today I signed 4 bills which bring timely process modernizations, reduce administrative burdens, and conserve taxpayers’ money.”
Newsom was in Chicago for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Normally Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis would take his place, but she was also out of state on Wednesday.
That left Limon, the State Senate’s President Pro Tempore, the next highest ranking official in California and thus Acting Governor.
She is also the second woman to be the Acting Governor since pro Tempore Emeritus Tony Atkins in 2024, as well as the first Acting Governor to sign bills into law. All four bills dealt with local government.
“These bills help modernize local government operations, reduce administrative burdens and help conserve taxpayer resources,” Limón said in a statement. “I am honored to sign these bills as Acting Governor and I thank the authors for their work on these policies that support the function of local government.”
The full list of bills Limon signed Wednesday includes:
• SB 1080 by Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita): County clerks: certification of records: signature.
• SB 1440 by the Committee on Local Government: Validations.
• SB 1441 by the Committee on Local Government: Validations.
• SB 1442 by the Committee on Local Government: Validations.
Limon was elected to the Senate in November 2020 and represents the 21st Senate District, which includes Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
She currently serves as the chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee as well as the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and vice chair of the bipartisan Legislature Women’s Caucus.
Before the State Senate, she served as the Assembly member for the region representing the 37th Assembly District from December 5, 2016, until her term ended on November 30, 2020, when she was elected to the State Senate.
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Limon is a UC-Berkeley graduate with a Master’s Degree from Columbia University who spent 14 years working as an advisor to students at UC-Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College.