Reactions from California lawmakers are pouring in on Tuesday following the guilty verdicts in former police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Dianne Feinstein took to social media.
Sen. Alex Padilla released a short statement after the verdicts came down.
"Today’s verdict represents the promise of our justice system: that power cannot protect an offender, and that every victim deserves justice, regardless of the color of their skin," Padilla said. "Too often, communities of color have been denied this promise."
Rob Bonta, nominted by the governor to become California's next attorney general, posted a short statement to social media. "This verdict is a step toward justice and accountability, but George Floyd is gone forever," the Easy Bay legislator said. "One decision will not bring systemic change to our justice system or root out racism in our institutions. This must be the beginning, not the end, of those efforts."
San Francisco Mayor London Breed told KCBS Radio's "The State of California" that the verdict felt almost "unreal" as it came down. "Sadly, the systemic racism that has played itself out all over this country for so many generations specifically, in this case, it's like justice is finally served and I'm in disbelief and still trying to process this."
In Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf shared Breed's sentiments. "I'm profoundly relieved and I'm profoundly sad that we had to even question whether this would be the verdict," Schaaf told KCBS Radio's Jeff Bell and Patti Reising on Tuesday afternoon.
Former San Francisco District Attorney and current Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said "policing must be fair and just to enhance our collective safety," among other thoughts.
"He did not die in vain," tweeted House Speaker and San Francisco Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
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