Ashley Boyd's blog

Politics - like parenthood - is a marathon, not a sprint. Now that the election is over, it's time to turn our attention to the next leg of this race, getting family policies passed. And President-Elect Obama and the new Congress will need our voices and support in order to make this happen.

Inspiration is in short supply these days in Sacramento. But as I, and several of my MomsRising.org colleagues, delivered YOUR stories about healthcare to legislative aides, I saw a rare glimmer of interest and inspiration. The discussion quickly turned to, “How can we do it?” not “Is it important?”

We've got exciting news -- a mom just became one of our state's most powerful leaders. Assemblywoman Karen Bass was sworn in as Speaker of the California Assembly yesterday, becoming the first African American woman in the nation to serve in this powerful role. Way to go Speaker Bass!

I’ve watched the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington too many times because I’m definitely a sucker for inspirational stories about “ordinary” people entering and influencing the corridors of power.