California Mom and Lawmaker Brings Baby to Work 5 Weeks After She Gave Birth

A California mom and lawmaker, Buffy Wicks, brought her baby to work because the Assembly's leader did not allow her to vote by proxy. She just gave birth to Elly five weeks ago.

The bill came up while she was feeding her newborn

On Monday night, the 43-year-old mom stood on the California Assembly floor before her colleagues to do what she wants done. While her weeks-old baby squirmed up in her arms, Wicks advocated a new bill up for a vote. She told the Assembly that she was in the middle of feeding her daughter when the bill came up. She strongly believes that they need to pass the bill, so she ran down the floor while carrying her little one.

Elly made out a quick cry, which made Wicks laugh. She believed that her baby agreed with her too. Clearly, Wicks showed a mom juggling childcare with work. The Assembly's leader received criticisms after not letting Wicks vote by proxy. Later, he apologized for his actions.

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Yep, I’m here! (And so is Elly) https://t.co/XPfls9RVk9 pic.twitter.com/JxM6g4CsTn — Buffy Wicks (@BuffyWicks) August 31, 2020

No choice but to bring her baby

Because of not being allowed to do remote voting, Wicks told PEOPLE that she had no choice but to bring her newborn to the state capitol late in the evening with her. Five weeks after giving birth via cesarean section, Wicks was recovering at home on maternity leave earlier this week. During her leave, the legislative session had its final votes of the session.

Knowing that some bills could go either way, she wanted to vote because she believes her voice could make a difference. Wicks asked to vote by proxy from her home in Oakland, but Anthony Rendon, California Assembly Speaker, did not allow it. Speaker Rendon noted that only those high risks are qualified to do so, and the California mom is not one.

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Since she could not sit out nor leave her baby, Wicks woke up early Monday morning and brought her baby and everything she needed to the capitol. For more than one hour, she commuted to the Capitol in Sacramento. She did it for the day-and-night deliberations because it would be the last of the session.

She pleaded the Assembly to pass the housing bill that would help alleviate the local crunch. While it passed the Assembly, it did not make it to a Senate vote before the midnight deadline. Later, Wicks tweeted that she was "absolutely devastated," but she promised that she would always show up for housing.

California Assemblymember @buffywicks was told that having recently given birth wasn’t sufficient excuse to cast a vote remotely. So she brought her newborn daughter to the floor to weigh in on an important housing bill. https://t.co/elofHmIcxl pic.twitter.com/ZQf9F10qKE — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 1, 2020

However, she was able to vote on another bill to expand family medical leave, which was close to the deadline. It would become law by January 1 if the governor signs it.

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On Tuesday, Wicks drove home past midnight and did not sleep a wink until three in the morning. The video of her speaking on the Assembly floor with her newborn was spreading. Many moms could relate to her, juggling everything from work, to child care, to taking care of the home.

Wicks explained that even her first-born Jojo, who is now 3 ½, was just five months old when she began campaigning for her job. She explained that she wants her children to see women make the change since it is already 2020.