Robert Rivas elected as next Speaker of California State Assembly

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural nonprofit, representing over 29,000 members, including over 20,000 small family farms, congratulated Assemblymember Robert Rivas on his caucuses’ selection as the next Speaker of the California Assembly.

"I am humbled by the unanimous support of my colleagues to be elected as the next Speaker of the California State Assembly," Rivas wrote on Facebook.

Assemblymember Rivas, from Hollister, is the first Speaker from an agricultural area since Cruz Bustamante in 1999.

“The state needs to hear more voices from rural and agricultural areas,” President of the California Farm Bureau Jamie Johansson said.

“Rob has served his community for over 20 years and as an Assemblymember, and Chairman of the Agricultural Committee, has brought that perspective and conviction to statewide solutions,"Johansson said. "We look forward to working with him to grow more food in this state so we can feed people while protecting the environment, and providing continued economic opportunities in urban and rural areas.”