BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President David Goldberg issued the following statement today on the passing of trailblazing California Senator Dianne Feinstein and her enduring legacy:

“Today educators recognize and honor the iconic career and legacy of California Senator Dianne Feinstein. Senator Feinstein was a trailblazing leader who fought tirelessly for the causes she championed, including gun control. She shattered through the glass ceiling as California’s first woman mayor, first woman senator and the first woman to serve on the senate Judiciary Committee. As the longest serving woman in the U.S. Senate, she became a role model for California students over the decades, pushing forward expectations for equality and representation in all levels of government. She was among the earliest major political figures to become a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, fighting discrimination and often bringing their issues to the forefront of national consciousness and discussion.

“Senator Feinstein came to her first major office, as Mayor of San Francisco, in the wake of tragic gun violence. Following the assassination of San Francisco leaders Harvey Milk and George Moscone, and then after the subsequent horror of mass shootings at California schools and elsewhere, she made preventing gun violence and eliminating the weapons that make mass shootings possible among her top priorities during her time in the Senate. The assault weapons ban she championed made our communities and schools safer until, unfortunately, it was allowed to expire. Still, she never gave up on that issue and was a leading force for her entire Senate career in the effort to stem gun violence and mass shootings.

“As we mourn her loss, we remain grateful for her many years of committed and tireless public service and celebrate her legacy of support for students, educators, workers and their unions.”

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.