SENATOR HANCOCK ASKS SENATE TO ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF FORMER RICHMOND MAYOR

Sacramento – The California State Senate adjourned today in memory of George Livingston, the first elected African-American mayor of Richmond, CA.  Senator Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) introduced the motion to adjourn in his honor.

Senator Hancock made the following comments on the Senate floor in support of the motion: 

“I rise today to ask the Senate to adjourn in memory of George Livingston, former Mayor of Richmond, California.  He died Saturday morning in Doctor’s Hospital in San Pablo at the age of 78 after a long bout with diabetes.”

“He had the distinction of being Richmond’s first elected African-American mayor and was known throughout the region as a leader and consensus builder, and a person who brought people together to get things done.”

“I particularly honor the work that he and I did together when I was Mayor of Berkeley and he was Mayor of Richmond.  We formed a program with Oakland called the East Bay Safety Corridor where our police worked together.  We exchanged best practices, we got radios to talk to each other for the first time, and we worked together in recognition of the fact that we are one urban community and our people travel across district lines.”

“It was a great collaboration that lasted for ten years and accomplished many wonderful things.  George was there from the beginning, absolutely key and absolutely supportive, and remained so throughout my time in the Legislature.”

“He will be greatly missed.  He was a great man and I request that we honor his memory and send our condolences to his wife, Eunice, his son, George, Jr., and his daughter, Grace.”

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