Leona Egeland Rice is a science teacher who served as a state legislator and public official in California. A Democrat, [1] she was elected to the California Assembly in 1974, 1976, and 1978. [1] She was born in Tucson, Arizona. She received a masters in education from San Jose State University. [2]
When she was first elected she was one of two women in the California Assembly. She pushed to change how members were referred to from Assemblyman to Assembly Member. [2]