St. Paul’s first ever all-female city council will have their first official meeting Wednesday afternoon. All seven members of the council are women under 40 years old, and all but one are women of color. At an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, newcomers Anika Bowie, Saura Jost, HwaJeong Kim, and Cheniqua Johnson joined the ranks of incumbent members Mitra Jalali, Rebecca Noecker, and Nelsie Yang. At the ceremony, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said that “while this is historic, it should also simply be the way it is. The norm.” Newly sworn-in council member Anika Bowie said that she was excited to get to work. “We’re bringing forward not only our voices, but a coalition of other people who helped us make this day happen. But also I’m excited for what we’re ready to accomplish and get done,” Bowie said.
