California: Dr Priya Bhat-Patel, an Indian American council woman in the Southern California city of Carlsbad attended the city's council meeting virtually from the hospital while preparing to give birth to her first child. A little over a minute into the meeting – just before the Pledge of Allegiance – Bhat-Patel joined the meeting, saying, “Yes, I’m here.”
The council meeting ran for an hour and 19 minutes and Bhat-Patel attended the entire meeting. Bhat-Patel spoke again just before the 8-minute mark, the NBC report said. “First of all, thanks to my colleagues for stepping in for me,” Bhat-Patel said. “I am actually at the hospital, about to have my baby – but I didn’t want to miss the meeting.”
The council member thanked the young leaders who spoke on the importance of the city’s Black History Month proclamation. Bhat-Patel confirmed later that her baby had been born just in the early afternoon of Feb. 17. Bhat-Patel, who has served on the Carlsbad City Council since 2018 and as Mayor Pro Tem in 2019, is a candidate for the California State Senate District 36. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to surge, she is leading the statewide initiative to combat rising domestic violence with innovative, comprehensive victim services.
