A Thursday memorial service for Senator Dianne Feinstein, originally scheduled to happen inside the War Memorial Building, in Herbst Theater, now will happen outside City Hall, with the public welcome to attend.
As we learned Monday, the late senator's body will be lying in state in the City Hall Rotunda on Wednesday, with the public welcome to pay their respects and sign a guest book between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Following that, there will be a public memorial service at 1 p.m. Thursday, with a podium on the steps of City Hall and seating for 1,500 invited guests outdoors — something that is likely to disrupt traffic significantly around Civic Center. There will also be standing room for members of the public in Civic Center Plaza.
As KRON4 reports, President Joe Biden is expected to provide some recorded remarks, and there will be live eulogies given by VP Kamala Harris, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Mayor London Breed, along with the senator's granddaughter Eileen Mariano.
Governor Gavin Newsom is reportedly going to be in attendance, but he does not plan to speak.
The original plan had been for a private funeral service at Herbst Theater, followed by a private burial.
Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969, and became its president in 1976. She then ascended to the role of mayor after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in November 1978.
After an unsuccessful run for governor of California, Feinstein won her senate seat in 1992 and served in the U.S. Senate longer than any other sitting member until her death last Thursday.
Newsom announced his appointment to fill Feinstein's seat on Sunday night: Emily's List President Laphonza Butler. Butler previously worked as a labor union leader and as an executive at Airbnb. After her swearing in Tuesday, she becomes the first openly gay Black woman ever to serve in the Senate, and the third Black woman ever to serve in the chamber.
Previously: Dianne Feinstein, Lioness of the Senate and Onetime SF Mayor, Dies at Age 90
Top image: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) leaves the Senate Chamber following a vote in the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Feinstein announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election in 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
