Mary Bono To Get Spot On Palm Springs Walk Of The Stars

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that Mary Bono will receive the 476th star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.

The former Republican congresswoman will be honored during a March 18 ceremony at 101 N. Palm Canyon Drive, according to a statement from the Chamber.

Bono, who represented parts of central and eastern Riverside County in California's 44th and 45th Districts, served in Congress for 15 years. After previously acting as first lady during the four-year mayoral term of her husband, Sonny Bono, she was first elected to fill the vacated House of Representatives seat left by her late partner in 1998.

As a lawmaker, her resume includes sponsoring the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, a conservation act which was signed by Bill Clinton in 2000. In addition, she obtained funding for infrastructure upgrades at Palm Springs International Airport, such as a new air traffic control tower and radar systems, and other educational and medical institutions in the region.

Another of Bono's bills, H.R. 2715, was enacted in 2011 with bipartisan support, amending the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Other legislative efforts she favored included police funding and the controversial USA Patriot Act, which allowed law enforcement agencies to tap cell phones and green-lit other surveillance measures. She was also one of 15 Republicans who voted to repeal the American military's ban on openly gay servicemembers, commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

After leaving Congress, Bono took a senior vice president role at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting. She also made a public appearance in 2013 on a National Journal panel, speaking about gender inequality as a woman in Congress, before continuing to discuss other sociopolitical issues on her podcast, "Sagely Speaking with Mary Bono."

Following the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, Bono was named interim president and CEO of USA Gymnastics in October 2018, having previously worked as a lobbyist for the organization. She resigned from the role four days later following criticism of a recently posted photo depicting a shoe with a scribbled-out Nike logo — shortly after the athletics company ran an advertising campaign with former quarterback and social justice advocate Colin Kaepernick.

Bono also made philanthropic contributions, chairing fundraisers for organizations such as the Mizell Senior Center. She also hosted the Palm Springs International Film Festival's Founders Receptions and served on the festival's board during her former husband's mayoral term.

The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. at 101 N. Palm Canyon Drive.