[0:32] Secretary will call the roll.
[0:34] allen. Alvarado. Gil. Archuleta.
[0:37] aragon. Ashby. Becker. Blake.
[0:39] spear. Cabaldon. Caballero.
[0:42] cervantes. Choi. Cortez. Dawley.
[0:46] durazo. Gonzalez. Grayson.
[0:48] grove. Hurtado. Jones. Laird.
[0:52] limon. Mcguire. Mcnerney.
[0:55] mengibar. Nilo. Ochoa. Bogh.
[0:58] padilla. Perez. Reyes.
[1:01] richardson. Rubio. Salato.
[1:03] smallwood. Cuevas. Stern.
[1:05] strickland. Umberg. Balderas.
[1:07] wahab. Webber. Pearson. Wiener.
[1:11] a quorum is present with the
[1:14] members and our guests. Be on
[1:15] the rail and in the gallery.
[1:16] please rise. We will be led in
[1:19] prayer this morning by our
[1:20] guest, chaplain, reverend jason
[1:22] vince. After which, please
[1:24] remain standing for the pledge
[1:25] of allegiance to the flag
[1:27] chaplain. Let us pray. From the
[1:35] cowardice that dares not face
[1:37] new truth, from the laziness
[1:41] that is contented with half
[1:43] truth, from the arrogance that
[1:45] thinks it knows all truth. Good
[1:48] lord, deliver us. Grant us,
[1:50] dear god, in all our duties,
[1:53] your help in all our
[1:56] uncertainties, your guidance in
[1:59] all our dangers, your
[2:01] protection, and in all our
[2:05] sorrows your peace. Namaste.
[2:09] thanks be to god. Amen. Please
[2:14] join me in the pledge of
[2:16] allegiance to the flag. I
[2:17] pledge allegiance to the united
[2:21] states of america and to the
[2:23] republic for which it stands.
[2:24] one nation under god,
[2:27] indivisible, with liberty and
[2:29] justice for all.
[3:06] under
[3:06] privileges of the floor. We do
[3:07] have some guests to be
[3:09] introduced. Senator cervantes,
[3:11] you are recognized from the
[3:13] majority leader's desk. Thank
[3:15] you so much, mr. President.
[3:17] today I rise to recognize an
[3:19] extraordinary public agency in
[3:20] the 31st senate district as it
[3:23] celebrates a milestone of 70
[3:26] years. The community service
[3:30] district again marks its 70
[3:32] year anniversary. Community
[3:36] service district has done the
[3:37] hard work to provide essential
[3:39] services to our communities.
[3:40] since its formation in 1965,
[3:44] the service district has grown
[3:45] from a small local agency
[3:47] created to wastewater needs
[3:49] into california's premier
[3:51] public agency, serving more
[3:53] than 135 000 residents in our
[3:56] communities throughout eastvale
[3:58] and valley. Every single day,
[4:01] jc delivers the essential
[4:03] services that working families
[4:04] and small businesses depend on,
[4:06] from providing safe, reliable
[4:08] drinking water and wastewater
[4:10] services, operating
[4:11] streetlights, maintaining
[4:14] neighborhoods, parks jc helps
[4:16] improve the quality of life in
[4:18] the communities that I
[4:19] represent. None of this would
[4:20] be possible without jc s board
[4:23] of directors and the dedicated
[4:24] employees who work every day,
[4:26] often behind the scenes, to
[4:28] keep the services that our
[4:29] communities depend on. I am
[4:31] pleased to welcome today jc s
[4:34] director director mark nø, and
[4:38] members of jc executive
[4:40] management team who have joined
[4:41] us on the senate floor on
[4:43] behalf of the california state
[4:45] senate. It is my honor to
[4:46] congratulate the community
[4:48] service district on 70 years of
[4:50] outstanding public service
[4:52] members. If you can, please
[4:53] help me welcome and
[4:54] congratulate them. Thank you.
[5:40] members. Without objection,
[5:41] we'll now move to senate third
[5:42] reading to take up file item 35,
[5:45] scr 186 by senator greyson
[5:47] clerk will read. Secretary will
[5:49] read. Senate concurrent
[5:51] resolution 186 by senator
[5:52] greyson. Relative to thriving
[5:53] families. California foundation.
[5:55] senator greyson at the majority
[5:56] leader's desk. Thank you, mr.
[5:57] president. I am honored to
[5:59] present scr 186 recognizing
[6:01] thriving families, california
[6:04] foundation for their upcoming
[6:06] 50th year anniversary. For five
[6:09] decades, community based
[6:10] organizations across california
[6:12] have played an essential role
[6:13] in being in helping families
[6:16] access affordable, reliable,
[6:18] and high quality child care and
[6:21] early learning services. This
[6:22] all began in 1976, when
[6:25] california took an important
[6:27] step toward expanding child
[6:28] care through community based
[6:30] solutions, and that recognize
[6:32] that every family has different
[6:34] needs. That vision helped
[6:36] establish alternative payment
[6:38] programs and a statewide
[6:40] network of organizations
[6:41] committed to parental choice,
[6:43] family stability, and the
[6:44] healthy development of children.
[6:47] as of today, that network
[6:48] reaches families in all 58
[6:51] counties and supports more than.
[6:53] are you ready? 260,000 children
[6:56] through california's
[6:58] alternative payment and
[6:59] calworks child care programs.
[7:01] these organizations do much
[7:02] more than just provide child
[7:03] care. They help parents remain
[7:05] in the workforce, pursue their
[7:07] education and training, and
[7:08] build a stronger future for
[7:10] their families. In turn, they
[7:12] contribute to the strength and
[7:14] economic vitality of
[7:15] communities across our state.
[7:17] the thriving families
[7:18] california foundation has been
[7:20] an important statewide voice in
[7:23] that effort through
[7:25] collaboration, advocacy,
[7:26] education, and leadership, the
[7:28] foundation has worked to
[7:29] strengthen california's child
[7:30] care system and ensure that
[7:32] public investments effectively
[7:34] reach children and families.
[7:37] its work reflects an important
[7:39] principle that child care is
[7:40] not simply service for families,
[7:42] it is essential infrastructure
[7:44] that supports parents, children,
[7:46] our workforce and our economy.
[7:48] and as we look forward to the
[7:51] foundation's 50th anniversary,
[7:52] we recognize five decades of
[7:54] partnership, innovation,
[7:55] leadership and service to
[7:57] california families, friends
[7:58] and colleagues. Thank you for
[7:59] your attention today and the
[8:02] recognition of thriving
[8:03] families. California foundation.
[8:05] I respectfully ask for an aye
[8:07] vote. Seeing no further
[8:09] senators desiring to be
[8:11] recognized. Secretary, please
[8:12] call the roll. Alan alvarado,
[8:14] gill. Archuleta. Aye. Origin.
[8:18] aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[8:21] blake. Spear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[8:23] aye. Caballero. Cervantes. Aye.
[8:27] choi. Aye. Cortez. I I durazo.
[8:31] aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson.
[8:34] aye. Grove. I hurtado. Aye.
[8:37] jones. Aye. Laird. Limón.
[8:43] mcguire. Aye. Mcnerney. Aye.
[8:46] mengibar. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa. Aye.
[8:52] padilla. Aye. Perez. Reyes.
[8:56] richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye
[9:01] cierto aye. Smallwood. Cuevas.
[9:03] aye stern aye. Strickland. Aye
[9:06] umberg. Valladares. Aye wahab
[9:10] aye. Webber. Pearson wiener.
[9:13] aye. Absent members. Alvarado.
[9:15] gil. Caballero. Laird. Limon
[9:25] mengibar. Perez. Reyes umberg.
[9:31] webber. Pearson. Call the
[9:36] absent members one more time.
[9:39] alvarado. Gil. Caballero. Laird.
[9:43] limon. Mengibar. Perez. Reyes.
[9:49] umberg. Webber. Pearson.
[10:20] secretary. Please call the
[10:21] absent members. Alvarado. Gil.
[10:24] caballero. Laird. Aye. Limón.
[10:28] mengibar. Aye. Perez. Reyes.
[10:33] umberg. Amburgey. Webber.
[10:37] pearson. Call the absent
[10:40] members. Alvarado. Gil.
[10:44] caballero. Aye. Limon. Perez.
[10:49] reyes. Weber. Pearson. Limon.
[11:02] age 36. Nø zero. The resolution
[11:04] is adopted. Senator grayson,
[11:05] for introduction of guests.
[11:06] thank you so much. Mr.
[11:07] president. I would like to
[11:09] introduce the incredible folks
[11:10] from thriving families
[11:12] california foundation. I am
[11:13] pleased to have with us on the
[11:15] floor today, ceo deneen
[11:18] micheletti, government affairs
[11:19] director mackenzie richardson
[11:21] and communications and
[11:23] government affairs manager
[11:24] adelia watson. We are grateful
[11:26] for all of our guests here
[11:28] today and for the strength,
[11:30] advocacy and community that
[11:31] they represent and give to our
[11:34] communities. Senators, please
[11:36] help me welcome them to the
[11:37] floor. Welcome to senator
[11:43] grayson's guests.
[12:01] all right.
[12:01] continuing with senate third
[12:02] reading, we will now proceed to
[12:04] file item 45, sr 126 by senator
[12:07] rubio. Secretary, please read
[12:08] senate resolution 126 by
[12:10] senator rubio relative to
[12:11] childhood cancer awareness
[12:13] month. Senator rubio at the
[12:16] majority leader's desk. Thank
[12:19] you, mr. President. Ladies and
[12:21] gentlemen of the senate, I rise
[12:24] today with great pleasure to
[12:26] present sr 126, which
[12:29] designates the month of
[12:31] september 2026 as childhood
[12:32] cancer awareness month here in
[12:34] the beautiful state of
[12:35] california, according to the
[12:37] national cancer institute,
[12:39] childhood cancer is the leading
[12:40] cause of death by disease for
[12:42] children in the united states.
[12:44] every child deserves a chance
[12:45] to grow up and live a long,
[12:47] healthy life. Childhood cancer
[12:50] provides an unimaginable burden
[12:52] not just to the children
[12:54] inflicted, but all the families
[12:56] that love them, as well as many
[12:58] local hospitals cannot
[13:00] adequately, adequately treat
[13:02] children with cancer. Families
[13:04] are forced to relocate or
[13:05] travel long distance for life
[13:07] saving care. My guests here
[13:09] today, misha mehta and ryan
[13:12] coletti and sava savona. Shauna
[13:16] días know the struggle very
[13:18] well. Tragically, misha's lost
[13:21] her son, ryan's brother neve
[13:25] koltai pronounced. At only six
[13:30] years old to brain cancer. Sara
[13:33] also is a parent to a brain
[13:35] cancer angel neves mother and
[13:38] family have spent years
[13:39] building something out of that
[13:41] tragic loss. The neve colt
[13:44] foundation that continues to
[13:45] push for better research,
[13:47] better understanding funding
[13:49] and better outcomes for those
[13:51] children affected by cancer. It
[13:54] is critical that we continue
[13:56] raising awareness for this
[13:58] devastating illness and
[13:59] encourage further funding
[14:00] towards life saving research
[14:02] and treatments. I respectfully
[14:04] ask for your vote. Thank you.
[14:06] thank you, senator. Senator,
[14:07] you are recognized. Thank you,
[14:09] mr. President. I also rise
[14:10] today in support of sr 126,
[14:14] recognizing september as
[14:15] childhood cancer awareness
[14:16] month. And I want to thank the
[14:17] senator from baldwin park for
[14:19] introducing this important
[14:21] resolution, finding out that
[14:23] your child has been diagnosed
[14:24] with cancer has to be one of
[14:26] the most heartbreaking things a
[14:28] parent can go through. But it's
[14:29] important to acknowledge that
[14:30] children and their families are
[14:32] not alone in this fight. Across
[14:34] the state, we are fortunate to
[14:36] have some of the world's
[14:37] premier institutions that
[14:39] tirelessly work every single
[14:40] day to advance new cancer
[14:42] treatments, and ultimately, one
[14:44] day, a cure. I want to
[14:46] highlight the incredible work
[14:47] that health care workers at
[14:49] child and college awards in my
[14:50] district in the east bay have
[14:52] done to support patients,
[14:54] including at kaiser permanente
[14:56] oakland and at ucsf benioff
[14:57] children's hospital in oakland,
[15:00] and just want to thank these
[15:01] health care workers who give
[15:03] families hope during some of
[15:04] the darkest moments in their
[15:05] lives. I want to thank
[15:07] california's voters for funding
[15:08] the california institute for
[15:10] regenerative medicine through
[15:11] the passage of prop one, prop
[15:13] 71, in 2004 and its renewal
[15:16] through prop 14 in 2020.
[15:19] medical advancements over the
[15:20] last couple of decades have
[15:23] significantly improved outcomes.
[15:24] yet we know that there's still
[15:26] more work to do, and this
[15:27] resolution highlights the
[15:28] importance of working together
[15:30] to find solutions that help
[15:32] children overcome this
[15:34] devastating disease. I
[15:35] respectfully ask for an aye
[15:36] vote. Senator choi, you are
[15:39] recognized. Good morning,
[15:42] president and members. I rise
[15:45] in support of scr 126,
[15:49] recognizing september as
[15:51] childhood cancer awareness
[15:54] month. About 10,000 to 12,000
[15:57] children are diagnosed with
[16:00] cancer each year in the united
[16:02] states, compared with the
[16:05] cancer in adults. Many
[16:08] diagnostic diagnostic cancers
[16:10] are more successfully.
[16:13] pediatric cancers are more
[16:15] successfully treated thanks to
[16:17] the work of dedicated oncology
[16:21] professionals, children's
[16:25] hospital of orange county in my
[16:27] district has been committed to
[16:29] treating childhood cancer for
[16:31] the past 23 years. There are so
[16:36] many other medical centers in
[16:39] my district, such as the city
[16:40] of hope or uci and kaiser. They
[16:44] are all dedicated for treating
[16:47] all forms of cancers. They
[16:51] continue to provide innovative
[16:54] and exceptional care to
[16:57] patients, and I join my
[17:00] colleague from baldwin park in
[17:04] supporting their efforts to
[17:06] spread awareness of childhood
[17:09] cancer and provide support to
[17:11] the families affected. I
[17:15] respectfully ask for your vote,
[17:17] senator grove. You are
[17:19] recognized. Thank you. I too
[17:20] rise in support of scr 126 and
[17:23] thank my colleague from baldwin
[17:24] park for introducing this. My
[17:27] husband worked. Some of you
[17:28] guys met last night, worked for
[17:30] a company for 20 years, and the
[17:33] owner of the company's daughter
[17:34] got cancer when she was just in
[17:35] her sixth grade year. And she
[17:38] loved family, friends,
[17:40] horseback riding. She liked to
[17:42] shop, travel. And I say all
[17:44] that just to say that cancer is
[17:45] not discriminatory. Like, it
[17:48] doesn't matter what color your
[17:49] skin is, how much money you
[17:50] have or don't have. And I can
[17:53] tell you that this family
[17:54] traveled all over the world in
[17:55] different countries to try to
[17:57] try things that were not
[17:59] authorized here in the united
[18:00] states to save lauren's life.
[18:03] and I think there's things that
[18:04] we could learn from other
[18:06] countries. And I think that
[18:07] there's things that we could
[18:08] adopt in other countries, from
[18:09] other countries that would help
[18:11] save children's lives, just
[18:12] like lauren and the ones that
[18:14] were represented today by my
[18:15] colleague from baldwin park.
[18:16] and I respectfully ask for an
[18:18] aye vote. Thank you. Senator,
[18:20] seeing no other senators to be
[18:22] recognized, senator rubio,
[18:23] would you like to close? Thank
[18:25] you, mr. President. And I know
[18:26] so many family members here on
[18:28] this floor, members who have
[18:31] either sons, wives. There's a
[18:33] lot that wasn't said here, but
[18:35] I know based on the personal
[18:37] stories that they've told me.
[18:38] but I also want to make sure
[18:40] that we recognize that there's
[18:42] a lot of research, a lot of
[18:43] funding for adult cancer, but
[18:45] still, we are falling short in
[18:49] recognizing that it's affecting
[18:50] children more and more often.
[18:51] and I want to pass this
[18:53] resolution also on behalf of
[18:54] andrew hirschman, who is my
[18:56] best friend's son, who passed a
[18:58] few years back, who was a high
[18:59] school student athlete.
[19:02] beautiful boy, always very
[19:05] healthy. And in one week he was
[19:08] gone. So I hope that we can all
[19:10] recognize here today that we
[19:11] have to do more for childhood
[19:13] cancer research and push for
[19:14] more funding. With that, I ask
[19:15] for a vote. Thank you, thank
[19:17] you. Secretary, please call
[19:18] roll. Alan alvarado, gill.
[19:21] archuleta. Aragon. Aye. Ashby.
[19:24] aye. Becker. Aye. Blake. Spear.
[19:27] aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero.
[19:31] aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye.
[19:35] cortez. Aye. Tally, aye.
[19:38] durazzo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye.
[19:40] grayson. Aye. Grove. Aye.
[19:43] hurtado. Aye. Jones. Aye. Laird.
[19:46] aye. Limón. Mcguire. Aye.
[19:51] mcnerney. Aye. Mengibar. Aye.
[19:53] nilo. Aye. Ochoa. Borg. Aye.
[19:57] padilla. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes.
[20:01] richardson. Aye. Rubio. Acierto.
[20:06] aye. Smallwood. Cuevas. Aye.
[20:08] stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye
[20:10] umberg. Aye. Valladares. Aye
[20:13] wahab aye. Webber. Pierson.
[20:16] wiener. Aye. Absent members.
[20:34] allen. Aye. Alvarado. Gil.
[20:38] limon. Reyes. Weber. Pierson.
[20:42] ayes 36 no zero. The resolution
[20:45] passes. Members. We are moving
[20:46] back to privileges of the floor
[20:47] for introduction of guests.
[20:49] senator rubio, you are
[20:50] recognized that the majority
[20:51] leader's desk for the
[20:53] introduction of your guests.
[20:54] thank you, mr. President. Today
[20:55] I do have the honor of
[20:57] introducing three warriors I
[21:00] have here, mr. Mayor ray and
[21:02] coltea sava. Shannon rogers, a
[21:05] three incredible individuals
[21:07] who have been fighting in the
[21:09] memory of their children who
[21:11] they've lost to, to cancer. And
[21:13] I want to just make sure that
[21:15] we acknowledge them and
[21:16] recognize them here on the
[21:18] floor. Thank you.
[21:51] messages from
[21:51] the governor will be deemed
[21:53] read. Messages from the
[21:54] assembly will be deemed read.
[21:55] reports of committees will be
[21:57] deemed read and amendments
[21:59] adopted under motions,
[22:00] resolutions and notices. This
[22:02] is a time for members to remove
[22:04] items from the consent calendar.
[22:06] senator durazzo, you are
[22:08] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[22:09] president. I rise for the
[22:10] purpose of moving a b 2188 to
[22:13] the inactive file. The desk
[22:16] will note senator blake spear,
[22:18] you are recognized. Thank you,
[22:20] mr. President and colleagues, I
[22:21] rise to request file item
[22:23] number 321 is pulled from the
[22:25] consent calendar for the
[22:26] purposes of author amendments.
[22:28] thank you. Desk will note.
[22:30] senator rubio, you are
[22:31] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[22:33] president. At the request of
[22:34] the author, please remove file
[22:35] item 319, bill a b 2536 by
[22:39] assembly member rubio and file
[22:41] item 323ab2644 by assembly
[22:45] member rubio from the consent
[22:47] calendar. The desk will note.
[22:49] senator laird, you are
[22:50] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[22:51] president. At the request of
[22:52] the author, please move the
[22:54] following budget bills to the
[22:56] inactive file items 82 through
[23:00] 85. Assembly bills one, ten,
[23:02] one, 22, one, 25 and 177. And
[23:09] and I have additional, which is
[23:12] to file items 126 through 138
[23:18] to move as budget bills to the
[23:20] inactive file, and that's a b
[23:29] 111135163164165166168, 169,
[23:32] 17171, 172, 174 and 180. Thank
[23:38] you so very much, senator laird,
[23:40] for that small little list of
[23:41] requests. The desk will note.
[23:43] senator ashby, you are
[23:44] recognized from senator reyes
[23:46] desk. Thank you, presiding
[23:48] officer. I would like to move
[23:50] file item number 314ab2429, as
[23:55] well as file item number 291,
[23:57] which is a b 1811, both from
[24:00] consent for the purpose of
[24:02] amendments at the request of
[24:03] the authors. Thank you senator.
[24:05] the desk will note. Senator
[24:06] becker, you are recognized.
[24:08] thank you, mr. President.
[24:09] please remove ab 2787, file
[24:13] number 328 from the consent
[24:15] calendar for purposes of
[24:16] amendment. And please remove ab
[24:21] 1696 file item number 287 from
[24:23] the consent calendar. For
[24:24] purposes of amendment, the desk
[24:25] will note. Thank you, senator.
[24:27] senator perez, you are
[24:28] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[24:30] president. At the request of
[24:31] the author, please move file
[24:33] item 290ab2467 from the consent
[24:37] calendar to the inactive file.
[24:39] thank you. Senator. Senator s¼,
[24:41] you are recognized. Thank you,
[24:42] mr. President. At the request
[24:44] of the authors, I would like to
[24:45] remove ab 2118 and ab 2744 from
[24:50] the consent calendar for
[24:52] purposes of amending. The desk
[24:53] will note. Senator, you're
[24:55] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[24:56] president. I rise to request
[24:57] that file item 318 ab 2502 be
[25:00] removed from the consent
[25:02] calendar for the purpose of
[25:03] authors amendments. Thank you.
[25:04] senator. Senator desk will note.
[25:07] senator valdez, you are
[25:08] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[25:10] president. At the request of
[25:11] the author, please remove file
[25:12] item 320 ab 2542 from the
[25:16] consent calendar. Thank you for
[25:17] your patience and desk will
[25:19] note. Members, we are moving
[25:28] back to privileges of the floor.
[25:30] without objection, we do have
[25:31] another introduction of guest.
[25:34] senator cortez, you are
[25:36] recognized from the majority
[25:37] leader's desk. Thank you, mr.
[25:40] president and colleagues, I
[25:41] rise today to welcome
[25:43] representatives of the jain
[25:44] center of northern california
[25:45] and the federation of jain
[25:47] associations in north america.
[25:49] that association is known as
[25:50] jaina, based in milpitas in
[25:54] santa clara county. The jain
[25:58] center serves families
[25:58] throughout the bay area,
[25:59] including communities in senate
[26:01] district 15, and is a founding
[26:02] member of jaina, which
[26:04] represents jain centers across
[26:05] the united states and canada.
[26:07] their visit recognizes the
[26:10] international day of
[26:11] nonviolence and the jain
[26:12] principle of ahimsa. This
[26:15] commitment to nonviolence is
[26:16] reflected in jain teachings on
[26:18] compassion, ethical living,
[26:20] environmental stewardship,
[26:21] animal welfare, and respects
[26:24] and respect for all life.
[26:27] although the jains work very,
[26:29] very much on an individual and
[26:31] a congregational basis in terms
[26:33] of this concept of ahimsa and
[26:36] nonviolence, they have also
[26:37] been global leaders with a
[26:39] belief that there won't be
[26:41] peace in the world until
[26:42] there's peace among the world's
[26:45] religions. Members, please join
[26:47] me in welcoming representatives
[26:48] of the jain center of northern
[26:50] california and jaina to the
[26:52] california state senate. So
[26:54] here we have with us today prem
[26:57] jain, past president atul shah,
[27:00] president yogesh bapna, west
[27:02] regional vice president. Doctor
[27:04] jayesh shah, first vice
[27:06] president aj bhutoria, a
[27:08] community leader, and I should
[27:11] add, not just locally, but
[27:14] statewide and nationally as
[27:15] well. And baron shah, treasurer
[27:18] of the organization. In
[27:19] addition, I understand there
[27:21] are more than two dozen
[27:23] additional members in the
[27:24] gallery today. Please join me
[27:27] as they have now come over from
[27:28] the california state assembly.
[27:29] as you can see from the
[27:31] proclamation, please join me in
[27:33] giving them a big welcome.
[27:34] thank you. Welcome to the state
[27:37] senate. Up in the gallery.
[28:05] if
[28:05] other senators would like to
[28:07] join here in just one moment.
[28:09] yes. Other senators, if you'd
[28:10] like to join in a group photo.
[29:21] and members, we also have a
[29:22] very special special guest with
[29:24] us today on the floor, we have
[29:27] senator rosa's son, michael,
[29:30] accompanying her today at her
[29:31] desk. Let's welcome him to the
[29:33] california state senate.
[29:41] members. Without objection, we
[29:42] are moving to the consideration
[29:43] of the daily file secretary for
[29:46] second reading of the file.
[29:47] secretary, please read senate
[29:48] bill 19032308 2010 2025 2107
[29:52] second reading file is deemed
[29:53] read governor's appointments.
[29:55] we do have several items item
[29:57] six, eight, nine, ten, 11, and
[29:59] 23. Senator grove, you are
[30:01] recognized for item number six.
[30:03] thank you, mr. President.
[30:05] colleagues, like the president
[30:06] said, we have six items. I'll
[30:07] try to get through them very
[30:08] quickly. The first item we
[30:10] should all be interested in,
[30:11] it's a confirmation of daniel,
[30:13] aka danny curtin, for the
[30:15] reappointment to the california
[30:16] water commission, where he
[30:17] served since 2010. He's the
[30:19] director of the california
[30:20] conference of carpenters and
[30:21] also a consultant for the
[30:23] united brotherhood of
[30:24] carpenters and joiners of
[30:26] america. He was approved by the
[30:27] rules committee on a five zero
[30:29] vote on june 17th, and I
[30:31] respectfully ask for an aye
[30:32] vote, seeing no members to be
[30:35] recognized. Secretary, please
[30:37] call. Roll. Allen. Aye.
[30:39] alvarado. Gil. Archuleta.
[30:41] aragon. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[30:45] blake. Spear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[30:47] caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye.
[30:50] choi. Aye. Cortez. I aye durazo.
[30:56] aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson.
[30:58] aye. Grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye.
[31:01] jones. Aye. Laird. Aye. Limón.
[31:06] mcguire. Aye. Mcnerney. Aye.
[31:08] mengibar. Aye. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa.
[31:11] b¢o. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Perez.
[31:14] aye. Reyes. Richardson. Aye.
[31:18] rubio. Acierto. Aye. Smallwood.
[31:21] cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye.
[31:24] strickland. I umberg aye.
[31:27] valladares. Aye wahhab aye.
[31:29] webber. Pearson wiener. Aye.
[31:33] second secretary. Please call
[31:34] absent members. Alvarado. Gil
[31:38] cabaldon. Aye. Limón. Reyes.
[31:42] webber. Pearson. Ayes 36 noes
[31:46] zero. The appointment is
[31:48] confirmed. Moving to item eight.
[31:49] senator grove, you are
[31:50] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[31:51] president. Colleagues, file
[31:52] item eight is a confirmation of
[31:53] carolyn thomas jacobs as the
[31:55] director of california
[31:56] governor's office of emergency
[31:58] services. Before this
[31:59] leadership role, she was
[32:00] serving as the director of
[32:01] california's office of energy,
[32:03] infrastructure and safety.
[32:05] prior to that, she was the
[32:06] director of wildlife safety
[32:07] division in the public
[32:08] utilities commission, and she
[32:09] also previously served as a cal
[32:12] oes chief in response to the
[32:14] state threat assessment center,
[32:16] and she was approved by the
[32:17] rules committee on june 24th an
[32:21] unanimous vote. Respectfully
[32:22] ask for an aye vote. Seeing no
[32:24] further discussion, secretary,
[32:26] please call the roll. Allen.
[32:29] aye. Alvarado. Gill. Archuleta.
[32:32] aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[32:35] blake. Spear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[32:36] aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes.
[32:39] aye. Choi. Ortez. Aye. Daly.
[32:43] aye. Durazo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye.
[32:47] grayson. Aye. Grove. Aye.
[32:49] hurtado. Aye. Jones. Laird. Aye.
[32:54] limón. Mcguire. Aye. Mcnerney.
[32:57] aye. Mengibar. Aye. Nilo. Aye.
[33:01] ochoa. Bog. Aye. Padilla. Aye.
[33:05] perez. Aye. Reyes. Richardson.
[33:08] aye. Rubio. Aye cierto a cuevas.
[33:13] aye stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye
[33:16] umberg. Aye. Valladares. Aye
[33:19] wahhab aye. Webber. Pearson
[33:21] wiener a secretary. Please call
[33:25] absent members. Alvarado. Gill.
[33:27] choi. Jones. Aye limón reyes.
[33:34] webber. Pearson. Ayes 35 no
[33:36] zero. The appointment is
[33:37] confirmed. Moving to item
[33:38] number nine. Senator grove, you
[33:40] are recognized. Thank you, mr.
[33:42] president. Colleagues, file
[33:43] item nine is a confirmation of
[33:44] jay bradshaw to the
[33:45] reappointment of california
[33:47] transportation commission. He
[33:48] first joined the commission in
[33:50] 2022 and is executive secretary
[33:52] treasurer for the north coast
[33:53] states regional council of
[33:55] carpenters. Carpenters are
[33:56] having a good day today. He was
[33:58] approved by the rules committee
[34:00] on june 24th on a unanimous
[34:02] vote, and I respectfully ask
[34:03] for your vote. Seeing no
[34:05] further discussion, secretary,
[34:07] please call the roll. Allen.
[34:09] alvarado. Gill. Archuleta.
[34:11] aragon. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[34:14] blake. Spear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[34:16] aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes.
[34:19] aye. Choi. Aye. Ortez. Aye.
[34:22] daily I durazo. Aye. Gonzalez.
[34:25] aye. Grayson. Aye. Grove. I.
[34:28] hurtado. Aye. Jones. Aye. Laird.
[34:31] aye. Limón. Mcguire. Aye.
[34:34] mcnerney. Aye. Mengibar. Aye.
[34:36] nilo. Aye. Ochoa. Bog. Aye.
[34:40] padilla. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes.
[34:44] richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye.
[34:46] cierto. Aye. Smallwood. Cuevas.
[34:48] a stern aye. Strickland. Aye
[34:51] umberg. Aye. Valladares. Aye
[34:54] wahhab. Aye. Webber. Pearson.
[34:56] wiener aye. Ayes 36 noes zero.
[35:02] the appointment is confirmed.
[35:04] moving to item ten. Second
[35:06] senator grove, you are
[35:07] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[35:08] president. Colleagues, file
[35:09] item ten is a confirmation of
[35:11] caleb boyle's law for the
[35:14] reappointment of the central
[35:15] valley flood protection board,
[35:16] where she served since 2022.
[35:19] she's a former department of
[35:20] finance director, and she was a
[35:22] cabinet secretary for the
[35:23] office of governor brown. And
[35:25] she is also the former senate
[35:27] staff member. She served as a
[35:30] staff director for the senate
[35:31] budget and fiscal review
[35:32] committee, and she was approved
[35:33] by the rules committee on june
[35:35] 24th on a five zero vote. I
[35:38] respectfully ask for an aye
[35:39] vote. Seeing no further
[35:41] discussion, secretary. Please
[35:42] call. Roll. Allen. Aye.
[35:44] alvarado. Archuleta. Aye.
[35:46] origin. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker.
[35:49] aye. Blakespear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[35:51] aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes.
[35:54] aye. Choi. Aye. Cortez. Aye.
[35:57] delhi. Aye. Durazo. Aye.
[35:59] gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye.
[36:02] grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye. Jones.
[36:05] aye. Laird. Aye. Lehman.
[36:08] mcguire. Aye. Mcnerney. Aye.
[36:11] mengibar. Aye. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa.
[36:13] bogh. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Perez.
[36:17] aye. Reyes. Richardson. Aye.
[36:20] rubio. Aye. Segato. Aye.
[36:23] smallwood. Cuevas. Aye. Stern.
[36:25] aye. Strickland. Aye. Umberg.
[36:28] aye. Valladares. Aye. Wahhab.
[36:31] aye. Webber. Pearson. Wiener.
[36:36] aye. Ayes 36 nó zero. The
[36:38] appointment is confirmed.
[36:40] moving to item 11. Senator
[36:42] grove you are recognized. Thank
[36:44] you, mr. President. Colleagues
[36:45] we just have two more file.
[36:47] item 11 is a confirmation of
[36:48] monique moyer for reappointment
[36:50] to the board of directors of
[36:51] san francisco bay area water
[36:53] emergency transportation
[36:55] authority. She was. She served
[36:57] the. There since 2020 and is
[36:59] currently the board's vice
[37:00] chair. She also is an executive
[37:02] coach and partner with c2
[37:04] communications. She was
[37:05] approved by the rules committee
[37:06] on june 24th on a five zero
[37:09] vote. Respectfully ask for an
[37:10] aye vote. Seeing no further
[37:12] discussion, secretary. Please
[37:12] call. Roll. Allen. Aye.
[37:15] alvarado. Gill. Archuleta. Aye.
[37:17] origin. I ashby. Aye. Becker.
[37:20] aye. Blake. Spear. Aye.
[37:22] cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye.
[37:24] cervantes. Choi. Aye. Cortez. I
[37:28] daily. Aye. Durazo. Aye.
[37:31] gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye.
[37:33] grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye. Jones.
[37:36] aye. Laird. Aye. Limón. Mcguire.
[37:40] aye. Mcnerney. Aye. Mengibar.
[37:43] aye. Neelo. Aye. Ochoa. Aye.
[37:46] padilla. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes.
[37:49] richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye
[37:52] cierto aye. Smallwood. Cuevas.
[37:54] aye stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye
[37:58] umber. Aye valladares. Aye
[38:01] wahab aye. Webber. Pearson
[38:03] wiener aye. Cervantes. Aye.
[38:07] ayes 36 nó zero. The
[38:08] appointment is confirmed.
[38:09] moving to item 23. Senator
[38:11] grove you are recognized. Thank
[38:13] you, mr. President. File item
[38:15] 23 is andrea evans for
[38:18] appointment to the california
[38:19] state university board of
[38:20] trustees. Miss evans is an
[38:22] attorney and independent
[38:23] consultant focusing on housing
[38:24] and homelessness. She most
[38:26] recently was the director of
[38:27] san francisco based tipping
[38:29] point community chronic
[38:31] homeless initiative, and she
[38:32] was approved by the rules
[38:34] committee on june 20th or,
[38:35] excuse me, july 1st on a five
[38:37] zero vote. Respectfully ask for
[38:38] an aye vote. Thank you. Senator.
[38:40] seeing no further discussion.
[38:42] secretary, please call the roll.
[38:44] allen. Aye. Alvarado. Gill.
[38:46] archuleta. Aragon. Aye. Ashby.
[38:50] aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespear.
[38:52] aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero.
[38:55] aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye.
[38:58] cortez. Daily. Aye. Durazo. Aye.
[39:04] gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye.
[39:08] grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye. Jones.
[39:13] aye. Laird. Aye. Limon. Mcguire.
[39:17] aye. Mcnerney. Aye. Mengibar.
[39:21] nilo. Aye aye. Padilla. Aye.
[39:25] perez. Aye. Reyes. Richardson.
[39:30] rubio. Aye cierto a smallwood.
[39:34] cuevas. Aye stern a strickland.
[39:37] aye umberg. Aye valladares.
[39:41] wahab aye. Webber. Pearson
[39:43] wiener secretary. Please call
[39:47] absent members. Alvarado. Gil
[39:48] cortez aye. Limon. Mengibar aye.
[39:54] reyes. Richardson. Aye.
[39:57] valladares. Aye. Webber.
[40:00] pearson. Ayes 36, nó zero. The
[40:03] appointment is confirmed.
[40:07] members. We do have another
[40:08] special guest with us in the
[40:10] back of the gallery. Senator
[40:12] rubio's niece, kristen
[40:14] rodriguez, recent graduate of
[40:15] long beach state. Let's welcome
[40:16] her to the california senate.
[40:25] without objection. Members, we
[40:26] are moving to unfinished
[40:28] business. Item 25 scr 89.
[40:33] senator smallwood cuevas, you
[40:36] are recognized from your þ
[40:38] secretary. Please read senate
[40:40] concurrent resolution 89 by
[40:41] senator smallwood cuevas.
[40:42] relative to diversity, equity
[40:43] and inclusion, this is back on
[40:45] concurrence for amendments
[40:48] purposes. Senator cuevas,
[40:49] smallwood, cuevas, you're
[40:50] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[40:53] president. One more, one moment.
[40:58] okay. Thank you, mr. President.
[41:00] and good morning, colleagues.
[41:03] senate concurrent resolution 89
[41:05] is back on concurrence. The
[41:07] resolution reaffirms california
[41:10] legislature's commitment to
[41:12] diversity, equity and inclusion.
[41:15] dei is foundational to the
[41:17] justice and fairness of every
[41:20] californian. Amendments taken
[41:21] in the assembly added 60
[41:25] additional coauthors. That kind
[41:28] of support reflects how
[41:30] seriously this body takes. The
[41:32] moment we're in today, we
[41:34] continue to see president
[41:35] donald trump and his
[41:37] administration actively
[41:39] dismantling diversity, equity
[41:41] and inclusion efforts across
[41:42] this country, most recently
[41:45] with an attack. Senator
[41:48] valladares. For what purpose?
[41:50] mr. President, your
[41:51] understanding that the
[41:52] amendments are just referring
[41:53] to the author, adding authors
[41:54] to the bill? Correct. Point
[41:57] well taken. Thank you, senator,
[41:59] if you'll stick with just the
[42:00] amendments. Will the amendments,
[42:03] the the the points speak to the
[42:06] fact that we had an
[42:07] overwhelming number of
[42:08] coauthors added. So so last
[42:12] month, one of in the midst of
[42:15] this this resolution moving
[42:18] forward, we have seen
[42:19] additional attacks on dei in
[42:22] particularly against the
[42:23] congressional black caucus as
[42:25] representative senator, with
[42:26] all with all due respect, it's
[42:27] just on the amendments for
[42:29] concurrence purposes. Okay.
[42:31] well, I will I think the point
[42:34] that we're making here is that
[42:36] scr 89 has been overwhelmingly
[42:38] supported by this legislature,
[42:40] and that is a declaration that
[42:43] california will not retreat,
[42:44] that we will not be divided,
[42:46] and we will not abandon our
[42:47] values that make us the
[42:49] strongest, most diverse economy
[42:51] in the nation. And with that, I
[42:53] respectfully ask for your vote.
[42:54] very good. Thank you. Senator,
[42:56] seeing no mike's raised for
[42:57] discussion or debate. Secretary,
[43:00] please call roll. Allen. Aye.
[43:03] alvarado. Gill. Archuleta. Aye
[43:06] aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[43:09] blake. Spear. Aye. Cabaldon.
[43:11] aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes.
[43:13] aye. Choi. Cortez. Aye. Deli.
[43:19] no. Durazzo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye.
[43:22] grayson. Aye. Grove. Hurtado.
[43:27] aye. Jones. No. Laird. Aye.
[43:30] lehman. Mcguire. Aye. Mcnerney.
[43:34] aye. Mengibar. Aye. Nilo. No.
[43:37] ochoa. Bog. No. Padilla. Aye.
[43:41] perez. Aye. Reyes. Richardson.
[43:46] aye. Rubio. Aye. Cierto.
[43:49] smallwood. Cuevas. Aye. Stern.
[43:52] aye. Strickland. No. Umberg.
[43:55] aye. Valladares. No. Wahab. Aye.
[43:58] webber. Pearson. Wiener aye.
[44:04] limón. Aye. Secretary please
[44:10] call absent members. Alvarado.
[44:12] gil. Choi. No. Grove. Nó reyes
[44:19] cierto. Weber. Pearson. Ayes 28
[44:38] noes eight amendments are
[44:40] concurred in moving to senate.
[44:42] third reading item 37sr119.
[44:48] senator caballero, you are
[44:49] recognized. Secretary, please
[44:53] read senate resolution 119 by
[44:55] senator caballero relative to
[44:57] paleontology. Now, senator
[44:58] caballero, you're recognized.
[44:59] thank you, mr. President. I
[45:01] rise today to present sr 119, a
[45:04] resolution to commemorate the
[45:06] unique paleontological heritage
[45:08] of california and the
[45:09] importance of science to the
[45:11] understanding of our planet's
[45:12] history and paleontology. Over
[45:14] the course of its vast history,
[45:16] california has experienced
[45:17] everything from dry valleys in
[45:19] what is now the san francisco
[45:21] bay to inland seas filling the
[45:23] central valley and beyond.
[45:25] numerous plants and animals
[45:26] that are now extinct once
[45:28] roamed these ancient lands and
[45:29] seas, including mammoths, saber
[45:31] toothed tigers and dinosaurs.
[45:34] fossils are the physical
[45:36] evidence of prehistoric life.
[45:37] they can be found across
[45:39] california, from san francisco,
[45:42] monterey and los angeles to the
[45:43] central valley, inland empire
[45:45] and mount shasta region. We
[45:46] know about california's ancient
[45:49] life. Thanks to these fossils
[45:51] and the science of paleontology,
[45:53] which includes the study of
[45:55] fossils and what they tell us
[45:56] about the past ecology and
[45:59] evolution. It incorporates
[46:00] knowledge from biology, geology,
[46:03] ecology, and many other
[46:04] sciences. The science of
[46:06] paleontology has played a
[46:07] critical role in predicting
[46:09] future climate change,
[46:12] understanding the extent to
[46:13] which humans have impacted
[46:14] modern biodiversity, and
[46:17] contextualizing modern
[46:18] environmental challenges. It is
[46:20] also important for engaging
[46:22] students and the public as a
[46:24] gateway to science, serving as
[46:26] an incubator for an
[46:28] interdisciplinary stem
[46:30] workforce, this resolution
[46:32] celebrates the science of
[46:33] paleontology by describing
[46:35] california's ancient life
[46:37] across the state to include the
[46:39] large mammals from the pliocene
[46:43] era, the sharks and salmon from
[46:45] the miocene, the reptiles from
[46:47] the cretaceous, and the ancient
[46:49] reefs from the cambrian.
[46:52] cambrian. I hope you read the
[46:53] resolution and enjoyed learning
[46:54] about a few of the ancient
[46:56] animals that once roamed the
[46:58] lands around us. I want to
[46:59] close by highlighting why I
[47:01] authored this resolution beyond
[47:03] my personal fascination with
[47:05] the subject, and I have to tell
[47:07] you that when the. The mammoth
[47:09] was found in the central valley,
[47:12] that was an exciting find, and
[47:15] if you look over california,
[47:17] you can visit all of the
[47:19] museums and centers that have
[47:21] been set up to really see what
[47:24] used to live here in our in our
[47:26] state, science currently is
[47:28] under serious threat. The
[47:31] federal administration has
[47:33] canceled unprecedented billions
[47:35] in science grants, including
[47:36] grants from the national
[47:38] institute of health, the
[47:39] national science foundation,
[47:41] and. This past may, the white
[47:43] house office of management and
[47:44] budget proposed new. New
[47:46] changes to u.s. Federal grant
[47:48] regulations that would
[47:50] politicize the grant making
[47:51] process, giving political
[47:52] appointees appointees the
[47:54] ability to veto merit based
[47:56] grant awards and reduce funding
[47:58] for early career scientists,
[48:00] all of which benefit students
[48:02] in our state and our university
[48:05] system. Paleontology is one of
[48:07] many important sciences that is
[48:09] under serious threat. This
[48:11] resolution is both a
[48:12] celebration of california's
[48:15] paleontological heritage and a
[48:16] call to action to support
[48:18] critical sciences exactly like
[48:21] paleontology, and I urge your
[48:23] aye vote on sr 119. Thank you.
[48:25] senator. Seeing no. Mike's
[48:26] raised for discussion and
[48:27] debate. Secretary, please call
[48:29] roll. Alan. Alvarado. Gill.
[48:32] archuleta. Aye aye. Ashby. Aye.
[48:36] becker. Aye. Blake. Spear. Aye.
[48:39] cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye.
[48:41] cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye.
[48:44] cortez. Aye. Daily. Aye. Durazo.
[48:47] aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson.
[48:50] aye. Grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye.
[48:55] jones. Aye. Laird. Aye. Limón.
[49:00] maguire. Aye. Mcnerney. Aye.
[49:04] mengibar. Aye. Neila. Aye.
[49:06] ochoa. Borg. Aye. Padilla. Aye.
[49:10] perez. Aye. Reyes. Richardson.
[49:13] aye. Rubio. Aye cierto.
[49:17] smallwood. Cuevas. Stern. Aye.
[49:21] strickland. A umberg I
[49:24] valladares. Aye wahab aye.
[49:27] webber. Pierson. Wiener a
[49:32] secretary. Please call absent
[49:33] members. Allen aye. Alvarado.
[49:36] gill. Limon. Aye. Reyes. Cor.
[49:42] smallwood. Cuevas. Aye. Weber.
[49:45] pierson. Ayes 36 no zero. The
[49:48] resolution passes. Members. We
[49:50] are moving to assembly. Third
[49:53] reading directly to item 268.
[49:57] item 268ab1923. A secretary,
[50:05] please read assembly bill 1923
[50:07] by assembly member soria and
[50:09] link to elections and declaring
[50:10] the arches thereof to take
[50:11] effect immediately. Senator
[50:13] caballero, you're recognized.
[50:14] thank you, mr. President. Good
[50:16] morning. Good morning members.
[50:17] today I rise to present ab 1923
[50:19] on behalf of assembly member
[50:21] soria and myself, fresno county
[50:24] counties, long standing local
[50:26] transportation sales tax is
[50:28] called measure c, which
[50:30] currently raises millions of
[50:31] dollars. For decades, these
[50:33] locally generated dollars have
[50:34] repaired roads, improved public
[50:36] transit, enhance safety, and
[50:38] help fresno county compete for
[50:40] billions of dollars in state
[50:41] and federal transportation
[50:43] funds. Measure c funds are set
[50:45] to expire next year. In
[50:47] response, thousands of fresno
[50:49] county residents came together
[50:51] to qualify a citizen led
[50:54] initiative to place a success
[50:56] message before the voters this
[50:58] november. The measure, fresno
[51:00] county transportation
[51:01] improvement act, is the product
[51:03] of over two years of public
[51:05] engagement involving thousands
[51:07] of fresno county residents,
[51:09] local government, business
[51:10] leader, labor organization and
[51:12] community groups. And those are
[51:13] the individuals that showed up
[51:15] yesterday in support of the
[51:16] bill over 100 and which
[51:19] included students and unions.
[51:20] it was an impressive show of
[51:24] excitement and interest in in
[51:26] this new transportation
[51:28] improvement act. The measure
[51:29] reflects the priorities
[51:31] identified by the residents and
[51:33] is projected to generate 7.4
[51:35] billion in local transportation
[51:37] dollars support approximately
[51:39] 68,000 jobs, jobs and produce
[51:42] more than 13 billion in
[51:45] economic activity. More than
[51:47] 32,000 people signed the
[51:49] petition in support of the
[51:52] measure from all over the
[51:53] county, and the. And the
[51:54] required number of signatures
[51:56] was certified by the county
[51:59] registrar of voters. I want to
[52:00] emphasize that it was certified.
[52:02] the voters behind this measure
[52:04] complied with all necessary
[52:06] deadlines and complied with
[52:07] every legal requirement to make
[52:08] sure the initiative was placed
[52:10] on the upcoming november 2026
[52:12] ballot. Instead of moving the
[52:14] measure to the november ballot,
[52:16] the board of supervisors
[52:18] exercised the option to order a
[52:21] report, a decision that caused
[52:22] the measure to miss the
[52:24] statutory deadline for
[52:25] placement this november. In
[52:26] other words, they issued. They
[52:28] asked for a report and that the
[52:31] report take 30 days in order to
[52:33] prepare, which means it goes
[52:36] past the. The election code
[52:38] states that if a county
[52:40] initiative qualifies with
[52:42] sufficient votes as certified
[52:43] by the county registrar of
[52:45] voters, that it must be placed
[52:47] on the next election ballot
[52:49] unless the governing body of
[52:50] the county would like for it to
[52:52] be placed sooner in a special
[52:55] election. That didn't happen in
[52:56] this case. That brings us to
[52:58] the question before us today.
[53:00] when the people do everything
[53:02] the law requires to qualify a
[53:04] citizen led initiative for the
[53:06] ballot, should a ministerial
[53:08] process delay them from voting
[53:10] on it? The ministerial process
[53:13] is taking the registrar of
[53:14] voters information and saying,
[53:15] hey, if it passed it, it it
[53:19] it's been qualified for the
[53:22] ballot. That's that's the only
[53:24] thing the board's supposed to
[53:25] do. They can ask for a report.
[53:27] and that report can be very
[53:29] important, but that should not
[53:31] delay the process. They can
[53:33] still receive the report. Let
[53:35] me first say that I have always
[53:37] been a big supporter of local
[53:39] control, and I chaired local
[53:40] government for many, many years
[53:42] and was honored to defend local
[53:46] government. As a former mayor,
[53:47] I fought to protect the
[53:49] authority of cities and
[53:50] counties, to make decisions for
[53:51] their own communities. And in
[53:53] fact, that's what led me to run
[53:55] for higher office, was to make
[53:57] sure that that the state was
[53:59] respecting local control. But
[54:01] local control is more than the
[54:03] authority of the elected
[54:04] officials. It is also about
[54:06] respecting the voices of the
[54:07] people that they serve.
[54:09] california's initiative process
[54:11] process exists to get to give
[54:13] citizens a path to get things
[54:15] done when they want to place an
[54:16] issue directly before the
[54:18] voters. When people follow the
[54:20] law, gather the required
[54:22] signatures and qualify the
[54:23] measure for the ballot, they
[54:25] deserve the opportunity to have
[54:26] their voice heard. That's all
[54:29] this bill does. It does not
[54:30] affect the report the board
[54:32] asked for. It does not rule on
[54:34] the merits of the ballot
[54:35] measure, and it does not decide
[54:37] whether the transportation
[54:39] measure passes or not. That
[54:40] goes before the voters, and it
[54:42] does not impose a tax. It
[54:44] simply preserves the
[54:45] opportunity for the people of
[54:46] fresno to vote on the citizen
[54:48] led initiative. And the stakes
[54:50] couldn't be higher. If the
[54:52] measure does not reach the
[54:53] november ballot, measure c will
[54:55] expire without a successor in
[54:58] place, creating a significant
[55:01] gap in local transportation
[55:03] funding. That means fewer
[55:04] dollars for road maintenance,
[55:06] public transit safety
[55:07] improvement and transportation
[55:09] infrastructure throughout the
[55:11] county. Without a local funding
[55:13] commitment, fresno county
[55:14] becomes less competitive for
[55:16] state and federal
[55:17] transportation grants and risks
[55:19] losing access to funding
[55:20] program. And it's not just
[55:22] fresno county. It's all 15
[55:25] cities that are in the county.
[55:27] the impact of this decision
[55:28] will not be felt equally, our
[55:30] rural communities stand to lose
[55:32] the most. The city of fresno is
[55:34] already pursuing its own local
[55:36] sales tax measure to protect
[55:38] transportation funding within
[55:39] the city limits. And while that
[55:41] may provide a path forward for
[55:43] the city of fresno, our rural
[55:48] cities and unincorporated
[55:50] communities do not have the
[55:51] same option. Those communities
[55:52] simply do not have the tax base
[55:54] or financial capacity to
[55:57] replace these dollars on their
[55:58] own. Most of the cities are
[56:00] 2000 people or less. For rural
[56:02] communities, transportation
[56:03] funding is much more than the
[56:05] roads. It keeps agricultural
[56:07] products moving. It supports
[56:08] local businesses and good
[56:10] paying jobs. It provides safe
[56:12] routes to school, strengthens
[56:14] emergency response during
[56:15] floods and wildfires, and
[56:17] connects residents to health
[56:18] care, employment and essential
[56:20] services. This is a short
[56:22] sighted decision with long term
[56:24] consequences, and that's why so
[56:26] many people showed up yesterday
[56:27] to testify in the committee,
[56:30] the elections committee. The
[56:32] opposition argued that the
[56:33] board of supervisors ordered
[56:35] the report because they don't
[56:37] like the ballot measure, and
[56:39] that once the report was
[56:40] prepared, a special meeting
[56:41] would not be called to put the
[56:44] measure on the november 26th
[56:45] ballot. So it's purposeful.
[56:49] it's purposely evading the
[56:50] purpose of the statute, and
[56:52] it's trying to subvert the will
[56:54] of the public that works so
[56:56] hard to put this ballot measure
[56:57] together. The election laws
[57:00] were never intended to allow a
[57:02] county board of supervisors to
[57:04] circumvent the will of the
[57:06] people. Delaying this vote
[57:07] jeopardizes jobs, weakens
[57:09] fresno county's ability to
[57:10] compete for state and federal
[57:12] investments, and leaves our
[57:13] smallest communities with fewer
[57:15] resources to meet growing
[57:17] transportation needs. The bill
[57:19] will not override local control.
[57:21] rather, it will protect one of
[57:23] the most fundamental
[57:24] expressions of local control.
[57:26] we have the right of voters to
[57:28] decide the future of their own
[57:30] community. At the end of the
[57:31] day, this bill acts to protect
[57:33] the integrity of california's
[57:35] initiative process. Ensure that
[57:37] the people of fresno county and
[57:40] not a procedural delay will
[57:42] have the final say. I
[57:44] respectfully ask for your vote
[57:46] and for immediate transmission
[57:48] transmittal to the assembly.
[57:50] senator grove, you are
[57:52] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[57:54] president. I. I appreciate my
[57:57] colleague's comments. I know
[57:58] that we have worked well on on
[58:00] central valley issues, but this
[58:02] is an issue that where we see
[58:04] this issue from different sides.
[58:06] so the people who gathered
[58:07] those signatures I deeply
[58:08] respect and they put the ballot
[58:10] measure forward. They submitted
[58:11] the information. It was
[58:13] certified. It would be
[58:14] certified one day late, which
[58:15] is not within the process. I
[58:17] would like to gracefully
[58:20] correct my colleague on the
[58:21] election code, section 9118. It
[58:25] says the initiative petition if
[58:27] is signed. If the initiative
[58:29] petition is signed by voters,
[58:31] the board of it has another
[58:33] paragraph there. But what's
[58:34] important in this is the board
[58:35] of supervisors shall do one of
[58:37] the following. Adopt the
[58:39] ordinance without without
[58:42] alteration and regular. At a
[58:43] regular meeting and a certified
[58:45] position presented within ten
[58:46] days after it's presented or be
[58:50] submitted. Ordinance with an
[58:51] alteration to the voters
[58:52] pursuant to section code 1405
[58:55] or c. Order a report to section
[58:59] 9111 and the regular meeting at
[59:01] a regular meeting at which the
[59:03] certification or petition is
[59:05] presented, which the report
[59:06] will be presented to the board
[59:07] of supervisors, and the board
[59:08] shall either adopt the
[59:09] ordinance within ten days or
[59:11] order an election pursuant to
[59:12] the subdivision b, so they do
[59:14] have the right to order a study.
[59:17] the reason why some of the
[59:19] supervisors are very concerned
[59:21] about this is because this tax
[59:22] will be continually collected
[59:24] from the citizens of the
[59:25] district that I represent. It
[59:27] will be sent to sacramento. And
[59:29] then if this if fresno county's
[59:31] road and infrastructure
[59:32] projects meet the requirements
[59:34] that are in the language of
[59:36] this ballot measure, that's on
[59:38] there, meaning that you widen
[59:40] the road, you have a bike path,
[59:41] you have a bus path, you have
[59:43] bus access, you have electrical
[59:45] infrastructure. It to me, I
[59:46] don't think fresno will ever
[59:48] get any of this money back. It
[59:50] will always stay in kern in
[59:52] sacramento. And my concern is,
[59:54] is that the dollars that are
[59:56] collected by this tax will not
[1:00:00] benefit this community because
[1:00:01] of all the restrictions and the
[1:00:03] requirements based on the
[1:00:04] ballot language. And I get it,
[1:00:05] planning trees and bike lanes
[1:00:07] and bus pass, all those things,
[1:00:09] free bus passes, all of those
[1:00:12] things are included in this
[1:00:13] language to get people to sign
[1:00:15] up for these ballot measures
[1:00:16] for increased taxes. The other
[1:00:18] thing that I would like to
[1:00:19] share is I don't think this
[1:00:21] this bill before us today is
[1:00:23] about roads or transit or even
[1:00:25] the voters. It's about
[1:00:27] sacramento deciding what they
[1:00:29] know better and the people that
[1:00:31] are elect, our county
[1:00:32] supervisors, some of those
[1:00:34] 30,000 people that sign this
[1:00:36] petition, probably not all of
[1:00:37] them, but they supported the
[1:00:39] county supervisors and put them
[1:00:40] in elected office to make
[1:00:41] decisions over them on a local
[1:00:43] level. On july 8th, the fresno
[1:00:46] county registrar certified the
[1:00:47] better roads and safe streets
[1:00:48] initiative through the valid
[1:00:50] signatures. But just a few
[1:00:54] months ago, actually less than
[1:00:56] two months ago, this body
[1:00:57] passed a c 22, which put prop
[1:01:01] 43 on the ballot, which would
[1:01:02] require a two thirds signature.
[1:01:03] it was a negotiation that was
[1:01:06] with outside parties and this
[1:01:08] legislature, only one person
[1:01:09] voted no on this body. Fuller.
[1:01:10] and that's my colleague from
[1:01:12] san francisco. Everyone else
[1:01:14] supported that initiative that
[1:01:16] we put on the ballot, and it's
[1:01:17] prop 43, which would require a
[1:01:19] two thirds vote, which is a
[1:01:20] taxpayer protection measure
[1:01:22] that is better than 50 plus one.
[1:01:24] and now we're going back just
[1:01:26] less than two months later to
[1:01:28] unwind it for this particular
[1:01:30] city under a long standing
[1:01:32] election code 9118, which I
[1:01:34] just read to you, the board of
[1:01:36] supervisors had clear and
[1:01:38] lawful option to be able to
[1:01:39] request a report, wait for its
[1:01:42] results, and then decide if
[1:01:43] they were going to put it on
[1:01:44] the ballot within ten days.
[1:01:46] this process. I talked to
[1:01:48] supervisors this morning. This
[1:01:50] process is going through the
[1:01:51] local process. According to the
[1:01:52] election codes that this body
[1:01:54] establishes, and they are
[1:01:56] putting it on the ballot. My
[1:01:58] understanding is is in 2028,
[1:02:00] but we're circumventing that
[1:02:02] process and circumventing local
[1:02:04] control. The legal
[1:02:06] certification process would
[1:02:07] have been placed this
[1:02:08] initiative on the 2028 ballot.
[1:02:10] and I do believe that people
[1:02:12] are concerned about 20 about
[1:02:14] prop, excuse me, prop 43, the
[1:02:16] lower the local taxpayer
[1:02:18] protection act, ab 1923 now
[1:02:21] comes after the fact, and that
[1:02:23] the legislature already
[1:02:26] approved prop 43. And now we're
[1:02:29] ignoring that fact. We're
[1:02:30] simply rewriting the rules for
[1:02:32] one county. And I think other
[1:02:35] counties will probably follow.
[1:02:36] there is a process to put
[1:02:38] something on the ballot. There
[1:02:39] were signatures gathered. I
[1:02:41] applaud them for going to the
[1:02:43] work and and making sure that
[1:02:44] they had the process in place
[1:02:46] and the signatures. But again,
[1:02:48] my concern is the funding piece
[1:02:49] that will never come back to
[1:02:51] fresno county because of all
[1:02:52] the requirements that are in
[1:02:53] the ballot measure language. If
[1:02:55] you haven't, if you haven't
[1:02:56] read it, you should. They can't
[1:02:58] access the resources without
[1:03:00] doing all these extra things.
[1:03:02] and I just don't think that
[1:03:03] fresno county is going to be
[1:03:04] able to have the ability to do
[1:03:06] that. Do we need roads and
[1:03:08] infrastructure repair in this
[1:03:09] district and our central valley?
[1:03:11] 1,000%. You drive on 395, you
[1:03:13] go down to los angeles, you
[1:03:15] have great roads. We have more
[1:03:17] roads, miles per capita for our
[1:03:19] communities in the central
[1:03:20] valley, where we get almost
[1:03:22] hardly any infrastructure
[1:03:24] dollars for that. It'll all go
[1:03:25] to high speed rail, but they
[1:03:26] won't give it for roads and
[1:03:28] infrastructure. And then our
[1:03:29] counties are supposed to
[1:03:30] increase taxes on our
[1:03:33] constituents in order to pay
[1:03:34] for roads and infrastructure on
[1:03:35] a local level, when the
[1:03:37] supervisors said they would
[1:03:38] consider it. But they'll
[1:03:39] consider it through the process
[1:03:40] and they, the supervisors,
[1:03:43] exhausted their their lawful
[1:03:47] right under the elections code
[1:03:48] in order to do the study and
[1:03:50] put it on the 2028 ballot. So I
[1:03:54] it's a tough one for me because
[1:03:55] I know that the citizens worked
[1:03:57] hard and made sure that they
[1:03:58] got the signatures to be able
[1:04:00] to put it on the ballot. But I
[1:04:02] really don't think that the
[1:04:03] people of the of fresno county,
[1:04:05] not all of them, not all of
[1:04:06] them, some of them have, but
[1:04:08] not all of them have read the
[1:04:10] requirements. And I'm pretty
[1:04:11] sure that a majority of this
[1:04:12] money will never come back to
[1:04:14] that county after my
[1:04:15] constituents pay for this tax
[1:04:16] increase. And I respectfully
[1:04:18] ask for a no vote and let the
[1:04:20] process for the local authority
[1:04:21] and our local supervisors
[1:04:22] address this issue. Senator,
[1:04:24] you are recognized. Thank you,
[1:04:26] mr. President. I rise in
[1:04:28] support of ab 1923, and I
[1:04:30] certainly respect the
[1:04:33] perspective of the senator from
[1:04:35] bakersfield, but I have a
[1:04:36] different perspective I'd like
[1:04:37] to share. I don't represent
[1:04:38] fresno county. I was born in
[1:04:40] fresno. I have family that live
[1:04:41] in fresno county. So this
[1:04:43] impacts them. But I see this
[1:04:46] issue as a matter of statewide
[1:04:48] concern, because I think this
[1:04:50] sets a precedent for this to
[1:04:52] happen in other counties. And
[1:04:54] it's already happened in my
[1:04:55] county in alameda county, just
[1:04:57] this past tuesday. And this is
[1:04:59] germane to the matter before us,
[1:05:02] because I'm making a point. The
[1:05:05] alameda county board of
[1:05:06] supervisors using the same
[1:05:07] provision elections code
[1:05:08] section 199212, requested a
[1:05:13] report on the fiscal impacts of
[1:05:15] a proposed minimum wage measure
[1:05:18] with the express intent to
[1:05:20] delay putting that measure on
[1:05:21] the ballot. The supervisors
[1:05:22] were very transparent that
[1:05:24] their interest was to make sure
[1:05:25] that that did not appear on the
[1:05:27] ballot. So now that has to wait
[1:05:28] till 2028, even though over
[1:05:32] 150,000 signatures were
[1:05:33] collected in alameda county by
[1:05:35] people who thought this was
[1:05:36] going to appear on the november
[1:05:38] 2026 ballot, that's wrong. It's
[1:05:41] certainly appropriate for more
[1:05:43] members of the board of
[1:05:44] supervisors to get more
[1:05:45] information about a ballot
[1:05:47] measure before that measure is
[1:05:49] on the ballot. I'll note that
[1:05:50] in the case of alameda county's
[1:05:52] measure, that was in
[1:05:54] circulation for many, many
[1:05:55] months. So the supervisors
[1:05:56] could have requested that
[1:05:57] report, just like here in
[1:05:58] fresno county, months in
[1:06:01] advance, so that that
[1:06:03] information was before the
[1:06:04] board of supervisors, when the
[1:06:05] matter needed to be put on the
[1:06:07] ballot, rather than using that
[1:06:09] elections code section to
[1:06:11] deliberately delay this issue,
[1:06:13] going to the voters, I think
[1:06:15] it's absurd that a report could
[1:06:18] subvert the will of the voters.
[1:06:21] I think it's critical that we
[1:06:22] let the voters decide the
[1:06:24] hundreds of thousands of voters
[1:06:26] that signed these petitions, to
[1:06:28] put these things before the
[1:06:30] voters. I wish that I had the
[1:06:31] ability to introduce a bill
[1:06:33] like the senator from merced,
[1:06:35] to put that measure before the
[1:06:37] voters in alameda county, but I
[1:06:39] was not able to do so in this
[1:06:41] case. The voters of fresno
[1:06:43] county circulated an initiative.
[1:06:45] I'll just also clarify the
[1:06:46] record that prop 43 is
[1:06:48] prospective, not retrospective,
[1:06:50] doesn't have retrospective
[1:06:52] applicability. So measures that
[1:06:53] are on the ballot this year are
[1:06:55] subject to the current rules.
[1:06:58] and if that measure were to
[1:06:59] pass, then would be subject to
[1:07:00] the higher threshold. But
[1:07:02] that's a separate matter. I
[1:07:06] think that if people have
[1:07:07] objections to a ballot measure,
[1:07:10] make your case to the voters.
[1:07:11] talk about why you oppose it,
[1:07:13] but don't prevent the voters
[1:07:14] from having an opportunity,
[1:07:15] even consider the measure. I
[1:07:17] think that's anti-democratic.
[1:07:20] yes, we need to amend the
[1:07:21] elections code to prevent this
[1:07:22] from happening in the future.
[1:07:24] and maybe we need to have a
[1:07:26] deadline for when that report
[1:07:27] has to be issued so that it
[1:07:30] doesn't delay a measure from
[1:07:32] actually being able to be put
[1:07:33] on the ballot. But that's a
[1:07:35] separate matter for a separate
[1:07:37] discussion. And I hope we can
[1:07:38] clarify the law so that this
[1:07:39] isn't being used to
[1:07:41] deliberately prevent a
[1:07:44] qualified voter initiative from
[1:07:46] being considered by the voters.
[1:07:49] but we can do the right thing
[1:07:50] today by passing ab 1923 and
[1:07:53] respectfully ask for senator
[1:07:54] nilo. You are recognized. Thank
[1:07:59] you, mr. President. There are
[1:08:03] good arguments being made on
[1:08:04] both sides of this. As we can
[1:08:06] tell by the debate. And one
[1:08:09] more speaker to speak to it,
[1:08:13] presumably in support. But I'd
[1:08:16] like to point out that this is
[1:08:19] fundamentally a local dispute.
[1:08:24] and in passing this legislation
[1:08:28] effectively, what we're doing
[1:08:29] is we're not legislating. We're
[1:08:32] acting as a quasi judicial body,
[1:08:36] deciding a local dispute on
[1:08:39] behalf of one side of the
[1:08:41] dispute. I think that's a
[1:08:42] wholly inappropriate role for
[1:08:45] this body to play. And for that
[1:08:49] reason, I urge a no vote and
[1:08:51] allow the local. People to
[1:08:57] figure out how to settle this
[1:09:00] dispute, which is the way
[1:09:01] things should happen. Senator
[1:09:05] allen, you are recognized. Yeah,
[1:09:06] no, I appreciate those comments.
[1:09:08] I think in some respects we are
[1:09:10] letting the local people figure
[1:09:11] out the dispute. We've got the
[1:09:12] assembly member and the senator
[1:09:14] who represent the bulk of the
[1:09:15] county. We've got 11 out of 15
[1:09:17] mayors who are asking for this.
[1:09:20] the reason why the delay
[1:09:22] happened such that it created
[1:09:25] this this window of time that
[1:09:27] allowed for the board to call
[1:09:28] for this study, which would
[1:09:30] then kick the measure to 2028,
[1:09:33] was because they had been
[1:09:34] negotiating intensely and with
[1:09:37] the board and ultimately
[1:09:39] weren't able to come to a
[1:09:40] resolution. And so they had to
[1:09:43] to choose this path. We asked
[1:09:44] them in committee yesterday
[1:09:46] about whether the board had
[1:09:47] ever used this. This had ever
[1:09:50] called for a study over the
[1:09:53] many years where they've had a
[1:09:54] zoo tax measure, parks tax
[1:09:58] measure, transportation tax
[1:09:59] measures, and that that had
[1:10:01] never been done before. The
[1:10:02] other thing I'll say is that
[1:10:04] it's certainly my understanding
[1:10:05] that all of this money stays in
[1:10:07] the county, every single dollar.
[1:10:09] and I love I don't I don't
[1:10:11] understand the argument that
[1:10:12] was just made. This is this is
[1:10:14] money that stays there for
[1:10:15] transportation projects. There.
[1:10:19] finally, one of the 11 mayors
[1:10:20] is actually the mayor of fresno,
[1:10:22] who represents certainly the
[1:10:23] largest city in the in the
[1:10:25] county. And that was meaningful
[1:10:27] to me as I heard this
[1:10:28] discussion yesterday, because I
[1:10:30] know that there were some
[1:10:31] dispute over the the way that
[1:10:33] the allocation of the dollars
[1:10:34] was was being framed for around
[1:10:36] the county and and, and look,
[1:10:38] in the end of the day, this is
[1:10:40] just putting something on the
[1:10:41] ballot. The voters will have
[1:10:43] the opportunity to choose their
[1:10:44] was a measure on the ballot in
[1:10:46] 2022. It failed. There was a
[1:10:48] real, you know, internal
[1:10:48] dispute in the county. And this
[1:10:50] is just giving the people of
[1:10:53] the county the opportunity to
[1:10:55] decide, one way or another as
[1:10:56] to whether they want to extend
[1:10:58] this important tax, which has
[1:11:00] been been providing resources
[1:11:02] for essential transportation
[1:11:05] services for the county over
[1:11:07] many, many years. And this was
[1:11:08] now going instead of expiring
[1:11:10] and not important source of
[1:11:11] revenue, just ending without a
[1:11:13] conversation. It's going to
[1:11:14] give the people of the county
[1:11:16] the opportunity to decide, and
[1:11:17] it will ultimately be up to
[1:11:19] them. If we pass this today and
[1:11:20] signed, it will be up to the
[1:11:22] people of the county of fresno
[1:11:24] to decide as to whether they
[1:11:25] want to move forward with this
[1:11:27] or not. And for that, I
[1:11:28] respectfully ask and I vote.
[1:11:29] thank you. Senator. Seeing no
[1:11:31] further discussion or debate,
[1:11:33] senator caballero, would you
[1:11:34] like to close? Thank you very
[1:11:35] much, mr. President. I
[1:11:37] appreciate the debate. It's
[1:11:39] unfortunate to be in this
[1:11:42] position. The reality of the
[1:11:44] situation is there was a ballot
[1:11:45] measure in 22 that was put on
[1:11:47] to extend the tax, despite the
[1:11:49] fact it wasn't expiring at that
[1:11:51] point. The the ballot measure
[1:11:53] was put on by local government
[1:11:56] and did not pass because,
[1:11:59] frankly, the distribution of
[1:12:01] how the money would be spent
[1:12:03] within the different
[1:12:04] communities, many of the
[1:12:06] smaller communities felt that
[1:12:07] it wasn't fair and there wasn't
[1:12:10] enough revenue that would go
[1:12:12] towards transit, which is a big
[1:12:14] need in this area. And we had
[1:12:16] testimony from students and hhs
[1:12:19] workers and other individuals
[1:12:21] that take public transportation
[1:12:23] and desperately need it and are
[1:12:24] in support of, of, of the the
[1:12:27] measure, as was articulated,
[1:12:30] this is not putting a thumb on
[1:12:31] the scale. This is just
[1:12:33] allowing it to go to a vote of
[1:12:35] the public. And then people can
[1:12:38] debate over whether it's the
[1:12:40] right allocation of money, but
[1:12:41] it is all local money. What,
[1:12:44] what what was said is
[1:12:46] absolutely true. We have one of
[1:12:48] the highest percentage of
[1:12:52] highways that go through the
[1:12:54] area, 99 and five principally,
[1:12:58] but then all the cross highways
[1:13:00] that take you from one little
[1:13:02] community to the next. And
[1:13:03] these small communities
[1:13:05] desperately need resources. And
[1:13:06] so we're putting we're doing
[1:13:08] the right thing, which is to
[1:13:09] insist that it go on the
[1:13:11] november ballot. The board can
[1:13:12] look at the report and make
[1:13:14] their comments on it and oppose
[1:13:15] it if they want. But but
[1:13:19] politics should not be allowed
[1:13:21] to. Delay what a voter
[1:13:26] initiative has done according
[1:13:28] to all the rules. And so I
[1:13:30] respectfully ask for your vote.
[1:13:32] thank you. Senator. Secretary,
[1:13:33] please call roll. Alan I.
[1:13:36] alvarado. Gill. Archuleta. I
[1:13:38] aragon. I ashby I. Becker I
[1:13:42] blake speer. I cabaldon I
[1:13:45] caballero I cervantes. I choi
[1:13:48] nø cortez I deli durazo I
[1:13:53] gonzalez I grayson I grove nó.
[1:13:57] hurtado. Jones nø laird I limón
[1:14:02] I maguire I mcnerney I mengibar
[1:14:07] I nilo. No. Ochoa. No. Padilla
[1:14:11] I perez. I reyes. Richardson. I
[1:14:15] rubio. I serrato. Smallwood.
[1:14:18] cuevas I stern I strickland. No
[1:14:22] umberg I valladares no. Wahab I
[1:14:26] webber. Pearson wiener I
[1:14:30] secretary please call absent.
[1:14:33] members. Alvarado. Gil. Darling.
[1:14:36] no. Hurtado. Reyes. Cierto.
[1:14:42] webber. Pearson. Ayes 27 noes
[1:14:46] eight on the urgency. Ayes 27
[1:14:48] noes eight on the bill and it
[1:14:51] passes. Members we are moving
[1:14:53] back and file to item 46 a cr
[1:14:57] 149 secretary please read.
[1:15:00] assembly concurrent resolution
[1:15:02] 149 by assembly member hart
[1:15:03] relative to the california
[1:15:04] coastal act of 1976. Senator
[1:15:07] laird, you are recognized.
[1:15:08] thank you, mr. President. I'm
[1:15:10] presenting assembly concurrent
[1:15:12] resolution 149 on behalf of
[1:15:14] assembly member greg hart,
[1:15:16] which commemorates the 50th
[1:15:18] anniversary of the california
[1:15:19] coastal act and the creation of
[1:15:21] the state coastal conservancy.
[1:15:23] this resolution will look very
[1:15:25] familiar because we passed a
[1:15:26] senate, one that they've
[1:15:27] concurred in. They are passed
[1:15:29] this resolution. We're asking
[1:15:31] to concur in it. This
[1:15:33] recognizes 50 years of coastal
[1:15:35] protection. I respectfully ask
[1:15:36] for an aye và. Seeing no
[1:15:40] further discussion or debate.
[1:15:43] secretary. Please call. Roll.
[1:15:45] allen. Aye. Alvarado. Gill.
[1:15:47] archuleta. Aye. Origin. Aye.
[1:15:49] ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye.
[1:15:51] blakespear. Aye. Cabaldon. Aye.
[1:15:54] caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Choi.
[1:15:59] cortez. Aye. Daily durazo. Aye.
[1:16:03] gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye.
[1:16:06] grove. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. No.
[1:16:12] laird. Aye. Lehman. Mcguire.
[1:16:16] aye. Mcnerney. Aye. Mengibar.
[1:16:20] aye. Nilo. Ochoa. Bogh. Padilla.
[1:16:25] aye. Perez. Reyes. Richardson.
[1:16:29] aye. Rubio. Aye cierto.
[1:16:34] smallwood. Cuevas. Aye. Stern.
[1:16:37] aye. Strickland. Umber. Aye.
[1:16:42] valladares. Wahab. Aye. Webber.
[1:16:45] pearson. Wiener. Aye. Secretary.
[1:16:51] please call absent members.
[1:16:53] alvarado. Gil. Cervantes. Aye.
[1:16:57] choi. Dawley. Grove. Limon.
[1:17:02] nilo. Ochoa. Perez. Aye. Reyes.
[1:17:11] segato. Strickland. Valladares.
[1:17:16] weber. Pearson. Yeah. Ayes 27
[1:17:23] nos. One. The resolution passes.
[1:17:26] members. We are deferring on
[1:17:28] special consent calendar. We
[1:17:30] are deferring regular consent
[1:17:31] calendar and taking up the
[1:17:32] special consent calendar. Any
[1:17:34] members wish to remove any item
[1:17:36] from the consent calendar.
[1:17:40] senator blake spear, you are
[1:17:42] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[1:17:44] president. I rise to request
[1:17:45] file item number 325 is pulled
[1:17:47] from the consent calendar. The
[1:17:49] desk will note. Seeing no other
[1:17:54] members to be recognized.
[1:17:56] secretary, please read the
[1:17:57] consent calendar. Senate
[1:17:58] resolution 109. Senate
[1:17:59] concurrent resolution 182.
[1:18:00] senate resolution 118. Assembly
[1:18:02] concurrent resolution 2142 19
[1:18:04] to 2223, 157, 187, one, 94, 222
[1:18:08] and assembly concurrent
[1:18:10] resolution 224.
[1:18:29] thank you
[1:18:30] secretary. Please call roll.
[1:18:33] allen. I brought a girl,
[1:18:38] archuleta I aragon I ashby I
[1:18:41] becker I blake speer. I
[1:18:45] cabaldon caballero I cervantes
[1:18:50] I choi I cortez I daly durazo I
[1:18:57] gonzalez I grayson I grove I
[1:19:02] hurtado I jones I laird I limon
[1:19:07] I mcguire. I mcnerney I
[1:19:11] mengibar I nilo I ochoa I
[1:19:13] padilla I perez I reyes.
[1:19:19] richardson I rubio I sato.
[1:19:25] smallwood cuevas I stern I
[1:19:27] strickland I umberg I
[1:19:31] valladares I wahab I weber.
[1:19:34] pearson wiener I. Secretary.
[1:19:38] please call members. Alvarado
[1:19:40] gil cabaldon I dalley. Reyes.
[1:19:46] cierto. Weber. Pearson. Ayes 35
[1:19:49] no zero on item 331 ayes 35. No.
[1:19:53] zero on the remaining items a
[1:19:54] special consent calendar and it
[1:19:56] passes. Members. We are moving
[1:19:58] now to our returning to motions
[1:20:01] and resolutions for the purpose
[1:20:03] of adjournments in memory. And
[1:20:07] we are going to recognize
[1:20:10] senator wahab and senator
[1:20:13] mcnerney for the first
[1:20:14] adjournment in memory. Senator
[1:20:23] wahab, you are recognized or
[1:20:26] senator mcnerney, let's start
[1:20:28] with you. You are recognized.
[1:20:34] mr. President and distinguished
[1:20:37] colleagues, I rise today to ask
[1:20:39] that we adjourn in the memory
[1:20:40] of scott haggerty, a former
[1:20:44] longtime member of the alameda
[1:20:46] county board of supervisors and
[1:20:47] resident of livermore,
[1:20:48] california, which is in my
[1:20:51] district. Scott haggerty was a
[1:20:53] leader in the bay area politics
[1:20:55] who represented the tri-valley
[1:20:56] and the city of fremont as an
[1:20:58] alameda county supervisor for a
[1:20:59] good 24 years. That's twice as
[1:21:03] long as we're allowed here.
[1:21:06] scott led on a range of bay
[1:21:07] area issues, including
[1:21:09] transportation, clean energy,
[1:21:11] public safety, supportive
[1:21:12] housing, the arts and
[1:21:14] agriculture. He died on july
[1:21:16] 5th at the age of 68 years.
[1:21:18] scott and I had at least one
[1:21:20] thing in common. He was also a
[1:21:22] political novice. When he was
[1:21:24] first elected to public office
[1:21:26] in 1996, he burst into the east
[1:21:28] bay political scene when he won
[1:21:30] a seat on the alameda county
[1:21:31] board of supervisors at the age
[1:21:33] of 38. Despite having no prior
[1:21:36] elected public experience. He
[1:21:38] was subsequently subsequently
[1:21:40] elected to five more terms as
[1:21:44] supervisor. Over the years,
[1:21:46] scott earned a reputation as
[1:21:47] being a candid, no nonsense
[1:21:49] public official and champion of
[1:21:53] transportation, who took the
[1:21:54] lead on several major projects
[1:21:55] and initiatives. And despite
[1:21:57] the political environment, he
[1:21:59] was a nonpartizan politician.
[1:22:01] he just wanted to get things
[1:22:03] done. He successfully advocated
[1:22:05] for two countrywide
[1:22:06] transportation measures during
[1:22:08] his during his tenure that had
[1:22:10] a significant impact on the bay
[1:22:12] area. He was also a longtime
[1:22:14] leader in the metropolitan
[1:22:16] transportation commission. Kò
[1:22:18] roadway and transit projects in
[1:22:19] the tri-valley that he had
[1:22:21] worked on included highway 84
[1:22:24] extension between highway 580
[1:22:26] and livermore. Scott was also
[1:22:29] an early champion of a project
[1:22:30] close to my heart. The plan.
[1:22:33] valley link rail line
[1:22:34] connecting san joaquin valley
[1:22:35] to the bay area. Scott also
[1:22:38] served on the governing board
[1:22:39] of the livermore, alameda,
[1:22:41] livermore, amador valley
[1:22:43] transit authority, the san
[1:22:45] joaquin regional rail
[1:22:47] commission, the bay area air
[1:22:48] district, oakland-alameda
[1:22:50] county coliseum authority, and
[1:22:52] the association of bay area
[1:22:55] governments. He didn't ignore
[1:22:56] issues that nourish and sustain
[1:22:58] us by promoting agriculture,
[1:23:00] land conservation and clean
[1:23:02] energy. Scott was also a strong
[1:23:06] supporter of the marissa hunt
[1:23:08] agricultural education center
[1:23:10] and youth barn that opened in
[1:23:12] 2019 at the alameda county
[1:23:14] fairgrounds in pleasanton. He
[1:23:16] was also instrumental in
[1:23:18] developing the bankhead
[1:23:19] livermore theater, the premier
[1:23:21] performing arts venue in the
[1:23:23] tri-valley. One of scott's
[1:23:25] final projects in office was
[1:23:27] helping to provide the funding
[1:23:29] needed to launch goodness
[1:23:30] village, a supportive housing
[1:23:32] project for unsheltered people
[1:23:34] in livermore. Scott understood
[1:23:36] that addressing homelessness
[1:23:38] required creativity,
[1:23:40] opportunities for people to
[1:23:41] build their lives with dignity.
[1:23:43] scott is deeply missed. Senator
[1:23:46] wahab, thank you, colleagues. I
[1:23:48] rise to honor the life of scott
[1:23:50] haggerty, a leader whose impact
[1:23:52] transformed alameda county
[1:23:54] specifically as a board of
[1:23:55] supervisor. Scott harnessed the
[1:23:58] power of local government and
[1:23:59] addressed problems and turning
[1:24:00] ideas into results. As was
[1:24:03] mentioned, he primarily focused
[1:24:05] a lot on bay area transit and
[1:24:08] specifically in our district.
[1:24:09] as it was expanding and growing,
[1:24:12] he worked very hard to ensure
[1:24:14] that our district received its
[1:24:16] funds, received its support and
[1:24:17] much more. Scott was never shy
[1:24:20] about his beliefs and very
[1:24:24] direct and blunt about his
[1:24:26] opinions. I will say that scott
[1:24:28] actually is very much the
[1:24:29] embodiment of what human beings
[1:24:31] are flawed and struggling and
[1:24:34] have problems and have opinions
[1:24:36] and have hopes and have dreams
[1:24:38] and and so much more. And yet
[1:24:42] he was always authentically
[1:24:44] himself. And I will highlight
[1:24:46] the fact that scott and I
[1:24:47] disagreed on a wide variety of
[1:24:49] things, but he was deeply
[1:24:51] committed to his ideas and his
[1:24:53] principles, and he would at
[1:24:56] least explain why he had his
[1:24:58] opinions. And I will say that
[1:25:01] anybody that dedicates their
[1:25:02] life to public service gives a
[1:25:04] lot to the community, whether
[1:25:06] we see it or don't, whether we
[1:25:08] agree with it or don't. Scott
[1:25:11] was the individual that served
[1:25:13] for literally well over a
[1:25:16] decade plus and tried to do his
[1:25:20] best when it came to expanding
[1:25:21] public transit into the east
[1:25:24] bay and much more. Scott is
[1:25:26] survived by his wife, children,
[1:25:28] grandchildren, and siblings.
[1:25:29] and I respectfully ask. We
[1:25:30] adjourn in his memory. Senator
[1:25:33] cortez, you are recognized.
[1:25:36] thank you, mr. President.
[1:25:37] colleagues. I first met
[1:25:42] supervisor scott haggerty in
[1:25:44] 2001. I was I had just been
[1:25:47] elected to san jose city
[1:25:48] council and appointed by the
[1:25:50] mayor to our cog, the
[1:25:51] association of bay area
[1:25:52] governments, along with other
[1:25:54] appointments and commissions.
[1:25:57] and of course, supervisor
[1:26:00] haggerty, who already was a
[1:26:01] member of that commission, and
[1:26:03] other regional government
[1:26:05] bodies, made himself known
[1:26:08] almost immediately upon my
[1:26:10] arrival on the scene. I would
[1:26:14] not have become president of
[1:26:15] that organization were it not
[1:26:18] for supervisor haggerty, which,
[1:26:21] when I look back on my own
[1:26:23] history of regional government.
[1:26:28] really had had a waterfall
[1:26:31] effect, a cascading effect on
[1:26:32] my entire career thereafter,
[1:26:35] because he came up to me, he
[1:26:37] was a doer. He understood
[1:26:39] regional politics. I've found
[1:26:42] out over the years how much he
[1:26:45] understood county politics on
[1:26:47] his own board of supervisors,
[1:26:49] but he literally came up to me
[1:26:50] one day at one of the one of
[1:26:53] the association of bay area
[1:26:54] governments meetings with a
[1:26:55] clipboard and says, you need to
[1:26:57] go around and get signatures
[1:26:58] because you're going to be the
[1:26:59] next vice president of, of the
[1:27:01] organization. And I said, who
[1:27:03] do I talk to? I'm new here. I
[1:27:05] don't even know most of the
[1:27:07] people. And he said, just wait
[1:27:08] right here. And he came back
[1:27:10] about maybe ten minutes later
[1:27:12] with the entire clipboard
[1:27:14] signed, nominating me on a
[1:27:17] white ballot. Of course. Then I
[1:27:19] became, by succession the
[1:27:22] president of that organization.
[1:27:23] it was critical to us in san
[1:27:25] jose because at that time, san
[1:27:28] jose did not have a seat on
[1:27:32] what we call the metropolitan
[1:27:34] transportation commission. Our
[1:27:35] mpo, even though san jose was
[1:27:36] the largest city and still is
[1:27:39] in the bay area, it had major
[1:27:41] projects going on. And and
[1:27:43] scott knew it was very
[1:27:45] important for me to be able to,
[1:27:47] to at least open the door to
[1:27:50] legislation and a recomposition
[1:27:51] of, of our transportation
[1:27:53] commission so that san jose
[1:27:54] could be represented there. And
[1:27:57] he supported me in that not
[1:27:59] only supported me in that
[1:28:00] supported me in becoming a
[1:28:02] member of the metropolitan
[1:28:04] transportation commission
[1:28:07] through. Means that I won't get
[1:28:08] into right now. And then
[1:28:10] subsequently support supported
[1:28:11] the recomposition of of that
[1:28:15] body. So these are the kind of
[1:28:18] impacts, as we all know, as
[1:28:19] elected officials, especially
[1:28:20] worked in regional level or any
[1:28:22] other level that don't show up
[1:28:26] real clearly on somebody's
[1:28:28] resume and have this massive
[1:28:30] impact. What I didn't know, as
[1:28:32] we were working on the
[1:28:34] so-called bart extension into
[1:28:35] silicon valley, what I didn't
[1:28:38] know from scott was that he had
[1:28:40] committed to our mayor, ron
[1:28:42] gonzalez at the time, who had
[1:28:43] who had launched that project.
[1:28:46] that by all means and by any
[1:28:48] means, he was going to support
[1:28:49] the project on every vote in
[1:28:50] the future. But he never shared
[1:28:52] that with me being the savvy
[1:28:54] politician that he was. So I
[1:28:55] can't tell you how many times I
[1:28:57] had to go to him pleading for
[1:29:00] votes to continue the funding
[1:29:03] or the things that we needed,
[1:29:05] including some alameda county
[1:29:06] money from time to time to keep
[1:29:08] that project going. And, you
[1:29:11] know, of course, have have
[1:29:12] scott basically flipped the
[1:29:16] negotiating table and say, if
[1:29:18] you want that vote, you're
[1:29:19] going to have to support what
[1:29:21] I'm doing and what I want in
[1:29:22] alameda county. It wasn't until
[1:29:24] we did the groundbreaking on on
[1:29:27] the berryessa station in san
[1:29:29] jose for the bart extension
[1:29:31] that I heard mayor gonzalez and
[1:29:34] supervisors supervisor haggerty
[1:29:36] celebrating their first
[1:29:37] conversation, where scott had
[1:29:39] already committed to every
[1:29:40] single one of those votes. So
[1:29:42] it was a little bit of you have
[1:29:44] to have a sense of humor, of
[1:29:46] course, at that point and say,
[1:29:48] smart guy, good guy, good
[1:29:50] friend, good supporter. I'll
[1:29:52] let him, you know, get away
[1:29:54] with that one. Scott became a
[1:29:59] close friend because we both I
[1:30:02] have four children now, adult
[1:30:04] children, and he had several
[1:30:06] children as well. And the bumps
[1:30:10] and bruises of dealing with our
[1:30:12] own children as elected
[1:30:13] officials, you know, came came
[1:30:16] home to roost a few times. And
[1:30:18] what a lot of people didn't
[1:30:20] know about this guy who was
[1:30:23] actually pretty gruff and, and,
[1:30:26] and almost overly direct at
[1:30:28] times as an elected official
[1:30:30] was his caring and compassion
[1:30:33] and concern about others. And I
[1:30:35] will tell you some of the best
[1:30:37] advice I've ever received from
[1:30:39] anybody, including people in
[1:30:40] the medical profession, about
[1:30:41] how to, to deal with some of
[1:30:44] the issues I was dealing with
[1:30:45] in my own family, you know,
[1:30:47] came on long walks through the
[1:30:48] streets of san francisco and in
[1:30:50] other places with scott
[1:30:51] haggerty, where he just said,
[1:30:52] hey, tell me what's going on. I
[1:30:54] want to help. I just want to be
[1:30:56] of help. And that's the real
[1:30:57] human being. I think that we're
[1:30:59] celebrating not just somebody
[1:31:01] who started projects like
[1:31:04] valley link and helped bart get
[1:31:05] to silicon valley and did all
[1:31:07] these other things, but he did
[1:31:09] all that. But but someone who
[1:31:11] was very caring and concerned
[1:31:12] about others, one of the last
[1:31:15] things he said to me, he came
[1:31:17] to visit me in sacramento a few
[1:31:18] times since I've been here. But
[1:31:20] on our last trip to washington,
[1:31:21] dc together as transportation
[1:31:23] commissioners, he pleaded with
[1:31:25] me not to run for state senate.
[1:31:28] he said, you've done enough.
[1:31:29] you've had a long career. He
[1:31:31] said, I'm going to retire. And
[1:31:33] he looked at me and he said,
[1:31:34] life is too short. And I just
[1:31:35] couldn't get that out of my
[1:31:37] head. During his memorial last
[1:31:39] week. An individual who really
[1:31:43] had more years ahead of him to
[1:31:46] enjoy his life, to enjoy his
[1:31:47] family, to enjoy his his
[1:31:49] grandchildren. And I know they
[1:31:50] they miss him desperately. I'm
[1:31:52] going to miss him. And I
[1:31:54] appreciate joining in on this
[1:31:56] adjournment today. Thank you to
[1:31:57] my colleagues from stockton and
[1:32:00] hayward for that opportunity.
[1:32:01] senator, again, you are
[1:32:03] recognized. Thank you, mr.
[1:32:05] president. Colleagues, it's
[1:32:07] with profound sadness that I
[1:32:09] rise today to honor scott
[1:32:10] haggerty and try not to get
[1:32:12] emotional. Who as was mentioned,
[1:32:15] he was a dedicated public
[1:32:17] servant whose leadership helped
[1:32:19] modernize transportation and
[1:32:20] land use throughout the bay
[1:32:23] area. But on a on a personal
[1:32:25] level, he was a mentor to me
[1:32:27] and a dear friend. And like
[1:32:32] senator cortez and senator
[1:32:33] wiener and others who had the
[1:32:34] opportunity to serve with him.
[1:32:35] I had the privilege of serving
[1:32:37] with him in regional government.
[1:32:38] and like senator cortez, I was
[1:32:41] drafted by supervisor haggerty
[1:32:44] to serve as the vice president
[1:32:46] of the association of baker
[1:32:48] governments. And then I had the
[1:32:49] honor of serving as the
[1:32:50] president, working with him in
[1:32:51] that capacity. And I was
[1:32:54] surprised that this guy who was,
[1:32:56] you know, he was very
[1:32:58] intimidating. I guess I'll say
[1:32:59] that when I first met him, he
[1:33:01] had a very gruff personality
[1:33:03] and was very direct. And we had
[1:33:06] very different perspectives on
[1:33:08] issues. You know, I was the
[1:33:09] liberal mayor of berkeley, and
[1:33:10] he was this former republican
[1:33:13] conservative supervisor from
[1:33:15] the tri-valley. But beyond his
[1:33:18] gruff personality was somebody
[1:33:21] who had a heart of gold and who
[1:33:22] cared deeply about public
[1:33:24] service and cared deeply about
[1:33:26] people. And that was his north
[1:33:29] star. In his many decades of
[1:33:32] public service. And that formed
[1:33:34] a partnership over many, many
[1:33:37] years. One of the first
[1:33:39] opportunities I had to work
[1:33:40] with supervisor haggerty was
[1:33:41] when he championed the creation
[1:33:45] of our community choice
[1:33:47] aggregation public power agency
[1:33:48] in alameda county, now called
[1:33:50] ava community energy. He was
[1:33:52] the father of public power in
[1:33:55] alameda county. He saw it as an
[1:33:57] opportunity to invest in local
[1:34:00] development, create jobs, and
[1:34:01] help advance our region's
[1:34:03] efforts for energy independence.
[1:34:05] and like supervisor haggerty, I
[1:34:06] was a founding board member of
[1:34:08] ava community energy, and it
[1:34:09] was befitting because of his
[1:34:11] work. And this is something we
[1:34:13] had worked for decades to try
[1:34:14] to do in alameda county for
[1:34:17] many, many years. And it took
[1:34:19] scott haggerty to get it done.
[1:34:21] and like was said he was a
[1:34:23] person who got things done. And
[1:34:25] it was befitting that when he
[1:34:27] retired that we named, I think,
[1:34:31] one of the first wind farms
[1:34:32] that was built in the altamont
[1:34:36] pass area after scott haggerty.
[1:34:39] I think a fitting tribute to
[1:34:40] not just the impact he had in
[1:34:43] creating the agency and
[1:34:44] creating energy independence in
[1:34:46] alameda county, but his
[1:34:48] commitment towards addressing
[1:34:50] climate change. He was a giant
[1:34:57] in alameda county, in the bay
[1:34:58] area, and he cared about his
[1:35:00] constituents first and foremost.
[1:35:02] but he was somebody who was a
[1:35:03] true regionalist and recognized
[1:35:05] that the issues that impact
[1:35:07] alameda county impact every
[1:35:09] community in the bay area and
[1:35:11] brought that lens to his
[1:35:12] leadership at the regional
[1:35:14] level. In his six terms on the
[1:35:18] alameda county board of
[1:35:20] supervisors, he earned a
[1:35:21] reputation as a collaborative
[1:35:22] leader who brought people
[1:35:24] together to tackle some of our
[1:35:25] region's most pressing
[1:35:26] challenges, such as
[1:35:28] transportation, housing,
[1:35:29] economic development, and
[1:35:31] environmental stewardship. And
[1:35:33] I had the honor of working with
[1:35:34] him on so many regional issues,
[1:35:37] not only on the association of
[1:35:40] governments, but when he served
[1:35:40] as the chair of the
[1:35:42] metropolitan transportation
[1:35:43] commission, we worked very
[1:35:44] closely together on the
[1:35:46] creation of our regional
[1:35:48] transportation plan and the
[1:35:49] creation of the bay area
[1:35:50] housing finance authority.
[1:35:52] scott's legacy can be defined
[1:35:55] not just in the relationships
[1:35:56] he had with people, but so many
[1:35:59] significant transportation
[1:36:01] projects and regional
[1:36:02] initiatives that ³
[1:36:04] in his many years, as well as
[1:36:07] efforts to help provide
[1:36:09] sustainable funding for
[1:36:10] transportation such as the
[1:36:11] passage of measure b, the
[1:36:12] regional sales tax to fund
[1:36:14] transit in alameda county. In
[1:36:16] addition, extending bart to
[1:36:18] santa clara county, the oakland
[1:36:19] san francisco airport
[1:36:21] connection, the expansion of
[1:36:23] the caldecott tunnel, the
[1:36:25] salesforce transbay transit
[1:36:27] center and soon valley link are
[1:36:29] testaments to his incredible
[1:36:31] leadership. One thing also
[1:36:34] about scott is he was in his
[1:36:37] 30s when he was first elected
[1:36:38] to the alameda county board of
[1:36:40] supervisors and was kind of a
[1:36:43] maverick, and he really
[1:36:44] committed his time in office to
[1:36:47] mentor young people and mentor
[1:36:49] the next generation of leaders.
[1:36:51] and I think there's so many
[1:36:52] people who serve in elected
[1:36:54] office in the bay area who were
[1:36:56] mentored and supported and
[1:36:58] shaped by the leadership of
[1:36:59] scott haggerty. In closing, it
[1:37:01] was an honor to work with him,
[1:37:03] to consider him a friend and
[1:37:04] mentor. May we honor his memory
[1:37:07] by carrying forward his
[1:37:08] commitment to building a bay
[1:37:10] area and state that is more
[1:37:12] connected, more equitable, and
[1:37:14] more collaborative. I want to
[1:37:17] extend my deepest condolences
[1:37:18] to his family and friends and
[1:37:20] colleagues, and also ask that
[1:37:22] we adjourn the senate in his
[1:37:23] honor today. Senator wiener,
[1:37:24] you are recognized. Thank you,
[1:37:30] mr. President. I, too, had the
[1:37:32] honor of serving with scott
[1:37:35] haggerty for six years on the
[1:37:38] metropolitan transportation
[1:37:40] commission. I joined the mtc
[1:37:42] just a few months after I was
[1:37:45] sworn in as a new member of the
[1:37:47] board of supervisors. So I was
[1:37:48] very green, very new, and I
[1:37:51] knew that there were certain
[1:37:54] members of that commission who
[1:37:56] had truly been around the block
[1:37:59] and knew what they were doing.
[1:38:00] the senator from san jose was
[1:38:02] one of them, and scott haggerty
[1:38:04] was another, and he was someone.
[1:38:08] if you look at just the facts
[1:38:10] on paper, he and I should have
[1:38:11] had really nothing in common.
[1:38:13] he was this, you know, former
[1:38:16] republican, middle of the road
[1:38:18] to maybe a little bit
[1:38:19] conservative guy from a very
[1:38:22] suburban to rural part of
[1:38:25] alameda county. I was this
[1:38:27] lefty guy from san francisco
[1:38:31] who wanted to fund fund the
[1:38:34] heck out of transit and bikes
[1:38:38] and, and pedestrian spaces and
[1:38:41] so forth. We're just very, very
[1:38:43] different. But scott and I
[1:38:45] actually became quite close,
[1:38:47] and he pulled me in and helped
[1:38:49] to elevate me as a new
[1:38:53] commissioner on the commission.
[1:38:54] he he was a true regionalist.
[1:38:57] he understood that when san
[1:39:00] francisco succeeded, the east
[1:39:02] bay succeeded, and vice versa.
[1:39:05] and he wanted to make sure that
[1:39:08] all parts of the region were
[1:39:09] getting what we needed in terms
[1:39:11] of investment and support. And
[1:39:12] so I worked very, very well
[1:39:15] with him over those six years.
[1:39:18] after coming to the senate, I
[1:39:20] always looked forward when he
[1:39:21] would be up lobbying around
[1:39:23] transportation issues in the in
[1:39:25] the legislature. And it's just
[1:39:28] really just so depressing that
[1:39:31] he has gone. I know he had a a
[1:39:34] lot ahead of him and was
[1:39:36] looking forward to it. And it's
[1:39:37] a real tragedy. And I just want
[1:39:39] to express my deepest
[1:39:41] condolences to his family and
[1:39:43] his community. Thank you. Thank
[1:39:45] you so very much. Senator
[1:39:47] mcnerney, if you'll bring the
[1:39:49] name of your adjournment memory
[1:39:50] to the desk to be properly
[1:39:52] memorialized, we appreciate
[1:39:53] that. Our condolences to you,
[1:39:56] senator ashby, you are
[1:39:57] recognized for your adjournment
[1:39:58] memory. Thank you very much,
[1:40:01] mr. Presiding officer. I rise
[1:40:04] today to adjourn in the memory
[1:40:07] of a beloved and incredible
[1:40:11] sacramento hero named jonathan
[1:40:13] burgess. He passed away on may
[1:40:16] 11th at the age of 52 after a
[1:40:19] four year battle with als.
[1:40:22] jonathan is a south sacramento
[1:40:24] native and he served for more
[1:40:26] than 30 years, well over half
[1:40:28] of his life with the sacramento
[1:40:31] fire department, ended his
[1:40:33] career at the rank of battalion
[1:40:35] chief. In addition to his
[1:40:37] service with the fire
[1:40:39] department, jonathan co-founded
[1:40:41] the restaurant burgess brothers
[1:40:44] barbecue and burgers with his
[1:40:46] equally dynamic twin brother,
[1:40:49] matthew, who, by the way, this
[1:40:51] twin is a member of the
[1:40:53] sacramento police department.
[1:40:55] these two brothers are beloved
[1:40:58] across the city of sacramento.
[1:41:00] in addition to being a
[1:41:02] firefighter and a business
[1:41:03] owner, jonathan was a powerful
[1:41:07] advocate for reparations for
[1:41:09] the black community. He
[1:41:11] testified before the california
[1:41:13] reparations task force in 2021
[1:41:16] and worked to have his family's
[1:41:18] legacy restored after the state
[1:41:21] took his ancestor's land in
[1:41:23] coloma by way of eminent domain.
[1:41:27] he also published a children's
[1:41:28] book that documented his
[1:41:30] family's history as one of the
[1:41:32] earliest black settlers in the
[1:41:35] coloma region. Jonathan will be
[1:41:38] remembered as a fierce
[1:41:40] protector of justice for his
[1:41:42] acts of service, his humor and
[1:41:45] his radiant smile. Several of
[1:41:49] jonathan's friends and family
[1:41:50] join us in the gallery today,
[1:41:53] including his wife lauren, his
[1:41:55] daughters justice and jordan.
[1:41:58] his twin brother matthew, his
[1:42:00] sister tonya, many of his
[1:42:02] friends and colleagues from the
[1:42:04] sacramento fire service,
[1:42:06] including local 522 president
[1:42:08] trevor jamison. Members, please
[1:42:11] join me in adjourning in the
[1:42:13] memory of a true sacramento
[1:42:16] hero. Senator neal, you're
[1:42:18] recognized on this adjournment
[1:42:20] memory. Thank you, mr.
[1:42:21] president. I rise to join my
[1:42:25] sacramento colleague in
[1:42:27] recognizing jonathan burgess. I
[1:42:29] did not know jonathan well, but
[1:42:31] I know jonathan's reputation
[1:42:34] well. One cannot avoid that.
[1:42:38] and at age 52, that is way, way
[1:42:43] too early. And my deepest
[1:42:46] sympathies go to his family
[1:42:48] members who are here today.
[1:42:52] thank you. Senator, if you'll
[1:42:53] bring your name of your
[1:42:54] adjournment memory to the desk
[1:42:55] for proper to be properly
[1:42:58] memorialized, senator mcguire
[1:43:00] mcguire, you are recognized for
[1:43:01] your adjournment memory. Thank
[1:43:03] you so much, mr. President. And
[1:43:05] members, colleagues, I rise
[1:43:06] today in honor of the life and
[1:43:08] legacy of a remarkable public
[1:43:09] servant, marin county's chief
[1:43:11] probation officer, chief marlon
[1:43:14] washington. Chief washington
[1:43:16] began his nearly three decade
[1:43:18] long career in law enforcement,
[1:43:21] helping young people in the
[1:43:23] juvenile justice system, first
[1:43:25] in napa county and then in
[1:43:27] contra costa. And then in 2020,
[1:43:30] the chief made history. He
[1:43:33] became marin county's first
[1:43:34] african american chief of
[1:43:36] probation, serving as only just
[1:43:39] three american african american
[1:43:41] chief probation officers in
[1:43:43] california at the time. And
[1:43:45] this is an achievement that he
[1:43:46] was so incredibly proud of. For
[1:43:49] six years, he led more than 120
[1:43:52] employees working hard every
[1:43:53] day, mr. President, to build a
[1:43:56] department grounded in
[1:43:58] rehabilitation, accountability,
[1:43:59] and the belief that anyone and
[1:44:03] everyone deserves a chance at a
[1:44:06] better future. During that time,
[1:44:08] chief washington championed the
[1:44:10] clean slate program, helping
[1:44:12] those who completed probation
[1:44:14] to be able to get a new start
[1:44:16] on life. He took immense pride
[1:44:19] in the career explorers program,
[1:44:21] which introduced people from
[1:44:22] challenging backgrounds to
[1:44:24] careers in public service. He
[1:44:26] also worked to make the justice
[1:44:28] system more equitable and
[1:44:30] improve outcomes for young
[1:44:32] people, but in particular,
[1:44:34] young people of color, because
[1:44:37] that was one of his core
[1:44:39] beliefs that we can make our
[1:44:40] community safer while also
[1:44:42] helping transform lives. The
[1:44:45] chief understood that public
[1:44:47] safety wasn't just responding
[1:44:49] to a 911 call or going to a
[1:44:53] crime. It was about upstream
[1:44:55] investing, investment in
[1:44:57] preventing it, giving young
[1:44:58] people hope and hoping families
[1:45:01] will be able to find a path
[1:45:03] forward. And he also knew that
[1:45:05] leadership meant lifting up his
[1:45:07] community. He showed up every
[1:45:09] day fighting for his department,
[1:45:12] fighting for the people and the
[1:45:13] families that he served, and
[1:45:16] fighting for the communities
[1:45:17] that he proudly represented.
[1:45:19] his colleagues knew him for his
[1:45:20] quiet strength, genuine spirit,
[1:45:24] and visionary leadership. He
[1:45:26] believed in people. He
[1:45:28] instilled confidence in those
[1:45:29] around him, and he changed
[1:45:31] lives every day. He showed up
[1:45:33] in the office, and that's the
[1:45:36] public servant that we should
[1:45:37] all want. And that's what the
[1:45:39] chief dedicated his life to,
[1:45:41] and that is the legacy that he
[1:45:43] leaves behind and the people he
[1:45:45] mentored, the lives he touched
[1:45:47] and the communities that he
[1:45:49] served so faithfully. On behalf
[1:45:51] of the california state senate,
[1:45:53] I would ask that we keep the
[1:45:54] washington family and the marin
[1:45:56] county probation department in
[1:45:58] our prayers, and I appreciate
[1:45:59] the opportunity to be able to
[1:46:01] adjourn in the chief's memory.
[1:46:02] senator, we extend our
[1:46:04] condolences. Please bring the
[1:46:04] name of your adjournment memory
[1:46:06] to the desk to be properly
[1:46:08] memorialized. Senator hurtado,
[1:46:09] you are recognized for your
[1:46:11] adjournment and memory. Thank
[1:46:12] you, mr. President. Today I
[1:46:15] rise to honor the life and
[1:46:16] legacy of a remarkable man.
[1:46:19] doctor koinos lnx junior, a
[1:46:22] gifted cardiac surgeon, a
[1:46:24] visionary, visionary leader,
[1:46:26] and a dear partner in our
[1:46:27] shared mission to make
[1:46:28] healthcare more equitable. For
[1:46:30] every californian, I had the
[1:46:33] privilege of working closely
[1:46:34] with doctor x on one of the
[1:46:37] initiatives he cared about most
[1:46:38] the california medicine
[1:46:40] scholars program. Together, we
[1:46:42] secured its initial funding in
[1:46:43] the 2021 state budget, creating
[1:46:46] new pathways for community
[1:46:48] college students to pursue
[1:46:50] careers in medicine. It was a
[1:46:52] two year fight. Doctor x
[1:46:55] believed that a student's
[1:46:57] background should never
[1:46:58] determine their future, and he
[1:46:59] dedicated his life to making
[1:47:01] that belief a reality. His
[1:47:05] vision reached far beyond
[1:47:07] california. Working alongside
[1:47:09] congresswoman barbara lee, he
[1:47:10] helped inspired the national
[1:47:12] medical corps act. Driven by a
[1:47:15] simple but powerful belief that
[1:47:17] every community deserves
[1:47:20] doctors who understand the
[1:47:22] people they serve. The
[1:47:25] commitment to service defined
[1:47:26] his life as a cardiac surgeon.
[1:47:29] doctor x cared for patients
[1:47:31] across the bay area, bringing
[1:47:32] compassion and excellence to
[1:47:34] every operating room. Inspired
[1:47:37] by his father, civil rights
[1:47:39] attorney, alex senior, he
[1:47:42] carried forward a lifelong
[1:47:43] commitment to justice not in
[1:47:46] the courtroom, but through
[1:47:48] medicine, education and
[1:47:50] opportunity. One of the
[1:47:52] defining moments of his life
[1:47:53] came in 1973, when he responded
[1:47:56] to the tragic assassination of
[1:47:58] oakland superintendent doctor
[1:48:01] marcus foster. Although he was
[1:48:03] forced to pronounce doctor
[1:48:05] foster's passing, he saved the
[1:48:06] life of deputy superintendent
[1:48:08] doctor bob blackburn. That
[1:48:11] experience inspired more than
[1:48:12] two decades of service with the
[1:48:14] marcus foster education
[1:48:16] institute, helping create
[1:48:18] educational opportunities for
[1:48:20] future generations. Above all,
[1:48:23] doctor annex was a devoted
[1:48:25] father, grandfather, mentor and
[1:48:28] friend. His legacy is measured
[1:48:30] not only by the lives he saved
[1:48:32] as a surgeon, but by the doors
[1:48:35] he opened for countless others
[1:48:38] who now have the opportunity to
[1:48:40] follow in his footsteps. I'm
[1:48:43] grateful to have known him, to
[1:48:45] have worked alongside him, and
[1:48:47] to have witnessed firsthand his
[1:48:50] unwavering commitment to
[1:48:51] building a more just and
[1:48:53] compassionate health care
[1:48:55] system. May we honor his memory
[1:48:57] by carrying forward the work he
[1:49:00] cared so deeply about, and by
[1:49:02] continuing to create
[1:49:04] opportunities for those who
[1:49:05] will follow in his footsteps.
[1:49:08] members, please join me today
[1:49:09] in adjourning in the member in
[1:49:10] the memory of doctor coignet
[1:49:13] lnx junior senator, our
[1:49:17] sincerest condolences and you
[1:49:18] are also recognized for your
[1:49:20] additional adjournment memory.
[1:49:26] thank you. Today I rise to
[1:49:27] honor the life and memory of
[1:49:29] yolanda yoli rojo, a remarkable
[1:49:32] woman from bakersfield whose
[1:49:33] love for her family and her
[1:49:35] community will never be
[1:49:36] forgotten. Yolanda's story
[1:49:38] began on october 6th, 1995, in
[1:49:41] bakersfield, where she was born
[1:49:42] and raised. From a young age,
[1:49:45] those around her saw someone
[1:49:46] who led with both determination
[1:49:49] and heart. Her years in
[1:49:51] catholic school helped shaped
[1:49:52] her deep sense of faith and
[1:49:55] compassion while her. While on
[1:49:57] her time on the volleyball
[1:49:59] court and the track field
[1:50:00] taught her the value of
[1:50:02] perseverance, discipline and
[1:50:03] how to lift those around her.
[1:50:08] but if you ask those who knew
[1:50:10] yolanda what defined her most,
[1:50:12] they wouldn't begin with her
[1:50:14] accomplishments. They would
[1:50:15] tell you about the way she made
[1:50:18] people feel. They would tell
[1:50:20] you that family was her
[1:50:22] greatest purpose. As the oldest
[1:50:25] sister, yolanda naturally
[1:50:26] stepped into the role of
[1:50:28] protector, confidant and steady
[1:50:30] source of strength. She was a
[1:50:33] person everyone could count on,
[1:50:35] the one who brought people
[1:50:37] together, who filled every room
[1:50:40] with laughter, and who made her
[1:50:42] home a place where everyone
[1:50:44] felt welcomed, supported, and
[1:50:46] loved. Her greatest pride,
[1:50:50] however, was being a mother.
[1:50:53] everything she did revolved
[1:50:54] around her two beautiful
[1:50:56] daughters, whether she was
[1:50:58] cheering them on at a dance
[1:51:00] competition, traveling for
[1:51:02] cheer events, or celebrating
[1:51:03] them on the golf course, or
[1:51:06] simply encouraging them to
[1:51:07] chase every dream they had.
[1:51:09] your orlando was always their
[1:51:11] biggest fan. She didn't just
[1:51:13] tell her daughters they could
[1:51:15] accomplish anything. She showed
[1:51:17] them every day what
[1:51:18] unconditional love, sacrifice,
[1:51:20] and devotion looked like.
[1:51:23] although yolanda's life was
[1:51:25] tragically cut short on march
[1:51:27] 25th, 2026, the measure of a
[1:51:30] life is not found in its length,
[1:51:32] but in the love it leaves
[1:51:34] behind. By that measure,
[1:51:36] yolanda lived an extraordinary
[1:51:38] life. Her kindness, generosity,
[1:51:41] and unwavering love continue to
[1:51:42] live on through her daughters,
[1:51:44] her family, and the countless
[1:51:46] friends and neighbors whose
[1:51:47] lives are better because they
[1:51:49] knew her. Today, we remember
[1:51:52] not only the life that was lost,
[1:51:54] but the love that remains. We
[1:51:56] honor a devoted mother, a
[1:51:58] cherished daughter and sister,
[1:52:00] a loyal friend, and a woman
[1:52:02] whose legacy will continue to
[1:52:05] inspire all who carry her
[1:52:07] memory forward. Yolanda rojo is
[1:52:10] survived by her two beloved
[1:52:12] daughters and her loving family.
[1:52:14] mr. President members, please
[1:52:15] join me in a journey today in
[1:52:17] the memory of yolanda yoly rojo.
[1:52:20] thank you senator. Our
[1:52:22] condolences. Please bring the
[1:52:23] names of your adjournments in
[1:52:24] memory to the desk to be
[1:52:26] properly memorialized. Thank
[1:52:27] you, senator nilo. You are
[1:52:29] recognized for your adjournment
[1:52:30] in memory. Thank you, mr.
[1:52:32] president. I rise to pay
[1:52:34] tribute to the life and memory
[1:52:37] of john m mike holmes, who died
[1:52:42] on june 27th of this year at
[1:52:44] the age of 86. He was a
[1:52:49] distinguished californian and
[1:52:51] devoted auburn city council
[1:52:53] member and mayor, and a
[1:52:56] longtime very good friend of
[1:52:58] mine. Mike served in the united
[1:53:02] states navy with distinction,
[1:53:05] retiring as a captain after a
[1:53:07] career that included
[1:53:08] deployments to vietnam and
[1:53:11] taiwan and earning numerous
[1:53:13] honors, including the legion of
[1:53:15] merit award, the bronze star
[1:53:17] and the meritorious service
[1:53:20] medal. As a civilian, he was a
[1:53:25] dedicated advocate for
[1:53:26] protecting auburn's history,
[1:53:29] character and future. He
[1:53:32] continued a life of service
[1:53:34] following his military career.
[1:53:35] through his professional work
[1:53:38] and extensive civic involvement,
[1:53:41] including through his work on
[1:53:42] the auburn city council, to
[1:53:44] which he was elected in 2002,
[1:53:49] 2006, 2010, and again 2022. In
[1:53:55] addition to serving as mayor in
[1:53:57] zero five and zero eight. And I
[1:53:59] would point out that between
[1:54:03] 2010 and when he was reelected
[1:54:05] in 22, coincided with my
[1:54:09] absence from the legislature.
[1:54:11] and when he was first reelected
[1:54:14] and I was elected to the senate,
[1:54:16] he made a point to come and
[1:54:18] visit with me in my district
[1:54:20] office. He was a very
[1:54:22] thoughtful guy. Mike's
[1:54:24] commitment to auburn extended
[1:54:26] well beyond city hall through
[1:54:28] his involvement in numerous
[1:54:30] community organizations and
[1:54:32] service initiatives, he leaves
[1:54:37] to mourn his passing and
[1:54:39] celebrate his legacy to a host
[1:54:41] of devoted family members and
[1:54:44] friends, including jim holmes,
[1:54:47] carol hennig, and harry holmes.
[1:54:51] so please join me in closing
[1:54:54] today's session in the memory
[1:54:57] of a dedicated friend of auburn
[1:55:00] and our region, mike holmes.
[1:55:05] senator, please bring the name
[1:55:06] of your adjournment memory to
[1:55:08] the desk to be properly
[1:55:09] memorialized. Our sincere
[1:55:10] condolences. If there is no
[1:55:13] other business majority leader
[1:55:15] ashby, the desk is clear. Thank
[1:55:17] you, mr. President. And thank
[1:55:19] you to my senate colleagues for
[1:55:22] getting through the first week
[1:55:24] back. We have much work ahead
[1:55:26] of us. In the month of august.
[1:55:28] we will adjourn today's session,
[1:55:30] and the next floor session will
[1:55:32] be scheduled for monday, august
[1:55:35] 10th at 2 p.m. The senate will
[1:55:38] be in recess until 3:30 p.m. At
[1:55:41] which time the adjournment
[1:55:42] motion will be made. We will
[1:55:44] reconvene monday, august 10th,
[1:55:46] 2026 at 2 p.m. Have a good
[1:55:50] weekend, senators.