Senate Floor

Secretary. Please call the roll.

Allen. Alvarado-Gil. Archuleta. Ashby. Atkins. Becker. Blakespear. Bradford. Caballero. Cortese. Dahle. Dodd. Durazo. Eggman. Glazer. Gonzalez. Grove. Hurtado. Jones. Laird. Limon. McGuire. Menjivar. Min. Newman. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Padilla. Portantino. Roth. Rubio. Seyarto. Skinner. Smallwood-Cuevas. Stern. Umberg. Wahab. Wiener. Wilk.

Members, a quorum is present. Would our Members and our guests beyond the rail please rise? Before we begin today, I will ask everyone to observe a moment of silence for the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay. Thank you. We'll be led in prayer this morning by our chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, after which we'll ask you to remain standing and we'll be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Senator Becker.

In this poem by Danna Faulds, I invite you to imagine God speaking these words to you. Who you are is so much more than what you do. The essence, the bare truth of you, does not lie in your to do list. You are not just at the surface of your skin. Not just the impulse to arrange the muscles of your face into a smile or a frown. Not just boundless energy or bone wearying fatigue. Delve deeper. You are divinity. The vast and open sky of spirit.

It's the fire of God, the ember at your core. The passion and the presence, the timeless, deathless essence of you that reaches out and touches others. Who you are transcends fear and turns suffering into liberation. Who you are is love. Loving, creative God, help us to remember who we are when we are labeled because of our politics, religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, style, or appearance. May we remember that you know our heart, soul, and center as we turn suffering into liberation each day. Amen.

Members, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge of allegiance to the United. States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right. Members will move on to messages from the Governor that will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports from committee will be deemed read and amendments adopted. Motions and resolutions, there are none. Introductions of first reading of bills will be deemed read. Consideration of the daily file. Senator Laid will move to file items one, five, and six, Governor's appointments. Senator Laird, are you prepared? He is. We'll start with file item one.

Thank you, Mr. President. File item number one is the confirmation of Ellen Gavin for appointment to the California Arts Council. Ms. Gavin is a screenwriter and producer for Gavin Creative, was the founding artistic director of Brava for Women in the Arts. She was approved by the Rules Committee on January 11. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on the appointment? Hearing and seeing none. Please call the roll.

Allen. Alvarado-Gil. Archuleta. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Atkins. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespear. Aye. Bradford. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Dahle. Dodd. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Eggman. Aye. Glazer. Aye. Gonzalez. Grove. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. Laird. Aye. Limon. Aye. McGuire. Aye. Menjivar. Aye. Min. Aye. Newman. Aye. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Padilla. Aye. Portantino. Aye. Roth. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Seyarto. Skinner. Aye. Smallwood-Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Umberg. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Wilk. Aye.

Please call the absent Members.

Allen. Alvarado-Gil. Aye. Dahle. Gonzalez. Grove. Jones. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Seyarto. Stern.

We're going to ask you to call the absent Members one more time.

Allen. Dahle. Gonzalez. Grove. Jones. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Seyarto. Stern.

Ayes 30. Noes zero. The appointment is confirmed. Now we're moving on to file item five.

Thank you, Mr. President. File item five is the confirmation of Danette Brown as a member of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She's an educator in the La Habra School District. She was approved by the Rules Committee on January 18. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on the appointment? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

Allen. Alvarado-Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Atkins. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespear. Aye. Bradford. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Dahle. Dodd. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Eggman. Aye. Glazer. Aye. Gonzalez. Grove. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. Laird. Aye. Limon. Aye. McGuire. Aye. Menjivar. Aye. Min. Aye. Newman. Aye. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Padilla. Aye. Portantino. Aye. Roth. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Seyarto. Skinner. Aye. Smallwood-Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Umberg. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Wilk. Aye.

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

Allen. Aye. Dahle. Gonzalez. Grove. Jones. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Seyarto. Stern. Stern, aye.

Ayes 32, noes zero. The appointment is confirmed. Now moving on to file item six.

Thank you, Mr. President. File item number six is the confirmation of Marquita Grenot-Scheyer as a member of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Dr. Grenot-Scheyer is a professor emeritus at Cal State University Long Beach. She was approved by the Rules Committee on January 18. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on the appointment? Any further discussion or debate? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll on file item six.

Allen. Aye. Alvarado-Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Atkins. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespear. Aye. Bradford. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Dahle. Dodd. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Eggman. Aye. Glazer. Aye. Gonzalez. Grove. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. Laird. Aye. Limon. Aye. McGuire. Aye. Menjivar. Aye. Min. Aye. Newman. Aye. Nguyen. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Padilla. Aye. Portantino. Aye. Roth. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Seyarto. Skinner. Aye. Smallwood-Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Wilk. No.

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

Dahle. Gonzalez. Grove. Jones. Jones, no. Nguyen. No. Niello. Ochoa Bogh. Seyarto. No.

Ayes 31. Noes 4. The appointment is confirmed. Now, Members, we're moving on to file item nine. Senator Newman, are you prepared? Secretary, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 by Senator Newman, relative to Stand Against Hate Action Day.

Senator Newman, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm pleased to present SCR 15 commemorating January 28 as Stand Against Hate Action Day in California. Colleagues, it's a disconcerting fact that over the past few years, our state and in fact the nation at large has been engulfed in what can fairly be described as a rising tide of hate. Misinformation around the COVID-19 Pandemic, the recent disconcerting rise of white nationalism, and our nation's long and troubled history of discrimination have resulted in some of the highest hate crime rates California has seen in decades. According to a 2021 report from the Attorney General's Office, since 2012, the number of reported hate crimes in California has increased by 89.6%. Within that overall number, antitransgender and gender-nonconforming hate crimes have increased by 221%, antisemitic hate crimes by 67%, and anti-Asian hate crimes by a stunning 974%.

Across the board, our state's Black, Latino, Muslim, Sikh, and queer communities, just to name a few, have suffered marked increases in hate-based violence. These numbers are obviously very troubling to all of us. What's more, though, is that we can be sure that they actually barely scratch the surface, since hate crimes as a category tend to be severely underreported. According to a 2021 report from the US Department of Justice, more than 40% of victims of violent hate crimes decide against formally reporting their incidents to law enforcement. In fact, it's a sad reality that too many people, especially first-generation Californians, often don't recognize when aggressive or violent behavior to which they may have been subjected constitutes a hate crime. Even worse, there remains in place a fairly pervasive attitude that the recipients of hateful acts should simply tough it out, move on with their lives, and not bother the police.

Hate and hateful acts have no place in our California. They alter the course of a victim's life, endanger the public safety, and attack the very notion of what it means to be American. So it's imperative that we respond to hate with a multifaceted approach that promotes public education on prevention, intervention, and supportive services for victims.

With that in mind, I'd like to thank my colleagues in the AAPI Legislative Caucus for their work in securing a record $165,000,000 over three years for a number of important programs that will help California address the root causes of racism and hate. This funding will expand anti-bias education within our schools, improve data collection, and, most importantly, provide $110,000,000 for victim services, interracial and multicultural dialogue, and bystander education.

The work cannot end here, though. It's incumbent upon each of us to take an active role in denouncing hate. This past August, I had the privilege of joining my predecessor, former State Senator Bob Huff, along with his wife and partner May, for the launch of the Act Against Hate Alliance.

It is our shared hope that the Stand Against Hate Action Day will encourage all of us to take steps to be better citizens, both as advocates and bystanders when reporting incidents, supporting victims, and intervening when it is safe to do so. May we work together to address the rise in hate, in building more welcoming and inclusive California. I respectfully ask for your aye vote today.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Any further discussion or debate? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

Allen, aye. Alvarado-Gil, aye. Archuleta, aye. Ashby, aye. Atkins, aye. Becker, aye. Blakespear, aye. Bradford, aye. Caballero, aye. Cortese, aye. Dahle. Dodd, aye. Durazo, aye. Eggman, aye. Glazer, aye. Gonzalez. Grove. Hurtado, aye. Jones, aye. Laird, aye. Limon, aye. McGuire, aye. Menjivar, aye. Min, aye. Newman, aye. Nguyen, aye. Niello, aye. Ochoa Bogh, aye. Padilla, aye. Portantino, aye. Roth, aye. Rubio, aye. Seyarto, aye. Skinner, aye. Smallwood-Cuevas, aye. Stern, aye. Umberg, aye. Wahab, aye. Wiener, aye. Wilk, aye.

Secretary, please call the absent member.

Dahle, aye. Gonzalez. Grove.

Ayes 38, noes zero. The appointment is confirmed. I mean resolution passes. Now we're moving on to file item ten, Senator Nguyen. She's prepared. Secretary, you may read.

Senate Resolution Ten by Senator Nguyen relative to Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Senator Nguyen.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to present SR 10 which recognized this past Sunday, January 22, as Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or known as T?t. In the Vietnamese community around the world, T?t celebrates the arrival of a new spring where families reunite, enjoy each other's company, forget about the troubles of the previous year, and look forward to a new year filled with prosperity, happiness, and good health.

T?t is observed on the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese lunar calendar and ranges between late January and mid February on the Gregorian calendar. While other Asian culture this year celebrates Lunar New Year as the year of the rabbit. Vietnamese culture, though we recognize this year as the year of the cat, which is also the fourth sign in this Vietnamese zodiac.

Common tradition that takes place during the celebration of Lunar New Year includes giving out small red envelopes, which we call it Li Xi. With small amount of money. I can tell you, growing up, T?t was one of my favorite holiday because I banked a lot of $1 bills and it adds up pretty quick. Lantern festival, lion dances, dragon dances, fireworks, cleaning homes to remove all the bad luck.

So on the first day of New Year's, you will see most Asian families, especially in the Vietnamese, we don't clean up, we don't touch, we don't cook, nothing. Because whatever you set the tone for the first day is the tone you set for the rest of the year. So we also ask to not work as well. So I'm very proud to be able to share my family's culture and heritage with everyone that I meet.

And I especially am proud to teach my children the traditions of T?t and Lunar New Year. And so I want to just wish everybody a happy Lunar New Year. And just in Vietnamese. [Vietnamese speaking]. At this time, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 38 no. Zero. The resolution is adopted, Members. Now we're going to move back to privilege of the floor. Members, on behalf of Senator Dahle, I would like to welcome Jim and Emily Rankin of Anderson, California, who are here today with us in the gallery. Please give them a warm Senate. California Senate welcome. Thank you. Now, Members, we're turning to motions and resolutions. Now is the time for adjourn in memory. Senator Umberg is prepared. When you're ready, the floor is yours. Thank you.

Mr. President and colleagues, I rise today to commemorate the life of Judge Francis Munoz, the first Latina trial judge in California. Judge Munoz was born September 17, 1930 in Miami, Arizona. A daughter of immigrants, she was the fifth of eleven children in her family and forced to attend segregated schools with her siblings. As a teenager, she worked as an agriculture worker with her father to help support the family.

After first, she was the first in her family to graduate from high school, the first to graduate from junior college, the first to graduate from college, and the first to graduate from law school. She took night classes at Los Angeles City College. She also helped her brother she first helped her brother gain a law school education, earning his jurisdictorate. In 1971, she became the first Latina and only the second woman to be employed by the Orange County Public Defender's Office.

In 1974, she co-founded the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County, helping to ensure that Hispanic legal professionals in Orange County were presented the same opportunities as others. Judge Munoz worked six years as a public defender before making history by becoming the first Latina trial judge in the history of California and one of the first in the country. She was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Her brother Greg was also appointed to the bench in 1999. Judge Munoz retired after serving 23 years on the bench.

But that was the beginning of her second career as another community activist and volunteer in her free time. Even while serving on the bench, she tutored students at Madison elementary in Santa Ana and helped immigrant families through the legal system. Judge Munoz helped invest in her community through several charities. In 1993, she helped establish the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund, providing scholarships to first generation college students in Orange County. And she co-founded Laveno Foundation, which awarded scholarships to Hispanic students in need.

Judge Munoz was the embodiment of the American Dream and California values, not only because of her humble beginnings and incredible success, but also because of her many years of resounding public service and commitment to giving back to her community. She has survived by her sisters, vera, Angie, Margaret and Rose. And my life was enriched by knowing Judge Munoz and her brother Greg. Mr. President, I ask that we adjourn in her memory.

Thank you, Senator. Umberg, we ask that you bring his name forward so the judge could be properly memorialized. Next, we're moving on to Senator Ochoa Bogh.

It is with great sadness that I rise to adjourn in memory of Ali Mazarai, a husband, father, son, brother, mentor, businessman, community activist, and my friend. Neither the residents of Riverside County nor I will ever forget Ali Mazarai. His persona was one that was larger than life, quite frankly, a colorful soul. His family fled Iran in 1979 because of the Iranian Revolution when he was just nine years old. And from then on, he had considered the United States to be his adopted country.

He was a patriotic man who loved this country and used his precious resources, and most importantly, his gift of time to help educate people on the Constitution, what it meant to have our freedoms, and what we needed to do to protect the values that embodied the American Dream. As a Muslim man, he was a man of God who embraced everyone, regardless of race, religion, lifestyle. As evidenced by his actions, such as during the pandemic when churches were closed.

He opened his home to a local Christian pastor so that he could perform baptism in his pool. He also offered his home to friends who were Jewish. When he learned that their grandchild was to have his bar mitzvah, he embodied the American Dream and the opportunities this country had to offer. At 1.0, he had mentioned that he owned 38 companies. I'm still trying to verify that.

From his bright yellow shirts to his red, white and blue bus, to his unwavering support for his community, riverside county will never be the same without him. Ali's dedication to his community was just one characteristic he attributed to his parents, who accomplished amazing feats themselves, such as co founding the All Girls School of Tomorrow in Iran and expanding the International Boys and Girls Scouts in their community. Above all, Ali will be remembered for his unwavering generosity and his commitment to his community and his country.

Ali started a shop with a cop in Riverside County to provide items to underprivileged children. And when he was diagnoesd with his terminal pancreatic cancer, he made sure that the program would continue by finding sponsors to carry on the tradition. He also provided bulletproof backpacks to students throughout Riverside County who lacked school supplies and participated in food drives to supply families with a hearty meal.

He was a pillar of our community and will be dearly missed our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Sarah, and his two amazing daughters, Sadaf and Paranius.

Thanks. Senator. Senator Roth.

Thank you, Mr. President. I first met Ali Mazari shortly after I was first elected to this state Senate in 2012. He came to the district office to, as I recall, talk to me about one of the many issues, one of the many community and state issues that he was quite passionate about. While Ollie and I didn't agree on many things related to politics, we did agree on one very, very important thing.

And that was, and is our love of his community, the city of Perris, our region, and the people who live there. Ali was everywhere all the time, and all for his community. He was the first to step up when someone was in need. For example, he donated each year 2000 winter coats to needy children. He purchased laptop computers for the kids at Taft Elementary School.

And they say he even provided more than three tons of food to the needy during the pandemic out of his gas station and his food mart in Perris. Ali was a big man with an even bigger heart, and he will certainly be missed. Thank you.

Thank you, senators. We'll ask that you bring his name forward so he can be properly memorialized by the California State Senate. Senator Allen.

Members it's with a heavy heart that I rise today to adjourn in memory of a friend of mine, the mother of a peer, a good friend I grew up with, Carol Meltzner. She passed away at the beginning of this month, on the very beginning of the year. Carol was a mother, a wife, an educator, a synagogue leader, a caretaker. She gave all these things, gave her countless opportunities to pour her truly unending love and kindness into the lives of those around her.

She was born in the Bronx in 1937, served as a teacher in New York, made her way west, ultimately ended up in Southern California teaching and established herself firmly in her new home in our area, she continued teaching. She became a core Member of her new synagogue community, eventually married her husband, Sydney, who she served 51 years with. Late into their years together, carol's life was marked by a vibrant warmth that was constantly visible. She spent time with her loved ones. She cared for Sydney.

She was somebody who, when we all found out about her death, it was just interesting to see the spontaneous outpouring of emotion and grief and love for her amongst the peers that had grown up with her son, who she used to drive to carpool with. And all of us got together. We started writing each other, writing memories of Carol. We all ended up donating to the synagogue. She was just a good, good person, and her warmth was so obvious and something that we'd all felt.

Her memory was cherished by her family, her husband, Sydney, her brother and sister in law, David and Wendy, her son and son in law, Aaron and Nick. Aaron is a brilliant product of our school system in Santa Monica. I went to high school with him. He ended up getting a PhD. From Caltech. He's now an expert in geology and earthquakes as a professor, and a brilliant young person who I got to hear his beautiful eulogy at his mother's funeral a couple of weeks ago.

And he talked about the unending and unrequited, just the deep love that she had for him, the deep mothering instinct that she had for him, and the joy and the pride that they showed in him at every stage of his life and how important that was in his own development as a young person. Following her passing, Carol's family has raised donations in awareness of Kreutzfeld Jakub disease, which is an exceedingly rare and progressive form of dementia that she unfortunately suffered from.

And as a result of their work, trying to raise money. We're hoping that her life will continue to be a blessing for those that come after her. The light and beauty that Carol's presence carried throughout her 85 years with us continues to brighten the lives of all those who had the privilege of sharing it with her, and myself very much included. And colleagues, I just ask you to join me in honoring the life of Carol Meltzner by adjourning in her memory.

Thank you. Senator Allen. We'll ask that you bring her name forward so she can be properly memorialized by the California State Senate if there's no other business. Senator Atkins, the desk is clear.

Mr. President. Thanks so much. Our next floor session is scheduled for Monday, January 30, 2023, at 02:00 p.m..

The Senate will be in recess until 03:30 p.m., at which time an adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene on Monday, January 30, at 02:00 p.m. Thank you.