Senate Floor

Secretary will 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.

Quorum is present. Will the Members and our guests beyond the rail and in the gallery please rise. We'll be led in prayer this morning by Chaplain Sister Michelle Gorman. Following, we'll have the pledge. Please remain standing for the pledge that will be led by Senator Durazo.

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Josephine Bakhita, who died in 1947. She is recognized by people of many faiths as the patron saint of the anti-trafficking movement. As a child in southern Sudan, she was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Eventually, she became a nun in Italy, where she was known for her healing presence. She was officially declared a saint by John Paul II in 2000. And so today we pray.

God of mercy, may those deprived of freedom and dignity find consolation in the life of Josephine Bakhita. Transform and heal the hearts of those who inflict pain and anguish on others for profit. Give hope and resilience to all those working to eradicate the ongoing crime of slavery around the world and in California. Be with all of us in our struggle for justice, love, and peace. Amen.

In the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of 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, are there any privileges of the floor? Seeing none, we'll move on to messages from the Governor, which will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly, which will be deemed read. Reports of committees, which will be deemed read and amendments adopted. Now, moving on to motions, resolutions, and notices. Any Member have one? Seeing none, we'll move on to introduction, first reading of bills, which will be deemed read. Now we're going to move to the consideration of the daily file. Up first is Senator Laird, item three, Governor's appointments. Senator, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. File Item three is the confirmation of Francesca Vietor to the State Park and Recreation Commission. She is currently the Senior Advisor on the Environment at the San Francisco Foundation and has served in various capacities at that organization. She was approved by the Rules Committee on February 1. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any other comments? Seeing none. Let's call the roll. Please call the roll. Thank you.

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

Please call the absent members.

Allen. Becker. Becker, aye. Dahle.

Ayes 31, noes 7. That confirmation is confirmed. Now we'll move on to the special consent calendar number two, which is item five. Does any Member want to pull the item from the consent calendar? Seeing none, please call the roll.

ACR 2, by Assembly Member Weber, relative to Maternal Health and Awareness Day.

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. Aye. Grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. Aye. Laird. Aye. Limon. Aye. McGuire. Aye. Menjivar. Aye. Min. Newman. Aye. Nguyen. Aye. Niello. Aye. Ochoa Bogh. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Portantino. Aye. Roth. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Seyarto. Aye. Skinner. Skinner. Aye. Smallwood-Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Wilk. Aye.

Please call the absent Members.

Allen.

Please call the absent Members.

Allen. Dahle. Min. Min, aye.

Ayes 38. Noes zero. The consent calendar has been adopted. Now, moving on to committee announcements. Senator Cortese.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Labor Committee will convene upon adjournment of session, and I think that's in 2200. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Now, we'll be returning to motions and resolutions. This is the appropriate time to address adjourned in memories, and our first presenter will be Senator Min. When you're ready, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. President. Members, I rise to adjourn in memory of Mary Adams Urashima, an author and longtime community leader from Huntington Beach. A preservationist, Mary was best known for her advocacy around saving the Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Mission Complex and the Furuta Family Farm in Huntington Beach. Along with leading the community efforts to preserve these spaces, Urashima started a blog to educate Orange County residents about the importance of these historical sites for Japanese Americans.

She authored Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach and contributed to a documentary called "Our Journey to America, the Furuta of Historic Wintersburg." Mary Adams Urashima was a well regarded and respected member of our community in Orange County and fought ,not only for preservation of these sites, but also for education around Japanese American history, social justice, and civil rights. After a two year battle with cancer, Mary passed on November 20 of last year. Her legacy lives on through her life's work, and we ask that we all educate ourselves about the spaces she fought so hard to preserve. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Min. And please pass on our condolences from the Senate. Up next, Senator Cortese.

Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. I rise to adjourn in memory of Tom Wheatley, a lifelong San Jose resident and one of the most respected police officers the San Jose Police Department has ever known. He passed away at the age of 71 on January 23 surrounded by his family. Tom served the San Jose Police Department for 30 years and retired as acting Chief of Police 18 years ago, almost 19, in 2004.

I met him during my first term on the San Jose City Council when he was when he was the acting Chief. His distinguished career included a Medal of Valor for bravery in the line of duty. He was certainly a true testament to how much one's individual good deeds can impact those around him. He's going to be remembered in the highest regard for the bravery that he was recognized for, his big heart, and service to his community, of course.

I want to share a little bit of an episode I had with him that I'll always remember. During that first term on the City Council, while he was in that acting Chief capacity, and remember, this is an acting Chief, never actually became permanent Chief. And I'll say more about that in just a moment. We were doing a ribbon cutting at a storefront police substation in one of the most crime ridden parts of the City of San Jose, and Tom, with all his compassion, decided to stick around for a while and gather some of the families and children that were there around him and ask if anyone had any questions. And one young man raised his hand and said, what is the toughest job the police department faces? What is the toughest thing you have to do? And I'm standing there in this very tough part of town from a crime standpoint, thinking, what's he going to say?

Homicide, some other violent crime, any number of things would have fit the circumstance. Remember, this is 19 years ago. He looked at that young man and said, homelessness. And that speaks volumes about who Tom Wheatley was. We call police officers peace officers. And he was really a compassionate peacemaker in his job. And that was reflected just about a week ago at his memorial service at St. Christopher's Church in San Jose. It's funny how we get little narratives in our own heads sometimes, I do at least. On the way to the funeral, I'm thinking, acting Chief, 19 years ago, probably me, the family, maybe some other elected officials. That church was standing room only 19 years after this man retired. Standing room only. And I know what you're thinking. Sure, the police officers must have taken up all the pews. No, couple rows. Former Chiefs from all over the country who were of his era flew in from out of state.

But the most amazing thing was there was a cross section of the San Jose community there that you rarely see come together. It wasn't partisan. It was journalists. It was neighborhood leaders. It was people from his church. There were actually only two elected officials at the service, and I was proud to be one of them. We're going to miss him very, very dearly, of course, and I appreciate all of you for recognizing him with this adjournment today. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Sounds like a tremendous loss for your community. Moving, finally, we have Senator Glazer. And you're going to be speaking, I believe, from Majority Floor Leaders' desk. You may proceed when ready.

Thank you, Mr. President and Members. I'd ask the Senate to adjourn in memory of Arthur Lee Fountain Jr, a Pittsburgh community leader who died recently at the age of 67. First, I'd like to recognize Art's sister, Patricia Roberts, who is here with us today behind the chambers. There she is. Art was a longtime employee of the Sears Roebuck, working through the ranks, the general manager in that iconic retail business during his 31 year career there. But if one thing stood out about Art, it was his commitment to community service.

From Santa Cruz to San Bruno, before he made his way to my district in Pittsburgh, Art served four years on the Pittsburgh City Council's Community Advisory Commission, including one term as Board Chair. His role was to advise the City Council on strategies to address social and environmental concerns that affect the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. This means you have to have your ear to the ground and a good grasp of what's going on.

And that's what Art did best. He more recently served as a board member of the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District. In that role, he worked to ensure residents of Pittsburgh and nearby communities had access to health care. He will be missed by all those whose lives he touched are survived by his two daughters, Centoya Fountain Cole and Shalanda Stevenson Clifton. Five grandchildren, two godsons, two sisters, and a host of other relatives. Thank you for adjourning in the memory of Arthur Lee Fountain Jr.

Thank you, Senator Glazer. Do you have an introduction? That was it? Okay. Okay. Is there any other business before the Senate? If not, Senator Atkins, the desk is clear.

Mr. President, thanks so much. Our next floor session is scheduled for Monday, February 13, 2023, at 2:00 PM.

Right. The Senate will be in recess until 3:30 PM, at which time, you said to go this way. This way. I'm doing it this way. The adjournment motion will be made. We'll reconvene again Monday, February 13, at 2:00 PM, before Senators leave the floor, please don your red jacket and come up here for a family photo. And with that, Members, have a great weekend.