Senate Floor

Secretary will call the role.

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

A quorum is present with the members and our guests beyond the rail and in the gallery. Please rise. We will be led in prayer this afternoon by our chaplain, sister Michelle Gorman, after which please remain standing. We will be led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag by Senator Durazzo. Thank you.

Let us consider that we are manifestations of the presence of God. God of the small, the subtle, the unimportant, god of the vague, the cloudy, the ambiguous. Open our hearts to your presence. Open our eyes to the little signs, our ears to the soft murmurs. Slow us down to listen and hear the cries of the unspoken. Awaken us to the losses that are blessings. Awaken us to the wounds that are openings. Awaken us to the weaknesses that are the sources of your strength. Wake us from the stupor of busyness, the days of desire to witness your drawing near, to behold your presence even in these ordinary moments. These feeble prayers, these beating hearts. Amen.

With your hand over your hearts. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to your sans under God.

Privileges of the floor. Messages from the governor will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed reda. Reports of Committees will be deemed read. Are there any motions, resolutions and notices? Yeah. Ask you, please to take your seat so that we can finish our session here today. The rain must have done something to our energy level or something. Seeing no one rise under motions, resolutions and notices, we're going to move on to introduction and first reading of bills. Madam Secretary, please read.

SB 70, SB 71.

Returning to motions and resolutions, this is the time for the adjourn in memory. So I want to ask you one more time to please take your seat so that we can pay due respect to Senator Ochoa Bogh.

Madam Chair, it is with great sadness that I rise to adjourn in memory of Isaiah Albert Cordero, a constituent of the 23rd Senate District and the deputy sheriff, who was murdered during a traffic stop in Harupa Valley on December 29. Isaiah was born in 1990 to Rebecca and Gilbert Cordero. He was eager to join his parents and older brother Jonathan. In fact, Gilbert had to speed through East LA to get Rebecca to the hospital in time. After a very short labor, isaiah was born with arms raised, fingers spread, and no tears. According to all who knew him, he never lost the passion for life he displayed that day. As a matter of fact, he was described as having someone with an infectious smile. Always. Isaiah was of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, and belonged to a large, extended family. His mom nicknamed him Elne, which means baby boy. She regularly rocked Elne to sleep while singing angel, and it wasn't uncommon to see his parents blue Mustang cruising through the neighborhood, playing the song until he fell asleep. Isaiah inherited many traits from his father. He was quiet, polite and humble, and had a passion for cars and motorcycles, which was evident from his assignment to motor enforcement last September. Like most younger siblings, Isaiah admired his brother, and they developed a lifelong closeness that extends to Jonathan's sons, whom Isaiah loved intensely. Isaiah attended Cajon High School in San Bernardino, where he played football for two years. He drove a 1966 Mustang and started a punk rock band called The Fleas, much to the dismay of his neighbors. In 2014, Isaiah joined the Riverside County Sheriff's Office as a correctional deputy and was assigned to the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. In 2018, he attended the academy and was promoted to deputy sheriff. As a deputy, he worked in Riverside and Banning before transferring to the Harupa Valley Station. Isaiah Cordero was a young man who was taken from us in the prime of his life. He was an exemplary public servant who inspires us to follow his example of living with passion and purpose. Thank you to Bill Young, president of the Riverside Sheriff's Association. I'm glad you're here as we remember and honor Deputy Cordero's dedication to protecting the citizens of Riverside County.

Senator Roth.

Thank you, Madam President. Deputy Cordero was not a constituent of mine, but he might as well have been. That's because he spent most of his days, his nights, and many of his weekends, often volunteering for extra shifts protecting the residents of the city of Harupa Valley, which is in the 31st Senate District. Patriotic, courageous, dedicated those were all words that members of our Harupa Valley community used to describe Isaiah Cordero at Deputy Cordero's service. A few days ago, the Riverside County Sheriff referenced Deputy Cordero's laser focus, his dedication to duty, and his willingness to serve. In quoting from the Old Testament, the Book of Isaiah, chapter six, verse eight "then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go forth? And I said, here I am. Send me. Send me." Our sheriff was right. The phrase send me certainly characterized Isaiah Cordero's attitude toward his job and his life. And on December 29, 2022, 32-year-old Isaiah's courage and dedication were on full display. When faced with danger that day on that residential street in Harupa Valley, he didn't flinch. He didn't back away from danger. In fact, he moved toward it, and he ultimately gave his life protecting others. Isaiah didn't fail us. Frankly, in this case, the legal system failed Isaiah. Where I come from, we will never forget Isaiah's selfless service, or his sacrifice, or the sacrifice of his family. They say that in both his life and his work. Isaiah gave all he had to give. This time, on December 29, he gave all he had to give and then some. Deputy Isaiah Albert Cordero. End of watch. December 29, 2022. May he rest in peace.

Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Madam President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. Today I also rise with great Santas to adjourn in the memory of Riverside County Sheriff Deputy Isaiah Cordero. As already stated, Deputy Cordero was 32 years old, who was killed in the line of duty last month during a traffic stop. This is a reminder of the dangers our public safety officers face every day. And I want to take a moment to thank all of them for putting their lives on the line for all of us to be safe. Deputy Cordello was a former constituent of mine and a true public servant. Deputy Cordero was a dedicated and hardworking public servant who will be remembered as a loving son, brother and friend. My thoughts are with the family, as I knew someone who was very, very special to him. His commitment to protecting the people of California will forever be remembered. May he rest in peace. Thank you.

Bill Young I'd like to thank you for joining us here today as we recognize and acknowledge the service. And please bring his name forward to the desk so that he may be appropriately memorialized by the State Senate.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, I rise today to adjourn in the memory of Mary Ostenson Broude, a longtime resident of Irvine and a deeply engaged community activist. I first met Mary about six years ago at an event where I was speaking. She came up to me afterward and introduced herself. She was smart, passionate, and well, she had opinions. Like all activists, we became fast friends. And as I got to know more about her, I became astounded by her life experiences and the seemingly endless cycle of friends and activities that she had. She was a small town girl, literally a farmer's daughter who grew up in North Dakota, went to high school there, but somehow ended up in Irvine. And as I got to know her, I found that she was like an onion, where every time I met her, another layer would be peeled back, some little snippet or nugget would be dropped. And I'd learned something more about her. Earlier on in our friendship, she casually mentioned to me that she was involved with the Center for Critical Korean Studies at UC Irvine. She said she had a number of Korean friends and was really deeply knowledgeable about Korea. Now, as a Korean American, I'll tell you I'd meet lots of non-Koreans who tell me they have Korean friends and some who even tell me they know a lot about Korea. But Mary Broude, she actually had a lot of Korean friends and knew a lot about Korea. Not only was she on the Leadership Council for UC Irvine Center for Korea Studies she was deeply involved in a number of Korean causes, including serving as a board member for Friends of Korea and a number of other organizations. She'd actually taught English at Seoul National University, which is where my parents had gone to college. She knew numerous consul, generals, was engaged with the Korean American communities in Orange County and LA. And really around the state, someone who is deeply involved in the comfort women issue. And it was her brainchild and hard work that actually led to the development installation of a special Peace Corps exhibit which opened in Seoul, Korea in 2016. So I got to wondering, who was this white lady who knew more about Korea than me, had more Korean friends than me, who knew more Korean influentials than me? And as I later learned, her love for Korea came from her youth, when she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea from 1969 to 1970. That experience, I think, instilled in her a love of all things Korea, but also, I think, helped to reinforce who she already was and was growing into being a deeply inquisitive, adventurous, and caring person. After that experience, she ended up settling down in Orange County in Irvine, a town she grew to love and became representative of. And she was someone who was eternally engaged with the world around her was curious, and this manifested itself in so many different ways. She was deeply involved in our communities. She was a patron of the arts and music. She was passionate about ensuring that women could have opportunities to pursue their best lives, just as Mary had. She served in leadership roles in organizations like Together Women Rise and Women Helping Women. And of course, throughout her life she was deeply involved with the Peace Corps, both at the national level, where she served on the National Peace Corps Association Board, and in founding the Orange County Peace Corps Association. With all of these groups, as well as with all of her friends, Mary was incredibly generous with her time and financial support. Mary Browde was a woman of incredible accomplishments who leaves behind a legacy of helping others. But what I will miss most personally is who she was. It's hard for me to believe she's gone at this point. She's someone who lived her best life courageously. She was kind, smart, and passionate. She cared about current events. She was deeply engaged in addressing the political climate in our country. She had a strong sense of right and wrong and the moral resolve to follow this one example I remember very vividly. I was having an event at one point, and I had a gentleman from the other political party following me around, filming everything I was doing. He was probably about six foot five, built like a tank. Mary Browde stands about my height, five seven. She was in her seventy s and decided to go confront this young man and at some point decided to wrestle his camera away from him and we had to pull her back. But she was fearless and I think she had that sense of more resolve to follow through. She lived her best life, truly. And I want to urge you all to celebrate the life of Mary Browde by living our lives the way she did with courage, compassion, conviction and curiosity. I ask that we adjourn in her memory.

Please bring her name forward to the desk so that she may be appropriately memorialized by the Senate. Senator Nguyen.

Thank you. Madam President and colleagues, I rise today to ask that we adjourn in memory of former Mayor Huntington Beach Mayor Don Mckelster of Huntington Beach, who passed away on December 2. Don was born in Hollywood, California on November 26, 1932. He spent his early years growing up between California and Wisconsin and after high school he went on to enlist in the United States Navy. After his time in the Navy, Don married his wife Marilyn with whom he would have three daughters with. In meeting Marilyn, he certainly met his match as she was also a civic-minded and socially engaged individual just like himself. Don and his family began their lives in Pasadena before moving to the Bahamas and then eventually settling in Huntington Beach. I knew Don as a very friendly and familiar face around Huntington Beach. He would be very, very miss and he's never missed anything. Even up to last several months. When his health was declining, he was still at these events. If it wasn't happening in Huntington Beach, he was there. His legacy, love and dedication to Huntington Beach and our community is unmatched and will be missed. He was the one who put the footprint and made sure Huntington Beach is known as Surf City. He was involved in that lawsuit. He was funny, always smiley and always able to give me some good advice or some kind of words. And what's funny about him being involved in that lawsuit, he actually is not a surfer. He doesn't surf at all. But he wanted to make a mark to making sure that people knew what a great city Huntington Beach is. And for our surf town, his service and dedication to our community in Huntington Beach and our nation should serve as shining examples for all of us. He truly did leave an incredible legacy for Huntington Beach community to enjoy for generations to come. He is survived by his three daughters, Denise, Gail and Mickey and his three grandchildren. Don was widow in 2012 when his beloved wife of 56 years passed away. On behalf of the California State Senate would never forget Mr. Huntington beach. Thank you for your 50 years of service to our Huntington Beach town and for your lifelong dedication service to our great nation. Thank you.

Please bring his name forward to the desk so that he may be appropriately memorialized if there is no other business, Senator Atkins, the desk is clear.

Madam President. Thank you, colleagues. Our next floor session is scheduled for this Friday. Friday, January 13, 2023, at 09:00 A.M.. Thank you.

The Senate will be in recess until 330, at which time the adjournment motion will be made. We reconvene Friday, January 13, at 09:00 A.M..