Assembly Floor

The assembly is now in session. Assemblymember Maienschein notices the absence of a quorum. The Sergeant-at-arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent members.

The clerk will call a roll.

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. We ask our guests and the visitors in the rear of chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the prayer. Today's prayer will be offered by our Assembly Chaplain, Imam Yasir Khan.

Imam? Yes, sir.

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful. Dear God, today, as this session opens, we pray that your presence will be before us and everyone who serves in the decision making process of our state. We pray for direction which will lead our state to be more strong and united.

Guide this body that its members make decisions that will please you and further the welfare of all people. Amen.

We ask that our guests and visitors remain standing and join us in a flag salute. Please join us in Member Alanis as he leads us in the flag salute.

Please join me 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.

Thank you. You may be seated. Reading of the previous day's journal.

Assembly Chamber Sacramento, Thursday, January 5, 2023, the Assembly met at 09:00 a.m. The Honorable Christopher M. Ward, speaker, pro tempore of the Assembly.

- residing. Chief Clerk Sue Park at the desk. Reading Clerk David A. Bowman.

Reading roll call.

The role was called quorum call of the Assembly. Assembly Member Hart moved the quorum. Call of the Assembly.

Motion carried. Time 09:00 a.m. The speaker pro temporare directed the sergeant at arms to close the doors and bring in the absent Members.

Quorum present. At speaker pro tempore, Ward declared the quorum of the Assembly present. The roll call was completed, and following answer to their names: [roll call]

Ms. Reyes moves, and Mr. Flora seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with. Presentations and petitions; there are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be deferred.

Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor, there are none. Messages from the Senate, there are none.

Moving to motions and resolutions, the absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. And Majority Leader Reyes, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Essayli, Wallis, Alvarez, Holden, Sanchez, and Rodriguez to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118 A to allow Assembly Member Maienschein to have guests and photographers on the floor today.

Without objection, so shall be the order. Members, a few announcements. We wish to wish a happy belated birthday to Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, January 16.

Happy birthday, Mr. Brian. And members, we have some former Assembly Members to welcome back to the chamber today. Please welcome with us Assembly Members Stone, Wieckowski, and Dave Jones back to the Assembly. And Assemblymember Maienschein, you are recognized for your announcement in the rear of the chamber.

Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the long and impressive legal career of Leora Gershenzon and recognize her incredible service to the Assembly. She recently retired after 35 years in the legal profession, including 22 years of service on behalf of the state of California, 18 years of which were in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

She worked for eight different chairs, including three former chairs who are with us today. And Mr. Chair just recognized, which is really a tribute to her legacy and to her impact. She earned a statewide reputation as an expert on family law, probate, and the courts.

She played a key role in major legislation and budget items, including child support, the courts, and the state bar. Having been on the committee for ten years, I was able to observe firsthand and benefited from her good humor, her help, and her expertise. Please join me in recognizing and honoring her for her long and illustrious career.

And although she is leaving the Capitol, she certainly won't leave our hearts. The committee staff, her former colleagues in both houses and I will miss her greatly as long as the former chairs are here with us today. So please join me in giving a long round of applause for the.

And on behalf of the State Assembly, we want to thank you for your service. Members, there is no business on the daily file. And just a few announcements on behalf of Dr. Jackson.

Please note that today, January 17, is the National Day of Racial Healing. This is held immediately after the observance of Dr. King's birthday, and it is a time to reflect on our shared values and how we heal from the effects of racism. Members, we will be moving to adjournments in memory, and please note that we have a number of colleagues that will be arriving late because of delayed flights.

We will keep the desk open to allow for their arrivals, but we will be moving at this time to adjournments in memory, and I ask that you please give your respectful attention to those granted prior permission to speak on their adjournment in memory. And Assemblymember Essayli you are recognized at your desk for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am saddened to be rising again to adjourn the State Assembly in the memory of yet another Riverside County deputy sheriff killed in the line of duty. Last Friday on January 13 of 2023, Deputy Darnell Calhoun was killed responding to a domestic violence call in the city of Lake Elsinore.

He was only 30 years old. Deputy Calhoun was hired by the San Diego Police Department in 2019 and graduated the 121st Regional Academy in February of 2020. He was a patrol officer out of the Northeastern Division and was a beloved and respected member of that Department.

Deputy Calhoun later lateraled to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department less than a year ago, in February of 2022. He transferred to the Riverside Sheriff's Office. Because of the office's high morale under the leadership of Sheriff Chad Bianco, and because he wanted to work closer to his home in Lake Elsinore.

Deputy Calhoun explained to a reporter in an interview last year that he wanted to become a police officer to help people. He stated, I enjoy getting out and assisting people in different ways. I like to watch over those who can't help themselves and protect them from people who, for lack of a better word, suck.

He was a father to two young boys, and his wife is currently pregnant and expecting a third boy, a boy who will never meet his father here on earth. Not only did our community lose a distinguished public servant last year, but a family lost a loving father and husband. Deputy Calhoun's family released a statement yesterday stating, his life, though cut short, is a blessing.

Our faith in Jesus will carry us through this, and we know we will be reunited with Daryl once again. Darnell sorry once again. His life, his commitment and dedication to his family and his community will remain an inspiration.

He was a genuine, kind, loyal, and had the heart of a servant. We will take great comfort in knowing that Darnell led a life well lived. We are grateful to our community, the Riverside county sheriff's office, and law enforcement agencies around the country that have uplifted us.

The response from the community has been tremendous. The residents of Riverside County love their law enforcement community, and our hearts ache for the Department and the families of the fallen deputies. This is our second full week of session.

This is my second adjournment in memory, both of which for Riverside County deputy sheriffs. The Department hadn't had a line of deputy death in two decades, and now we've lost two deputies in two weeks. This is not normal, and this cannot be our new normal.

In this difficult time, we rely on faith. Deputy Calhoun's family is relying heavily on faith to get through this time, to give them peace, comfort, and guidance. Among the scripture his family invoked is from the book of Matthew blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

God bless you. Deputy Darnell Calhoun, I adjourn the State Assembly today in your memory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Essayli. And Assembly Member Wallis, you're recognized at your desk for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, it is with great sadness that I rise today to ask this body to adjourn in the memory of Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Darnell Calhoun, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last Friday, January 13. Deputy Sheriff Calhoun started his career as a police officer in the San Diego Police Department and moved to Riverside County sheriff's Department just last February to be closer to his family.

Deputy Calhoun was a son, a husband, a grandson, a loyal friend, a father of two boys with another child on the way, a child who will never know the warm embrace of his father. I'm heartsick. Deputy Calhoun has been described as cheerful, positive, good, wholesome, an encourager, a protector, and a mentor.

He truly represented the service above self creed of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Chad Bianco said about Deputy Calhoun, "He answered the call to serve, defend, and protect our community. Deputy Calhoun was a leader in community policing.

He believed in people and his ability to speak to the community with respect, meet them where they are in life, try to understand their needs, and work together to find solutions to the issues they were facing. To Darnell, being a police officer in San Diego and deputy in Riverside was about making the community a better and safer place for everyone. Deputy Calhoun is exactly the type of modern law enforcement officer that we need in our neighborhoods to build a trusting relationship between law enforcement and communities."

That's the man that responded to domestic violence and child custody call. We don't yet know all the details as to what happened last Friday. All we know is that he was a dedicated officer of the law who arrived on the scene with a heart full of love for his family, his community, and his department ready to protect and serve.

And he didn't come home. He leaves a department already devastated by the loss two weeks ago of deputy Isaiah Cordero. He leaves parents without a son, a wife without a husband, and three children without a father.

We extend our condolences to his wife, his children, his parents, his extended family, and the Riverside County Sheriff's department. We're grateful to Deputy Sheriff Darnell Calhoun and will honor his memory. I ask that this body adjourn today in the memory of Riverside county deputy sheriff Darnell Calhoun.

Thank you, Mr. Wallis and Assemblywoman Sanchez. You are recognized at your desk for your adjournment in memory.

Colleagues, it is with great sorrow today that we rise to adjourn in memory of Riverside's County Sheriff Deputy, Darnell Calhoun. Last Friday afternoon, during a child custody dispute in the Lake Elsinore area, Deputy Calhoun was fatally shot. Deputy Calhoun was a longtime Marietta residence whose family had served the community for years at their establishment, Calhoun Texas barbecue, which is a beloved establishment in our area.

Deputy Calhoun was incredibly proud when he became part of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in February of 2022. Sheriff Chad Bianco stated that Deputy Calhoun never had a negative thing to say and was extremely admired and respected by his fellow deputies. We send our prayers and deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and the deputies who served with him.

As a mother, it is heartbreaking to know that he is left behind two small children and a wife who is currently expecting another child. Our state must do better to protect those who protect us every day. May we never forget the ultimate sacrifice that he made for our community.

We honor Deputy Calhoun's incredible service and bravery and with much respect and gratitude, I humbly request that this body adjourn in his memory today. Thank you.

Thank you Ms. Sanchez, and Assemblymember Rodriguez, you are recognized at your desk for your adjournment in memory.

Mr. Speaker, Members today also rise and adjourn in memory of Riverside County Sheriff Deputy Darnell Calhoun, who was killed in the line of duty January 13. In less than three weeks, Riverside County Sheriff's Department and our community have lost two leaders who treated their community with respect and dignity. From all accounts, Deputy Calhoun was cheerful, positive man who was well respected and believed in people.

He worked hard to make this community a better place and safer for everyone. I hope that justice is found on behalf of Deputy Calhoun and Cordero, while we keep the department and the families in our prayers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez and Assemblymember Alvarez, you're recognized at your desk for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to adjourn in memory of Alvin "Al" Ducheny, husband to former state Assembly Member and Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny, Al was my constituent, and he was born on March 19, 1943, in New York City.

And he served in the US. Navy and active duty until the 1960s when he was honorably discharged. He settled ultimately in San Diego in the 70s, where he went to work for Westgate Tuna Cannery and became a shop steward of his union.

When he and the other workers were laid off following the sale of the cannery to a new owner, he organized worker grievances because many were being retaliated against and many of the workers were retained. He went on to go from his activism in the workplace to the community and started to do census work in the 1980s and then joined his wife, Denise Moreno Ducheny to manage the Barrier Logan law practice where she worked, and to engage in community organizing. Al helped many young people organize in the community of Sherman Heights to develop pride in themselves and in their community.

He organized neighbors that otherwise would not meet from Barrio Logan in Sherman Heights, in Barrios Sunidos, and they organized them also on the Harborview Community Council to fight for access to the San Diego Bay, where it had been denied for all the residents of the Barrio Logan community. When Denise decided to run for the San Diego Community College District, Al managed the campaign, everything from stuffing envelopes to distributing signs and all the work that happens when someone runs their first campaign. He went on to serve as a political consultant with a successful campaign to elect George Stevens, a very consequential Black city council Member in the city of San Diego, and worked to elect the first LGBTQ plus council Member, Christine Kehoe, and then fought for district elections for real representation at all city council throughout the city of San Diego.

He then focused on electing Denise to the State Assembly. She was successful in that election and then to the State Senate during those years. He also organized volunteers to register voters at the US Citizenship ceremonies that occurred in San Diego.

Throughout Denise's career, he was a full partner, and all of you know what that's like when our partner becomes a full partner in the work that we do. This was not only in the campaigns, but also in helping with the community events, with constituents, working with her to develop a stronger binational relationship with Mexico, particularly with our neighbors in Baja California and Baja California Sur.

Al then served as a California State Athletic Commissioner, a Member of the Commission of the Californias and on the nonprofit board of the Anza Borrego Foundation, where he spearheaded a fifth-grade camp outdoor education program for kids that otherwise not have an opportunity to go to camp, a program that continues to grow to this day. Al was always an activist, from his work in his employment to the community and then the political activism. He was a mentor to many, many people in San Diego.

He always told you what he felt and how he felt, but he always stood by you if he was with you, he'll be missed by many of us. He left a positive impact in all of San Diego.

And today especially, I know is a special difficult time for a former colleague of ours, a member of this body and a member of the Senate. A mentor to many of us as well my mentor, Senator Denise Ducheny. And I thank you today for allowing us to adjourn in his memory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Alvarez. Members, we have one additional adjournment memory scheduled for today. But until that member is able to arrive due to a flight delay, we will be lifting the call and will be paused until we can complete the announcements in that final adjournment in memory.

So in the meantime, the quorum call is lifted. Members, an announcement. Without objection, the rules committee will be meeting momentarily in room 126.

If you are a Member of the rules committee, you may want to proceed to room 126.

Members, we will be deferring our last adjournment in memory till the Thursday session. And we ask that all members bring the names of the to the desk to be printed in the journal and all requests to adjourn in the memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal.

Final announcements. The session schedule is as follows. Wednesday, January 18 is check-in session. And Thursday, January 19, floor session is at 9:00 am. Reminder members, the quorum call is lifted.

Members I'm seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Ms. Petrie-Norris moves and Ms. Davies seconds that this house stands adjourned until Thursday, January 19 at 9:00 a.m. We are adjourned.