Senate Floor

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'll be led in prayer this afternoon by our own chaplain, sister Michelle Gorman, after which, please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

The first day back at school. So let's remember again that we are always in God's presence. God of mercy I do not have enough. Enough to save the world even to help others. Sometimes not even enough to manage myself. Merciful God, receive my inadequacy. Let it be in your hands, not mine. Let my lack be space for you. Open my ayes to see in every failure, in every shortcoming your grace, beloved mindful not of what I lack but of what I have. What you have given me, I offer you myself. By your grace it will be enough. Amen.

Please place your right hand over your heart and follow me. I pledge allegiance to the ... Everyone could please take their seats. I'd like to remind the Senator for Orinda that he's not in the Assembly yet. He's still in the Senate, so expect Senate conduct. With that, we're going to now move to privileges of the floor. And at the Majority Floor Leader's desk is Senator Grove. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, it's my privilege today to introduce Angela Barton, who was recently crowned Mrs. Californian 2023 the Miss California Pageant America Pageant is a platform and a showcase with diverse talents, accomplishments and leadership skills for married women. Angela's title is well deserved. She's a successful businesswoman. She's very active on our current community. She's a CEO of Barton Marketing Group and has a 28 year record that spans all aspects of marketing and advertising. Angela was also made a significant contribution to our nonprofit community.

She's currently held positions as the President of the Kern Leadership Alliance or excuse me, Kern County Law Enforcement Foundation and the public relations chair for the Kern County Cancer Foundation. Her strategic and creative approaches have helped these organizations increase their visibility and also has made great awareness. She is not only one of the most incredible women that I have the opportunity to represent, she is my friend.

Sorry, I don't think they were prepared for me to join my colleague from Kern County. But I also want to welcome Angela. She is a passionate advocate for children who herself has been trafficked and exploited. It's a cause dear to her heart as she herself the victim of child abduction when she was only four years old. So think about it. Abducted at four years old, crowned at 52. Okay, yes, it is my colleague's mistake. 40.

Thank you for taking the fall, my colleague. But let's not lose sight of who we're recognizing at 40 or 52. It doesn't matter. This is an incredible individual. And she says, adversity doesn't define us, it refines us. We're not limited by our past. We are shaped by our ability to rise above it. Angela will use this passion to represent California at the 2023 Miss America Pageant, and we wish her all the success possible. So please join me now in welcoming Angela to the chamber.

Following the photos with Senator Grove and the Pro Tem. If other Members would like to join for a photo, please feel free. All right, Members, moving on to messages from the Governor, which will be deemed red. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed red. Reports of committees will be deemed red and amendments adopted. Now moving to motions, resolutions, and notices. Without objection, the Senate journals for July 10, 2023 through July 13, 2023, will be approved as corrected by the Minute Clerk. Moving on to floor amendment motion. There are floor amendments at the desk, and they will be deemed adopted at this time. Like to call on Senator Ochoa-Bogh?

This was under motions and resolutions, Mr. President.

That's where we're at.

Okay, so I'd like to remove file. Item A ten from the inactive file, please.

So noted, Senator Laird.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the request of the author, please remove file item 187 AB 81 from the consent calendar for the purposes of amendments.

Thank you. Duly noted. Seeing no other mics up, moving on to consideration of the daily file up. First is second reading. File Clerk.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, 11, 26, Assembly Bill 722 1607, 399 with Amendments 1679 with Amendments 1704

Thank you. Now moving on to governor's appointments. Senator Grover, you prepared up first file item ten.

Thank you, colleagues. Welcome back. It is like the first day of school. It's really exciting to see all of you. File. Item ten is the confirmation of Victor Jerome, who's the chief deputy Director for the Department of Rehabilitation. Prior to his appointment, he was serving as the Grants Director for the California Interagency Council on Homelessness and served with the Department in various roles from 2015 till 2021. He was approved by the Rules Committee on June 20. Eigth I respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Thank you. Seeing no mics up. Clerk please call the roll.

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.

Please call the absent Members.

Ashby. Blakespear? Aye.

Aye is 39. No. Zero. The governor's appointment is confirmed. Now moving on to file item eleven. Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues. File item eleven is the confirmation of Hildegard Alviar Joan Her reappointment to the California Community College Board of Governors. Hildegard was the Assistant General Counsel for the Healthcare Community of Davida, and she is a Member of the College Committee Board of Governors since 2018, and she currently serves as the board's vice President. She was approved on a 50 vote on the Rules Committee on July 5, respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Thank you. Seeing no Members, mics up. Clerk please call the roll.

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.

Clerk please call the absent Member.

Ashby.

Ayes 39, noes, zero. The governor's appointment is confirmed. Moving on to our final governor's appointments. File item 15. Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, file item 15 is the confirmation of the following reappointments edward Yee to the Gambling Control Commission, Jerry Fleming to the covered California Governing Board, and for a little bit of appointment humor that I think only my good friend the Senate pro Tim and I will get is an individual named Adeclaire as a state architect. She's on the state architect board. All reappointments.

The following new appointments and reappointments for the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection are dawn Blake, Dr. Elizabeth forsberg Party and Michael Janae All of these appointees were approved on the Rules Committee on July 5 on a 50 vote. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Before we move to a vote, the Chief Clerk has reminded me that if you want to have a conversation, please take it off the floor with that. Oh, wow, that was good. We know who's got juice in this chamber, huh, with that? Clerk please call the roll.

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.

With that ayes, 39. No, zero. The appointments are confirmed. Now moving on to Senate third reading, item 31, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 81 by Senator Bradford relative to the 50th anniversary of hip hop.

Senator Bradford.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to present SCR 81, which recognizes the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop and commemorates all that it means not only to California, but to this nation as well. On August 11 in 1973, Clive Campbell and his younger sister Cindy threw a party in their apartment building in the Bronx, New York to raise money for back to school supplies. Clive, better known as DJ Cool Herc, was MC and the DJ for the night.

He took two turntables and placed two copies of James Brown's Sex Machine on both tables and played an extended version of the instrumental Beat or The Break for the Record. From that record, I should say this let people dance longer during the break, and people began MCing and rapping during the break, thus break dancing and pop locking. If you know about hip hop, it was initially about the dance and it was about the DJs. It was well before you added spoken word to it.

This was the beginning of hip hop and the foundation of the musical and cultural revolution. Hip hop began as an outlet and a voice for African Americans and people of Latin American and Caribbean descent. It was our grill, it was our journal, it told our story. It became a mainstream genre in 1979 when husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson founded Sugar Hill Records and signed many of the early hip hop artists such as Run DMC, Sugar Hill Gang, Curtis Blow, on and on and on.

And as you know, early rap was really, like I say, spoken word. It was teasing and kind of like playing the dozens. It wasn't about violence, it wasn't about cursing. It was about hotel, motel, Holiday Inn, all of those things. And fun and lively and in the early 1980s, hip hop diversified and developed more complex musical styles, social commentary and international influence.

West Coast Coast hip hop emerged at this time and it began in the 35th Senate District, which I'm honored to represent in communities such as Compton, Long Beach, Carson, where a lot of rappers came out of those areas, the Watts Willowbrook area. And in 1979, a young man by the name of Alonzo Williams was a DJ from Compton and graduated from Gardena High School and he became a club promoter as I was a club promoter.

I started in 1978 as a club promoter and he was one of my rivals and we became good friends. And in the late eighties, I mean late seventies and early 80s, there were no black nightclubs. What? We were promoters, but we did mobile disco. One week we might be at the Bonaventure Hotel in the ballroom. A month later we'd be at the Sports Arena a few weeks later. It used to be a restaurant in Beverly Hills, Acapulco's on LA Senega.

I four walled that on every Saturday. That means I took the place over on Saturdays and I turned it into a nightclub. Osco's, which was famous from Saturday Night Fever, was one of the places I also was a club promoter at. But Alonzo also founded a club called Eve after Dark.

If you're familiar with the streetscape in last year's Super Bowl halftime show, one of the fixtures on that streetscape was a nightclub, Eve After Dark, which no longer exists, but it was in my district between the cities of Inglewood and Compton. And I used to laugh at the radio advertisement. They would never say west of Compton. They say east of gardena. They want to be associated with Gardena. So it says, Come to Eve after dark, east of gardena.

But anyway, the club was a driving force for night life in the area, and a high profile artist, celebrities, and DJs always were in attendance. And in order to share some of the responsibilities of DJing and the large demand of DJing, alonzo created a crew of DJs known as the World Class Wrecking Crew. And created Crew Cut, a label which began releasing music in the early eighties. And for those of you who don't know, the West Coast Wrecking Crew morphed into NWA.

And thus we have NWA. And Alonzo has a book called NWA. Not Without Alonzo, because without him, we would have probably not known about many of the artists that we heard from. And some of those individuals who came out along that time was Michele, DJ Battlecat, rodney O and Joe Cooley, the LA. Dream Team, compton's Most Wanted, DJ Yala, Dr. Dre, both of whom were Members of the World Class Wrecking Crew, and then went on to become, like I said, NWA.

And as I stated, it was another pivotal individual who we failed to mention. And his name is Roger Clayton. And unfortunately, Roger died 13 years ago. But Roger Clayton started Uncle Jam's Army, and again, one of the leading club promoters in LA during that time, but also the platform for many of the young rap artists to get their start. And again, many of those DJs. Again, Roger Clayton was also the DJ for the Beastie Boys, another young rap artist.

And if you look at any of the old footage, he was the DJ on stage, on all of their world tours and playing the music for those guys. And it was three prominent DJs when we were promoting clubs. You wanted Roger Clayton, you wanted Alonzo Williams, you wanted Jerry McGee, or you wanted Julian Jackson. One of those guys. You wanted to be DJing, because again, it was about the DJs before it was about the words.

And so also, Roger Clayton was part of some of his partners, was a guy named Gig Martin, was a good friend of mine, and they ran a place again in my district in Torrance called the Alpine Village, and they filled this place every Friday and Saturday with young DJs, and they morphed into, again, rapping. West Coast hip hop gained immense popularity and dominated radio play and sales, and made California a rival hip hop's longtime capital of New York.

And hip hop artists from California such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Yoyo Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, E 40, Kendrick Lamar, and so many others, revolutionized the genre and have influenced generations of artists and listeners. Hip hop is the most popular and financially successful music genre in the United States, and in the past 50 years, this genre has grown from underground music, scene of the East Coast, to a global movement of music, dance, fashion and language.

California artists, entrepreneurs, fashion designers and producers have had and continue to be a monumental force and influence in the history and the culture of hip hop. This resolution, SCR 81, recognizes the 50th anniversary of hip hop, a time of celebration and pride for California, but also recognizes many of the unnamed and unseen individuals who helped create this genre here in California, across this nation. So for all hip hop lovers we respectfully ask for, aye vote today.

Thank you, Senator Bradford, Senator Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mr. President and Members. As Vice Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, and also as a hip hop lover, it is my honor as well to rise today in strong support of SCR 81, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Like most of you, I have a very strong love for music, especially hip hop. Having played it for periods of my life, especially in high school, listening to Tupac and to Snoop Dogg and to Biggie.

The evolution of this music genre has been amazing, delivering countless hits over its 50 year history. Many of these songs and lyrics communicated in blunt terms, but the real experiences of black and brown communities, as well as other communities of color, were real, and they should be uplifted, though not always appreciated or celebrated.

As mentioned, hip hop songs, their leaders, and hip hop artists like one that I'm about to mention, are real critical components for our California music history, one of which is a local Long Beach legend. He is my dear friend, Mr. Calvin Anderson. I actually wear his shirt from VIP Records.

He was critical in Central Long Beach for decades in launching the careers for Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg, among many, many others, as well as a huge influence for West Coast rap, all located in central Long Beach, which I'm very proud of. He also gives back to our community, ensures that local youth also have an opportunity to learn about music production and hip hop, and is always a staple at our Martin Luther King parade. And for that, I'm very, very thankful to him.

So for all those reasons and more, we have to continue to uplift our hip hop community, and I'm proud to support this resolution in SCR 81. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I rise in support of SCR 81, this amazing resolution. And I'm standing for the ladies, the ladies of hip hop. From the start, hip hop has been about storytelling and I bring into this space folks like lady of Rage, Yo Yo Roxanne, JJ Fad, Queen Latifah, MC Light and so many others. From the start, I think some of the best of the storytellers have been women.

And I stand in support of this great legacy of women telling the story of women and improving the conditions of women through their words. Hip hop is no different than any other field where women have had to battle for recognition in a male dominated industry. In the early days of hip hop, female rappers were essential to the genre's biology and unapologetic in their detailing of their experience in this man's world.

And they were able to share their stories and to build movements, to build up and support women, and particularly defending the dignity of young black and brown women in our communities. The struggles that were influenced and lifted up by Queen Latifah, by artists and writers like Moni Love in 1989, where they wrote the classic Ladies First and the unity of Queen Latifah that brought women together.

To say that we can confront disrespect, that we can confront the H-word and that we can control our own bodies and our own sexuality and have power in that story.

Women in hip hop always and will forever have a distinctive style and variation that changed the lyric making of hip hop and each woman bringing their own brilliance in terms of their cadence and their vocabulary and mostly in common fierceness to an independent voice of power that ensures that they remain consistent in contributing and building the resounding her in the field of hip hop.

The celebration of this anniversary is the celebration of the power of women's voice for change and for storytelling, and not just recognizing amazing artists and storytellers who started this musical revolution, but also recognizing the impact of this revolution on helping to change and improve conditions in our society by storytelling and keeping it real.

Clive Campbell, DJ Cool Hurt, as the great Senator for Gardena talked about, said, hip hop is the voice of this generation and it has become a powerful force that binds all of these people all over the world together in hip hop. It is a hip hop family, it is a culture. And on this day, its 50th anniversary, I ask for your support for SCR 81.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, today I rise in strong support of SCR 81, also as really a fan of hip hop. And I hate to say this because most of you will know how old I am if I say this, but I grew up with the hip hop songs of the eighties.

Most recently, I had the honor to experience the 50th anniversary live with all those legendary hip hop artists come together, from Missy Elliot to Buster Rhymes, to everyone that made us just feel love and joy. For someone like myself, that comes from an inner city community with a lot of gangs, drugs, violence, music was our out. That gave us the ability to self express, gave a lot of our kids in our communities the ability to grow and find their footing in life.

Some of them are entrepreneurs now. Music just created so many self sustaining young individuals, from clothing to hats to everything. So I just want to thank all those originators who started the movement for bringing us together, because I know again, growing up in gangs, that music was the only thing that just bind us together. It broke barriers. We didn't care what language anybody spoke, we didn't care who they were, where they came from. Just everyone enjoyed music.

And I think that's the value of music, it was a value of that era where we didn't have anything but music, and so just want to say thank you to everyone who contributed. But I also do want to say that I want to thank the great Senator from Gardenia for bringing this up, is that sometimes it goes sort of unnoticed and unthinked, but they are so responsible for uplifting and elevating so many people of color.

We heard our great Senator just express the value to all the women, their growth, their entrepreneurship and everything that they do for our communities, they keep coming back. I would have to spend a lot of time to list all the artists who go into our communities who give back and continue to participate because they came from those communities. So with that, I would ask for a strong aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Wahab.

Thank you. I rise to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop. As a follower of rap and hip hop, from underground scene in New York City to mainstream artists, there is a true talent and skill and art in rap and hip hop music. We must honor an art form that has had such an influence on mainstream American culture. From Hamilton on Broadway to hip hop street fashion, infusion in high fashion, educators bridging Shakespeare, hip hop and rap and even sayings of political nature.

For example, they have money for war but can't feed the poor. While we honor Hip Hop and the legacy of the great rappers such as Tupac and Biggie and countless others, I'd also like to highlight the women in Hip Hop from MC Light, queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and Lil Kim.

Who have paved the way for so many women in this male dominated world and other artists such as Nicki Cardi, Ice Spice and Doja Cat and others who are following and allowing hip hop to become so mainstream and no longer just seen as a male art form. Let's be real. Their style, beats and flow.

Women rappers are in their prime right now, dominating hip hop, rap and pop music charts, including this week where all artists nominated for Artists of the Year at the MTV Video music Awards were women, the first time it's ever happened. Hip hop and women in hip hop have influence at the Met Gala, Paris, Fashion Week, and even political discourse. So, as we celebrate 50 years of hip hop, let's not forget the women trailblazers and the divas who are running the genre today. Thank you. And I respectfully ask for an aye vote SCR 81. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Skinner.

Thank you, Mr. President, Members, I rise as the chair of the Women's Caucus, and I'm very pleased that so many of my colleagues have also raised many of the contributions that women have made to hip hop. And they had to fight hard to get recognized. And while they've always been incredible influencers within rap and hip hop, as per usual, they had to fight to get the recognition.

But before I go into some of the women, I also rise as the proud representative of the East Bay, Oakland, Richmond, and Berkeley in particular, to celebrate hip hop and hip hop culture, because, hey, we're the source of a good number of the, again, major influencers within this genre. As long as there's been hip hop, there has been hip hop in Oakland. Although born in New York, Tupac spent his formative years in the Bay Area first in Marin City and then in Oakland.

And he always let it be known that Oakland is where he learned how to be in the game of the streets. So he's always referred to Oakland as one of his major influences, much of the hip hop art that comes out of Oakland's historic past. So both Money B and Tupac's parents were members of the Black Panthers.

Many hip hop artists were also influenced by Bay Area groups like Tower of Power, Sly and the Family Stone, and true to the East Bay Oakland values of diversity and inclusion, Oakland's rap did not fit one mold. The Godfather of Oakland's scene was Too Short and he sold handmade tapes in parking lots and at independent retailers and in different the swap meets and such starting in the early 80s, too Short went platinum in 1990, which was a huge year. Now, let's turn to the women.

So of course, we had those that have been referenced already, but also Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, Mary Blige, Ashanti who are you? Mason Mary J. Blige. Yes, please. Moni Queen, latifah Salt and Peppa. Lauren Hill. We mustn't forget Lauryn Hill and Oakland native Kamija, who continues to carry the Oakland Funk brand. So wanted to make sure that we got some of those folks in and it's been a great 50 years.

Thank you. Senator Skinner. Seeing no other mics up, bring it back to Senator Bradford.

Thank you. I want to thank all my colleagues who chose to speak on this issue. As stated, hip hop is part of our culture. It's who we are as a state. It's who we are as a nation. It's been the grio for the African American and brown communities for the last 40 plus years. And so I'm honored to be here today to recognize some of the individuals who've had a tremendous impact and will continue to have an impact on our lives.

It tells our stories in so many ways. And I probably would not be here today as a legislator if it wasn't for my involvement in the music industry. And as I stated, the hip hop rap industry changed in the late eighty s. And it moved me to say, hey, let me become an activist in my community and move away because it had gotten so competitive and it was getting harder and harder and it was a little bit of a rival at a time.

And I like, okay, if I can fill a nightclub with people, I can get folks to come out to vote. So I have often thanked some of my competitors in the club business for moving me in this direction. And even some of my friends today continue to tease me and say, you still act like you're a club promoter because I stand on the corner and I'll hand out flyers to whatever I'm doing because that's what we used to do. We were the original street team.

But it's because of many of the young folks who just had passion for this music and wanting to tell our story that we're here today. And so I'm honored and I thank all of those who have added their voices to the discussion, but understanding the value that it still plays in our lives. So I respectfully ask for aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Bradford. With that Clerk, please call the roll.

Allen aye. Alvarado-Gil aye. Archuleta aye. Ashby. Atkins aye. Becker aye. Blakespear aye. Bradford aye. Caballero aye. Cortese aye. Dahle aye. 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 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.

Please call the absent Member.

Ashby.

Ayes 39, no zero. The resolution is adopted. Right now we're going to move to back to privileges of the floor. Senator Bradford, I believe you have some guests you would like to introduce.

Yes, it's now my honor to recognize many of the individuals that we talked about and some that we didn't here in the gallery today. And let's first start out with my longtime friend and once again club rival Alonzo Williams, the owner of Eve After Dark, the founder of the World Class Wreckin' Cru and considered the godfather of the West Coast hip hop, and again the author of the book NWA: Not Without Alonzo. Alonzo Williams. Arturo Molina, better known as Frost.

Rapper. In his younger days he was Kid Frost, but now. Frost, rapper, songwriter and producer, and from the heart of Los Angeles, one of our own, one of the most important names in Latin hip hop history. Arturo Molina. Antron Gregory, entrepreneur, producer and manager for many artists, including the World Class Wreckin' Cru, Again, NWA, and Tupac Shakur.

Another good friend of mine, Greg Mack, radio host, music Director at KDAY in Los Angeles, where he promoted many of the biggest artists in hip hop history in early hip hop history. Greg Mack. I don't know if he's here. Is Greg here? Okay.

John Owens, better known as Casual, Oakland native and founding Member of the hip hop collective Hydrographics. I believe it is. Hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics. And then we have Cheap Shot, DJ, producer, chief operating officer of Grammy nominated "The Math Club" and the founder of Stupid Fly Productions. Juana Spurling, known as MCJB, Rialto native, founding Member of JJ. Fad, the first female group signed to Eazy E's "Ruthless Records." Correga Bailey artist, educator, Sacramento native and founding dean of the culture of Roses in Concrete Community School in Oakland.

And this next individual, unbeknownst to him, he and my father were in the same business. My father, when I was a kid, owned two record shops, and one of the reasons my father went out of business is because of the success of VIP Records. So Kelvin Anderson, Long Beach icon and owner of the world famous VIP records empire in the Los Angeles community. I mean, a very successful operation.

Kim Renard Nazelle, better known as Arabian Prince or Professor X, rapper, record producer, DJ and founding Member of NWA. LaRusso Thomas, better known as simply as Vallejo, native, rapper and founder of Good Company, an organization that helps promote raising the Bay Area artists. Layla Steinberg, manager, businesswoman educator, writer, poet, and founder of Aim for the Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to helping at risk youth find their voice. Best known as the mentor and first manager of Tupac Shakur and currently manages artist Earl's Sweatshirt.

Roger McBride, better known as King T, a Compton native, rapper, producer, mentor of many artists, including Liquid Crew, Exhibit, and Alcoholics. Stanley Cox, better known as Mr. FAB, Oakland native, rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur and activist. One of the key figures in the Bay Area hip hop movement. And last but not least, Violet Brown.

Huh? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Hyphy. Oh, okay.

I'm sorry. Violet Brown, executive producer, manager, writer, and art consultant and VIP artist and label development at Strange Music, responsible for launching countless names into the superstardom and one of the most respected people in our industry. So there you have it. All the individuals who have joined us, welcome to the California State Senate, and thank you for your contribution to not only hip hop, but to our society and our state as a whole.

Well done, Senator Bradford, now moving on to Assembly, third reading.

File item 34. I just saw that there's two. I thought there was one. Yes. Clerk, please read.

Assembly concurrent resolution 16 by Assembly Member Mike Fong relative to the needs of Opportunity Youth.

Thank you, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas.

Thank you, Mr. President. Members, ACR 16 highlights the needs of California's Opportunity Youth and emphasizes the importance of creating pathways for their success. Opportunity Youth are young people from the ages of 16 to 24 that are disconnected from the workforce and education systems. California is home to the largest number of opportunity youth in the country.

The state has a twelve and a half percent disconnection rate, meaning that over half a million teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither in school nor working. We were just talking about hip hop, and we're talking about the youth culture, and we're talking about the storytelling, many of those stories that we grew up on.

Unfortunately, those conditions still persist as our Opportunity Youth face significant socio and economic and systemic barriers that can prevent them from reaching their career and educational goals. And what that means is being able to sustain themselves and to have a fighting chance of surviving in California's economy. ACR 16 calls for a comprehensive statewide plan to connect this population to critical career, educational and social safety net opportunities.

Reconnecting Opportunity Youth will benefit our communities and expand the pool of talent that employers can access to meet their workforce needs. And I respectfully ask my colleagues for your aye vote.

Thank you. Seeing no other mics up Clerk please call the roll.

Allen aye. Alvarado-Gil aye. Archuletta aye. Ashby. Atkins aye. Becker aye. Blakespear aye. Bradford. Caballero aye. Cortese aye. Dahle aye. 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 aye. Newman aye. Nguyen aye. Niello aye. Ochoa Bogh aye. Padilla aye. Portantino aye. Roth aye. Rubio. Seyarto aye. Skinner. Smallwood-Cuevas aye. Stern aye. Umberg aye. Wahab aye. Wiener aye. Wilk aye.

Please call the absent Members.

Ashby. Bradford. Rubio. Skinner.

All right, well, please call the absent Members one more time.

Ashby. Bradford. Rubio. Skinner aye. All right.

Ayes, 37. No, zero. The resolution is adopted. Now, moving on to file item 38. And I don't have my script here, and it must be Senator Min. All right. Please proceed.

Mr. President, thank you.

My apologies. I'm out of practice. It's been a while. Clerk, please read.

Assembly concurrent Resolution 66 by Assembly Member Wilson, relative to Parks Make Life Better month.

Thank you, Senator Min.

Mr. President. Am I clear to proceed? Okay. Thank you. It's my pleasure to present ACR 66, which proclaims July as Parks Make Life Better exclamation point month. California is known worldwide for its natural beauty and the variety of parks we have in our state. These parks celebrate our rich past, preserve our heritage, but also are a gateway to the future. Because we know that parks promote physical, emotional, mental health benefits to people from all social, ethnic and economic backgrounds.

And during the COVID-19 pandemic, our parks and open spaces were so important as a refuge for people who were sheltering in place, dealing with the loneliness, the tumult of the pandemic, and the isolation that that brought. The programs offered by our parks. That our parks offer also enhance our understanding of our surroundings and celebrate our history, culture, and communities. Parks and the activities provided by our parks and recreation professionals bring families and friends together to create memorable experiences.

Whether it's kicking a soccer ball round or throwing a football at the local park, or whether it's hiking and camping in some of our beautiful state parks, we have just such a storied and wonderful set of outdoors opportunities in this state. As chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, I've had the opportunity to see firsthand the benefits provided by parks and encourage everyone to take advantage of the wide variety of parks that our state has to offer.

ACR 66 celebrates not only the importance of the places and spaces parks provide, but also the professionals that help to make them thrive. Please join me in supporting ACR 66.

Thank you. Senator Min, seeing no other mics up Clerk, please call the roll.

Allen aye. Alvarado-Gil aye. Archuletta aye. Ashby. Atkins aye. Becker aye. Blakespear aye. Bradford. Caballero aye. Cortese aye. Dahle aye. 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 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.

Please call the absent Members.

Ashby. Bradford aye.

Ayes 39. No, zero. The resolution is adopted. Now, moving on to the consent calendar, which is items 190 and 191 at this time. Would any Member like to pull an item off the consent calendar? Senator? Wahab no? Okay with that. Go ahead and call the roll. Oh, read first. I'm sorry.

Assembly joint resolution three. Assembly Bill 1361.

Please call the roll.

Allen aye. Alvarado-Gil aye. Archuletta aye. Ashby. Atkins aye. Becker aye. Blakespear aye. Bradford. Caballero aye. Cortese aye. Dahle aye. 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 aye. Newman aye. Nguyen. 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.

Please call the absent Members.

Ashby. Bradford. Nguyen aye.

Ayes 38. No, zero. The consent calendar is approved. Now, moving on to committee announcements. This week's star Senator Porntantino.

So, Appropriations Committee will reconvene immediately upon adjournment of session in room 2200.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. Now, moving on to, returning actually to motions and resolutions, so this time it's appropriate time to do adjourn in memories. And up first is our esteemed pro Temp. Yeah, Bullish, your Senator Atkins.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise to adjourn in memory of a San Diego icon, Gerald Jerry Daniel Caprazelli, who passed away June 5 at the age of 64. Jerry was born in Plainfield, New Jersey on January 3, 1959 to Anthony and Geraldine Caprazelli. His parents hoped he would take over the family's small dry cleaning and tailoring business. But Jerry dreamed of a career in the hospitality field.

He graduated from the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Widener University in Wilmington, Delaware, and at the young age of 22, he was the assistant banquet manager at the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center. In 1983, Jerry moved to San Diego and began his almost four decades long career with the famous Mr. A's restaurant, one of San Diego's premier dining establishments with incredible sweeping views of Balboa Park in downtown.

And if you've ever flown into San Diego, particularly in the winter months, and you look a little if you're on the right side of the plane and you look out, you will see the beautiful lights of Mr. A's. Over the years, Mr. A's has been host to countless marriage proposals, weddings, milestone, birthday parties, anniversaries, holiday celebrations, prom dates, dinners, and major celebrities to boot of all types. It's the place to be seen, but it's also a friendly and accessible and accepting environment.

As maître d', Jerry took great pleasure in serving his guests and making them feel special. Multiple generations of patrons referred to him as Uncle Jerry because he always treated them as family. I can personally attest that Jerry always made my visits enjoyable and experiences memorable. He always greeted you so warmly. On his free nights, Jerry shared his talents with WDS the Marine room in LA Jolla Hexagon Park Bistro. But Mr. A's was his pride and joy.

He was active in the San Diego gay community, was instrumental in securing funding for the restoration of the famous and historic Hillcrest neon sign in 1984. In the mid 1990s, he began working with former Chargers player Ernie Wright and pro kids teaching underserved youth etiquette classes at the restaurant. Boy, I could assure you that probably still could use etiquette lessons. In 2014, he received the Golden Medallion Award for Front of House.

And in 2019 and 2022, he was named top Maître d' San Diego by Modern Luxury magazine. Jerry is survived by his husband of 34 years or his partner and husband of 34 years, Tony Cucazelli and of his San Diego friends, family and clients, of course, that he considered all to be his family colleagues. I ask you to join me in recognition and celebration of a wonderful life of the maître d' extraordinaire, Jerry Capazelli.

Thank you, Madam pro Temp. Senator Skinner.

Thank you, Mr. President. Members, I rise to ask the Senate to adjourn in memory of Daniel Ellsberg. He's a legendary peace activist who was the whistleblower who leaked the Pentagon Papers, which ultimately led to the resignation of Richard Nixon and had an influence on ending the Vietnam War. Daniel Ellsberg was a longtime resident of Kensington, which is in my district. He died June 16 at the age of 92. At home, after battling cancer.

Ellsberg was referred to Henry Kissinger, or he was referred to by Henry Kissinger as the most dangerous man in America, and he referred to him as that. After Ellsberg had released the Pentagon papers and initially the New York times published them, Nixon immediately had his Department of Justice Sue the New York times to stop that publishing. And so Ellsberg turned over the papers to the Washington post, who took it up.

He was personally targeted by Nixon, Ellsberg, who ordered an illegal wiretap of Ellsberg's phone and an illegal break-in of Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office because Nixon said that he must be stopped at all costs. Ellsberg was born in Chicago in 1931, but he grew up in Detroit. He received his bachelor's and doctorate from Harvard. He also studied at Cambridge in the 1950s. As a young man, he was a fervent cold warrior. He was an officer in the marines.

He served there for three years, and he then was the advisor. He started working for the Pentagon, and he was an advisor to defense secretary Robert McNamara namara. He was named that in 1964, and he made a number of trips to Vietnam in that role. And during those trips, that's when his feelings about the war began to change. He was witnessing the mounting toll of civilian deaths. And of course he was privy, he was top secret clearance.

He was privy to all of the information that indicated that the United States prospects in that war were not good. And he decided that he needed to do something about that. He was working for the rand corporation in the late 60s, but he still had the top clearance. And it was then that he began to, in 1969, began to release the pentagon.

Well, he actually began to accumulate the Pentagon papers, which were a voluminous history of the war that revealed top military officials had openly lied to not only presidents of the US. But to Congress and others about the circumstances in Vietnam. And so after accumulating the papers, he made copies of them and gave them to Members of Congress and tried to get Members of Congress to act on this information, but there was no response. That is when he leaked them to the New York times.

And then of course, as I mentioned, after New York times was stopped by the Department of Justice, he gave them to the Washington post. Now, the Supreme Court ruled in the landmarks press freedoms case around this issue that under the doctrine of prior restraint that the government could not prohibit it, the blocking they could not prohibit publication of the news, in effect, before it's published, except in rare instances of national security. So in effect, they were limited to only act after it was released.

Ellsberg was then charged under the espionage act, and he faced a possible 100 year sentence. But the criminal case was thrown out after a judge ruled that the Nixon Administration had engaged in egregious contact. Egregious misconduct? Yes.

Because of the wiretapping of Ellsberg's phone and of the psychiatrist's office. Post Vietnam, Ellsberg's activism centered on spotlighting the risks of nuclear war. He wrote a book, The Doomsday Machine. He was a lecturer at UC Berkeley's Journalism School. He stayed very, very active, but he was pretty much out of the news until the award winning film by Steven Spielberg entitled The Post and then the PBS documentary about him called The Most Dangerous Man in America, both happening around 2017.

He was diagnoesd with pancreatic cancer just earlier this year, and so he did not last long with that. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ellsberg, who still lives in Kensington his son, Michael Ellsberg Robert Ellsberg and his daughter Mary Ellsberg. He also has five grandchildren and one great grandchild. And I appreciate your adjourning in memory of Mr. Ellsberg.

Thank you, Senator Skinner for sharing that unbelievable story. Up next. Senator Umberg?

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise to honor the life and the memory of Margot Manley. Mary Margaret Vitalik Manley was born on January 12, 1942 to Virginia and Nicholas Vidalik. Raised in San Diego, Margot chose to go to St. Mary's College in Indiana, where she earned a BA in English and formed close bonds with a group of women who remained lifelong friends. After a short stint as a high school teacher, Margot embarked on a new path as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

She had an apartment in Greenwich Village and a job that enabled her to hone her formidable skills as a conversationalist who quickly put people at ease. On Labor Day weekend of September 1966, Margot married Steven Manley. Many of us know Steve Manley. Steve Manley is a judge in Santa Clara County and in my mind is an international expert on the collaborative courts. So several of us talked to him just last Thursday.

After she married now Judge Manley, she was forced to resign from United Airlines because she was married. At that time, you couldn't be a flight attendant and be married. And she began a different kind of life in Palo Alto. As the mother of Tess, Steve Jr., Susanna and Alicia, Margot and Steve mentored Javier Rura, a young teenager and promising soccer player from Mexico who quickly folded into the family. Margot was actively engaged in the Palo Alto community.

She supported the Friends nursery school and regularly participated in annual walks to raise money to fight breast cancer. Having fun with others was part of Margot's DNA and she led an active life at home. And in her travels, however much she liked travel, Margot was a true daughter of California and with a surprising store of local knowledge about her home state's geography, history, architecture and points of interest gleaned from many long trips across the state.

In 1986, Margot joined the women flight attendants united, who were forced to leave United because they had been married, in a lawsuit in order to be reinstated with United. And they were successful. And she gained her seniority back as a flight attendant and began to fly again for United in the late summer. Sadly, of 2022. Just last year, Margot received the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with characteristic grace and optimism, and continued to welcome visits from friends and family throughout her illness.

In her final months, Margot was grateful for the support of her family, dear friends, her pastor, the community especially happy that she was able to hold her great granddaughter, Suzette Margaret, who was born this year. On June 27, 2023, with family at her bedside, Margot Vitalik Manley passed away predeceased by the untimely death of their daughter, Susannah.

Margot was survived by Steven, her husband, her other children, Tess, Steve, Alicia, her brother Nicholas, her sister in law, Carolyn Vidalik and Goddaughter, Nicole, her siblings and their children, and her cousins, Kathleen Vidalik, Lormer. I ask that we adjourn in her memory. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Umberg, Senator Menjivar.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues today advised that we adjourn in the memory of Ian Frank Tortorici. Ian Frank Tortorici, or as I knew him by simply Frank, was killed in Ukraine on June 23, while on leave from being on the front lines and dining at a local restaurant. A hypersonic missile hit the restaurant that killed Frank, a few of his teammates, some civilians, including children. Frank was born May 10, 1991, in Oceanside. Then his family moved to Lake Forest.

So you may be wondering, why am I doing a name for someone that doesn't live in my district? I'll let you know. The Monday following Frank's high school graduation, he shipped off to Marine Corps boot camp, where he trained and specialized in data and radio communication systems. Six months later, Frank and I met while assigned to Marine Corps unit MWSS 473, where we were both mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I remember Frank as a smart, funny guy.

He had a wonderful smile and sometimes was quiet. He was known as one of the smart guys because he was a data. That was his military, his MoS. And I was a radio operator. I'm still very smart, though. We trained together as we prepared to get deployed to Bahrain. In talking with his father after Frank's passing, I was able to find a photo of us together. We didn't take too many photos back then. Marines are always hard at work.

Both of us looked so serious out in the field, looking cold as hell. I knew Frank from my days in the Marines, and that is enough to create a long lasting relationship, because no matter where all my Marines are now, we still care for each other very much. And since his passing, frank's father and I have been in conversation, and I learned much more about Frank. Beyond being a Marine veteran, Frank excelled in martial arts and wrestling.

He broke his high school's all time pinning record and became a two times CIF runner up while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. After Corporal Frank was discharged, I learned that he briefly worked at Microsoft. He became a Ranger for the National Park Service where he performed law enforcement duties, search and rescue and rural EMT services. Frank was then picked up by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He graduated as the outstanding distinguished graduate for the training Academy being the Marine that he was because once a Marine, always a Marine. Frank left for Ukraine one week after the Russian invasion and was attached to a Ukrainian National Guard unit as Kiev was under attack. Frank fought for almost 16 months, serving in some of the harshest conditions and battles in Kyiv and all across Ukraine. He was credited with saving many lives within his team while aggressively pursuing the enemy.

Like a true Marine, Frank thrived in the harshest conditions and had an unbreakable happy spirit while serving in Ukraine. Thank you to his father John for sharing some of those videos of Frank with me. John is here in the gallery with Frank's brother, Taylor. Frank is survived by his parents, his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, and his girlfriend Nadia, who was preparing a traditional wedding tower for their planned October engagement. Teovahala brother. Take care.

From the Senate, so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for sharing that. Up next is Senator Eggman. I'm sorry, Senator Eggman. I did not see Senator Min's mic up.

Thank you, Mr. President. I also rise to adorn in memory of Ian Frank Tortorici, who is a resident of Lake Forest, which I represent. And I wanted to speak today not only because he's a constituent, but also because of what he represents. And I appreciate the words from my colleague from San Fernando Valley. I never knew Frank, but what he was fighting for was the values that we're all here trying to represent.

My parents grew up during the Korean War and I can say, honestly, I wouldn't be here. My parents would never have had the opportunity to come to America but for the sacrifices of 36,000 American GIS fighting far from home for values that seemed abstract. And that's what Frank was fighting for.

Fighting for freedom, fighting for democracy, fighting for the opportunity to be who we want to be, fighting for our basic rights in a war where there's clearly one side that is evil and one side that is fighting against that evil. And it's ironic that he was actually not on the front lines when he was killed in a terrorist attack from Russia in a war that is rife with war crimes. He was killed by a war crime, but he was out there fighting for what's right.

And I just wanted to stand up here and say thank you to him for what he represents, and so sorry to the family for your loss.

Thank you. Senator Eggman, Senator Eggman.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise to do an adjournment in memory on behalf of Stockton resident native and former mayor, Gary Podesto. Gary was born October 19, 1941, in Stockton, went to St. Mary's High School, met his high school sweetheart, his wife there, who he married. They were married for over 60 years. Janice also made some lifelong friends there. He went on to become a very successful businessman.

His father had Podesto's Market in Stockton, and Gary started then and owned all our local Food for Less Markets. After he graduated high school, I should say he went to Marquette and played football there until they closed the football program, at which point he transferred to Santa Clara, where he continued to play football and graduated with a degree in economics. He was a longtime businessman and then decided to get into politics for Stockton, the city he loved.

He ran for mayor of Stockton in 1997, and he was the last mayor we've had who has served for two terms as Stockton mayor. He termed out in 2005. And we have to credit to him that was a time when redevelopment was still in full effect. And we have our downtown arena, all our downtown redevelopment, our theater. We have down there the rededication of the Bob Hope Theater, our former Fox Theater, our baseball field, and our arena.

There was so much more that he did for the Stockton community. Was a staunch Republican, but a true politician and community servant who really worked with everybody, no matter what. He just wanted what was best for Stockton. And as I said, he was the last mayor that we had who has been elected to two terms. He did have a run for state Senate.

He was very closely defeated in that race, and then just went on to continue service in the community until he moved away and ended up dying in Montana at the end of June this year. We wish his family he's got three children, multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren. His son, Chris, is planning a private service. And we wish the Podesto family, Stockton's gratitude and condolences for the loss of their father.

Thank you, Senator Eggman. When appropriate, if Members could come up with the paperwork so all of our people can be appropriately honored. And right now, we're going to return to motions, resolutions and notices and recognize the majority floor leader at his desk.

Thank you so much. Mr. President, grateful for your work today. Would request unanimous consent to move reconsideration on file item 191, AB 1361 and order it to third reading. Is there an objection? Seeing none, ayes 37 no, zero. And reconsideration is granted.

With that, if there's no other business, Senator Atkins, the desk is clear.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues. Thank you. It's good to see each and every one of you back. Four weeks to go, and I know that we can do this, and I appreciate all of your hard work going forward and hope you had a chance to relax a bit over the break with family, with community. And with that, welcome back. Our next floor session is scheduled for this Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 09:00 A.M. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. The Senate will be in recess until 03:30 P.M., at which time the adjournment motion will be made. Again. We will reconvene Thursday, August 17, at 09:00 A.M. Thank you.