Assembly Floor

Members, the house will be coming to order. Please find your seats. And if our guests can find your seats, we will be coming to order. Members, we will be coming to order.

The Assembly is now in session. Assembly Member Petrie-Norris notices the presence of a quorum. The Clerk will call the roll.

Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula Bains, Bauer-Khan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chen, Connolly, Dahle, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Holden, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Karla, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Shiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Mr. Speaker.

Members, a quorum is present. We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the morning's prayer and flag salute. The prayer will be delivered by our Assembly Chaplain, Imam Yasser Khan.

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, almighty God, we stand here this morning in gratitude for all the amazing blessings you have blessed us with. Allow us all to always remain grateful and in doing so, allow us to be a means of blessing for others. We stand here with our heads bowed and our hearts turned towards you, seeking your blessing. Bless our hearts with sincerity so we can serve with purpose. Bless our hearts with empathy so we can understand the plight of those that are hurting.

Let us understand how difficult it is for those that are struggling through food insecurity, lack of housing, access to health care and other basic human rights that every human being deserves to have. Allow us to imagine how it is not to have a voice when facing injustice. Bless our hearts with compassion that allows us to take steps to see to the needs of our fellow Californians. Bless our hearts with humility that allows us to listen.

As we stand here this morning to witness the Administration of the oath of office of speaker designate, Assemblymember Robert Rivas we all pray that he continues to hold sincerity, empathy, compassion and humility close to his heart as he steps into this new role of Speaker of the California State Assembly. Amen

Next is the flag salute. I now ask the children who will lead the pledge to come forward via the center aisle.

Ready salute. I pledge your 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 exit the chamber. Members and guests, you may be seated. Yeah, good. We'd prefer that you stay, though. Reading of the previous day's journal

Assembly Chamber of Sacramento Wednesday, May 17, 2023 the Assembly met at 07:00 a.m.. The Honorable Juan Carrillo with Assembly Members

Mr. Flora seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with presentations and petitions. There are none. Introductions and reference of bills will be deferred. Second, reading and reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor. There are none. Sure? I don't know. Messages from the Senate? There are none. Motions and resolutions the absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118 A to allow speaker designate Robert Rivas to have guests and photographers on the floor and in the gallery today

Without objection. Such shall be the order. Colleagues and guests, it is my pleasure to introduce special guests who are present this morning. Please welcome the constitutional officers of California. Governor Gavin Newsom. Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate, Eleni Kounalakis. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber. Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Controller Malia Cohen Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and Chief Justice of California, Patricia Guerrero. Recognize former Assembly Speakers who have served this House with distinction. Please welcome back Kurt Pringle, the 61st speaker. The 63rd speaker. Antonio Villaraigosa, the 64th speaker. Robert Hertzberg. Speaker Fabian Nunez, the 67th speaker and Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass. the 68th Speaker John Perez, the 69th speaker, and Senate President Pro Tem Tony Atkins. She was speaker first. Thank you. and from the ... Nancy Pelosi.

And Speaker Anthony Rendon. Members and guest we have other special guests with us today, from the US. House of Representatives, District 18. Welcome. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. From the US. House of Representatives, District 20, welcome former Congressman Sam Farr. From the California State Senate, District 14. She is a mentor to speaker designate Robert Rivas. Welcome. Anna Caballero. And we have with us a very special civil rights icon. Along with the late Cesar Chavez, she co founded the United Farm Workers Labor Union.

For more than 60 years, she has fought for poor and working people, for women and children and has lent her name to causes against injustice. Welcome, Dolores Huerta. Seated with Members at their desk today are nearly two dozen farm workers. These hardworking individuals are the heart of our agricultural economy and we are grateful for their labor and their sacrifice. Please stand and be recognized.

We, of course, welcome all of our other distinguished public officials current and former legislators, Members of the consular and diplomatic corps and special guests in the chamber, gallery and Capitol who have joined us today. Members, the hour of 10:00 a.m. Having arrived, we shall move to our Special Order of business. File item one is the Administration of the oath of office to Robert Rivas as the speaker of the California State Assembly. The events of today mark a time of transition for this branch of government.

We will now hear comments from Luis Valdez. Mr. Valdez is a playwright, Director, activist and the award winning founder of El Teatro Campesino, the Farm Workers Theater Company. Mr. Valdez formed the theater company to help unite and uplift farm workers during the Delano strike. His work pioneered the social political chicano movement. Mr. Valdez, please step forward to the reading Clerk station.

Thank you very much, Governor. Newsom esteemed legislators, honored guests it's my pleasure, my district honor today to join you in this celebration this ceremony of inauguration the ascension of Representative Robert Rivas as the new speaker of the Assembly for our glorious State of California. I say this with all of the pride engendered by the achievements of one of our local heroes in San Bernardo County as he now speaks not only for the 29th Assembly District but also for the entire State of California from San Diego to the Oregon border.

This is a moment of tremendous pride for us because this impressive evolution of his voice as a humble grassroots leader, as the grandson of an activist farm raper organizer, the son of a single mother who attended school in the Mission Pueblo of San Juan Bautista and now serves and resides in the City of Hollister with his wife Christian and family, all of this speaks to the essence of our democracy itself.

Almost 60 years ago in the middle of the great lane of Grape Strike in the heat of that struggle I recall and remember Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta pointedly talking to our wellgista troops on the picket lines about the long term effects of organizing farm workers in California.

They would have predicted not only result in the first union contracts for field workers in America, it would also inevitably lead the poorest and most disenfranchised people in the state to take control of their own destinies by exercising the power of the vote and starting to elect their own reps to school boards, city councils, boards of supervisors and inevitably, the California State Assembly and Senate. Robert Rivas'trajectory, as a conscientious San Benito County Supervisor before he ran for the Assembly is such an excellent case in point.

But what matters most is that this young leader who grew up in farm worker housing has the integrity and compassion to do something for all the people of the state but especially the people at the very bottom. Regrettably, from Sacramento to Washington, D.C. these are trying times in our democracy as the public's faith in the political leaders has been challenged by the blatant lies and corruption in our bicameral legislative bodies and even in the White House.

As a founding artistic Director of El Teatro Campesino and as a Hollywood filmmaker it has been my mission since 1965 to activate our audiences to take control of their own destinies by speaking truth to power. The mission town of San Juan Bautista was founded when George Washington was still President in 1797. It has been our home, the Tiato's home, for 52 years.

But I cannot think of anything that makes us more proud than to have one of our beloved local homeboys speaking for our Golden State a state with one of the most powerful economies in the greatest democracy in the world. This is impressive stuff. I need to point out that Robert comes from the very geographic, cultural and historical heartland of California. San Benito County, close to Monterey County, is where the state had its beginnings.

Of course, it's a big state now and all the way from San Diego to the Oregon border. We are maganopolis. We are power in the world. And the decisions that are made in this chamber reverberate around the world. It is with this humbling thought in mind that I remember our ancient Nawahal speaking indigenous ancestors in America who practiced a kind of democratic consensus by describing their leaders not as God given kings but rather as Uitlutwani or Chief Speakers of all the people.

It is with this humbling thought in mind that I extend my finest and fondest Amaraso with pride to the new Chief Speaker of the State of California, Nuestremano Robert Rivas Keviva. Robert Rivas.

Thank you for those wonderful remarks, Mr. Valdez. We will now have a musical performance by Mariachi Las Cole Brie from Los Angeles. Mariachi Las Cole Brie, or the Hummingbirds, are an all female ensemble who perform with all string instruments in the tradition of the earliest 20th century Marachi mariachi. Their repertoire includes traditional ... and rancheras with the sound of jazz, rock oldies and rhythm and blues arrangements paired with excellent vocals. Today they are playing serenada las deca. Let's welcome Mariachi Las Cole Brie. Thank you, Mariachi Las Cole Brie. We will now hear remarks from selected Members. We will begin with Dr. Jim Wood. You are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. It's a tremendous honor to rise and speak in support of Robert Rivas. Robert came and grew up and lives in a rural community. That's really important to me personally. It's really important, I think, to the people I represent. He brings a lived experience to this job that we haven't seen in a very long time. There are a lot of people in this large, diverse state that sometimes feel forgotten.

People who live in small cities, towns, neighborhoods in large cities, sometimes California's first people. That perspective he brings, I think is really important for California. So oftentimes in this body, in this house and this Legislature, we pass a lot of laws. They're often one size fits all. And that doesn't always work for the people that I represent and Robert represents and that so many of us represent. That fresh perspective, I think, will be good for all of California.

When Robert first became the chair of the Agriculture Committee, he did something I've never seen before. He went to all of our districts to learn firsthand the needs and the challenges we faced in our district. And on his quest to become speaker, he did the same thing with Members, with candidates that hands on approach to building relationships, strong relationships, will be the hallmark of his speakership. And for those of you who have not experienced that, you will.

There is no quit in Robert Rivas, and I think that's really important for all of us. For me, it's a personal connection, unlike I've had with any other Member of this body. When I get wound up and I do, he doesn't. And when I go to Robert with something and I'm wound up, his calm, unflappable demeanor brings me back to a place where I need to go to look for solutions. That's what he brings to this body. Robert's really competitive.

It doesn't matter what it you know, he's not as good as he thinks he is. Soccer, cards, you name it. But that competitiveness isn't always about Robert, except in golf. It's about team. It's about winning for everybody. And I think that's what he brings most of all. He's going to unify us, and I think that's important. When we are unified and all working together, there are no limits to what we can accomplish. I firmly, firmly believe that Robert is an amazing human being. He will be. Actually, I would say he already is a great leader in California. Many of you just don't know it yet, but you will. It's a great honor to be speak in support of my friend, the 71st speaker, California Assemblywoman.

Lori Wilson, you're recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The verse I rise with a heart filled with gratitude and joy as the representative from the 11th Assembly District. Heling from Sassoon City. A heart filled with gratitude for our soon to be Speaker Emeritus, the Honorable Anthony Rendon, and the work this body accomplished over his tenure as the Sevizia Speaker.

Gratitude for being a part of the rich diversity and tapestry of new perspectives as we all serve with the most women legislators, most LGBTQ, plus legislators, most legislators of color in California's history. Today, we should all be filled with gratitude, a heart filled with joy as I consider and celebrate the new season of leadership under the Honorable Robert Rivas. A man that has demonstrated throughout his political career his empathy, integrity, and kindness.

A man that, despite coming from meager beginnings, overcame challenge after challenge, obstacle after obstacle, to become the type of leader we see today, one that endures for what is right, even if that means standing alone. One that fights for the powerless to ensure they have a voice at every table of power, one that understands you cannot leave people you do not first love. Today we should all be filled with joy.

I also rise on behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus as chair for each of the 15 Members of our caucus, the words of Booker T. Washington ring loudly in our ears success is not measured by the position that one has reached in life, but by the obstacles one has overcome while trying to succeed. On behalf of the Back Caucus, congratulations on your success. We look forward to working with you on monumental legislation to ensure equity for all and the continued dismantling of systematic discrimination and racism.

And finally, with hearts filled with gratitude and joy, we as a body hailing from every corner of California ask the Creator to bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you, be gracious towards you and give you the peace as you step into this great position of power. Please join me in congratulating our next speaker, the 71st speaker of the Assembly, the Hananburg Lava region.

Thank you, Ms. Wilson. And Assemblywoman Liz Ortega, you're recognized at your desk.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I rise today representing Assembly District 20 of San Leandro. Before I talk about our next Speaker, I would like to make an introduction today. On the floor is my husband, Jason Toro, and former Assembly Member and now Executive Director of the California Labor Federation, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher. Please welcome them.

Members, I rise today to support and congratulate the assemblymen from San Ben Benito county for becoming the 71st speaker of the California State Assembly. When he asked me to speak, I said, are you sure I'm an unapologetic Latina? And he said, that's why I want you to speak today. Long before Robert Rivas became our new speaker or was even elected as an Assemblyman, he was drawn to service. And he was drawn to it for the right reasons.

That's because Assemblyman Rivas knows what it means to be from a family that's hard working poor. That's because it's not just about working. And it's not just hard work, but it's hard working poor. Members, our families were not so different. His toiled in the rural vineyards of the Central Coast. Mine served urban centers around Oakland. And both of our mothers and grandmother showed us what sacrifice, love, passion and most importantly, hope looks like every day.

It when you grow up in a hardworking, poor family and you see the courage and the resolve in your family to not just put in the hard work to improve your lives, but to fight to improve the lives of others. That's inspiring. That's a leader. And Robert, our speaker, has inspired us by always standing up for workers across California. He took his experience of living in farm worker housing and turned it into giving back by passing the Farm Worker Housing Act. That's leadership.

That's also a leader that doesn't forget where he came from. We're going to be there right alongside our new speaker, pushing the powerful and fighting for those families who are still hardworking, but yet still poor. And from time to time, Roberto, we will push you because we support you, and we love the spirit that propelled you to feed off your experience so you can make a difference in the lives of families like ours. The generations that came before us are proud of us.

I know you, as our speaker, feels the weight of this. So I want to congratulate you and your family and thank you for keeping us inspired to fight for the California dream that only would have you as our new speaker and a kid like me, who came here as an illegal immigrant with my parents, crossing the border in a dangerous trek to make sure that we could achieve that dream. And here we are. I'm ready to get to work, and I know you are, too. ... Gracias.

Thank you, Ms. Ortega. And Assembly Member Rick Zbur, you're recognized at your desk for remarks.

Mr. Speaker, Members, distinguished guests, we are truly living in momentous times. The issues we face are immense a radical Supreme Court ripping away abortion rights, ending affirmative action, and just this morning, allowing businesses to discriminate against same sex couples, climate change threatening our planet and our way of life. LGBTQ plus kids and families under attack and McCarthy era forced outing. Policies threatening the safety of kids and teachers in our schools. Poverty, homelessness, racism, anti Semitism on the rise, and even our democracy is at risk.

This moment calls for the kind of strong leadership embodied by our friend Robert Rivas. Leadership that confronts our many challenges head on, leadership aimed at healing divisions. Leadership that understands that our most enduring progress arises when we build consensus and bring everyone along. Leadership that stands strong against those who aim to tear us apart or prey on fear and hate. And leadership that is grounded in humility and love, especially for our most vulnerable.

Growing up in humble farm worker housing with his mother and brother Rick, his values were shaped by the examples around him people who worked hard in the vineyards every day to provide for their families so that their kids might have the opportunities afforded by the California Dream. And while he came from a community of scarcity, there was no scarcity of love or examples of standing up for what is right or sacrificing to fight for a better life for the people in his community.

The example he saw was his grandfather, who fought alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, fighting for better pay and better working conditions for farm workers. Rob has fought throughout his public life for things that weren't always all that easy, like protecting his rural communities, groundwater from the damaging impacts of fracking, and understanding that there would be political costs. Doing that with my own eyes, I saw him stand up for LGBTQ plus kids while he was a school administrator in Hollister.

He was one of the LGBTQ plus community's earliest champions in rural California, not just because that was the popular thing to do, in fact, it was probably the opposite, but because it was just and it was right. He understands the need to address climate change with urgency. He will be a rock solid champion protecting abortion rights and reproductive freedom, and he will stand strong to protect LGBTQ plus people, our Jewish communities and communities of color throughout the state.

He will also fight for our schools, small businesses, and our economic growth. Former First Lady Roslyn Carter once said, a leader leads people where they want to go. A great leader doesn't lead people where they want to go, but where they ought to be. And that's why I'm so proud to support Robert Rivas today as he leads us not to where it's just easy to go, but where we need to go.

Rob, I can't tell you how proud of you I am, how proud I am to have earned your friendship. And I congratulate you on this achievement and look forward to being by your side as you lift up the people of this great state so that we can all achieve our greatest potential. Thank you and congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Zbur. And Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber you're recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of speaker designee. Robert Rivas He is truly the embodiment of the California dream, growing up in very humble beginnings, attending community college, graduating from Sacramento and San Jose State, then joining the California State Assembly in 2018, and now becoming the 71st speaker of the California State Assembly. He is truly an example that with the right foundation and support that anyone can and should be be able to fulfill their dreams in this great state.

Robert has demonstrated his faithful commitment to addressing the needs affecting some of the most vulnerable in our state by passing legislation addressing farm worker housing, extreme heat, hospitals, seismic safety, and sustainable agriculture. I cannot think of another Member of this body who is fit and has the grit to take on ensuring that we are unified, to ensure that every part of our Ad, Assembly Districts have a voice that is heard.

And respected and that we continue to pass legislation that protects all Californians and allows California to continue to be the moral compass that this nation so desperately needs. Before I continue, I really want to thank Robert, and I hope he can still hear me. Because as we all know, as elected leaders, it's a sacrifice. Many of us are away from our homes, our children.

But when you take on this role, it's an even greater sacrifice because oftentimes when we go home on Thursdays, the speaker still has to do work up here or he has to fly to another part of the district. And so I want to thank him for stepping up and taking on this challenge. Stepping up and taking on the challenge of making sure that we are unified, making sure that we are passing the right legislation, making sure that every Member is seen, heard and respected.

I want to thank his wife and his daughter because they are joining in this fight as well. Thank you so much for all of the time that you have been away from him, but been there to support him when he's called you, maybe even cried to you, maybe even been angry about things up here. And thank you for all of the time that you will allow him to be with us and the residents of California over these next few years as he's speaker. I am excited for the future of this body and even more excited for the future of this great state with Robert as our speaker. So congratulations to our speaker designee and my good friend, Robert Rivas. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Weber and Assembly Member Evan Low, you're recognized at your desk for remarks.

On this final day of June 30 of Pride Month. We have much to be prideful for Speaker Rivas as reflected in the Speakers of the Diversity Caucuses, reflecting the values and incredible talent of the State of California. We support you. Your success is our collective success.

And at the same time of this juxtaposition of the direction of the regressive direction of the country, we have a unique opportunity in fighting for those that are underserved just this week alone, the justification of that, of the case in which the Supreme Court today on the 303 Creative case ruling that a business has the license to discriminate based on sexual orientation or allowing for educational opportunities to further divide our country.

That is completely the different direction of this country and of our state and the embodiment that you share. For all of us in uplifting the voices. We are an Assembly family. We are a California family. And on this final day of pride, we are very prideful. Prideful for you at the helm. Congratulations. We elevate you. We celebrate you with deep pride.

Thank you, Mr. Low. And thank you, Members. Pursuant to the adoption of House Resolution One, I am appointing a Select Committee on escort to bring speaker designate Robert Rivas, his wife, Kristen, their daughter, Melina, his mother, Myra Flores, his grandmother, Rosa Flores, and his brother, Rick Rivas to the dais. I ask our Assembly Speakers emeriti to join the Rivas family in the rear of the chamber. Mr. Pringle, Mr. Villaragosa, Mr. Hertzberg, Mr. Nunez, Ms. Bass, Mr. Perez and Ms. Atkins.

The escort Committee shall bring speaker designate Robert Rivas to the Rostrum. Members, please be seated. The oath of office will be administered to speaker designate Robert Rivas by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. Chief Justice Guerrero is the 29th Chief Justice of California and the first Latina to serve in this role. We are so pleased to welcome her back to this house.

Joining joining Chief Justice Guerrero at the Rostrum to assist in the Administration of the oath of office are Mr. Rivas' wife Kristen, their daughter Melina, his mother Maya Flores, his grandmother Rosa Flores, and his brother Rick Rivas and Molina. Reevis will be holding the 522 year old Parisian Bible. The Bible is on loan from the California State Library and has been used to swear in California's governors and legislative leaders since 1870. Chief Justice Guerrero, you may begin.

For the office of speaker of the Assembly, please place your left hand on the Bible. Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I state your name I, Robert Rivas do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support and defend that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of California.

That I take this obligation freely that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter. Congratulations.

Speaker Rivas will now sign the official oath of office at the journal station at the Assembly desk.

Members and special guests, the 71st speaker of the California State Assembly, Robert Rivas.

Thank you all so much. Don't have the words, but I can tell you before I get some water. I can tell you that this is my great honor to undertake the responsibilities of the speaker of the California State Assembly. And I'm humbled, absolutely humbled by the trust you have placed in me on behalf of the people of California to lead this body and to support the enactment of just laws.

I'm proud to lead an Assembly that is the most diverse in California's history and among the most diverse legislative bodies in the world. We have to always remember that our diversity is our collective heritage as Californians. Our diversity is what built this state. It is our greatest strength today, and it is the foundation of our future. And I can tell you that no one gets to this dais without a great deal of help.

And I want to begin by expressing gratitude to all of you, to my colleagues since I arrived here in the Assembly. So many of you on both sides of the aisles, on both chambers, the Senate, the Assembly. You have lent me your advice, your encouragement. And I stand here with the greatest respect for the work each of you do every day. Thank you for serving California. And at this moment of change, I certainly want to acknowledge our outgoing Speaker, Anthony Rendon.

During his tenure, this Assembly has made significant progress for the people of California. We thank you, Mr. Speaker. We thank you for your leadership, for your service and for your deep commitment to our state. And as we know, the Governor is with us. Governor Newsom, with moral clarity and a concern for our most vulnerable has been a relentless advocate for Californians and a relentless, relentless advocates during one of the most difficult periods in American history. And I can tell you, Mr. Governor, I am grateful.

We are grateful for your leadership and look forward to what we're going to accomplish together. And for me, it is an incredible honor, one of the greatest honors to recognize one of the greatest speakers our country has ever had. Our formidable Speaker emeriti, Nancy Pelosi. Your relentless fight for our democracy's, heart and soul inspires me, inspires every Member of our caucus. Thank you for all you do. And I'm so proud that my very own representative from Washington is here.

One of the most accomplished Members in Congress, the great Zoe Lofren. Zoe. Thank you. I also want to recognize a dear friend and our fearless Senate pro-tem, former Assembly Speaker Tony Atkins. And as you know, Madam Pro Tem, I look forward to working with you. And also, I'm so appreciative of every dignitary and constitutional officer, every former speaker here with us today. As a state, California is blessed, absolutely blessed to have these trailblazing leaders guiding us. Thank you for all you have done.

Thank you for all you do. And thank you for being here. I also want to acknowledge someone very, very special to me. Dolores Huerta. As we all know, Dolores is a legend whose work has lifted up millions across the world. She is one of the most consequential leaders of our time. And Dolores, you have been a friend to my family for so long, even before I was born a personal mentor to me. Your commitment to justice is an inspiration to us all. Thank you.

Thank you for everything you have done. And thank you for always, always being there for me. And as our Speaker Pro Tem Ward mentioned, we are joined this morning here in our Assembly floor by many farm workers, women and men whose daily labor, whose sacrifices are and have always been the backbone of California's $50 billion agricultural economy. So please, once again, help me honor and welcome them to our State's Capitol. And it is with a full and grateful heart that I acknowledge two incredible women.

My mom, Myra Flores, and my incredible 90 year old grandmother who helped raise myself, my brother, all of my cousins, Rosa and Aflores. In addition to my mom and grandmother, my entire family is here with me, scattered throughout these chambers. There's a lot of them. But the strength and determination of my mom and grandmother, the strength and determination of my family have shaped every part of my life. And words can never express my gratitude to them and what it means to have them here with me in this moment.

And it's tough to find the words because the odds were stacked against my family when we immigrated to California in the 1960s, traveling some 1800 miles from Mexico. The tough odds that we faced, they bind us to others who've settled here. Chinese laborers who built railroads. Fortune seeking, 49 ers black Americans leaving the post Balum south Okies, fleeing the Dust Bowl. Mexican and Latin Americans migrating to work in our fields. LGBTQ Americans looking for a place where their rights would be respected.

And there are so many other examples. My grandfather, Cervando Flores, his first job was picking and packing grapes at Almaden Vineyards. My mom was eight years old then. Our family, they lived in a two room farm worker unit. It was a unit that often glistened with spray from the pesticides used in by fields. In the early 1980s, my brother and I, we were raised in that same humble home. By then, more family Members lived with us. Eight people, three beds, and a single bathroom.

We were poor. Our home was crowded. But my family was always focused on building a better life for themselves and for others. And despite great personal risk, my grandfather, he organized with the UFW with Dolores Huerta and helped secure and win a first ever labor contract for he and his fellow workers. My great grandmother and my grandma, they worked the night shift at a tomato cannery to keep food on our table. My mom, she was a secretary. That was before becoming a kindergarten teacher.

And I remember she sold Mary Kay and Rainbow vacuum cleaners to make sure my brother and I had a chance at a better life. And in some ways, our lives, they were difficult. But I was raised in the spirit of service, elevated by a strong community, a community where people took care of each other. And I was surrounded by so much love. Love, community, and service. Those are the three forces that got me here to the state Legislature: love, community, and service.

Those are the three forces that have helped me understand that our lives are only worthwhile when we bring others up as we rise. And in these kinds of speeches, as we all know, you hear a lot about the California Dream. The phrase is used so much that it can lose its meaning or become a cliche. But for our family, the dream, the California dream, it is the foundation and fabric of our lives. As I mentioned, my grandfather, he was a farm worker his entire life.

My family and I grew up in farm worker housing. And today I stand before you as speaker of the California State Assembly. That is the California dream. But this trajectory was only possible for us because the California my grandparents immigrated to made it possible. The opportunities here at that time, they were greater than anywhere else. But to be candid, I often wonder, as many do, as many of our residents and constituents do, I wonder if our story would still be possible today.

You see, in 1988, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins pulled together their savings to buy a small house in the City of Hollister for $140,000. It was a massive, massive investment. But it was doable. The house was ours. It gave us a sense a sense that our future was not so precarious and that there was a place for us in the greatest state in the country, in California. But today, home ownership for anyone except the most affluent Californians is simply out of reach.

Our state's average home price today, which recently dropped, dropped to just under $775,000. An entire generation of Californians will be locked out of home ownership if we do not do more. Education is another example. As you all know, I started my life in very humble surroundings. But I went each day to public schools, schools that gave me a great education. After high school, I went to two of California's public universities in our CSU system. But today, many young Californians are asking if college is actually worth.

It no surprise, given the astronomical cost of attending college at every stage of life in California, from early schooling to getting a higher degree to that crucial step of buying a first home. Success. Success feels increasingly out of reach. And it's not just those with the lowest incomes who are struggling. For three years in a row, and for the first time in our state's history, the population of our state has declined. And it has declined at every income level.

The most visible sign of our times the encampments under our highways and on downtown streets. But working in middle class families, they're facing the same pressures. And they are asking the same question is there still a place for me in California? Make no mistake, California. We are still the greatest state in the Union. Incredible natural resources, creativity, innovation, diversity, energy. And a history of welcoming everyone who chooses to come here and work hard. Yes, California is the most populous state in the country.

Yes, California is the fourth largest economy in the world. But if we in this room, if we do not act and act with greater urgency, it will get more and more difficult to build a good life here. I feel, and I know that you all do too, a great sense of responsibility. Responsibility because we are the ones who can keep the door open for the next generation. We are responsible for protecting the building blocks of Californian's everyday lives.

From the water we drink, to the air we breathe, from children's schools to our public hospitals, it is on us. And to face these challenges, we must return our attention to the basics. We must elevate California's working and middle classes by enacting practical measures, measures that will lift the economic burden they face. We must make our public services the best in America. We should have the best schools, roads, hospitals. And we don't.

It's time to ask ourselves why that is and take real action, even when it's tough or unpopular to fix it. We must use every tool at our disposal to end homelessness because the inhumane conditions on our streets are completely unacceptable. And we must achieve all this, all of this, while continuing to do what California does best protecting our incredible environment and protecting the right of every Californian to live, to love, to choose and to thrive.

This will mean focusing less on how many bills we can pass and more on the impact we are having. Sometimes this will mean going back and fixing something rather than passing a new law. It may mean saying no to an interest group that has had our back in the past. It may mean reaching out to a colleague whose beliefs are different from our own. What's clear we must work with urgency and unity. Unity that is backed by mutual trust and respect.

And today I pledge to you to do whatever I can to reinforce these values. This approach will allow us to make measurable progress on the most critical issues facing Californians. And it will show the rest of the country that progressive government works. And I want to close by thanking the two most important people in my life. My wife, Kristen, without whose love and support I would not be here and I don't know where she is. But also our precious daughter, Melina.

Raising Melina is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Being a father has given me a lot of perspective. And I know that every parent in this room knows exactly what I'm talking about. And I often think about Melina's life. Her life in 30 years when she has a family of her own, her life in 50 years when her kids have gone to college, and in 70 years when she is looking back on a long and happy life.

I want her to make that life here in California. And that means ensuring as your speaker that the California dream that elevated me, that has elevated so many of us, can elevate her and every Member of her generation. That is our responsibility. That is our mission. And we will get it done. And we will get it done together. Thank you very, very much.

Thank you, Members, you may be seated. And at this time, I'd like to call on Blessed Choir of Sacramento for a musical performance. Please come forward to the front of the chamber. We welcome the choir Members and Director Huey Lovelady as they perform The Best is yet to Come. Director Lovelady.

Hold on, my brother, don't give up. Hold on there is a master that. Is all for you if you just make it through god wanna relax all your mind. He's gonna make it worth your time for all of the trouble you been through the last double just for you. The best, the best is yet to come. To die.

The best of best, the best is yet to come. Hold on, my brother, don't give up. Hold on, my sister just look up there is a master plan in store for you if you just make it through. God gonna rel your mind. He's gonna make it worth your time for all of the trouble you may be double just for you. The best, the best you get to. Come to come back.

Come back. You get to come. Today is the first day today is the first day of the best day of your life. Today is the first day of the best days of your life. Today is the first day today is. The first day of the best days of your life. The best is yet. To come. The best. You it. The best. You get to come. You ain't see nothing. You ain't see nothing yet. You ain't see nothing. You ain't nothing yet. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Members and guests, I ask everybody to please remain in place as Speaker Rivas, Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Governor Newsom exits the chamber and your applause is welcomed and encouraged. And now, let's give another big rounding applause for Blessed Choir of Sacramento. Without objection, I'm ordering the remarks of Speaker Robert Rivas and today's ceremony participants to be printed in the journal.

Members, guests, on behalf of Speaker Robert Rivas, we thank you all for today's program participants, our state librarian, Greg Lucas, for the loan of the Bible and you for your support. A reception in honor of Speaker Rivas will be held immediately upon adjournment of session in the first and second floor rotundas of the Capitol. A staff celebration will be held at the Capitol Museum at 1020 O Street from 11:30 A.m to 01:30 P.m.. This concludes our business today.

All other items remaining on file shall be passed and retained. All motions shall be continued. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Ms.. Reyes moves Mr. Gallagher seconds. That this house stands adjourned until Monday, July 3, at 01:00 P.m.. The quorum call is lifted and the house is adjourned.