Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry notices the absence of a quorum. The sergeant at arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent members. The Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Help us all who are part of human institutions, both private and public, to labor for the dignity and purpose of persons. Let us not become slaves of our institutions or of our technology. Rather, give each of us the freedom to be an artisan and designer of all that is necessary and good for a healthy human environment. Let us be mindful of the rightful differences which exist between us. However, let us use these differences.

Let us use this difference to enslave some and exalt others, for this is an equal dignity and nobility which we all share under You, our common father, and en numbra de Dios. Amen.

Thank you, Assembly Member Carrillo. Assembly Member Reyes will lead us in the pledge.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, please join me in the pledge. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. You may be seated. Wishing everybody a Happy National Gourmet Coffee Day as we begin our business this morning. Reading of the previous day's journal.

Assembly Chamber of Sacramento, Thursday, September 14th, 2023. The Assembly met at 1:00p.m.

Ms. Aguiar-Curry moves. Mr. Gallagher seconds. Let the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with. Presentations and petitions, there are none. Introduction and references of bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor, there are none. Messages from the Senate, there are none. Moving to motions and resolutions. The absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Members, please give your respectful attention to Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry. You are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Luz Rivas, Santiago, Wood, Ramos, and Lowenthal to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I'm giving a one-day notice to remove File Items A-2, AB 846: Bonta, and A-7, AB 747: McCarty from the inactive file at the request of the authors.

Clerk will note.

Pursuant to Assembly Rule 98, I request unanimous consent to strike File Item 31: AB 1699 from the file at the request of the author, Assembly Member McCarty.

Excuse me. Without objection, such shall be the order. Members, let us wish a happy birthday to Assembly Member Kalra, who celebrates on Sunday. Moving to business on the Daily File. Second Reading. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 817.

The bill will be deemed read and all amendments deemed adopted. Governor's veto pass and retain on file items two through 104. Reconsideration all items shall be continued. Assembly third reading, pass and retain on file item 107. Moving to file item 108, AB 1550 by Assemblymember Bennett for the purpose of amendments. Assemblymember Bennett you are recognized on your amendments.

Thank you Mr. Speaker I rise to present amendments to AB 1550. These amendments reflect the work.

Assembly Bill 1550 with amendments by Assemblymember Bennett.

You are recognized, Mr. Bennett.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise to present amendments on AB 1550. These amendments reflect the work we've done over the fall with a large group of stakeholders and the changes the bill and changes the bill to allow both green and renewable hydrogen for hydrogen production. The amendments also align the bill with recently released draft for the federal tax credit for hydrogen. This vote is only for the amendments. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Mr. Flora, for what reason do you rise?

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Sadly, we oppose these amendments. Ask for a roll call vote.

Okay thank you. Mr. Flora is asking for a roll call vote. The Clerk will open the roll on the amendments. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. This is all those present and voting. This is not a 41-vote bill motion. So Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 33, noes 13. The ayes have it. The amendments are adopted. The bill is out to print and back on file.

Moving to file item 109, AB 772 by Assemblymember Jackson the clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 772 by Assemblymember Jackson. An act relating to care facilities.

Assemblymember Jackson, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. AB 772 streamlines childcare day center policies relative to immunizations and testing. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Seeing and hearing no further debate, Assemblymember Jackson would like to close. All debate having ceased, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 56, noes zero. The item passes. Pass and retain on file items 110 and 111. Moving to item file item 112, Assembly Bill 1333 by Assemblymember Ward.

The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1333 by Assembly Member Ward and others, an act relating to real property.

Assembly Member Ward, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, Members. AB 1333 would prohibit the bulk sale of newly constructed single family homes to institutional investors with 1,000 or more units in their portfolio. As California continues to face a housing crisis, data shows that institutional investors are turning to the single family housing market to increase profits. In 2021, it was estimated that the capital investment of single family housing market topped 45 billion dollars, rising in 2022.

The trend of build-to-rent communities facilitated by bulk home sales is a rapidly expanding trend in California, indeed the country, severely limiting the ability of first-time and first-generation homeowners for competing for homes as institutional investors can leverage their ability to buy in cash and at times bypass appraisals and other typical processes in exchange for a discount on the bulk purchases of homes.

These bulk transactions lower the overall housing stock, increasing home prices for first-time home buyers, and most importantly, taking away homeownership opportunities and wealth generations for Californians. AB 1333 would give back the lost opportunities of homeownership to Californians at a time when the middle and the working class residents are forced to choose between the dream of homeownership and the ability of generating wealth across the state. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ward. Members, I know everybody's really excited about this bill, as am I, so let's give our respectful attention to Assembly Member Wilson. Would you like to speak on this bill?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in respectful opposition to this particular bill and I appreciate the work that my colleague is attempting to do as it relates to curbing investment into our housing market. I recognize that it is absolutely necessary to increase home ownership as a way to build generational wealth. What I don't agree with on this bill is this is the way to do it. I think it stymies the market.

I think it doesn't do what the Member thinks it will do, but it will have a host of unintended consequences, including having development being at a standstill. We've seen several times as the market goes up and down, developers unable to complete their projects due to the market. This would further exacerbate that. In addition, when you think about--our state policy is to produce homes, whether they're rented or owner-occupied. It is to produce homes.

This will stymie the ability for us to meet that overall objective of producing homes. When you think about a project, there's a project in Natomas that was given personally to me as an example of stymying that was locally approved. From the very beginning of that project as they submitted it to their community, they wanted it to be a rental home project for single family detached.

There are many people who want the flexibility of living in a single home detached product, not a multifamily product, without having to purchase and carry the burden of a deposit, your down payment, as well as the maintenance cost of the home. This is my background. Before I came in Assembly, I dealt with transactions like this all the time. But for that experience, I would not be opposed to this bill, but because I've seen the practical side of this, that is why I'm in respectful opposition and ask my fellow Members and colleagues to vote no.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wilson. Assembly Member Schiavo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill and as a coauthor of AB 1333, we all know that there is a housing crisis. And what's really tragic is to talk to people, especially in their 20s and 30s, who have just given up completely on the hopes of owning a home, that homeownership has become something that is unattainable and unachievable for whole generations.

When I talk with folks in my district, they talk about how they moved to my district because housing was affordable, because they had great schools and they could raise their kids and families there. And now they have grown children who cannot afford to live in the communities that they raised them in. They don't have an opportunity. The median price for a home in Santa Clarita is 850,000 dollars, out of reach of most people.

What this bill does is says that corporations are buying homes out from the underneath families and individuals who are trying to get into those homes. If they have 1,000 homes already, then they cannot buy them out from under people who are trying to get into their homes for the first time. It is such a challenge, and we should not advantage corporations who are just trying to make a profit over people who are trying to build a life and a home.

And that's what this bill is really aimed at doing, and that's why I'm in such strong support. And there is broad support. You don't see realtors opposing this bill. You don't see a number of people opposing this bill. And construction is at a standstill right now because of interest rates because they're not going to make the profit that they want to make. So there are all kinds of reasons that construction does not move forward. Not being able to sell a home is not one of them.

We know that there's a housing crisis. We know that there are multiple bids on homes that people are desperately trying to find homes to build. If a corporation cannot build a home, there are a bunch of people in line right behind them to be able to buy that home. This gives folks who are trying to buy that home that opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Schiavo. Mr. Mathis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I've just got a simple question for the body. What is the American Dream? Anywhere you go on this planet, around the world, when that question is asked, it's answered with one simple thing: homeownership. Period. This bill ensures that that dream can be given and followed. It ensures that corporations aren't the homeowners, but that the people are. More often than not, rent for the same size house costs more than what a mortgage would cost on that house.

We have an affordability problem. So to allow corporate America to own all of our homes versus ensuring our people have the ability to own one for less money, what are we doing? Members, I ask you to support the American Dream and vote for this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mathis. Mr. Carrillo, you are recognized.

Good morning, Members. I also rise in support of this bill. Yes, achieving the American Dream is what we aim for, and I believe that this will make that possible for our current and future generations. Let's not forget what happened in 2008 when the housing bubble crashed and thousands of homes were purchased by wealthy corporations. They sat on them. They waited for the economy to be better. Prices went up, and they are the ones that benefited from what we experienced.

I do believe that this will protect and encourage our current generation and future generations to have that homeownership. That I came to this country for the American Dream, and that's something that I proudly believe in, proud of what I've achieved, and I want to support those that are in hard work in search of the American Dream. Members, I request an aye vote on this one. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Carrillo. All debate having ceased, Mr. Ward, would you like to close?

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members, for a robust discussion, maybe our first good discussion of the year. We have a lot of discussions ahead of us, especially in the space of housing, and I first want to acknowledge and thank some advanced comments and conversations that were articulated here today by my colleague from Suisun City, who has a better experience than I do working in the details of this, and we must get the details right as we're trying to affect good policy.

This, of course, was modeled after successful legislation that was passed, I think, in 2022 by our colleague from Concord, who worked to make sure that--I'm going to use an acronym here--REITs, and that's real estate investment trusts, to make sure that as we are seeing more home foreclosure properties, that this wouldn't be something that would be an advantage, I guess, for these REITs to be able to come in here and scoop up.

And our colleague from Pasadena just last year passed a bill to make sure that when working on affordable housing properties as well, that REITs were excluded. And the whole point of this is, we have a constrained market. We have a supply problem here in California, and that's true, and we will be working on that, but while we do, that's going to affect market decisions and pressures. It's going to create winners and losers.

And while we see the evidence all around us, there is a broader question about corporate ownership. This bill actually doesn't get into that so broadly. This is a very narrow subset of large investors that have more than 1,000 properties of real estate in their portfolio that we've already applied a standard to in other situations from taking up newly constructed homes.

So if you're constructing a new subdivision of single family homes, you are giving an advantage right now through this mechanism, which, by the way, did not really exist until this last decade. REITs really came into the light in 2008 and during the market crash that we saw in that year, and have grown in their influence as well, looking for other good sale, good return on investment opportunities.

And sadly, that's come at the compromise of competition, fair competition for Californians, first-time homeowners and first-time homebuyers looking to be able to get into that home. So who are we fighting for? Are we fighting for the corporate interests who news stories are showing and studies are showing have a stated goal to take over 40 percent of our real estate by the year 2030? Folks, that's in the timeline of many people's tenure here in the Legislature.

Or are we fighting for Californians, for their dream of homeownership? Now, there is a lot of good information, which, as you all know, when we're dealing with two-year bills, sometimes come at you at the last minute. I've had no conversations, despite an open door to work on some of the technical amendments from some of those in opposition. I'm grateful for the realtor support and a lot of other sympathies that are out there, too.

Some of the details that have been raised are, of course, solvable. Are we working on definitions? This does not apply, friends and colleagues, to homes that are under development. It explicitly says there when there is a certificate of occupancy issued. This is trying to avoid a last minute bait and switch where we think homes are going out to homeownership opportunities, but those with large resources, cash-only opportunities, are sneaking in there and being able to access--at a discount--hundreds of homes in one transaction.

That's hundreds of homes of lost opportunity, and that's what this bill does. So there are areas that I am committed to work with opposition on should this get to the Senate, and I will. There are areas as well that are absolute misinformation that I know have made it into your offices, and I hope you've gotten our rebuttal sheets that have also made it into your offices because they're saying that this is good for low income communities.

That's the largest submarket of where REITs are coming in there right now. Our low income Californians are losing the opportunity for homeownership, and furthermore, to add salt to that wound of injury, they are seeing these turn into rentals, which means they are controlling the rental price. And how many people here have been hearing about their constituents over our fall recess complaining about rising rents? So there is something that we can do here, and we can hold our feet to the fire.

And this bill is about leveling the playing field. A corporation under this bill could still come in there and compete for that home. But what we're saying is, go back to the way we used to do things. Go to a traditional sale where competition is fair. Stop allowing this activity where we are having somebody that has an institutional advantage with all that cash to be able to come in there and strike a deal before this thing even hits the market.

So with that, there is work to be done on this, and I will work on those issues in the Senate. There is also principles at play that we have to stand up for, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

And with that, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 46; noes: one. Measure passes. Moving to File Item 113: AB 801 by Assembly Member Joe Patterson. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 801 by Assembly Member Joe Patterson, an act relating to privacy.

Assembly Member Patterson, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Members, this is a dad sponsored bill. When my children entered school, I was actually shocked at how many tech platforms just to get their work done and if that were necessary. But California law doesn't give them or their parents the right when they leave that school to have control of their own information and delete it upon request.

So what AB 801 would do is anything that is not transcript related or necessary for the school to function would give parents and students that are over 18 the ability to delete their personal data that the platform maintains. And also, I want to say this Bill not only has no No votes, but every Member who's voted for it has supported it. It has no opposition, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

And hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Aye's 62. No zero. The measure passes. Moving to file item 117, AB 960 by Assembly Member Mathis. Clerk will read.

Assembly 960 by Assembly Member Mathis, an act relative to school safety.

Assembly Member Mathis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 960 addresses a fundamental problem that we have in our country: school safety. We have seen time and time again school shootings devastate our communities and strip away our children, where we have lost the most important things to us. We have seen the travesties of incidents like Uvalde, where it's taken hours to get help.

Members, what AB 960 does is it provides an integrative AB web-based program that maps out our schools, that ensures cameras, that ensures tracking systems, that ensures that if the student from your classroom happens to be in another classroom, we can track that.

What this bill does is it makes it where when an incident occurs, there's an automatic button that's hit that alerts our first responders so the very first person with a badge and a gun that shows up can immediately take action and neutralize the threat. So what does that mean? That means you don't have to wait for backup to show up because dispatch can walk them in and tell them the shooter is hiding over here.

It means that as they neutralize the threat, emergency services can get in to the safe area and pull those who are injured out and get them safe and get them treatment and get them to the hospitals. This ensures that our children, who, as much as we would love to protect them from the evil on this planet, all we can simply do is make sure there's a system in place so that when something horrific does happen, we can get them safe. This is an encrypted program.

It's safe. It's secure. These programs are starting to take off all around the country and other states, like North Carolina. There's a program right here at home. It started with the Tulare County Education Office because they saw the problem. They started investing in it. They said, 'we have to do something.' By mapping out the schools--how many y'all have played battleship?

When the school's mapped out, it doesn't matter if you've never been there before because you know this part of the grid is always going to be this part of the grid, and that dispatch can walk you in. We've all seen what happens when we don't have these systems. For those of you who are in the health care professions, you know that to stop the bleeding, seconds count.

And when we have children that are harmed, we need to make sure that that first person with a badge can take action. This allows us to do so. The program that we have here is called ActVnet. I encourage all of you to look into it and encourage your schools to look into it. All this bill simply says is that we are encouraging schools in California to take action to protect our students. So, Members, please join me today, vote aye on this bill, and let our parents, let our children, let our schools know that we care about their safety. Thank you.

Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes: 61, noes: zero. The measure passes. Moving on to Senate Third Reading. Members, we are in Senate Third Reading, File Item 118, SB 339: Wiener by Assembly Member Low. Assembly Member Low. Excuse me.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 339 by Senator Wiener and others, an act relating to prescription drugs and declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately.

Assembly Member Low, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. I rise as a co-author to present SB 339 by Senator Wiener to help increase access to life saving medications. I respectfully ask for aye vote.

Ms. Waldron, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise in support of SB 339, a bill that could lead us closer to ending the HIV epidemic in this great State of California. Our stated goal has been to get to zero of new infections of HIV AIDS. We live in a state where 128,000 people live with HIV and nearly 4,000 individuals face the reality of a new HIV infection diagnosis every year. We can do more to prevent these new infections.

PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis aims to prevent the spread of HIV AIDS. Access to this medication is key, especially in vulnerable, high-risk communities. This legislation extends current law, allowing pharmacists to dispense a 90-day supply of PrEP instead of the previous 60 days. It also ensures that plans and insurers cover PrEP and its possible post-infection form, relieving the financial worries of those seeking this life-saving medication.

Getting to zero new infections is possible if we make access to preventative treatment like PrEP and giving healthy people and communities the resources they need to stay healthy and access their health care. I urge an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Waldron. Seeing and hearing no further debate, Assembly Member Low, would you like to close? Okay. All debate having ceased, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 63; noes: zero. On the urgency, ayes: 63; noes: zero on the measure. Measure passes. We will now pass and retain on Item Number 119.

Members, we may now move to the second day Consent Calendar. Before we vote, we will first take up resolutions on the Consent Calendar for the purpose of adding coauthors. The Clerk will read the resolutions on the Consent Calendar.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 122 by Assembly Member Weber relative to Maternal Health Awareness Day and House Resolution 60 by Assembly Member Hoover relative to school governance.

The Clerk will now open the roll to allow any Member to add on as a co-author to the resolutions. Members, this is a vote for the co-authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. There are 65 co-authors. Moving to a vote on the second day Consent Calendar. Does any Member wish to remove an item from the Consent Calendar? Seeing hearing none, the Clerk will read the second day Consent Calendar.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 122 by Assembly Member Weber relative to Maternal Health Awareness Day.

All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the vote. Six. Aye 62, no zero. The consent calendar is adopted. The Clerk will read the remaining item on the Consent Calendar.

And House Resolution 60.

Ayes 62, noes zero. Members, the quorum call is still in place. Please give your respectful attention to those who were granted prior permission to speak on an adjournment in memory. We will now move to adjournments in memory. Assembly Member Luz Rivas, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Today we celebrate the life and legacy of our friend and colleague, Cindy Montañez and adjourn in her memory. Cindy was born on January 19, 1974 and was destined for greatness. Cindy was the daughter of immigrant parents who settled in the northeast San Fernando Valley. Growing up, she witnessed factories spewing chemicals and waste into the air and water with no regard for the Latinos who lived in the community.

Her parents ignited her passion for the environment at an early age when they pointed out injustices in their neighborhood. As a family, they participated in tree plantings and volunteered with local organizations when Cindy was just 12 years old. They often visited state and national parks and encouraged their children to pursue careers in social justice. Cindy's father once told her, "Whatever you do, you've got to fight against the people who oppress our people and the exploitation of the land because the two go together."

She has carried this advice to heart throughout her life and career. In 1993, during her first year at UCLA, she participated in a 14 day hunger strike that created a Chicana Chicano Studies Department, paving the way for the Cesar Chavez Department of Chicana, Chicano, and Central American Studies. She believed education was important and was willing to starve herself for it. At 25, she was elected as the youngest city councilwoman of the City of San Fernando. Not content to stop there, she later served as the mayor.

Continuing her incredible trajectory, she was later elected to serve in the California State Legislature, here in the Assembly, at just 28 years old. Cindy Montañez is amongst the youngest women elected to serve in the Legislature. Not only was she the first Latina, but she was also the first Democrat woman to chair the powerful Assembly Rules Committee at the age of 30.

Her dedication to social justice and her tenacity while in office led her to introduce and pass a range of bills for environmental justice, education, healthcare, and consumer protection. Upon leaving the Legislature, Cindy served as the Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, where she drove the nation's largest publicly owned utility to cleaner energy and a sustainable local water supply. Throughout her career, she never forgot her love for trees and the environment.

In 2016, Cindy became the CEO of Tree People, making her the first Latina in the United States to lead an environmental organization. In 2020, Cindy was elected to serve her second term on the City of San Fernando's City Council. Last year, I designated Cindy's birthday, January 19, as Cindy Montañez Day to celebrate her life, accomplishments, and legacy with Cindy, her family, friends and former staff here on our Assembly floor. Cindy touched the lives of many.

Those who knew Cindy will tell you she is caring, passionate, relentless, dedicated, unstoppable, inspirational, a powerhouse, and a leader. To her family, Cindy will always remain a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and great aunt, and she will be missed dearly. Cindy Montañez is survived by her parents, Margarita and Manuel Montañez, along with siblings, Ezequiel, Maribel, Miguel, Robert, and Norma. It is an honor to adjourn in the memory and celebrate the life and legacy of Cindy Montañez.

Thank you, Assembly Member Rivas. Assembly Member Santiago, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank my colleague from the San Fernando Valley for bringing this up. I rise with a heavy heart, but also lots of joy, love, and passion because I knew her, and many who knew her would understand that she brought something to the table that very few people brought. And what she brought was a connection to people.

And she would always remind everybody that the business we're in was the business of protecting people and standing up for those who don't have a voice. I remember very, very, very clearly for the first time that I met her, and she was participating in the hunger strikes, and that was about establishing Chicano Studies at UCLA way before others have thought about standing up to it the way we have and the way we're doing now.

She fought relentless because she understood that our culture was important if we were to be rooted in a mission of social justice and equity and that our history meant something if we were going to do good in our communities and our neighborhoods, that we had to understand our past. I remember very clearly when she got elected, and I happened to be a young staffer at the time who worked for her, where she stood up for environmental justice issues. Didn't quite have a name at the time.

There wasn't a policy agenda at the time. But it was very clear that it was important to her that the air people breathed, particularly children, that the ground they walked on, and the environment that was surrounded, surrounded us, had to be good, and it had to be clean because people's health depended on it.

So she was a pioneer when it comes to environmental justice from the very fights she took on to put gardens in schools, to take on politically challenging fights to shut down landfills, to make sure the trucks weren't polluting our neighborhoods, to make sure that freeways weren't dumping bad air quality into the neighborhoods. But she was also a mentor, one who always took the time to talk to every single individual.

No matter how small you were, a child, or how experienced or wise you were, she always challenged somebody to be better than the person they were today. We always used to say she was a very stubborn person. Anybody who knew her would say that, and she would probably laugh if she was sitting here today. And she'd probably admit to it and say, "Yeah, I was very stubborn." I say that with a smile, reminding me the last time I talked to her last July.

Today I recognize that that was a stubbornness for justice, that she would not back down on any fight if it meant compromising the very people who elected her and the very people who she stood up for. Sometimes those people did not have a voice. Our people did not have a voice. I never really understood at the time, and I wish I could tell her here today, that I understood what that stubbornness was about.

And maybe the stubbornness is not the right word, but anybody who at the time knew her would call her stubborn. But it was really just a passion and a conviction that you had to stand up for what was right, even if it could cost you politically in many ways. And it did. And it did. I got a chance to see her, and then I know I'm long winded, and probably won't do that too many times this year.

And I mentioned about her social justice, passion for environmental justice, her dedication to her work, and her mentorship. Got a chance to see her last July, and I didn't really understand how her health was deteriorating at the time. And my very short conversation with her at the time kind of sums up the kind of person she was. I went to visit her with my 10 year old, Ethan, and when I walked up there, she.

I walked up to her and said, you know, I'm sorry about what you're going through. And first thing she does is smiles and immediately dives into wanting to talk to my kid, ask him how he's doing in school, and just kind of goes into what I didn't really expect. Just a joy, passion, and love for the person who was in front of her, and focused on the children in that room. Sorry, in the outside, who are outside. And I was reluctant to speak.

And she kind of pushed me and said, "I think you should go up and say a few words." And I thought to myself, well, that's classic Cindy, right? Her health is deteriorating. We're doing a celebration of life, and she's concerned about my kid, how his grades are doing, whether his health is okay, and nudging me to say a couple of words.

And then I kind of wrapped it all up in who she is, that passion, that conviction, that care for a human being, that drive for social justice and stubbornness for environmental justice, and the old school mentorship in her, that kind of nudges you. Even when she was, when she was challenged at her health. The impact that she had on policy in her community and on any individual that she touched is unmatched. And I leave you with this, colleagues.

It changed my perspective on policy very early in a speech that she said, and I've shared it with very many. And I said it last time when she was here. And even here when she was here, I walked to the back and she said, "How's your family?" That's the first thing that comes out of her. It's like she cares. And I remember being very young, but it had a huge impact on me.

She was receiving an award at an environmental organization, and she gave a very good speech. But one line stuck inside of me, and she talked about, I'll paraphrase, and I'll never give it justice, but bear with me that I'm trying. And she said in her speech, one line, she says, "Well, the beach starts in Pacoima."

And that was very profound what she was trying to say, that if you are going to take on these environmental justice issues, environmental issues, if you are going to look for clean air, clean water, clean land, that you've got to start in our neighborhoods, that you have got to start with those who maybe hadn't had a voice, and that environmental justice issues are important if we are to do this work right. Tomorrow would be her birthday. Happy birthday, Cindy.

Thank you, Mr. Santiago. Mr. Gipson, you are recognized for your adjournment memory.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members. I want to thank the colleague from the San Fernando Valley for bringing this adjournment before us today, and also my colleague from Los Angeles. I rise because I knew Cindy Montañez. She was a household name in Los Angeles, and I promise I won't be redundant for the time. She was a household name in Los Angeles. I had an opportunity to meet with her and have my janitors, as I led the janitors in Los Angeles, in her first campaign.

And so during that time with Mike Garcia, as the president of the union, me standing at his side, I had an opportunity to coalesce around her. She was a coalition builder, especially in Los Angeles, by bringing African Americans and Latinos together in Los Angeles. And when she matriculated here and served on this floor, it was great seeing her in her rare form as being a leader in the California Legislature. And as I conclude, I want to thank my colleague from the San Fernando Valley.

Thank you for bringing her to this floor one last time, giving us an opportunity to tell her everything that we needed to tell her. When I saw her, she immediately knew who I was, and I thanked her and her parents for allowing her to come to this floor.

Very few opportunities when someone whose health could be diminishing, or is in fact diminishing, who served on this floor have the ability to come to this floor, to be on this green carpet that we stand on and we legislate on. But you gave her joy for allowing her to be here one last time. And I have to believe that, because she was here physically, she's here spiritually. So thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Gipson. We do have additional adjournments in memory, but we are going to lift the quorum call at this time. I'm so sorry. Please, wait 1 minute. I did not see Ms. Carrillo, did you wish to speak on this adjournment in memory? My apologies.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, sometimes they say, people come into our lives for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. Assembly Member Cindy Montañez left a lasting impression on not only her own community, but the community here in Sacramento. I was fortunate to be able to attend her services in Los Angeles and saw how many people from our current Sacramento community flew down to Los Angeles to pay their respects to her, pay their respects to her family.

Sometimes God has this interesting way of shaking us up and reminding us just how fragile and fleeting life is. Cindy was a dedicated public servant, but she was also an incredible, beautiful friend. When you're going through a hard time, they often say you have to be the kind of person, the kind of friend that you would want to have when you're going through your darkest time. Cindy was an example of that.

She was the kind of friend that you wish you would have in your darkest moments. And I am just so thankful to our Assembly Member from her same area who represents her seat now for providing an opportunity for all of us to give Assembly Member Cindy Montañez her flowers while she was here. So many times we do that after someone has passed, but I'm of the belief that we got to do it now.

And I'm so grateful that this body, this green carpet, the Legislature, the community in Los Angeles, and the community here in Sacramento honored her, her legacy, her inspiration, her dedication, her devotion, her friendship, and her love while she was with us. So I would just say that if there is a moment and someone in your life, do what Cindy would have done and give them their flowers now, honor them, love them, let them know how much you care, and honor them while they're still here. So may she rest in peace, and may she rest in power. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Carrillo. Without objection, the quorum call is lifted. However, we do have additional adjournments in memory, so please. Members, please take your conversations off the floor. Mr. Lowenthal, you are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, today I rise to adjourn in the memory of James Madison Foster. James, or Jamie, to friends and family, was born here in Sacramento on May 22, 1972 to former Mayor and first lady of Long Beach, Bob and Nancy Foster. Iconic not only in Long Beach, but here in Sacramento, for the work that they've done for the public good.

Growing up playing baseball, James was a member of the 1983 Sacramento Pacific All Stars, the team that made it all the way to Williamsburg, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. James developed a passion for sports that would last his whole life through collecting and trading sports cards and supporting his favorite athlete, LeBron James. Jamie was known to be kind, generous, caring, never short on jokes.

Unfortunately, starting at a young age, Jamie became affected by mental illness and attempted to handle his depression through self-medication and fought with addiction for the rest of his life. Always with the unconditional love and unwavering support of his family, and despite all of his hardships, Jamie remained tenacious, never gave up on his goal to kick his addictions and live a sober and healthy life. The young age of 51, James Foster passed away from complications from a blood clot on December 4, 2023.

To honor his memory, Bob and Nancy have established the James Foster Mental Health Assistance Fund through the Long Beach Community Foundation to aid in the treatment of mental illness of young people in Long Beach and the surrounding cities. Jamie is survived by his parents, Bob and Nancy, his brother Kenneth, and his niece and nephews, Taylor, Bobby, and Ryan. I would also like to express my appreciation for my colleague from Redlands, Assembly Member Ramos, for allowing me to honor one of his lost and dearly beloved constituents. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request that we adjourn in the memory of James Madison Foster.

Thank you, Mr. Lowenthal. Assembly Member Luz Rivas, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Today I rise in the memory of José De Sosa, a loving husband and doting father and grandfather and community activist in the San Fernando Valley. Born in Panama City, Mr. De Sosa enrolled in the United States Air Force in 1955. After serving 11 years, he began working at the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, first as an engineer and later as an ambassador in the Employment and Recruitment Department. Until his retirement, Jose was a trailblazer and staunch advocate for his community.

His collaboration with the LA Unified School District and the Youth Motivation Task Force led to the construction of sound barriers near schools along freeways, setting a trend for the entire state. During his 16 year long tenure as the president of the San Fernando Valley NAACP branch, he played a pivotal role in holding law enforcement accountable and making changes to policies and procedures in law enforcement agencies across the country. Mr. De Sosa was instrumental in ensuring the officers involved in the Rodney King beating were disciplined.

He organized demonstrations to discontinue the use of the battering ram by the LAPD. Jose De Sosa was a dedicated member of numerous community organizations, serving on the boards of the San Fernando Valley Legal Services, the Valley Interfaith Council, the Boys and Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley, and the Greater San Fernando Valley Optimist Club. He was a true community organizer and fundraiser, recognized by countless entities for his altruistic efforts, including the Pacoima Historical Society for creating positive change to benefit everyone that he represented.

Mr. De Sosa was married to his life partner of 61 years, Juanita, who preceded his passing. He leaves to mourn children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, friends, and acquaintances. Today we remember Jose De Sosa as a man of the people. His legacy is one of service, advocacy, and positive change. May he rest in peace. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Luz Rivas. Dr. Wood, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to ask that we adjourn in the memory of John "Bubba" Feliz, Jr., Chairman of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, who passed away on January 8, 2024. He was only 45 years old. John is survived by his loving father, John Feliz Sr., his sister, Jennifer Feliz, many cousins, nephews, and nieces. John was born and raised in Redwood Valley, California, and lived on the Coyote Valley Reservation where he dedicated his life and service to the tribe and his community.

He was a caring and passionate leader, beginning in his many years of tenure at the early age of 12. John became the president of the Pacific Union for the United National Indian Tribal Youth in high school and went on to fill many roles within his tribe surrounding and the surrounding community. In 2004, he was elected Tribal Chairman for the Coyote Valley Tribal Council when he was 25 years old, becoming one of the tribal the youngest tribal chairs in the nation.

He served this role for two consecutive terms with honor and integrity. In 2017, John was elected as Tribal Chief, where he served two consecutive terms. He also served many years on the Executive Board for the Consolidated Tribal Health Project. He was a delegate to many other organizations throughout the years, including the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Gaming Association, and the Native American Finance Officers Association. And just this past December, he was again elected and sworn in as Tribal Chairman.

He was a proud Pomo singer and rock man as a child and continued, as an adult, traveling far and wide with his cousins to showcase the Pomo culture to the outside world. He dedicated his life to his family whom he loved dearly. He was always willing to lend a hand and a smile to anyone in need. John enjoyed continuous learning, receiving his degrees in accounting and business management, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and was a student until the very end.

He also enjoyed tutoring at Mendocino College and was a longtime big fan of Big Brother, lover of his Diet Pepsi and proud of his elaborate Christmas tree decor every year. His relatives love Bubba for his charm, kindness, humor, and positive outlook on life and has said that the impact of his leadership will continue forever. So today I ask that we adjourn in the memory of Chairman John Feliz, Jr.

Thank you Dr. Wood. Assembly Member Ramos, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you so much, and gratitude to my colleague for allowing to say a few words. Colleagues, it is an honor and privilege to acknowledge a leader who shared a lifetime of leadership with his tribal community, Chairman John "Bubba" Feliz, Jr. of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians. I share many memories spanning decades with the tribal community of Coyote Valley, and Bubba was beloved by his entire community.

It was said by staff and tribal members alike that Bubba always had a kind word for employees, community members, and made everyone in his presence feel appreciated and welcomed. It was also said of him by those who knew him best, that Bubba was a true champion of his people. He led with unparalleled humility and great generosity, never to be described as arrogant or prideful. To his people, community, he was described as an example of servant and leadership.

His dedication to serve the tribal people of Coyote Valley led him to perfect various facets of leadership, and this is where he shined throughout the communities of Indian people in the State of California. At the time of his passing, he served not only as their Tribal Chairman, but also as their cultural leader of the people of Coyote Valley, a testament to the tribe's confidence in him. These dual titles, only a hint at what his loss will mean to the Native American community.

We will be impacted by the absence of his living example, but his legacy will live on in the State of California. I ask that we adjourn in the memory of the beloved Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians Chairman, John "Bubba" Feliz.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ramos. Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Moving on to announcements. Go 49ers. Appropriations will meet upon adjournment of the session today in swing space, Room 1100. The session schedule is as follows: Friday, January 19, no session, no check in session, Monday, January 22, floor session at 1:00 PM. All other items will be passed and retained.

All motions shall be continued. Seeing and hearing no further business. I'm ready to adjourn, to entertain a motion to adjourn. Ms. Aguiar-Curry moves. Ms. Nguyen seconds that this house stands adjourned until Monday, January 22, at 1:00 PM. The house is adjourned.