Senate Floor

[Roll Call]

Quorum is present with the Members and our guests beyond the rail and in the gallery. Please rise. We will be led in prayer this afternoon by our guest chaplain, Rabbi Batshir Torchio of the Jewish community center in San Francisco, after which, please remain standing, we'll be led in the pledge of allegiance to the flag by Senator Allen. Rabbi.

Thank you, Senator Glazer. Beginning this evening and throughout the day, tomorrow on Yom Hoshoa Holocaust Remembrance Day, we join to remember the memory of millions of individuals, the mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, of friends, and the neighbors whose lives were brutally taken during a period of fierce and violent inhumanity. The Jewish tradition commands us to remember. Zachor in Hebrew, the commandment to remember is repeated a little over 150 times in our Bible, and that is what this day requires. Zachor we remember.

We remember what happens when hate takes hold of the human heart and turns it to stone. Zachor we remember the victims of the Holocaust so that robbed of their lives, they would not also be robbed of their deaths. Zachor we remember them not only as the persecuted, but by the rich and vibrant lives that they led, the stories they shared, and the names we give to our children and our grandchildren.

Zachor we remember and pay tribute to the survivors of this genocide, those who bore witness to what happened and have courageously stepped forward to share with the world perhaps the darkest night of their lives. Some of them here with us this afternoon. Zachor we remember the testimonies of these survivors as a charge to confront persecution and oppression wherever it arises.

We remember and act upon our moral obligation to counter the rising tide of antisemitism, bigotry, and hatred that threaten the values we hold dear, pluralism, diversity, democracy, and the freedoms of religion and expression. Zachor we remember and are grateful for the righteous of the nations who saved lives, often at risk of their own. May we be strengthened to behave as virtuously in the face of all forms of violence and oppression.

And in prayer, we call on you, divine mystery of the universe, to open our hearts, minds, and souls as we remember the 6 million and the 11 million, the indifference and the brutality. Help us honor all of their lives by working to secure peace, justice and human rights for all people. Help us to demonstrate the immense courage bequeathed to us by victims and survivors of the Holocaust today.

Anyam Hoshoa, we call on you to help us hear your voice that says in every generation, do not murder. Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor. Do not oppress the stranger. And may the memory of our brothers and sisters be bound up in the bond of everlasting life. And let us say amen.

Members, we pray for the souls of the martyrs. We honor the survivors. We thank from the bottom of our hearts the liberators, those brave liberators from the US military and those of our allies. As we pledge our allegiance to our nation's flag. 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.

Members, without objection, the next order of business will be file item number 27. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 43. Senator Wiener, are you prepared? And your sound is off. All right, we'll try that one again. Can you hear me in the back?

Okay. All right, Members, without objection, the next order of business will be file item number 27. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 43. Senator Wiener, are you prepared? He is. Secretary. Please read

Senate concurrent Resolution 43 by Senator Wiener relative to California Holocaust Memorial Day.

Senator Wiener?

Thank you very much, Mr. President, colleagues, I rise today as co chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus to present SCR 43. Each year, we, as a Jewish caucus, bring forth this resolution and ask you, our colleagues, for your support and participation in moving the resolution and observing Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the past, we have brought survivors from across the state, including from your local communities, to honor them and to remember the horrors of the Holocaust.

This year, we have brought honorees from the districts that our caucus Members represent, including survivors, the descendants of survivors, educators, and justice seekers. Two of our honorees here in the Senate are being honored posthumously, having passed away in recent months. May their memories be a blessing. As we move further and further away from the Holocaust, our collective memory can become similarly distant, and the duty of recollection becomes all the more important. We do not remember to relive a trauma.

We take on this sacred duty to ensure that never again will a community, a people, any people, be subjected to the same kind of treatment, prejudice, and extreme brutality that Jews suffered during the Holocaust. The Holocaust refers to the 6 million Jews who were exterminated in Europe. But we also honor the millions of Roma, disabled individuals, LGBTQ people, along with prisoners of war and political prisoners who suffered under Nazi rule and in concentration camps and lost their lives.

Poland was the home to the largest Jewish population anywhere other than the United States before the Nazi invasion. 3.3 million Jews, 10% of Poland's population. In the six years of the Holocaust, Poland's Jewish population was reduced from 3.3 million to just a few 100,000. In 1950, the Jewish population in Poland was just 45,003.3 million, down to 45,000. About two Thirds of Jews in eastern Europe lost their lives in Lithuania, where part of my family came from.

Fortunately, my family was able to leave and flee the pilgrims about a little over 100 years ago. And so I am here today. Otherwise, I would not be in Lithuania. About 85% of the Jewish population was exterminated. In Czechoslovakia, 73% of the Jewish population was exterminated. In Germany, 70% of Jews were exterminated. In Hungary, 61% of Jews were exterminated. In Latvia, 75% of Jews were exterminated. In the Netherlands, 73% of Jews were exterminated. In the Soviet Union, 44% of Jews were exterminated.

I could go on and on, but I think you see my point. Beyond the deaths and the sheer numbers which are unimaginable were the horrors of the concentration camps, the daily cruelty that was suffered by the victims in these concentration camps at the hands of Nazis for amusement. Nazis who would amuse themselves by physically torturing and even raping victims in these concentration camps. The forced labor, the medical experimentation, the starvation.

The Jewish people know that when we see injustice today, when we see a disregard for human life and dignity, that we have to speak up. And it's not a coincidence that the Jewish community does speak up, because we know what happens when people don't speak up. How quickly it can come off the tracks. And then people start to die en masse. Today we are seeing a startling rise in anti semitism here in the US and in other parts of the world.

The statements that we all see online and elsewhere of just sheer antisemitism that five or 10 years ago, we weren't seeing. They're emboldened to attack our community. We see a rise in bigotry and in violence directed towards our community. We honor those who were lost and those who. We don't even know who they are. The Jews and others who were exterminated in the Holocaust. And we don't even know their names. Before I close.

If you would please join me for a moment of silence in memory of those whose lives we lost. Thank you, colleagues. May their memory be a blessing. I urge an aye vote on SCR 43. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Wiener. All right, Members, discussion and debate on SCR 43. I see microphones up from Senator Smallwood Cuevas, Senator Min. Rubio Eggman and Archuleta. Senator Smallwood Cuevas.

Colleagues, I rise on behalf of the legislative Black Caucus in support of SCR 43 that recognizes Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Holocaust was an evil act of violence and cruelty against a people through Nazi Germany's systemic persecution and annihilation of the Jewish race. 6 million Jews were murdered between 1933 and 1945. This harrowing period of genocide demonstrates what can happen when bigotry runs rampant and when we allow voices and acts of hate to strip vulnerable communities of their humanity.

Historical accounts have shown that the Nazis were inspired by the discrimination and oppressive treatment of black Americans. The Nazis used us race based pseudoscience and eugenics to justify their persecution of the Jewish community. The Nuremberg laws, for instance, were taken from the one drop rule used against black people in America. Accounts like these remind us that we must always fight against discrimination and violence of people to ensure that such an atrocity never happens again.

We must remain vigilant in confronting hate and discrimination whenever and wherever it happens. We recognize Holocaust Remembrance Day because it reminds us to commit ourselves to promoting humanity, human dignity, at all cost, and to build a more just society for all and to be part of an enduring coalition against hate. Let us honor the Holocaust survivors who have gone on to do the good work to better the world through their rightful place in it. And let us pledge ourselves to continue this tradition of justice.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Min.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I am honored to rise in support of SCR 43 to commemorate California's Holocaust memorial day. It's been said that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to forget it. And that was what happened with the Holocaust. The Armenians, just a generation before, had experienced their own genocide, and Hitler was, in fact, inspired by that and said something. The effect of who speaks today of the Armenians when they were mass killed.

The thing about the Holocaust, the horrific, systematic evil, is that many Germans didn't think it could happen there, that many denied it for years and decades afterwards. And so it is so, so important that we never forget that past, that those stories and narratives are ones that we continue teaching future generations. We're at a time where, unfortunately, anti Semitism is on the rise, Holocaust denial is on the rise, and hate is on the rise.

The AAPI community stands with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this fight against hate, against intolerance, intolerance against racism, and for educating the future. So I respectfully ask for your. I vote for SCR 43.

Thank you, Senator. Min. Senator Rubio, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President. Yam hashoa. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, today I rise as a co author and on behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus in support of SCR 43, the Holocaust Remembrance Day, introduced by my good friend from San Francisco. Throughout the Holocaust, women endured brutal persecution that was sometimes unique to their gender. And although we acknowledge all who passed and all those that were lost, women in particular had to suffer specific indignities.

During Nazi deportation operations, pregnant women and mothers of small children were consistently labeled incapable of work. They were sent to killing centers, where camp officials often included them in the first grounds to be sent to the caste chambers. In camps and ghettos, women were subjected to forced labor that often led to death, sex trafficking in over 500 brothels for German soldiers, sterilization and other unethical human experimentation, beatings, rapes, forced abortions, and deprivation from food, water, and medical care.

However, women were more than victims during the Holocaust. Many worked for the survival and liberation of others. Women were active in aid and rescue operations. They risked their lives to transmit supplies and information, which led the resistant groups to those ghettos and rescued many. Women are also leaders in preserving Holocaust history and preventing such atrocities from occurring again. Women survivors are historians and descendants of survivors are all over the world. They work tirelessly to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten.

In 2020, there is a survey, one in 10 Americans responded that they blame the Holocaust on the Jews themselves. That cannot stand. We cannot allow the gross misconception to persist as more survivors of the Holocaust pass on. It is not just our responsibility, but it is our duty to continue to tell these stories, to ensure that our youth remember and know what happened so they never allow this to ever happen again. We all need to take on that mantle.

We need to continue to educate and to protect future generations from the horrors of systematic annihilation. Again, as a teacher, as an educator, I urge other educators to continue to educate. This is the only way we can change minds and hearts. Thank you. And I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Rubio. We'll next turn to Senator Archuleta, followed by Senator Laird.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the California Latino legislative Caucus, it is my honor to rise today in strong support of SCR 43. I feel that it's very important that we learn, acknowledge, and understand the full story of transformative events that changed the course of the world. Words cannot adequately communicate the gravity and impact of the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust over 70 years ago.

More than 6 million Jews and an additional 5 million other people from the Nazi Germans felt were racially inferior were murdered as part of the state sanctioned effort of cultural, social, and political annihilation. Let us remember the atrocities, but also highlight the acts of heroism, love, and empathy that also occurred during those dark times.

There are countless stories, everyday heroes who put their lives on the line to protect and save people who were in line to be murdered simply because of their race, religion, and other differences. Thankfully, many of these stories and personal accounts are preserved in our own state. The University of Southern California Shoha Foundation, founded by film Director Steven Spielberg, teaches through testimony. It houses some 555 thousand audio and visual testimonies, the bulk of which are from firsthand witnesses who were there at the helicopter.

These accounts are available to educators and scholars so future generations know that even in the midst of unspeakable terror and evil, there is light. So, on behalf of the entire California Latino caucus, we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and with those who suffered directly or indirectly due to the Holocaust. Together, through education and vigilance, we will never forget about your past, our past, or history.

On behalf of the Latino caucus, I extend our thanks to the Jewish caucus for their leadership and work on this important resolution. Members, please join me in supporting SCR 43 and ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Archuleta. We'll next turn to Senator Laird.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative LGBT caucus in support of SCR 43. Today we remember those who lost their lives during the Holocaust, and many groups were targeted and persecuted in the Holocaust alongside the Jewish community, including the LGBT community. Hitler and the Nazi Party targeted gay men because they believed they were unfit to defend the nation in combat and would diminish German reproductive potential.

In concentration camps, LGBT inmates were kept in separate facilities for the fear that homosexual sexuality would spread to other prisoners. Rudolph Brasda was one such survivor. He was interned in the Buchenwalds as pink triangle number 7952 until his liberation by us forces in 1945. Before his passing in 2011, he was the last known concentration camp survivor to wear the pink triangle, the emblem that homosexuals had to wear in the Holocaust, the LGBT equivalent of the yellow Jewish star.

While he made it a point to share his story, the story of LGBT victims and survivors of the Holocaust is often omitted from all Holocaust literature and education. This modern exclusion is the natural evolution of historical revision across Europe due to global homophobia. In fact, it was not until 2002 that Germany acknowledged and apologized for the horse perpetrated by the Nazis targeting the LGBTQ community.

We must spread awareness of Rudolph's story and all those persecuted in the Holocaust, especially those whose names, faces, and stories we will never know. In that spirit, we reclaim and lift up the pink triangle as a symbol of perseverance. And as we acknowledge the Holocaust as a time in history, we must also recognize that hate is still alive and present in modern day society. And we also are losing those who bore witness.

When I was first elected to the State Assembly, we had Holocaust Remembrance Day, and we had a survivor at each one of our desks, and there aren't that many around. My late father was a GI who went into Germany in the last weeks of the war, who was aware of what was going on there as he and his fellow GIS became aware of what had been happening until they moved in and liberated Germany.

And above all, we must continue to stand in solidarity with other minority communities to collectively fight against anyone who claims their identity is Supreme and work for a free, equitable, and safe society. For all, I ask that we support SCR 43.

Thank you, Senator Laird, Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President. I echo all my colleagues comments. If you don't ever want to forget what happened, go where it happened. About eight years ago, my husband and I took a trip, and we went to Birkenau and saw one of the most horrific things I've ever seen in my life. And if you don't want to forget, go someplace where you see what could have happened or what did happen. What did happen and what could have happened in the same lifetime that we have now.

When I think about walking down the train tracks in Birkenau, carrying luggage, your possessions, your toddlers following you, carrying a baby in your arms, and then you go, and there's this room, and it has all the luggage, all the possessions, pots, pans, the original luggage. It's old luggage. It's that era of luggage. And you think, zero, my gosh.

Then you go to the next room, and there's hundreds of thousands of pairs of shoes, all sizes from toddler size, baby size, to adult women's size, men's size, and everything in between. And I think that's when the tears start flowing and you realize well, they took everything, including the shoes, off their feet.

Then you go to the next room and it's hair, men's hair, women's hair, children's hair, some with little pink or blue ponytail holders, ribbons on the end of them, and you think, what kind of society could perpetrate something like that against human beings? Then you go to the barracks.

How they were put in there, worse than you would have cattle put in a place sometimes only 2ft or a foot and a half space between the bunk below you where people slept that were ill, that were sick. And then you went through the medical trial or torture, medical torture chambers, where the Nazis perpetrated things against a human race, Jewish people, that would determine how much pain you could actually inflict on a human body.

And you watched some of the stuff and read some of the documents, where they kept records, detailed records of what the body would do when they inflicted such great pain against them. And then after that, you just felt like you couldn't do anything else. And you walked through and you saw the places where they actually had women specifically tortured. Could they pull a nine month old child out of their womb and kill it before it arrived? Could they insert objects into them?

And how much infliction of pain could the body withstand specifically against women? I wasn't prepared to make remarks, but if you don't ever want to forget, like I said, go where they were. It was wintertime when we went, and we were standing out there in the freezing cold. I had a big puffy jacket on, boots, socks, a scarf, and a kind of a wool hat covering my ears.

And we listened to a 1 hour orientation of what was actually happening in that yard when they did roll call. And while you were listening to that, standing out there freezing in your warm jacket and your boots and all that, everything that you could afford to put on your body at wintertime to stay warm, including the little hand mittens and the warming pads inside your gloves. You looked at life size photos of individuals that were sconned and frail, starved, thin.

And you looked at the life size photos in what is like a small linen or small cotton, gray and white striped pajama with a hat, a small hat, barefoot in the snow. And they stood there for hours. Hours, some of them, to the point of collapse.

So I think that we should never forget this, and I think we should make sure that every child understands the impacts that it has, that the Holocaust had on this nation and this world, because the world did impact the entire world. And again, I didn't have prepared remarks but I just wanted to share with you a trip that we took. The pain that's in my heart. And my dad never did a lot of good things in his life.

But he was a medic, and he did rescue people out of the concentration camps in World War II. And I think maybe some of those things that he saw and some of the things that happened to him while he was there probably turned him into the person that he was when he came home. So I honor those that rescued those individuals that came out of those camps, and I honor the survivors, especially the children that are still alive today. And I thank my colleague for bringing this resolution forward. And I ask for an aye vote on SCR 43.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Any further discussion or debate on SCR 43? Seeing none. Senator Wiener, you may close.

Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. I want to thank everyone for your comments today. What happened in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s is a cautionary tale, and we need to always keep it in mind. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

[Roll Call]

Resolution is adopted 37 to zero Members. We're going to turn now to privileges of the floor. At this time, Members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus will introduce and honor survivors and survivor descendants of the Holocaust. We ask all Members to remain seated during this ceremony. After each honoree is recognized, a photo will be taken with the honoree and just the Member. Upon completion of the entire ceremony, we will ask all Members and honorees to stand for a group photo.

We have seven recognitions today. They'll begin with Senator Allen, followed by Senator Becker, Glazer, Newman, Rubio, Allen again. And Senator Wiener will begin with Senator Allen.

Members, my district honoree is Ava Nathanson. Born in 1941 in Budapest, Hungary. She survived the Holocaust with her mother. They had to hide. She didn't even see sunlight for two years. Early in her life, lived through some horrific, unspeakable terrors. We've had the chance to talk great deal today about her experiences.

She's taken those experiences, built a successful life here in the United States, was successful in the medical field, active volunteer at several nonprofits throughout Los Angeles, including her synagogue, Beniharim, but also the La Museum of the Holocaust, where she teaches the next generation about the shoah. And she says, I speak to students at the museum as much as I'm able because I'm worried about what could happen if children don't understand what hatred and bigotry can do. Education will conquer ignorance. Members Avon Adhanson.

Thank you, Senator Allen. We'll turn now to Senator Becker at the majority leader's desk.

Senator Becker, thank you, Mr. President. It's a deep honor to welcome and recognize Charles Stevens, accompanied by his wife, Barbara. It's been over 80 years since Charles was sent to a protestant orphanage, while his parents sought out an escape route from Belgium. Within a year, all Jewish children were made to leave. He and his sister relocated to a convent with the help of a benedictine monk, Bruno reinders, who rescued many children, at least 300 children rescued by that one individual.

Charles's memories of the convent are vivid. He said, we didn't have enough clothes to stay warm. We got frostbite. It wasn't unusual to pick up a piece of food and see that it had worms in it. Following the war, the family was reunited. Neither children nor parents recognized each other initially. It's my honor to welcome Charles and Barbara and note that not only are they constituents, but they're also Members of my synagogue, Congregation Betham in Los Altos, California. Please welcome Charles and Barbara.

Members will turn now to Stephen Glazer, who will present at the majority leader's desk.

Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon, Members. Of course, in recognition of Yom Hashoa, I'm pleased to honor Zelda Chef Nefsky, a survivor of the Holocaust and resident of Moraga, who just recently passed away on February 24. Today her son Alex, Chef Nefsky, is here to accept this honor along with his wife, Jan. Zelda was born in 1925 in a tight knit Jewish community in the small town of Stepniza, Poland, located a few hundred miles from Krakow.

In 1941, she was sent to a concentration camp with her older brother, Herschel. Unfortunately, she never saw her brother or her parents again. After years of struggle, Zelda became one of the 50,000 Polish Jews out of 3 million who survived. In 1946, she married her husband, Leo, and immigrated to New York in 1988. The couple eventually retired to Maraga, California, to be near their son and family. Zelda was fortunate enough to have a happy life and leaves behind two children and 10 grandchildren. May her memory be a blessing.

Senator Newman will present at the majority leader's desk.

Thank you, Madam President. It is my great honor to recognize as part of today's Yom Hashoah commemoration Clifford Lester. Mr. Lester is a second generation Holocaust survivor. Mr. Lester's mother, Ursula, grew up in Amsterdam with Anne Frank and is mentioned in her diary. His father, Harry, witnessed crystal knocked from his bedroom window in Berlin.

After a career of 27 years as a studio advertising photographer and having recently retired after completing his 20th year of teaching at Cypress College, Mr. Lester has been engaged in perhaps his most meaningful undertaking yet, photographing Holocaust survivors and documenting their life experiences. Mr. Lester has said that the goal of his portraits is to capture the faith and courage of those who survived and to honor the memory of those loved ones lost so that the memory and lessons of the Holocaust will never be forgotten.

This incredible group, the survivors of the Holocaust, has left a critically important legacy for the generations who will follow them, a legacy of not only Zahor, or remembering, but of loving, of caring for others and of giving purpose to their lives. Mr. Lester's work has been exhibited internationally as well as locally. He continues to photograph survivors to feature on his website, remembertheholocaust.org, and for display at Cypress College, where there is a permanent exhibition of his portraits in the student center and Cyprus complex building.

Mr. Lester hopes that these portraits and the stories which accompany them will leave a lasting impression on as many as possible of the hundreds of students who pass through the gallery each semester. Please welcome Clifford Lester.

We'll next turn to Senator Susan Rubio. Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I'd like to present my honoree, Lena Romano. Lena is an educator at heart and daughter of survivors of the Holocaust. She has dedicated almost 10 years at the Simon Wisenthall Center Museum of Tolerance, donating over 900 hours each year to educate. Gina has been conducting tours of interactive exhibits at the Museum of Tolerance for vips, teachers and students, educating and inspiring them with her commitment to Holocaust history and social justice.

Born in 1946 to two survivors, Lena has dedicated herself to preserving the stories of her parents in hopes of creating a Kinder, more respectful world. Thank you, Lena. And she is accompanied by her daughter here today with us. Thank you.

We invite back to the floor Senator Allen.

Members, I rise now on behalf of our friend, colleague and new father, Senator Henry Stern, to honor the late Sedonia Lewin Lax, who was someone who was very special to Henry. She went to speak at one of his classes when he was in middle school, and he stayed in touch with her ever since. And a beautiful relationship grew out of that moment. Sidonia is someone we just lost.

She passed away in Sherman Oaks on December 13 just of this past year after having lived a very long, incredible life. Born in 1927, she and her husband, of blessed memory, Lewis, were Holocaust survivors who lived to raise three children and take joy in five grandchildren. Two great grandchildren and two of her daughters are here today.

We have on the floor Jeannie Benson, her daughter representing her Sedonia, was dedicated to sharing the lessons of her life, working with children, march of the living, which became a very important part of her life. She went on something like 10 marches through eastern Europe. And for her, it was so important that history not repeat itself.

She actually was from Shemish, which is a little town in Poland on the border with Ukraine that has become an important Center for the receipt of refugees from the Ukraine during this recent war. In her own words, she was a thriver, not a survivor. And here representing her is her beloved daughter, Jeannie.

Thank you, Senator Allen. We'll next turn to Senator Wiener.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, Jennifer Fatalovich Rosenthal is a San Francisco native and the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. She's a real estate developer and very passionate about her work with three GSF, a program of the JFCS Holocaust Center. Jennifer serves on the Holocaust center's advisory council and is committed to keeping the legacy and lessons learned from the Holocaust relevant today.

Members, we would like to invite the survivors and the descendants of the survivors to come back to the floor. Members, we'd like to invite you to join in a photograph with these special people at this time.

Thank you, Mr. President. You may have noticed that we have, I think, hundreds of students in Sacramento visiting us today for their Ignite the Capitol day of know. I want to acknowledge all of the incredible work that Ignite does to help young women discover and flex their political power. And for enabling so many to visit the Capitol today. This is the next generation who will actually help us prevent all that we just have been speaking about in this chamber.

Ignite started as a dream of Dr. Anne Moses with a pilot program over a decade ago in Oakland, California. Since that time, ignite has grown like a prairie fire across the nation, having empowered over 20,000 plus individuals. And aren't we better off as a state and nation for it now? Today I'm proud to welcome and introduce Ignite Members from the Senate district that I'm privileged to represent. They are here advocating for their community as well as for young women all across this state.

Students from Home Gardens Academy in Corona and Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale. Let's give these incredible students a warm California State Senate welcome.

The Senate is happy to welcome the students from Eleanor Roosevelt High and Home Gardens Academy. Welcome to the Senate. At the completion of the photo with Senator Roth, Members, you're also welcome to join in a photograph if you'd like. I'll take one more picture. Those who'd like to join in.

Thank you, Senator Roth, thank you to the students for coming up here and joining with us today. Okay, Members, we're going to continue on in privileges of the floor. We want to recognize our colleague, Senator Cortese, for purposes of introduction.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm happy to recognize the St. Lucie's school 8th grade class. They are here visiting, touring the Capitol today on a field trip, and they're in the gallery with us today. Let me continue a little bit. Visiting the Capitol, of course, is a proud tradition for many schools. St. Lucie's hasn't been here since pre pandemic, and the class's teacher, Jane Foster, was actually a student at the school herself prior to becoming a teacher there.

I had the honor of meeting with these students this morning. I talked with them about our state budget, where the money comes from, including out of their own pockets when they pay sales tax, and how legislators are entrusted with spending this money wisely. I also answered some questions about the job of a Legislator giving an example of what a day on the job looks like. We talked a little bit about what a week looks like, too.

From four sessions to Committee hearings and everything that happens in between. I think the most important lesson they got today was what we just all experienced with the Holocaust ceremonial in it. I know in my case, I didn't have the opportunity until much later than 8th grade to experience what we just experienced today. I learned that a whole bunch of them are going to the high school I graduated from. But what I also learned is they're all prepared for high school, wherever they're going. So please join me in giving a round of applause to the St. Lucie School 8th grade class.

Thank you. Okay. Welcome, St. Lucie school students, to the Senate. Thank you, Senator Cortesi. Members, we're going to move back to our regular agenda now. We'll begin with messages from the Governor. They will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports of Committee will be deemed read, and amendments adopted. Moving on to motions, resolutions, and notices. Without objection. The Senate Journal for April 102023 through April 132023 will be approved as corrected by the minute Clerk. Members. Without objection.

Joint rule 62 A will be waived for the budget and fiscal review. Subcommitee number five to meet on Tuesday, April 18, without four days notice in the daily file. We're going to turn now to the daily file. Start with second reading file. The secretary, please read

[Second Reading]

Thank you. We're going to move now to governor's appointments. We have two in the file. We're going to begin with file item number 14. I understand Senator Grove is going to present. Senator Grove, are you prepared? All right, I think that we're going to take a pause on that. All right. So while we wait for that presentation, we'll move to Senate third reading. We have some resolutions on the file. We're going to begin with resolution with file number 45. SCR eight with Senator Nguyen. Senator Nguyen, are you prepared? All right, secretary, please read

Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 by Senator Nguyen relative to black April Memorial Month.

Senator Nguyen, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise to present SCR 8. SCR 8 recognizes the month of April, 2023 as Black April Memorial Month and marks April 302023. It marks the 48th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. For many Vietnamese and Vietnam War era veterans, the cost of the war was great. United States lost 58,000 American soldiers. And South Vietnam armed forces lost almost half a million troops in the war. Along with 800,000 troops who were wounded in combat.

My father and uncle served in the South Vietnam armed forces. My uncle, an officer, was executed in the village days before Saigon fell. To show that the communist government has taken over. After the fall of Saigon, millions of Vietnamese families fled Vietnam for surrounding areas. Aboard small wooden boats in search of freedom and democracy, like my family. While over half of these fleeing lost their lives at sea. California is home to over 675,235 Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans.

More specifically, my district, which is home to little Saigon. And the largest concentration of Vietnamese refugees outside Vietnam. We must continue to remember and teach our children the lesson that came from the Vietnam War. That freedom is not free. And the plight of Vietnamese refugees following the end of the war. Out of fear of living under the Communist regime. Stories like mine and my family fleeing from Vietnam as a young child in search of freedom and democracy.

Serves as a remind of why we must remember Black April. Black April Memorial Month will be a time for Vietnamese Americans and all Californians throughout California. To remember the lives lost during the Vietnam War. And rededicate ourselves to the principle of freedom and democracy that endure even in the worst circumstances. And I wanted to ask if I can take this moment. To say a few words in Vietnamese without objection. Thank you.

[Vietnamese] I respectfully, at this time, ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Nguyen. Discussion or debate? I see Senator Cortese. Microphone is up. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of SCR 8. San Jose, the county seat of my home county, Santa Clara County. Has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the State of California. We work very closely with Senator Nguyen. On a number of issues like the current resolution. And I simply wanted to say that based on our experience with the Vietnamese population around Black April Memorial Month.

It is often viewed as a time when the Vietnamese American population, those who came here from the Republic of South Vietnam, are honored as being that country's greatest generation, much like we acknowledge our own World War II veterans here as our greatest generation. I want to thank Senator Nguyen for her leadership on this and respectfully urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Members. Any further discussion or debate? Seeing none, Senator Nguyen, you may close.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Members.

This is eligible for a unanimous vote. Any objection? Seeing none, the resolution passes 3620. We're going to move on to file item number 51. Senator Becker, are you prepared? He is. Secretary Please read.

Senate concurrent Resolution 51 by Senator Becker Relative to Special Olympics Day.

Senator Becker, the floor is yours.

Thank you, colleagues. I'm here to present SCR 51, declaring April 18 Special Olympics Day. Over the next few days, athletes and their families will be meeting with offices to discuss the importance of the Special Olympics and the significant role it plays in many athletes lives. The Special Olympics, founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was created as an inclusive event that elevates people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since its founding, it has a global reach of over 5 million athletes and their families in over 170 different countries.

Athletes are able to participate in at least 11 different sports completely free of cost, including preventive care and health screenings. The organization also supported by tens of thousands of volunteers and fans here in California, including Members of my office and I'm sure yourselves and many of your offices as well. Through their guiding pillars of Sports Unified Schools program and health, the Special Olympics harnesses the power of sports to bring accessibility and inclusivity to the foreground.

I want to give a special thanks to David Solo, the President and CEO of Northern California, Alyssa Kelsler, the CEO of Special Olympics in Northern California, and Evan Milburn, Special Olympics intern and athlete leader, for bringing this resolution forward with me today. I'm happy to put forward SCR 51 to commemorate the Special Olympics and all the athletes it empowers. Play on.

Thank you, Senator Becker. Any further discussion or debate? Any further discussion or debate? All right, seeing none, Members, this is also eligible for a unanimous roll call without objection. Ayes 36. No, zero. The resolution has been adopted. Members, we're going to move now to file item number 52. Senator Gonzalez. She's prepared. Secretary, please read

Senate Resolution 23 by Senator Gonzalez relative to Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week.

Senator Gonzalez?

Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. I rise today to present SR 23, which would recognize the week of April 17 through 23rd as Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week. Between April 17, 1975 and January 1979, the Khmer Rouge of Democratic Kampuchea, under the leadership of Pol Pot committed attacks of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Cambodian people. This genocide resulted in the deaths of more than 1.7 million Cambodians, nearly a quarter of the country's population at the time.

The Khmer Rouge regime also sought to eliminate all aspects of Cambodian culture by systemically killing those with education, separating families and destroying institutions such as Buddhist temples, schools, libraries, dance and music. All too familiar as what we've been hearing today. And today.

California, as we know, is home to the largest population of Cambodian Americans and the City of Long Beach, my hometown in the district, is home to the largest community of Cambodians outside of Southeast Asia and I'm so very proud to recognize some of them today, but so very proud to represent them. Sr 23 honors those lives lost during the Cambodian genocide and marks this week as a memorial week for the Cambodian community in recognition of Cambodian genocide. Memorial Week.

On your desks are silk wallets and silver pins in the shape of a symbol important to the Cambodian people. These are from seray sophorn, a gift shop in Cambodia town in Long Beach. And as always, our Cambodian community is resilient. They are strong. And while we reflect on the past, we must always fight to ensure that these injustices never happen again. And through them. I respectfully ask for your aye vote on SR 23.

Thank you, Senator Gonzalez. Members, further discussion or debate? I see Senator Min, floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President and fellow Members. On behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus I want to thank my colleague from Long Beach for introducing SR 23 and to express our strong support for this particular measure recognizing Cambodian Genocide Week. This April 17 marks the 48th anniversary of Pol Pot seizing control of Cambodia and starting the genocide of the Cambodian people.

For almost four years, Khmer Rouge of democratic campuccia inflicted pain, suffering and death to more than 1.7 million Cambodians, over 20% of the country's population. While the Khmer Rouge sought to eliminate all aspects of Cambodian culture, they were not successful. And the resilience of Cambodians in California, here in this state, is seen every day. We are home to the largest number of Cambodians living outside of their country.

SR 23 honors the resilience of the Cambodian people and provides us with an opportunity to share and be engaged with their community. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Min. Any further discussion or debate? Seeing none. Senator Gonzalez, you may close.

I respectfully ask for your aye vote and I thank the good Senator from Irvine for speaking up on this very important issue.

Thank you, very good. Members. This measure, SR 23, is eligible for unanimous roll call. Without objection, ayes 36. No's zero. The resolution has been adopted. Members, we're going to move now to privileges of the floor. And for that purpose of introduction, we'll recognize Senator Gonzalez.

Thank you again, Mr. President and Members, to mark Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week. I am so honored to be joined by seven community leaders from Long Beach, the home once again, of the largest Cambodian community outside of Southeast Asia. I am joined by quite a few Members. I have first, Susana Chen Siyam. I have rats Miyalat narate muong, Sheena chenum Ang Hobson, which we refer to lovingly as Ms. Chan Hobson. Chen Wata Sam Limon, Chork Nim and Annie Chian.

These incredible leaders are the folks that do so much back home in Long Beach. And you'll hear just about in a moment on what they're doing and what they're up to. Miss Niam here representing the united Cambodian community of Long Beach, UCC. Its mission is to elevate the Cambodian community through local engagement and leadership that embodies Cambodian cultural values. Ms. Miyalat is the founder of Modern Atsara Company, a performing arts company dedicated to connecting the modern world to the magic of Cambodian classical dance.

Mr. Naret Mong serves as the first ever official Kmai language specialist for the Office of Equity in the City of Long Beach. We have Ms. Chan Hobson. She is the founder and CEO of Kamai Parent Association and a longtime resident advocate and community Member of Long Beach. And if you ever do anything wrong, she will tell you on Twitter what to do and how to do it.

Ms. Chanwata Sam Limon, community advocate and supporter of the arts, culture and employment opportunities through her work in La County's Department of Public Social Services. Mr. Chork Nim is the Chief of Staff and Ms. Annie Chian is the policy and public engagement manager for the office of Long Beach City Councilwoman Dr. Suli Sarrow, who represents the 6th district, Central Long beach, which includes Cambodia town. And they do such incredible work.

And I would be remiss if I didn't also include Savannah Pove, who is in my office. He is our legislative deputy and community organizer as well, not just for the Cambodian community, but for many communities, but happens to be Cambodian as well. I want to thank the AAPI caucus for their support and recognition with us today to recognize these incredible leaders. I thank them so very much. We'll continue fighting for them.

I just want to please have everyone join me in welcoming these Cambodian leaders to the California State Senate. And give them a big round of applause.

Thank you. Senator Gonzalez. We welcome your special guests to the Senate Floor today. We would now like to invite other Members who would like to join in the photograph to please step up. Thank you, Members and guests. And a special thank you to our photographer, Lori Shelley. For doing such a great job today. And always. Thank you. All right, Members, we have just a few more items of business before we finish for the day.

I understand that Senator Grove is back from close consultations with the Governor. And is prepared now to present a couple governors appointments that we had a pause on earlier in our agenda. This would be file item number 14. Senator Grove, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, the confirmation of Susan Friedman and Eleanor Uribi to the board of Behavioral Sciences. And Nicholas Mueller for an appointment to the Offroad Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission. These appointees were approved at a 50 vote on the Rules Committee on March 29. Respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Members, any discussion or debate? Discussion or debate? Seeing none, the secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

The nominees are confirmed 36-0. We'll move now to file item number 16. Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President. File item 16, colleagues, is a confirmation of the following appointees to the medical board. Dr. Michelle Bolot, Christina Lawson and Dr. Vling psy.

Members, any discussion or debate. Seeing no discussion or debate, secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 36 to zero, those nominees are confirmed Members. We're going to move to the most exciting part of our day. I know you're looking forward to it. We're going to take up the consent calendar. Like to ask. Any Member would like to have an item removed to so indicate. Looks like we're all consenting here today. The secretary, would you please read items on the consent calendar?

[Consent Calendar]

All right, we're going to call a vote on the consent calendar. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

All right, the consent calendar on file item 70, and also the other second item on the consent calendar are adopted Members. We're going to move to Committee announcements. We have one, I believe. Senator Alvarado-Gil.

The Committee on Human Services will meet immediately after adjournment at 335 in room 2200.

Committee on Human Services in room 2200. Members, if there are no other business before the Senate, Senator Grove? The desk is clear, President.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, today was a significant day, especially when we had remembrance days on special and memorial occasions that need to be remembered in historical value and also from a heart's perspective. I challenge each of you to take the resolutions that we had today and kind of look up something about each one of those resolutions. Light a candle if it's for the Holocaust. Read an article and just refresh your memory on the things that we voted on today. And having said that, we are in adjournment, and we will reconvene Thursday morning on April 20 at 09:00 a.m.

Thank you, Senator Grove. The Senate is adjourned. We will reconvene Thursday, April 20, at 09:00 a.m. Thank you, Members.