Assembly Floor

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the prayer and the flag salute. Today's prayer will be offered by Assemblymember Ward.

Great one of many names. As we choose our path, remind us that the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the way is easy. Those who enter by it are many. Help us enter by the narrow gate that leads to truth, even though that the way through that gate is difficult and those who find it are few. For everything in this world has two aspects, how it looks at the moment and how it will look in the light of eternity.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ward. Assembly Member Dixon will lead us in the pledge.

Please place your hand over your heart. I pledge allegiance to ... the United States of America with liberty and justice for all.

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

Assembly Chamber Sacramento Friday, January twelveth, 2024 the Assembly met at 09:00 a.m..

Mr. Flora seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with. Presentations and petitions, there are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor, there are none. Messages from the Senate? There are none. Moving to motions and resolutions. The absence for the day shall be deemed read. Members, your attention please. Moving on to procedural motions, Majority Leader Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Wynn, Wicks, Joe Patterson, and Lowenthal to speak on an endurement in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order. Prior to moving on to guest introductions and other announcements, I do want to say that we will be having a panoramic picture taken on Monday. So at 01:00 p.m. So I urge you all to be here at 01:00 p.m. That'll make our session a little bit longer because of that, but please be here promptly at 01:00 p.m. On Monday. I'm hoping that Sunday will be national 49ers win the Super bowl day.

I hope that everybody can agree with that, recognizing that we do have fans who have other allegiances for one day. Hope we can all be a 49er fan here in California. I do want to point out I offered a friendly wager to my counterpart in Missouri, Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson. And I haven't heard from him. It was a really simple non monetary wager, and maybe he'll. Maybe he. Maybe in Missouri, they actually have worse Internet coverage than my district here in California.

I don't know. But actually, I sense he fears the outcome, that the 49 ers will indeed win the Super bowl. So if you're out there, Mr. Henderson, the wager is still open. Look forward to cheering on the 49 ers, as I hope that you're cheering on the chiefs next on Sunday. So, thank you. We will move on to Members, let's wish a belated birthday to Assembly Member Luz Rivas, who celebrated Tuesday. Don't see her right now? Maybe she's still celebrating.

And let's wish Mr. Ting a happy early birthday as he celebrates tomorrow. And maybe he's actually celebrating now because I don't see him. And once again, Members, that Monday, 01:00 p.m. For the panoramic photo. So, moving on to the business on the daily file, governors vetoes, file items, pass and retain. On file items one through 10. Under reconsideration, all items shall be continued and under a semi third reading, pass and retain file items 13 through 15. Moving on to Senate third reading.

Members, we are in Senate third reading. File item 16, SB 400, Senator Wahab, by Assembly Member Ortega. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 400 by Senator Wahab, an act relating to the peace officers.

Assembly Member Ortega, you are recognized.

Thank you, Speaker and Members. I stand to present SB 400 by Aisha Wahab. We last voted on SB 400 in September, and it received bipartisan support. We are taking this up again due to a chaptering out issue, and there is no opposition to this bill. On behalf of Senator Wahab, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

All debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll. All Members who vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 52, noes 0. Measure passes. Moving to file item 17, SB 263, Senator Dodd, by Assembly Member Calderon. Members, your attention to Assembly Member Calderon, please. For the purpose of amendments, the Clerk read.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 263 with amendments by Assembly Member Calderon.

Assembly Member Calderon, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present floor amendments to SB 263 on behalf of Senator Dodd. The floor amendments are technical in nature. They correct a drafting error relative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' model language for annuity sales rework and clarify the sunset for current sales requirements and clarify the timing of required disclosures. Thank you. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any objection to taking a voice vote on the amendments? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor say aye. Opposed say no. The ayes have it. The amendments are adopted. The bill is out to print and back on file. Pass and retain on file item 18. File item 19, SJR 5 by Senator Durazo, Assembly Member Gipson. Members, please, your respectful attention to Assembly Member Gipson. I know you're all excited about the Super Bowl, but it's Sunday, not today.

So for now, please your respectful attention to Assemblymember Gipson.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Members.

I was so excited. Excuse me a moment.

The Clerk will read the Senate joint resolution five by Senator DeRazzo and others relative to the Office of Management and Budget.

Senator, Member Gibson, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Member. I rise to present SJR five on behalf of Senator Derazo. SJ 5 urges the Federal Government to lift the local higher prohibition on federally funded projects. This will also explicitly allow the state and local governments to implement strong procurement standards that advance high quality jobs and equitable, equitable hiring.

As you may know, about a third of California's 40 million people live in poverty or near poverty, and many are forced to work more than one full time jobs in order to make ends meet. The problem is that more people need access. Need access? I did say need access to jobs with livable wages.

In the upcoming years, we, the state Legislature, will have the opportunity to determine how billions of federal dollars are spent in our golden state, and the efforts aim to urge towards a stronger avenue for those we represent to access high quality paid jobs with good employment and benefits to help their families, Members, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Gipson. All debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll for co authors. All Members who desire to vote for co authors. I'm sorry, apparently I'm too eager and too fast this morning, so we'll strike the roll. Okay? All debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll for co authors. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Remember, this is for co authors. The Clerk will close the roll.

There are 54 co authors added. The Clerk will now open the roll on the resolution. All those vote who desire to vote. Members, this is on the resolution. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll ayes. 54. No. Zero. The resolution is adopted. Members, we will now move to the second day consent calendar. Before we vote, we'll take up resolutions on the consent calendar for the purpose of adding co authors.

The Clerk will read the resolutions on the consent calendar.

House Resolution 65 by Assembly Member Wallace relative to enrolled agency and Senate concurrent Resolution 97 by Senator Grove and others relative to national human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Clerk will now open the roll to allow any Member to add on as a co author to the resolutions. Members, this vote is for co authors. 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. There are 62 co-authors. Moving on to the consent calendar, does any item Member wished to remove an item from the consent calendar? Seeing and hearing none, the Clerk will read the second day consent calendar.

House Resolution 65 by Assembly Member Wallace. Relatives who enrolled agency.

Sorry, I got distracted there.

Okay.

The Clerk will open the roll on the consent calendar. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote on the consent calendar. Aye 65, no. 66, no zero. The consent calendar is adopted. The Clerk will read the remaining item.

On the consent calendar and Senate concurrent Resolution 97.

Aye 66. noes zero. Members, the quorum call is still in place. Respectfully ask that you give your attention to those granted prior permission to speak on an adjournment in memory. AssemblyMember Wicks, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and Members, I rise to adjourn in the memory of Ms. Irma Anderson, the first black woman elected to the Richmond City Council and the only black woman to serve as the city's mayor. On January 20 eigth, she peacefully passed away at the age of 93. Irma was a trailblazer and a community leader for decades before her charge into public office.

After working for Contra Costa Health for 20 years, she was appointed the department's first black public health nursing Director in 1983, a title she held for nearly a decade before retiring in 1992. Her deep dedication and care for the City of Richmond was even more apparent through her advocacy as the chair and key organizer of the West County AIDS Task Force. In the 90s, she united the cities and health Department to address the AIDS epidemic throughout West County.

More so, she was committed to lessening the rates of gun violence in the City of Richmond. Her emphasis on tackling gun violence as a public health approach played a significant role in bringing down Richmond's homicide rate. And on a personal note, when I ran in 2018, it was a very contested race. There was 12 of us running, and I was a relatively unknown candidate in the City of Richmond.

And Irma supported my race and she campaigned with me, she hosted me, she went to community events, she welcomed me into her community. And you really get to know the spirit of someone, the character of someone, when you're in the foxhole, as you all I know can attest to. And she was with me side by side every single day in that race. And I can honestly say I don't think I would be here today without Miss Irma Anderson.

And so the City of Richmond and I will forever stand in Irma Anderson's debt. We honor her work by continuing in her footsteps. I ask the Assembly to join me in adjourning her memory today, and I also want to recognize Irma Anderson's son who is with us here today, Ahmaud Anderson and his godsister, Lisa Evans. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wicks. Assembly Member Joe Patterson, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, I ask that you join with me in adjourning in the memory of Heather Nelson Brahm, a neighbor of mine who was taken from us at the young age of 51. Heather was a stellar Member of the neighborhood and broader community with a heart for public service at a young age. While attending the University of Virginia, Heather volunteered at Madison House and mentored with the Big Siblings program. She was a Member of the Alpha Phi sorority.

She served as an adult counselor, managing teen volunteers in work camp housing rehabilitation projects around the country, usually in economically depressed areas such as Appalachia and the Navajo Reservation. Heather met her husband David in Alaska, where she was completing her master's degree in social work, and in 2002, the two were married Heather became a well known and highly respected and sought after counselor with law enforcement community.

She held contracts with the San Francisco and Sacramento police departments, the California Highway Patrol, and was routinely called to assist the Yolo and Calaveras County Sheriff's office, as well as the Vacaville and Davis police departments. She also supported employees in many other state agencies and departments, including Department of Motor Vehicles, Human Resources, Parks and Wildlife, and others. She was an on call resource to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Heather and David have two boys, Mansoor and Reza, and Heather poured her time and energy into supporting their various activities, playing the dual roles of mom and therapist like a pro. She was especially fond of taking the boys roller skating and keeping that activity alive in the world. She was an enthusiastic booster of the Boys'music activities and her oldest son's drum core. International performances Heather would spend hours with their youngest in the kitchen as he grew into his love of music.

Heather is survived by her loving husband, David and their sons, Mansoor and Reza Brahm her father, Willis Nelson and stepmother, Betty Ann two brothers, Richard and his wife, Julia and Charles a great aunt, Edith Blake, who is 105 years young three aunts, Dr. Yvonne Thornton, Dr. Linda Thornton and Dr. Rita Thornton and an uncle, Bill Nelson and his wife, Eloise.

Heather will be missed by her friends and her family, and especially David, Mansour and Reza and many neighbors in the Whitney ranch community Members, I respectfully ask that you join with me and adjourn in the memory of Heather Nelson Brahm. And I also want to recognize in the gallery we have David, Mansour, Reza, and also don in the gallery. So thank you for adjourning in our memory.

Thank you, Assembly Member Patterson, Assembly Member Lowenthal, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Members, today I rise with a very heavy heart to adjourn in the memory of Nathan Buddy Foreman, the beloved figure in Long Beach. Buddy was born on April 17, 1940 Seattle, Washington, to Jewish immigrant parents. He married his wife, Jean Irene Foreman, in 1958 and then went on to graduate from the University of Washington in 1962.

Seeking better opportunities, Mr. Foreman moved his young family to Long beach, where he started a successful insurance business in Linwood and became the first person to offer disability insurance policies to the county workers of Los Angeles. Buddy would become a talented salesperson, winning many awards in the industry and earning the nickname Mr. Charisma. Soon after moving to Long beach, both his parents and in laws fell on dire financial situations in Seattle.

With nowhere to turn in Washington, Nathan and his wife, Jean, invited both sets of parents to come down to California to live in their home with them, where Nathan helped them all get back on their feet. In addition to this kindness, Bud and Gene would be known for welcoming kids in troubled situations, to live with them in their home. On many occasions over the years, everyone knew that Bud and Gene had their back.

A pillar of the community, he never shied away from leadership roles over the years. And he would wear many hats, such as club scout, pack leader, Long Beach Little League, and Pony League Baseball coach, Long Beach Little League President, President of the Toy Train Operating Society.

He was known as the great facilitator, single handedly put four people through college, three through medical school, including supporting his wife Jean, as she became the second oldest person in the United States to ever earn her md when she graduated from the Keck USC School of Medicine at the age of 51. Bud helped Jean inspire others, countless others, to never give up their dreams along the way. And that's who he was. He was a special, special illuminator.

Whether you were his friend, whether you were family, whether you were a stranger, he was curious about you. He would want you to speak about the passion in your life, and it was not because he wanted to learn about it, but it's because he loved to see the confidence you felt in yourself when you spoke about those things, to speak with him. He was seduced by sedence that you were being listened to with such intensity that you have to be your honest, sharpest, and best self.

He made you feel like a rock star. As a matter of fact, going into the foreman home, it was a regal feeling. It felt like royalty, except they were not the royalty. You were the royalty when you walked in the door. And Bud was also very deliberate in being affectionate, especially to youngsters whose parents may not be so affectionate and understanding the value of a hug, a touch on the shoulder. Passed away at the age of 83.

And Long Beach has survived by his in Long Beach and has survived by his beloved wife Jean, their four children, Kathy, Scott, Melinda, and Todd, as well as eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. I respectfully ask that we adjourn in the memory of Nathan Bud Forman.

Thank you, Mr. Lowenthal. We're going to pause for a moment. We have one final adjournment in memory, and we have family that is coming over from the Senate, so if you could just bear with us for just a minute or two. I appreciate it. Thank you, Members. Thank you, Members. At this time, I'd like to recognize Assembly Member Nguyen for her adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members, I ask that you keep your thoughts in your hearts and minds in my really good friend Lauren Hammond, who passed and left us on January 18. And I was going to read so many things that was prepared for me, but I thought to know her is to understand her and is to tell you some stories about her. Lauren Hammond wasn't just fierce in what she did for our community, but she was a beacon of hope for many of us.

She was a beast when it came to women and women leading and communities that were unrepresented and communities that were unserved. But she had this demeanor about herself that I loved so much, because if you didn't know her, you thought she was scary. And I'm going to tell you this story. I golfed with her in a tournament, and we were on the third hole in the first two holes. I did absolutely horrible. And I was trying to prepare myself with the driver.

And Lauren Hammond doesn't necessarily always do this, but she told me, bend your elbows, stand back a little bit, put your head down, tilt a little bit back, and just swing. And I swung. And I kid you not, it was the best swing I've ever done. My ball had the perfect speed, the perfect height, passed her ball, waved goodbye and landed in the green. And she was like this. And she didn't stop. I turned around and I thought, zero, my God. Thank you so much, Lauren.

That's the best swing I have ever done. And she was still like this because she is very competitive and her golf partner turned to her. And to make it even worse, said, I thought you wanted to win. And I'm glad you're laughing, because to know her is to understand that things that she may say may mean harsh, but she means it with all of her heart. She got into her golf cart and she said, were you trying to hustle me there?

And I said, I kid you, I was not trying to hustle. She won. She won. But she also said, you did a really good job out there and that you keep doing that and you're going to get better. But it wasn't just my golf game. She continued to do that even when I ran for this seat. You see, many of us have served in local government, and many of us are here today. And when we're done, some of us retire and we play golf.

Some of us travel. Lauren didn't do any of that. She continued to be out in the community. And while she wasn't an elected Member anymore, when she walked in the room, she had presence. She had command. And when she spoke, everybody listened. She called me a few times, and we all get busy, and I didn't call her back. And I finally called her back and she said, what took you so long to call me? I was scared.

I don't get scared very often, but I was kind of scared. And I said, my dog ate my homework because I know she loves dogs. She just laughed it off because it was her way of saying, hey, I know there's a lot of things that happen, but you got to make these phone calls. And she puts me to that test where sometimes we need that reminder.

And I am kicking myself in the back because I just deleted that voicemail that she had left me just a few weeks ago. And I wish I didn't because I would listen to that voicemail every single day if I could. Members, it's a huge loss for us here in the community. Huge loss. It. She was the first black woman to be elected to Sacramento City Council and only the second to be elected to City Council. She was elected, but she was only the second here in Sacramento, her district. And we are right here living all the things that she has done for this beautiful city. But she has left her footprint on thousands, thousands of sacramentans, thousands of young women like myself. And her spirit will live on through all of us. Her stories will live on.

And that's why I share the stories about Lauren Hammond. I ask that we adjourn in memory of Lauren Rochelle Hammond. Thank you.

Thank you. Assembly Member Nguyen, Assembly Member Mccarty, you are recognized.

Thank you. I also want to add on. I did not know that we were doing this today. I wasn't prepared, but I have a lot of memories in my heart. So Lauren Hammon, as was noted, was a Sacramento City Council Member who passed away unexpectedly in her sleep a month ago. She was my seatmate on the City Council for six years. So I sat next to her, and she had a good sense of humor, and she was kind of scary at times.

And she had a good wit. And people were sometimes afraid of her because she's always spoke truth to power. But going back, she had a great story. She came from Los Angeles. She moved here as a kid. She remembers the images of the Watts riots of 1965, and that helped her guide her, the sense of policy and justice and fighting for people.

Her dad came up here, got a job with the state Superintendent, public instruction, and she got involved at McClatchy High School and was an active sacramentan. But even before that, she always shares a story how her grandfather was a baseball player in the negro leagues, and she was really proud of that legacy, too. But she also, some Member from Elgrove didn't mention, but she was a product of the Legislature.

She worked in the Senate, so I'm sure she'll be super proud when they adjourn her memory, because she was a red carpet lady. But I know that she was appreciative of the green carpet, and I'll say that, too, because she ran against me for the Assembly. She tried a couple times to run, wasn't successful, but she wanted to serve her hometown, her adopted hometown of Sacramento.

And even though we were on the ballot the same time, we never got in the way of the work that we did. We served adjacent districts, and we always fought for the people of Sacramento. And you are correct, Assembly Member, that after her retirement, she could have faded off into the sunset? No, but she was working on making sure the redistricting maps for the City of Sacramento were fair and didn't discriminate neighborhoods that didn't have a voice.

She served on the entity to make sure we elect more women to office in Sacramento. So she leaned in and focused on uplifting our community, and she will be missed. And she was a force in our community of Sacramento. And I join you in adjoining in her memory and say our condolences to her family, which are in the gallery with us today. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Mccarty, and thank you to the Members of the family who are with us today. Members, please bring the names to the desks to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in the memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Moving to announcements, Members on Monday. Be sure to arrive by 01:00 p.m. For our panoramic photo, beginning of session, and our early celebration of the Super bowl win by the 49ers. Session schedule is as follows.

Friday, February 9, no fuller session, no check in session. Monday, February, twelveth floor session at 01:00 p.m. All other items will be passed and retained. All motions shall be continued. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Ms. Aguirakuri moves Mr. Flora. Seconds that the house stands adjourned until Monday, February twelveth, at 01:00 p.m. The quorum call is lifted, and the house is adjourned.

Gallagher, SJR. Five aye to not voting.

Vote change. Assembly Member Gallagher, Senate Joint resolution five aye to not voting.