Senate Floor

Members, the Senate will come to order with the secretary. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Members of quorum is present. I want to say good morning to everyone. Want to invite the Members to return to their seats, please? Okay. Good morning, everyone. Would Members and our guests be on the rail and in the gallery, please rise. We will be led in prayer this morning by our chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, after which, please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Sister Gorman?

We gather in God's presence. This is a quote from Matilda Jocelyn Gage. The women of today are the thoughts of our mothers and grandmothers, embodied and made alive. Millions of women, dead and gone, are speaking through us today. God of many names and many faces. The theme of this year's International Women's day is to inspire inclusion. We pray that in this year, the world's women will experience acknowledgment of and appreciation for our gifts of hospitality and inclusivity.

May all people of authority and goodwill be inspired to dismantle the barriers that keep women separated from each other. May we challenge the stereotypes that exaggerate flaws and underrepresent the contributions of women in all areas of society. May we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, political and religious achievements of women in all eras, and especially in our current day. Gracious God, help all of us. Work together to inspire inclusion so that the gifts of a more equitable and diverse society can benefit all people. We ask this in your name. Amen.

Sister Gorman, thank you for your thoughtful words. We appreciate you. Members and guests. Please join me in the pledge to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag which. All right, Members, we're going to begin with our agenda. Privileges. Privileges of the floor. I don't see any to recognize at the moment. Messages from the Governor will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports of Committee will be deemed read and amendments adopted. We'll move next to motions, resolutions and notices. Members.

Without objection, Senate resolution 66 will be corrected upon enrollment. Seeing none. That'll be the order of the day. Like to recognize Senator Eggman, Senator Eggman, status? All right, we'll come back to that. We'll move next to consideration of the daily file. We'll begin with Senate third reading. This is item 12, Sr 60 with the secretary.

Please read Senate resolution 60 by Senator Ochoa Bogh relative to Women in Construction week.

Senator Ochoa Bogh at the majority leader's desk. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President and Members. I'm pleased to present Sr 60, which proclaims March 3 through March 92024 as women in construction Week. Sr 60s recognizes women's invaluable contributions to California's construction industry. We must inspire future generations of women to embrace jobs in the construction industry, which is vital to the state's economy. Women represent an untapped resource and activities to improve women's recruitment and retention in skilled construction jobs. It is critical, important in meeting workforce demand and building a middle class.

We do this through promoting vocational educational programs, workforce development, and initiatives that inspire and support girls and young women to pursue careers in construction. I encourage my colleagues and our construction industry partners to join me in celebrating women in Construction Week and to continue working together to build a construction industry that welcomes people from all walks of life. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Ochoa Bogh. Is there further discussion on this? Senator Smallwood-Cuevas

thank you, Mr. President. And I stand in support of this amazing holiday and celebration. I spent morning breakfast with all of the women in their boots and tools, and I want to say, we know what it takes to make sure that we have women in the trades. And what it takes is a good, strong union contract with real apprenticeship standards, with real trainers, with community partnerships to ensure that we are building strong in union.

But we're also making sure we are tracking and monitoring to ensure that women get their fair share of these projects. I am honored to have been a part of building some of the most revolutionary tools with my good Senator from Los Angeles to ensure that women in the trades is not an exception. It is the norm. And we do that through our strong plas, through our strong apprenticeship programs and our strong construction and the trades programs and efforts. So I thank the good Senator for bringing this resolution, and I'm happy to call for everyone's vote in support.

Thank you, Senator. We'll turn next to your colleague from Los Angeles, Senator Durazo.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I also want to add that one thing that's very important, and through my many years of visiting the various trades union apprenticeship programs, is that it all leads to a good paying job and career.

And in the end, that's what we all want, is a permanent permanency in how these apprenticeship programs lead to real, long lasting careers, and also to give these women the support tools that they need with childcare and a number of other services that they need in order to get through these great apprenticeship programs. So I, in particular, want to applaud all of the union building trades programs for the extraordinary work that they do. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Any further discussion on this resolution? Any further discussion seeing none. Senator Ochoa Bogh. You may close the debate.

Thank you, Mr. President. As a wife and daughter in law of a construction company owner, I am grateful for the opportunity to present this resolution and really want to emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and women leading. Leading in different spaces, especially in the ones that are non traditional for women's roles. I'm grateful for the opportunity to present this resolution in the Senate Floor this morning. And I respectfully ask for an ivote.

All debate having seized. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 38 to zero, the resolution is adopted. Members, we're going to pause Senate third reading and move back to privileges of the floor. For purposes of introduction, I'll turn the microphone back to Senator Ochoa Bogh at the majority leader's desk. Senator?

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to extend a warm welcome to the more than 100 women in construction who are up in the gallery this morning. And here to receive the women in construction resolution are two leaders in the industry, Jennifer Fram, operations manager at Kitchell Corporation, and Megan Shapiro, partner at Rattle Shapiro. It's an honor to be among so many passionate women in construction.

Members. You are now welcome to join the photograph in the center of the floor. On behalf of the Senate, congratulations to all the women in construction who are here with us today. Welcome and congratulations. We're going to move now back to consideration of the daily file. Next up is file item 13. This is Senate concurrent Resolution 117. Senator is ready.

Secretary, please read Senate Concurrent Resolution 117 by Senator Wiener relative to National Vending Day.

Please give Senator Wiener your attention. Senator Wiener.

Thank you, Mr. President. And colleagues, I'm presenting SCR 117, which recognizes the importance of the vending industry and designates March 72024 as National Vending Day. The vending and convenience services industry has expanded in recent decades to include a wide array of convenience services and refreshments.

The industry employs over 160,000 Americans and generates an economic output of almost $3 billion a year in California, employing almost 12,000 people in our state, the industry is committed to increasing the percentage of healthier foods and beverage options in the nation's vending machines to 33%, and is uniquely equipped to service food deserts and underserved communities throughout California and the nation. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Is there any further discussion on the resolution? Further discussion, Members? Yeah. This resolution is eligible for a unanimous roll call. Without objection. Eyes 38. No, zero. The resolution is adopted. Members, we're going to move back to motions and resolutions. I want to recognize Senator Eggman.

Thank you very much. Mr. President. Please remove file ACR 86 from the inactive file. Remove it from the inactive file. Thank you very much.

The desk will note. Thank you, Senator Eggman. Members, I want to share with you some sad news. Please. On behalf of the minority leader. On behalf of the minority leader, I want to announce the passing of former Assembly Member Brian Nastande. Brian Nastande. Many of us knew him and his service here to our state, and we mourn his passing and send our condolences to his many friends and his family. On behalf of the minority leader. Thank you. Okay, we have two items left on our agenda, Members.

We're going to do Committee announcements, and then we're going to come back for motions and resolutions for adjourn in memory. So, Committee announcements, we're going to begin. We're going to begin with Senator Becker. Senator Becker.

Thank you, Mr. President. Budget Subcommitee two on resources, environmental protection, energy will meet in room 2200, 15 minutes after the close of session.

Thank you, Senator Becker. Senator Laird,

The Senate Budget Subcommitee one on Education will meet in a Swing Space, room 2100 upon adjournment.

Thank you, Senator Laird. Senator Wahab.

Thank you. Budget Subcommitee number five on corrections, public safety, judiciary, labor and transportation will meet 15 minutes upon adjournment of session in room 112.

Thank you, Senator Wahab. Senator Menjivar.

Thank you, Mr. President. Budget Subcommitee number three on health and human Services will meet 10 minutes following session in room 1200.

Thank you. And Senator Padilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. Budget Subnumber Four on State Administration will convene at 930 in room 113 here in the Capitol.

Thank you. Thank you Members, please note those rooms and times. Members, if I can get your attention, please. We're going to move now to adjourn in memory, and we're going to recognize our colleague, Senator Roth. Senator Roth, please give him your attention.

Thank you, Mr. President. I first met my friend Dan Hamptman about 40 years ago. I was a young attorney then, fairly new to the private practice of law, and Dan had just moved into the private practice of law from public service law with inland County's legal services. I have to tell you, I was immediately impressed with him, with his intellect, his compassion for others, his commitment to public service, and his worldly experience. Dan was a native Californian.

Born in La. He attended UCLA and UC Berkeley, graduating with a degree in political science. But soon after graduating, Dan's passion for helping others took over, and he volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps in Thailand. There he taught English as a second language to high school students, and he learned to speak Thai fluently. When Dan's two year stint with the Peace Corps was over, he looked for another opportunity to serve in Thailand, and he found one with American University's alumni Association language center.

By the end of his second tour six years later, Dan had established 11 language centers throughout Thailand, all teaching English as a second language. I know there are thousands and thousands of Thais that learned English from Dan, and Dan made thousands and thousands of lifelong friends over there, and I'm certain they still talk about the amazing Dan Hantman in Thailand today. Well, Dan eventually returned to the states, graduated from law school, and practiced law with the rest of us in Riverside.

But he was a cut above the rest. He never lost his compassion for others and his commitment to public service. His law practice centered on helping our most vulnerable, the elderly and the disabled. And his community activities reflected that same commitment to others from the time he spent as the President of our local bar Association, improving the delivery of legal services to our most disadvantaged communities, to his work with our Chamber of Commerce, improving those very same communities.

Dan never seemed to stop, and we were all better for it. As you well know, this week is primary election week, and it reminds me so very, very much of Dan. Why, you ask? Because elections and the run up to them seem to energize him. At one point several years ago, he ran for election as a candidate for Congress. He didn't win, but that did not then diminish Dan's enthusiasm for the process.

During the run up to every single election, including some of mine, you would find Dan standing on the corner of Central Avenue and Canyon Crest Drive, a rather prominent street corner in Riverside, wearing his trademark big sombrero and waving his favorite candidate yard sign. Fortunately for me, sometimes it was one of mine. Well, Dan wasn't on that street corner for the primary this year. Sadly, he passed away on February 14. So this election season, I will think about Dan.

Every time I drive by that Central Avenue location. I know he's still there in spirit. And perhaps he's even waving one of my signs. We will all miss Dan. His big sign and his even bigger sombrero. A lot. I'd ask that you keep Dan's life partner, Marcia Gilman, and his family in your prayers. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Senator Roth. The Senate extends its condolences to his friends and family. Please bring his name forward so we can be properly memorialized in the Senate. Journal. There was no other business before the Senate today. Senator Mcguire, the desk is clear.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. And Members, quick note to all of those who were on the ballot this week. Thank you for stepping up to be able to serve the people of California. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. A well deserved break. The next floor session is scheduled for Monday, March 11, 2024 at 02:00 p.m. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Senator Mcguire. The Senate will be in recess until 03:30 p.m. At which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Monday at 02:00 p.m. Thank.