Senate Floor

[Roll Call]

Members, if you can return to our desks, please. If we can return to our desks, would the Members and our guests beyond the railway in the gallery please rise. We will be led in prayer this afternoon by Senator Durazo, after which, please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance.

Loving creator, you have been our God in the past, leading us from captivity to freedom. You are the spirit we admire and worship now beneath this colossal creation around us. But mostly, you are the God of many names and infinite mystery, who draws us toward a world of justice and love, toward hope, toward creativity and energetic life. We thank you for all you promise as you reassure us of your caring, speaking to the silent expectations of our hearts. You are our God, and we seek to be your hands and feet and heart. Amen.

Members and guests, please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge. Good afternoon, colleagues. Starting off with privileges of the floor, I'd like to recognize former Senator Denise Ducheny, who is with us here in the back of the. Welcome back, Senator. If any Members would like a photo. Members, please join the former Senator in the back. If you'd like to participate in this photo.

Colleagues, if we're done saying hello to the Senator, if we can return back to our desk, if we'd like to continue conversations, if you can take it off the floor, we're going to go back to business. All right, colleagues, moving on to our second presentation. Under privileges of the floor, I'd like to recognize the majority leader. Colleagues, if we could move our conversations off the floor, the majority leader will have a special presentation. Senator Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd just like to acknowledge our incredible hometown, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who is here with Vice Mayor Cindy Allen, as well as council Members Roberto Uranga and Megan Kerr. Please give them a round of applause.

Welcome, Team Long beach. Our third and final presentation of the day, colleagues, is going to be. Senator Allen, are you prepared? Senator Allen, from your desk.

Well, thank you, Madam President. Folks, we've got the privilege this afternoon to welcome the wonderful leadership Torrents class that's here all the way from Southern California. Nice to see you guys. Leadership Torrence is a wonderful program and I've had the chance to meet and work with them a number of times over the years. It's organized by the Torrance Chamber of Commerce down in the South Bay in Los Angeles.

And it brings together engaged business and community leaders from around the South Bay to collaborate and learn from one another. And it's all about trying to create community connections that allow emerging leaders in town to effectively play a role in shaping and improving their communities. And they come up every year to Sacramento to learn about what we're doing and get a better insight into the workings of state government.

So we've got 16 Members from Leadership Torrance who are up here, and I just would like us to give a very warm Senate welcome to our friends from Leadership Torrence.

Point of privilege. I have a previous colleague up there. Welcome. Welcome, colleagues. We're now moving on to. 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. Now moving on to motions, resolutions and notices. Without objection, the Senate journals for April 12024 through April 42024 will be approved as corrected by the minute Clerk. Senator Wiener, you're recognized.

Thank you. Madam President and colleagues, I moved to suspend the Senate rules as they relate to Assembly Bill 106.

Such will be the such. Senator Neillo, you're recognized.

Thank you. Madam President, I respectfully request a no vote on this motion. AB 106 was just amended just over the weekend. It is 204 pages.

Senator Nielllo, I do want to remind this body, Senator Wiener has requested to suspend the Senate rules. This motion is not debatable.

I would like to make a few explanatory remarks, not for debate, but to explain my motion.

Since the only motion in front of us is to suspend the rules, there's no other motion eligible at the moment.

I respect. I request personal privilege.

Colleague, if you could give us a minute or two? Senator Niello, please proceed with your brief comments.

Thank you, Madam President. Just suffice it to say that this means that this Bill will be taken up on Thursday rather than Monday. That is four days that the public and other stakeholders are not going to have time to review something that hasn't even had an analysis drawn up yet. I request a no vote.

Thank you so much, colleague. Senator, Senator Wiener is asking for an aye vote. Senator Niello is asking for a no vote. Mister Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 30 Noes 7. The motion carries. Colleagues now moving on to consideration of the daily file. We have items one through 21, the second reading file. Secretary, please read. [Second Reading} second readings deemed read. Moving on to governor's appointments, we have items 23 through 25. Senator Grove, are you prepared?

Yes, Madam President.

Please proceed.

Thank you. Colleagues, file item number 23 is the confirmation of Monica Erickson, the Chief Deputy Director of California Department of Human Services. Prior to this appointment, Miss Erickson was the Deputy Director of Administration for the Department of Healthcare. Access information. She was approved at the Rules Committee on March 20 on a 50 vote. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Colleagues, any further discussion debate on the matter. Seeing none secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 38. No, zero. The appointment is confirmed. Moving on to fire item number 24. Senator Grove, are you prepared again?

Please proceed.

Yes, madam President.

Thank you. So, colleagues, file item number 24 is the confirmation of Ferris Truskinoff, who is the deputy secretary for strategic planning in equity and labor and Workforce Development Agency. Prior to this appointment, Miss Truskinoff served as a California Professional Firefighters for over 20 years, most recently as the deputy Chief of Staff. She was confirmed by the Rules Committee again on March 20 of a 50 vote. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you so much. Colleagues, a little loud over here. If you want to continue having conversation, if you could take it off the floor. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 38 No, zero. That confirmation is approved. Continuing the Senator Grove show. Senator, are you prepared for file item number 25?

No, ma'am, I am not.

Moving on to file item number 20.

Yes, prepared.

Please proceed with file item number 25.

Thank you. Thank you, madam President. Colleagues, file item number 25 is a confirmation of Oscar Gonzalez for reappointment to the California Horse Racing Board. And Lauren Bolden and Reed malicious Milanovic. I apologize for the appointment of the Native American Heritage Commission. They were both approved on the Rules Committee on March 20 with a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Senator Durazo, you're recognized.

Yes. In particular, I want to rise in support of Mister Oscar Gonzalez. I've known him for many years. He and his partner are extraordinary people who not only care about the horse racing industry, but care about all the people who make it possible. So I stand in support.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Dodd, you're recognized.

Yes, I'd like to echo the comments of the Senator from Los Angeles for Oscar Gonzalez junior. He has performed, and, frankly, the whole Commission. We know that we've had lots of issues there for many years. And I really think the improvement that we've seen with horse racing over the last four or five years is a direct result of people like Oscar Gonzalez junior. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Grove, would you like to close?

Just to echo my colleague's comments. This is a very outstanding appointment with a lot of experience within the horse racing industry, the agricultural industry, with USDA and many others. He's very qualified for the position. Again, he was approved by a 50 vote and respectfully asked for an I vote.

Thank you, secretary. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

38. No, zero. That confirmation is approved. Colleagues, we are now in the Senate. Third reading. We have three items under here. 43, 52 and 54. Is Senator Wahab ready?

Senate Bill 1353 by Senator Wahab an act relating to juveniles.

Senator, you may proceed.

Thank you, colleagues and Members of the public. SB 1353 will add to the existing youth Bill of Rights that youth detained in juvenile facilities are not to be deprived of mental health resources. According to a 2017 review from the US Office of Juvenile justice and Delinquency Prevention, youth with mental health problems who are involved with our justice systems are more likely to recidivate.

SB 1353 empowers incarcerated youth and promotes anti recidivism by emphasizing the importance of access to mental health resources in the youth Bill of Rights. SB 1353 is sponsored by the California Public Defense Defenders Association and has no opposition. We are working collaboratively with chief probation officers of California on amendments for the Assembly. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. Colleagues, do we have any discussion or debate on this issue? On this item? Seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Aye 32 no, zero. The measure passes. Moving on to file item number 52. Senator Laird, are you prepared? Secretary, please read

Senator Bill 1150 by Senator Laird an act related to marriage.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Senate Bill 1150 will update the title of Chapter seven of decision six of the family code to ensure people, regardless of gender identity, can restore their former surname following a date, divorce. The chapter's language was updated nearly 30 years ago to contain gender specific neutral language, but the chapter's title, restoration of wife's former name was left unchanged. This is simply a correction to align a chapter's dated, gender specific title with its gender neutral code section language. There were no. No votes in Committee. A bipartisan yes vote. I asked for an aye vote.

Do we have any discussion or debate on this issue? Senator Ochoa Bogh, you're recognized.

Question of the author.

Would the author take a question? Senator, please proceed.

Curious as to where we're replacing the word wife. Curious as to why not the word spouse, which is also gender neutral rather than a partner. Senator Laird.

We're replacing it with partner because partner fit every situation better than that, and so we just chose to do it that way.

Senator Ochoa Bogh, you're once again recognized,

So I'm going to lay off the Bill today just because I'm not sure that the word partner actually references the word wife as it states, as in marriage. So I truly believe that the word spouse is a better fit for what we're trying to replace as wife, which means a legal definition of a partnership.

So I'm going to stay off of the Bill, but I truly do believe that the words spouse inherently conveys the same meaning as a wife, but it's gender neutral.

Do we have any further discussion or debate? Senator Laird, would you like to close?

Far be it from a follically challenged person to say we're splitting hairs, but we are splitting hairs. The word that is here will do the trick. That's what we're trying to do. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Colleagues, I know it's Monday. I get it back from the weekend, but it's getting too loud. Colleagues, if we can take our conversations off the floor or return to our seats. Secretary, please call the roll again. The absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 32. No, zero. The measure passes moving on to file item 54. Senator Laird, are you prepared for this item?

Yes, I am, Madam President. I rise to present.

Senator, we got to read it first.

Secretary, please read Senate Resolution 75 by Senator Laird relative to the year of the California grizzly.

Now you may proceed.

Well, thank you very much. I rise to present Senate Resolution 75, which declares 2024 as the year of the California grizzly bear. To mark the centennial of the loss of this iconic species in our state. Our Senate Resolution 75 is sponsored by the California Grizzly Alliance, a coalition of researchers, tribal leaders, wildlife advocates, land managers and community Members. The resolution is also supported by numerous conservation organizations, including the California Academy of Sciences and many tribes, including the Yurok, Tule river and Tejon tribes.

The California grizzly bear is the state's most enduring symbol. It is the center of our flag and seal. More than 800 places and 100 landforms are named after the grizzly. For thousands of years, they were abundant throughout California. They held a unique social, cultural and religious significance to many California Native American tribes and had a crucial ecological role. Because of over hunting and habitat destruction, grizzly bears completely disappeared over the course of one human lifetime. It was the most significant species loss in our state's history.

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the last credible sighting of a live wild grizzly bear in California. This year, more than ever, we should reflect on its loss and do everything we can to ensure no other native species goes under. It goes extinct under our watch. For these reasons, I ask for an aye vote on Senate Resolution 75.

Thank you, Senator. Colleagues, any discussion or debate on the issue grizzly bears seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 38. No, zero. The resolution is adopted. Now, moving on to consent calendar, we have two items, 74 and 75. Is there anyone who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar? nine. Secretary, please read.

Senate Bill 1122, Assembly joint resolution eight.

Secretary, please call the roll on the first item.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 37. No, zero. Consent calendar is approved. Now returning to motions and resolutions, but before we begin, I'm going to need everyone back at their desks. We're going to be doing our adjournment memories. We will cease all conversations during adjourning memories and be back at our desk. We're going to start off with Senator Atkins.

Madam President, thank you so much. Colleagues. I rose today to adjourn in memory of Doctor Stephen L. Weber, who is a former President of San Diego State University. He died peacefully at his home on March 172024. It was his 82nd birthday. Steve was born in Boston on St. Patrick's Day in 1942. After the death of his father at age nine, the family moved to Stoney Ridge, Ohio, where he grew up.

He attended Bowling Green State University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy in 1964. And while at bowling Green, he fell in love with his future wife, Susan Kaim, and the couple married in 1965. Steve pursued graduate work at the University of Colorado, Boulder and earned a PhD in philosophy. Philosophy, excuse me, from Notre Dame.

In 1969, he served as a tenured Professor of philosophy at the University of Maine and then moved on to hold administrative leadership positions at the University of Maine, Fairfield University, and St. Cloud University. In 1988, he became the President of State University of New York Oswego, and in 1995, he was appointed as the interim provost at the entire 64 campus of the SUNY system.

In July of 1996, he was selected as the 7th President of San Diego State University where he served for 15 very transformative years, retiring in 2011. During his tenure, the University raised academic standards. They led the nation in improved graduation rates, diversified the student body, and they pioneered programs to help military veterans and first generation college students. The campus experienced an unprecedented expansion of facilities, including a new sports arena, a trolley station, and numerous residence halls and academic buildings.

Steve was renowned for his collaborative leadership style, his community engagement, and his efforts to make SDSU a top research institution. He was a driving force behind the campaign for SDSU that raised $800 million in donations over the course of 10 years. He donated $100,000 to start the Stephen Weber Fund for Excellence, an endowment to support faculty in the University's College of Arts and Letters. After retirement, he moved to Maine, later on to Virginia and New Jersey.

But he continued to support SDSU, visiting San Diego often, and he could be seen cheering on the San Diego State University Aztecs at sporting events. He actively campaigned for the successful 2018 ballot measure to sell the Mission Valley Stadium site to SDSU for campus expansion, including construction of a new stadium. In 2021, he was diagnosed with ALS, an excruciating disease, and in spite of his physical decline, he always maintained a positive spirit and published a collection of inspiring essays, reflections in the mirror of life.

Just last year, Susan Weber, his wife of 49 years, passed away in 2014. Steve is survived by his loving companion, Stephanie Ralph, his sons Matt and Rick, grandsons Colin and Aaron, his brothers John and Roger. Steve was a true philosopher, known for his intellect, his analytical mind, his contemplative nature, vision, grace, great patience and honesty. So, colleagues, I would ask that we adjourn today in memory of President Stephen Weber, a remarkable servant leader, a true Aztec for life.

San Diego State University and the San Diego community, the State of California, are all deeply saddened, and we benefited from his career and his service. Thank you, Senator.

Thank you for those lovely words. Please bring his name forward so that he may be properly memorialized in the journal. Senator Hurtado, you're recognized.

Madam President. Members, I rise today to adjourn in the memory of Mayor Olivia Trujillo from the City of Arvin. Surrounded by her three loving daughters, Mayor Trujillo passed away peacefully on March 3. Mayor Trujillo exemplified what it is to be the daughter of the Valley searching for the American dream. Olivia, at the age of five, immigrated with her family to the City of Arvind. She was a proud daughter of farm workers. Growing up, she harvested fruits and vegetables in the fields of our valley.

Olivia embodied the resilient spirit of the central valley as a determined fighter, her dedication was unlike anyone I know. Diagnosed with cancer, she ran for city office, leading with strength. Cancer didn't deter her. She persisted and won. She became the first woman, first Latina, and first immigrant to be elected mayor to the City of Arvin. We mourn the loss of a fierce, independent leader, mother, friend, and an equity advocate for her community. Mayor Trujillo is survived by her three daughters, Olivia, Vanessa, and Janie. Please join me in a journey in the memory of Mayor Olivia Trujillo.

Senator Grove, you're recognized.

Thank you, madam President. I, too, rised. You know, growing up in Arvind and living with a single mom and having to be around farming families. And actually, my mom worked in the fields for a while, and so did I during high school. And then having Olivia take the position as the first female elected to the mayor of Arvin was really incredible. And she was really a true warrior. Warrior for the community, a warrior for her constituents, the entire city.

She kind of lined that board out, too. If they were wrong, she would just really, I don't want to say, tell them how the cow ate the cabbage, but she did. And she was strong enough to stand up to them when they needed to be stood up to, and strong enough and humble enough to collaborate when they need to collaborate to get the right things done. Most of you may not know, but she is also a great friend. And the daughter.

Her daughter is a great friend. Friend of our Senate, our President of the Senate, secretary of the Senate. Excuse me, Miss Contreras. And they spent some time together. And it was really hard on Miss Contreras that Miss Trujillo lost her life to cancer as well. So it's a small world, especially when it comes to illnesses like cancer. It doesn't matter what color your skin is, who you are, how much money you have, or how much money you don't have. It's a devastating disease.

And I think it brings us all close together to see the realities of life and to enjoy life the fullest, like Mayor Trujillo did. Olivia was an incredible individual, and I just want to honor the Senator from Kings county to and Fresno for bringing this adjournment memory forward, because it is truly honorable to be able to join her in this, because Trujillo was a very nice and very honorable individual. Thank you, Senator Tahto.

Thank you for sharing the mayor's story with us. Please bring her name forward so that she may be properly memorialized in the journal. Senator Wiener, you're recognized.

Thank you, madam President. Colleagues, it's with great sadness that I rise to ask that the Senate adjourn in memory of former MTC Metropolitan Transportation Commission deputy Executive Director Ann Flemmer, who passed away on March 1. Ann began her career at the MTC as an intern in 1982 and joined the staff as a planner in 1983.

Following a master's degree in city planning from UC Berkeley and a bachelor's degree in urban studies from UCLA in 2001, she became MTC's first deputy Executive Director for operations and deputy Executive Director for policy in 2009, enabling her to be the only person to hold each of these leadership roles.

Ann coordinated the Bay Area's response to the Americans with Disabilities act, helped create the Bay Area's welfare to work program, and shepherded the development of the universal transit fare payment, now known as Clipper, in the Bay Area.

In addition to the 511 Traveler information Service, she also served as the first female chair of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America and was the first recipient of a lifetime achievement achievement award from the Bay Area chapter of WTS International, formerly known as Women's Transportation Seminar, which promotes the advancement of women in the transportation industry. Ann will be warmly remembered by all the lives she touched and her decades of inspiring, innovative, and productive work on behalf of all Bay Area residents.

She's survived by her husband Paul and her sons, Matt and Kevin. And as a former MTC Commissioner, she's someone who I worked with back when I was in local government. She was just one of those absolutely dedicated public servants. Whether it wasn't about ego, it was about getting the job done, and she will be greatly missed. Colleagues, please join me in adjourning the Senate today in the memory of Ann Flemmer.

Senator Cortese, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I, too, rise on this same request for adjournment for Ann Flemmer, and I suspect that her family will be listening at some point to the proceedings here today. And what I want to say on a personal note is I had the opportunity to serve with her as a Member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and I was counseled in a very generous manner by her.

But I think what her family, especially her children, would want to know is that each and every day she brought them to work with her. She was a devout Catholic and was raised, if I remember right, in the Belmont area, went to Catholic schools. And having had a similar background myself in terms of upbringing, I could recognize in her this generosity of spirit, this sense of charity, and enjoyed talking to her.

Given that we were about the same age and had children about the same age, about our children's successes and opportunities in the Bay Area at the time.

I was shocked just a couple of weeks back at a Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Abag reception here in Sacramento to find out from the Executive Director that and most of the staff had just come back from Ann's memorial, and she was just really getting to the point, I think, in terms of her own longevity, her own life, having retired from the Commission a while back, to really enjoy her retirement. She was at that age and living here in the beautiful Bay Area.

Our hearts go out to her family, her friends, and to Ann herself that she didn't get the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of her labor much longer. She passed away much, much too young. So I join in this request for the adjournment today. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Dodd, you're recognized.

Yes. Another former Commissioner for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Commission and Chairman. I really appreciate my colleague from San Francisco's words and also from San Jose. Simply put, Ann Flemmer was the best of the best at a time where women weren't really getting Executive positions. She rose to one of the highest levels at MTC. And again, she was just an absolutely amazing person. And there's so many disparate groups that are always coming to, you know, to MTC and to the.

To all regional boards that you all served on from time to time. And she had that uncanny ability. First of all, she wanted to be of service. She wanted to make sure that everybody got their say on every single issue and their point across. But in the end, the policies that we passed at MTC were far better as a result of her fingerprints being on them and her great, great work to request this adjourned memory. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Senators, for all those kind words. Senator Wiener, please bring her name forward so that we may properly memorialize her in the journal. Colleagues, quick note. On behalf of Senator Rubio, under privileges of the floor, we'd like to welcome the LA Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the gallery. Please welcome them. Welcome to the Senate. Our final item on our agenda, colleagues, is Committee announcements. Committee announcements. Senator Archuleta.

Thank you, Madam Chair, military and Veterans Affairs Committee will meet in room 2200 at about 305.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Limon, you're recognized.

Thank you. The Joint Emergency Management Committee will be meeting in room 112 at 03:00

thank you, Senator. If there's no other business. Senator Mcguire, the desk is clear.

Thank you so much, Madam President. The next floor session is scheduled for Thursday, April 11. We'll see everyone at 09:00 a.m. On the 24th.

The Senate will be in recess until 03:30 p.m. At which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Thursday at 09:00 a.m. Have a great Monday.