Senate Floor

The Senate will come to order. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

Members, a quorum is present. Would the Members and 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.

Let us bring ourselves into the presence of our God, God of the small, the subtle, the unimportant. God of the vague, the cloudy, the ambiguous. Open our hearts to your presence. Open our eyes to the little signs, our ears to the soft murmurs. Slow us down to listen and hear the cries of the unspoken. Awaken us to the losses that are blessings. Awaken us to the wounds that are openings. Awaken us to the weaknesses that are sources of your strength.

Wake us from the stupor of business, the days of desire, and keep us woke to witness your drawing near, to behold your presence even in these ordinary moments, these feeble prayers, these beating hearts. Amen.

Members and guests, please join me in the pledge of allegiance. [Pledge of Allegiance]. Members. Members, without objection, we'll take up the following resolution out of order. We're going to take the following resolution out of order. Members, this is SR 82. It's file item 35. After adoption of the resolution, we'll return to privileges of the floor for the author to introduce their guests. Let's just give it a moment here. Members, if you could return to your chairs, please? Members, if you could return to your chairs, please?

Members, please give your attention to Senator Blakespear. Senator Blakespear, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much and good morning, Members.

One moment, please. A moment, please. Senate Resolution.

Secretary, please read.

Senate Resolution 82 by Senator Blakespear relative to World Press Freedom Day.

Senator Blakespear.

Thank you. Good morning, Members. I am happy to rise today to ask for your support for Senate Resolution 82. This resolution commemorates World Press Freedom Day, which is tomorrow, May 3. World Press Freedom Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to raise awareness worldwide about the importance of the freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the freedom of expression.

On this day, we honor and recognize the dedication, integrity and bravery of journalists who work tirelessly to uncover the truth, keep the public informed, and serve as a watchdog over government. We know that freedom of the press is so critical to forming and nurturing a democracy that is accountable to the people that our nation's founders protected it by putting it in the very first amendment to the United States Constitution. In modern democracies, journalists play a crucial role.

They inform us about our government, our courts and private industry and what they are doing. Journalists' job is to report, write or broadcast stories that deal with matters of legitimate public importance. They help us build the public trust all of us need the facts, the context and the framing that journalists provide for us to be involved in every part of citizenship, to think, to vote, to parent, to invest, to work.

Without the news industry and dedicated journalists, we couldn't hold people in power accountable because we wouldn't know what they were doing. In a world without a free press, disinformation, rumors, falsehoods, and fear-mongering can spread like wildfire. We cannot have a truly functional democracy without a healthy fourth estate to report on those in power. But it's no easy task to be a journalist today. Job instability, low pay, high turnover are all a normal part of the job.

In some circumstances and places, journalists are harassed, physically assaulted or even killed for just trying to do their jobs. According to the International Federation of Journalists, 120 journalists and media workers were killed in 2023 for reasons associated with doing their job. I am a former journalist, having started my professional career at the Los Angeles Times and then working for the Associated Press before going to law school. I also have a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism.

For the 10 years I've been in elected office, I've sent weekly or biweekly newsletters that draw on my journalism background in the format and tone. I know that most of us here on this floor wake up each morning and read the news about what's happening right here in the building with all the rest of us and the latest happenings throughout our nation and world. We all see the media as a critical part of the work that we do.

We refer to journalists, work in the bills we write, and we depend on them to help us understand the largest problems we face. With all the laws we develop and pass in this building, we need the media coverage so the public knows what is happening, but also so we know how people are responding. Simply put, a free, vibrant, diverse, energetic, and unbiased press is critical to our democracy.

So with that, I would like to commend the bravery of journalists everywhere and their dedication and commitment to reporting the truth. We honor them with this resolution, which recognizes their hard work and the indispensable service they provide to our Democratic society. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Blakespear. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I just wanted to stand in support of my good colleague who brought this resolution forward. I, too, am a former reform journalist, starting my career at the Oakland Tribune, later at the Long Beach Press Telegram, and then Chicago Tribune before joining the labor movement as a researcher. And I just want to say how in jeopardy the freedom of speech and free press is in this country.

In California, as we see, corporate consolidation of our news is not only threatening the lives of these thousands of workers who provide a constitutional service to us, but it also limits the ways in which our communities have the information they need to effectively govern themselves. And we're here in this chamber, but we know that we are co-governing with our constituents, and the way that they can participate fully in that process is through information. And that's what journalists bring, that's what a free press brings.

And I am very honored to support my good Senator for bringing this resolution forward. And I ask for your aye vote.

Senator Durazo.

Thank you. I also didn't intend to speak, but because of your great words, I just wanted to also raise the issue of journalists who produce the news in different languages. And that is absolutely critical in a state, in a state like California and in a nation like the US, where we've had generations and generations of people from all over the world, and without access to the news, to the truth, to what's going on in their own language, they, too, could not participate fully in this democracy.

I remember when it was the year of the census, my first year here in the Senate, and we had to make sure that we were going to provide the funding to be able to reach those indigenous communities in Central California or other communities of different languages. So when it came to the census and they really asked for help, and these are also trusted tools, they're trusted people in those communities.

When it came to the pandemic, they also relied on their local news and newspapers and media of their communities and in their language. So I rise to add that to your remarks. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Durazo, any further discussion? Members, any further discussion? Seeing none, Senator Blakespear you may close the debate.

Thank you. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

All debate having ceased, secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call[

Secretary, please call the roll one last time, please.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 38-0, the resolution is adopted. We're going to move now to privileges of the floor and recognize Senator Blakespear for introductions.

Thank you very much. Thank you for your unanimous support. And also to my two colleagues who spoke in support. I'd like to recognize the journalists who are here today. We have some up in the gallery and at the back here standing. So thank you very much for your work.

Thank you for your good work. All right, we're going to move on with our agenda of the day, Members. 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. Moving to motions, resolutions, and notices. We don't have any here at the desk, so we're going to move next to consideration of the daily file. We'll begin first with the second reading. If the Clerk would please read.

Senate Bill 918 with amendments, 940 with amendments, 1106 with amendments, 1184 with amendments, 1146 with amendments, 1293 with amendments, 900, 1399.

Will be deemed read. Thank you. We're going to move next to governor's appointments. We have three items on our agenda. The first one up is file item 18. Senator Grove is going to present. She seems ready, so we'll turn the floor over to Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President, Colleagues. Major General Matthew Beavers is being appointed hopefully today as the adjutant General of the State of California Military Department. Prior to his appointment, he had been serving as an acting adjutant general since September 2022, and before that, he was a deputy adjutant general since his governor's appointment to that position in 2011. He's an incredible leader for our military here in California and respectfully asks for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Senator Newman.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of this nomination. I've known General Beavers since my service as the Chair of the Senate Veterans Committee. He is a fine officer, a good soldier, and a very good leader. And we're fortunate to have him. I urge your support.

Thank you, Senator Newman. Senator Archuleta.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I rise as the Chair of the Military Invariance Committee to take this opportunity to recognize the appointment of Major General Beavers to the role of adjutant general. When I first was elected here in the Senate, Major General Beavers served as the deputy adjutant General of the California National Guard. In that role, he helped lead California National Guard's response to a historic number of disasters, including wildfires, floods, and, again, COVID-19 pandemic.

The state mission of the National Guard is to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law. During his time as acting adjutant general, Major Beavers demonstrated his unwavering commitment to lead the California National Guard with integrity and clarity. His military background and array of experiences make him an excellent candidate for adjutant general for the State of California. Again, I highly recommend Major General Beavers. He is already an incredible asset to our state, and I look forward to his continued public service. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Archuleta. Any further discussion, Members, any further discussion? Seeing none, Senator Grove, you may close.

Thank you. I'd like to thank my colleagues who spoke on this confirmation. He was approved as a 5-0 vote in the Rules Committee. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

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

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 36 to zero, the nominee is confirmed. Members, we're going to move next to file item 22. This is another appointment. Turn now to Senator Grove for presentation. Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. Joseph McCullough is the director for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Prior to his role, he'd been serving at ABC as a chief deputy director since 2020. He started his career with the Department in 2001 as an agent assigned to the San Francisco district office. He was approved by the Rules Committee on a 5-0 vote on the 24 April. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Any further discussion on this nominee? Any further discussion? Seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 38 to zero, the nominee is confirmed. We'll move next to file item 23, another appointment. Senator Grove, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. File item number 23 is the confirmation of Norma Cumpian. She's a member of this reappointment to the board of state. Excuse me, reappointment to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Ms. Cumpian is currently a director of the Women's Department of Anti Recidivism Coalition, where she started as a life coach in 2016, and she first joined the board in 2020 and serves as a public member.

Ms. Cumpian is an individual who is, I don't want to say an unusual appointment to the board, but she's going to be an asset to the board. With her lived life experiences, she will bring a different perspective to this board, and I think that is desperately needed. She is intelligent, she is super smart on the issues, and she understands the system. And so respectfully ask for an aye vote. She was appointed or approved by the Rules Committee on April 24 at a 5-0 vote.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Any further discussion on this nominee? Seeing none, Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 35 to zero, the nominee is confirmed. Members, here's the run of the show for the rest of the morning. We have three items on Senate third reading, and then we have the consent calendar and the special consent calendar before you. So we'll begin first by moving to Senate third reading. This is file item 32, SR 79 by Senator Min.

Secretary, please read.

Senate Resolution 79 by Senator Min relative to AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.

Members, please give your attention to Senator Min. Senator Min.

Thank you, Mister President. As Vice Chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I first want to wish you a happy AAPI Heritage Month. I'm presenting two resolutions, the first of which is SR 79, which would proclaim May 18th, 2024 as AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, as well as the act of the murder of Vincent Chin.

May 18th was the birthday to Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was murdered in 1982 as a hate crime. This senseless killing in Detroit, sparked by anti-Asian, anti-Japanese animosity, sparked recognition within AAPI Communities across the country that we need to do more to bring awareness to the bullying and the hate occurring. In acknowledging this day, we're speaking out against microaggressions and harassment and highlighting the alarming increase in hate that we've seen across the board, including against Asian Americans in the last few years.

In 2022, 81% of Asian American youth reported being bullied or verbally harassed. Between March 2020 and March 2023. Stop AAPI Hate received more than 11,000 self-reported incidents of anti-Asian hate. California is unfortunately and embarrassingly one of the top three states in this regard. This is unacceptable. SR 79 expresses our condemnation of hate and bullying, including against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. States that this is not acceptable and that we need to combat all forms of discrimination. I respectfully ask your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Min. Senator Wahab.

Thank you. I would like to echo the comments of my colleague here. I do represent a roughly 55% Asian district and I hear consistently from community members in my district that they are genuinely even afraid to ride on transit because they have been faced with a significant uptick in AAPI hate. And I want to say that this is not just within one specific community of the Asian continent. We also see significant hate, not only with our East Asian friends.

We see a rise in Islamophobia, in Hinduphobia, in Sikhophobia, and much more. We have consistently been seeing more and more aggressive attacks to those that are visibly different. And that is a concern, especially in this great State of California, when people are wearing either a headdress or they look different or they have a different skin color and much more. The fact that we are in 2024 and still talking about hate to any community in California is disgusting. It needs to stop.

The stereotypes, the whispers, the subliminal campaigns, and so much more that we see across this state, both politically as well as in our normal, everyday conversations, needs to stop. So I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Wahab. Any further discussion on this measure? Any further discussion? Seeing none. Senator Min, you may close.

I want to thank my colleague from Hayward for those comments. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

Call the absent Members, please.

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 38 to zero, the resolutions adopted. Members we'll move next to file item 33. This is SR 80 by Senator Min. Senator Min, let's read the resolution and we'll go to you next. Secretary, please read.

Senate Resolution 80 by Senator Min Relative to AAPI Woman's Equal Pay Day.

Senator Min.

Thank you, Mister President. On behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I'm pleased to present SR 80, which recognizes May 3, 2024 as AAPI Women's Equal Pay Day. This day is meant to bring awareness to the pay inequities faced by AAPI women compared to their male and white counterparts. The combined average income of AAPI women is $0.80 for every dollar made by white men in the United States.

And there's an even greater disparity in California, where AAPI women make $0.72 for every dollar made by a white male. These disparities are actually much worse than they sound, because on average, AAPI women are 50% more likely to have a bachelor's degree, over 200% more likely to have an advanced degree, such as an MBA or law degree or MD. And so this is a real, real huge gap we're facing.

This wage gap is also much more large when we think about ethnic subgroups and disaggregation of the different types of AAPIs out there, such as Korean and Malaysian women who earn on average $0.77 on the dollar, Indonesian, Cambodian, and Laotian women who earn an average $0.64, Tongan and Bhutanese women who earn on average, 52 cents, and Nepalese and Bangladeshi women who earn on average $0.48 on the dollar in the United States.

Many of these women represent a substantial proportion of frontline essential care workers, with 27% of them being classified as essential workers. We need to support the AAPI women who help keep California's economy moving forward. And by recognizing AAPI Women's Equal Pay Day, we can hopefully begin to make progress towards equalizing that pay gap and acknowledging the profound role that these women play in the workforce. Respectfully ask for an aye vote on SR 80.

Thank you, Senator Min, Senator Wahab.

Thank you. I rise on behalf of the Women's Caucus as well as the API Caucus. And I do just want to highlight that we are talking about equal pay for equal work. And when we're talking about AAPI women, and yes, they are paid actually higher than any other woman demographic in the workforce, and that's still a problem. And we're consistently fighting forward. But I also want to highlight, when people come to this country, they do come here for the American dream.

And part of that American dream, and I've often said it, is obviously home ownership, but it's also economic prosperity for their families. The concern that I see here is the fact that, again, we still continuously talk about discrimination. We still see open, systemic discrimination. And the fact that women are paid less to every single dollar a man earns is still very much problematic, and it's even harder for certain subgroups as my colleague stated. Many people, especially immigrant women, who come to this country don't all come on a level playing field.

There are some women that come here with green cards and status and the support of their governments, as well as businesses and much more. And there are some folks that come here as refugees, asylum seekers, or completely undocumented in any way. Those individuals struggle with language barriers, making sure that their families are taken care of, making sure that they have a roof over their head, and much more, and yet they still do not get paid equally. And this is modern-day slavery.

We talk about it in the labor movement with wage theft. We talk about it in regards to a number of other ways, and yet we still continue to see people take advantage of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities, which are women of color. So I respectfully ask for an Aye vote and hope that nobody abstains. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Wahab, any further discussion on this matter? Any further discussion on the resolution? Seeing none, Senator Min you may close.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank my colleague from Hayward for her support of this measure. I respectfully ask your aye vote.

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

[Roll Call]

On a vote of 30, secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

All right, on a vote of 38 to zero, the resolution is adopted. Members, we have one last item. On our third reading. This is file item 35 by Senator Blakespear no, we already did that one. That's right. Don't put that in my evaluation, please. We're going to move to file item 52. This is SCR 134 by Senator Grove. Senator Grove, we've heard a lot from you today, but we are looking forward to more comments.

Secretary, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 134 by Senator Grove relative to Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Senator Grove, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise to present SCR 134, which acknowledges April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 2022, colleagues, more than 50,000 children in California were found to be victims of child abuse or neglect, and 164 children in California died as a result of that abuse. Children who have been abused or neglected have a higher risk of developing health problems as adults, including alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, and trauma.

Maltreated children are 77% more likely to require special education and 59% more likely to be arrested as juveniles. It's incredibly important, colleagues, that we continue the fight for the thousands of victims of child abuse in any form. We cannot stand silent as the most at-risk among us are maltreated or abused often by those who they trust most. As Members of the Legislature, we're in a unique position to fight for California's children by supporting legislation that provides protections to this vulnerable population.

We all know that the sad reality in California has extremely high rates of child sex trafficking, kids also being labor trafficked and forced into a never ending cycle of exploitation. We have a history of institutional abuse, especially among our young foster youth and a number of homeless youth in the state. And it's completely unacceptable. The abuses of traumas and the traumas of these children that they face lead to a lifetime of negative effects.

The long term health care costs for adult survivors in childhood physical and sexual abuse are 21% higher than non-victims. California's children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, free from fear, abuse, and neglect.

And I want to thank my colleagues who have stood side by side with me to fight for the future of free from abuses and children in California on several pieces of legislation that went through the building last year and this year. Please join me in supporting SCR 134 in acknowledging the continued responsibility that we have as legislators to protect children. And I ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Mr. President and ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. Today I rise in strong support and as a proud co-author to SCR 134, acknowledging April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. And I want to thank the great Senator from Bakersfield for introducing this resolution and for her tireless effort and trying to take care of those most vulnerable children.

And I really want to say I admire her courage for pushing forward with things that are difficult, conversations that are difficult, but we have moved the needle. We just need to get there a little faster in protecting our children. As a victims' advocate, I get to hear hundreds of stories of children and now adults who tell me their stories. And it's unfortunate that many of our children are being abused by their own families. And sometimes we don't recognize that.

And I often take the time to urge everyone to pay attention. We always pay attention to strangers abusing our children, but yet we don't pay attention to what's happening inside our home. And I have heard stories, as I mentioned, one little girl who was five, and it was her mother who started abusing her and then passing her around with adult men. And this is something that continues to really keep me up at night.

Like I said, collectively, we moved the needle, but it cannot get there fast enough. Our children deserve better. Often as they grow up as adults, they continue to go through this dark tunnel of alcohol abuse, sexual abuse. They don't feel worthy. And the cycle of abuse continues because they don't feel worthy. And so we need to do better.

And today, I'm really honored to stand here to support this resolution, to spread awareness and be able to encourage proactiveness in supporting child abuse prevention programs that provide critical resources that these children need. So I urge an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Rubio. Senator Wahab.

Thank you. I do really appreciate this. I also urge an I vote. I think that children are the most vulnerable in our community. In particular, they do not have an advocate. Oftentimes, if they're not in the system, they do not have an individual that they can speak to, especially certain communities that still find it a problem to raise their concerns in their families and allow for children to have certain rights to talk to a counselor, to talk to a therapist, talk to a teacher.

This is why we have so many good stewards in the community that are mandated reporters and much more. We have to continue to move the needle. I will say it's not just about the abuse that happens right then and there. You know, I think one of my colleagues said this in a previous conversation, that bruises heal, broken bones heal. However, the trauma, mentally and emotionally, last a lifetime.

And we do have to invest as a state into housing for these individuals, into healthcare and treatment for these individuals, into actual supportive services that actually carry them for a lifetime. This is including education and much more. This is literally what we can do as legislators. It's not just about condemning the abuser, but it's also about uplifting the child as a whole and that entire community. So thank you. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any further discussion? Seeing none, Senator Grove, you may close.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Baldwin Park and Hayward for their comments and respectfully ask for an aye vote.

All debate having ceased, Secretary, please call the roll. This is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objections. I's 38, no, zero. The resolution is adopted. Members, we're going to turn next to our consent calendar and our special consent calendar. Does any Member want to remove anything from the consent calendars? All right, seeing no request to remove anything, Secretary, please read.

[Roll Call]

Senate Bill 925, 1371, 1523, Senate Resolution 88, Senate Bill 1525, 1117, 1198, 1226, 1473, 1493, Senate Resolution 90, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 157, 164, 165.

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

That's 38-0 on file item 102, 380 on the balance of the consent and the special consent calendar. Members, we're going to move next to Committee announcements. We have. We have a few to do. Begin with Senator Menjivar. Committee announcements Members. Senator Menjivar.

I'm number three. Sorry. I was waiting for number three to come up, Mister President. Budget Subcommittee Number Three on Health and Human Services will meet in 1200 15 minutes after session.

Thank you, Senator Padilla.

Thank you very much, Mister President. Budget Subcommittee Number Four on State Administration will convene here in the Capitol Room 113 15 minutes following ajourn.

Thank you, Senator Padilla. Senator Wahab.

Thank you. Budget Sub Five in Room 112 15 minutes after adjournment. Thank you.

All right, that completes our Committee announcements. Members, we're going to move next to motions and resolutions where we have some folks who want to share some adjournment memory requests. Ask all the Members to return to their chairs, please. We're going to begin first with Senator Ashby. Senator Ashby, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise today to ask that the California State Senate adjourn in the memory of Thomas Samuel Augusta, who passed away on January 6, 2024. Thomas Augusta is the father of our Senate staffer, Frankie Augusta, who serves us here in the Senate chambers as part of our tech support team. Thomas was a beloved and lifelong resident of Sacramento and was born in Sacramento on August 10th, 1933. Thomas attended Sacramento High School and was a football star as well as basketball and baseball.

He attended junior college here in Sacramento and enjoyed seven years of Professional Minor League baseball career. He played outfield for 83 games for the 1954 Brook Army Medical Center Comets at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. He was signed by the Sacramento Solons, a professional team that was here in Sacramento for a while in 1953, and was later drafted into the United States Army, where he served honorably. After his time in the service, he returned home to Sacramento and played six more years of professional baseball.

He is memorialized at the River Cat Stadium in West Sacramento on a plaque and in a mural with many of the previous players. In 1964, he joined the Sacramento City Fire Department, where he enjoyed a 28-year career as an engineer. He always respected the job and his fellow firefighters. When colleagues were seriously hurt or disabled in the line of duty, he made it a priority to go spend time with them and remind them that they were part of the family.

Thomas met his wife when he was just 12 years old, walking to the neighborhood market. They became high school sweethearts and were married in 1956, went on to raise their family, including our friend here in Sacramento. On behalf of the California State Senate, I offer my condolences to Thomas's entire family. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Joyce Augusta, his son Frankie, daughter Elizabeth, daughter-in-law Sally, and grandchildren Caitlin, Nick, and Jake.

Frankie, on behalf of the California State Senate, we will adjourn today in the name of your father.

Thank you, Senator Ashby. The Senate extends its condolences to your family, all the friends of Mister Augusta. Please bring his name forward, Senator Ashby, so he can be properly memorialized in the Senate Journal, and we may adjourn in his memory. Next up, Senator Caballero.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise to request that we adjourn in the memory of David Serrano, who passed away on the evening of February 25th, 2024. The community of Legrand in Merced County and others in the Central Valley mourn the loss of a community leader and devoted father. David Serrano was born on August 13th, 1941 to to Florencio and Anita Serrano in Kalinga, California, alongside his twin brother Daniel, who lived only a short time.

Dave, as his family and friends called him, received his early education from Plainsburg Elementary and other Chowchilla grammar schools. Growing up, he was constantly busy, in motion, very creative, and forever interested in building things with metal and wood. Following his graduation from Chowchilla High School in 1959, Dave Serrano attended Fresno State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy.

In his years at Fresno State, David Serrano, with the help of his friends, created their own camera club, and he took photographs for the school yearbook. He also found time to build animal pens at the Fresno State Dairy until most notably during this time, he was actively involved with the Newman Center at Fresno State, where he met Roseanne Burkhardt, the love of his life, who he married on May 13th, 1967 at the Newman Center.

David Serrano and Roseanne Burkhardt were married for 50 years and brought four children into the world. Roseanne and David Serrano worked alongside the Serrano in-laws, and when the farm was passed down, they took much pride in growing almonds, corn, wheat, sorghum, apricots, and cotton. They also raised a small herd of sheep to keep Dave Serrano's grandfather's legacy alive. He loved farming and watching plants grow. It brought him joy to see the circle of life even when farming was hard work.

David Serrano was dedicated to faith, family, and community and served as elector eucharistic minister and took up collection on Saturday night Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in La Grande. He served on the Plainsburg Elementary School Board and the Legrand Union High School Board and served as President of the Merced County Farm Bureau and was a longstanding member of the Legrand Othoni Water District and numerous other agricultural and community organizations. This is the lifeblood of rural California.

Dave Serrano was proud of his Basque heritage and embodied the Basque proverb, success is the result of a lot of hard work, by earning accolades such as the State of California, Governor's Small Business Person of the Year, Merced County Outstanding Tree and Vines Award, and the Legrand Community Day Citizen of the Year. David Serrano was well-loved and respected in his community.

He is survived by his four children, Christine Serrano, Danielle Serrano, Matthew Serrano, and Michael Serrano, and his five grandchildren, Isabella, William, Catalina, Madison, and a baby girl arriving in May. David Serrano was deeply loved and will be missed. He will be remembered as a gentleman in his community and his family says he was a goofball at home. I offer my deepest condolences to David Serrano's family, friends, colleagues, and community.

May he have the special place in heaven reserved for those who contribute to the community, and may he rest in eternal peace. Thank you, Members and I ask that we adjourn the Senate today in his memory.

Thank you, Senator Caballero. The Senate extends its condolences to the family and friends of Mister Serrano. Please bring his name forward so he can be properly memorialized in the Senate journal as we adjourn in his memory. Next up, we want to ask Senator Umberg to have the floor.

Thank you, Mister President and colleagues. I rise to honor the life and the memory of Vicki Sarmiento. Vicki was a compassionate civil rights and personal injury lawyer for 36 years. She passed away much, much too early in February of this year. She was born on October 27th, 1958 to her parents, Vicente and Irma in Bolivia. Vicky arrived in the United States when she was six, growing up on Eastwood Avenue in Santa Ana, California with her brother and sister, Vince and Daisy.

Vicki went to school in Santa Ana, attending John Muir Elementary, Lathrop Intermediate, and Santa Ana High School. She was truly a daughter of Santa Ana. When Vicki turned 15, she started working at the law offices of Milton C. Grimes, where she found a love of the law and mentors Milton and Eloise Grimes. After Vicki graduated from Santa Ana High, she attended UC Irvine, where she received a bachelor in science and social science, and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature.

Following her graduation from UCI, she attended UC College of Law in San Francisco, where she earned her Juris doctorate. Her work in civil rights started early. While attending UCI, she was a founding member of Mujeres Latinas, where she organized for the rights of minorities and women. Similarly, at UC Law San Francisco, she was President of the La Rasa Law Students Association, an organization that aimed to recruit Latino law students provide community service for impoverished communities in San Francisco.

In 1988, she was admitted to the state Bar of California and she began work at the LA City Attorney's Office. A few years later, Vicki began her own law practice in personal injury and civil rights law. She specialized in cases involving injury or wrongful death, particularly stemming from police brutality, excessive force in-custody deaths, denial of medical care to inmates, assaults and sexual abuse of minors and juvenile detention facilities, wrongful convictions, and racial profiling.

Many of her cases were impactful far beyond the individual parties and ignited systemic change. Vicki was a compassionate, empathetic, dedicated woman who put the lives of others in front of her own. Coined as a civil rights lawyer, excuse me, civil rights warrior, end quote. Vicki will forever be remembered for changing the lives of her clients, her family, and so many others.

Vicki is survived by her husband, Dale Galippo, who's also a civil rights attorney her siblings, Orange County Supervisor Vince Sarmiento, Daisy Sarmiento, and many friends and loved ones who mourn her death. Colleagues, I ask that we adjourn today in memory of Vicki Sarmiento.

Thank you, Senator Umber. The Senate extends its condolences to the friends and family of Miss Sarmiento. Please bring her name forward so she can be properly memorialized in the Senate Journal and that we may adjourn in her memory. There is no other business before the Senate. Senator McGuire. No. There he is. Senator McGuire, the desk is clear.

As they make the long trek. The next floor session is scheduled for Monday, May 6, at 2:00 p.m. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you so much.

The Senate will be in recess until 3:30 p.m. At which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Monday at 2:00 p.m.