Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. Assemblymember Juan Carrillo notices the absence of a quorum. The sergeant at arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent Members. The Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. We ask our guests and visitors in the gallery, rear of the chamber and in the gallery, and if you're in the rear of the gallery too, to please stand for the prayer and the flag salute. The day's prayer will be offered by Assemblymember Grayson.

Please join in the prayer. Almighty God, whose mercy is everlasting, whose grace is sufficient and whose love is unconditional, grant us wisdom as we deliberate the issues before us. Open our minds for better understanding and our hearts for a passion to serve. Those who look toward us for solutions to their challenges and their difficulties.

Grant the foresight needed to adequately plan for the unexpected and the will to be responsible stewards over what we have been blessed with. Be the lamp to our feet and light to our path as we navigate our way through the present and into the future. Amen.

Thank you, Assembly Member Grayson. Please join Assembly Member Garcia as he leads us in the pledge.

Thank you, Mister speaker and colleagues. Place your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of. The United States, States of America, and to the republic for which stands one nation.

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

Assembly Chamber of Sacramento Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

Miss Aguilar Curry moves Mister 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 absences for the day for legislative business, Assemblymember Bennett and Assemblymember Essayli for illness. Assemblymember Holden moving to procedural motions. Majority Leader Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning, Mister Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Dixon, Wicks, Wendy Carrillo, Gipson, Haney and Jones Sawyer to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection. Such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly rule 118 a to allow Speaker Rivas to have guests on the floor, allow Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Dixon, Weber and Calderon to have guests in the rear of the chamber, and to allow Assemblymember Grayson to have a guest seated at his desk today.

Without objection. Such shall be the order.

At the request of assemblymember Kalra I am giving a one day notice to remove item A-10 SB 94 Cortese from the inactive file.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

Please remove the following bills from the consent calendar. Item 122 SB 370 Gonzalez at the request of the author item 125 SB 639 Limon at the request of the author item 135 SB 1217 Glazer at the request of the author item 136 SB 1222 excuse me.

1223 Becker at the request of Assemblymember Flora. Item 138 SB 1290 Roth at the request of the author, item 139 SB 1301 Stern at the request of the author and item 143, SB 1342 Atkins at the request of the author.

Clerk will note Members, if I could get your attention please. We're going to begin a very important ceremony here now, so your attention please, Members. The end of summer marks the end of session for the year, but also a time to thank fellows from two important programs for their contributions.

We will now move to the special ceremony to recognize the 2024 Assembly and science fellows. We will first recognize the Assembly fellows. The 2023 to 24 class of Assembly fellows have served us in a wide range of staff functions.

Nearly half of the offices in the Legislature employ former fellows from the Executive, judicial, Senate or Assembly fellowship programs. Former fellows go on to do great things. They have been elected to the Legislature, have served as officers of the Legislature, government officials, Supreme Court justices, University instructors, executives, and community leaders.

Colleagues, I am pleased to present the 202324 Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly fellows, Members who have hosted fellows, please make your way to the rear of the of the chamber to escort your fellow. I also ask that Speaker Rivas and Assembly Republican Leader Gallagher please come forward to the center aisle.

Colleagues, I am pleased to present the 2024 Assembly fellows. The Clerk will read,

Escorted by Majority Leader Aguiar Curry is Loyal Terry he is from Los Angeles, California and a graduate of Grinnell College. Please welcome Loyal Terry. Escorted by Assemblymember Bauer Kahan is Maren Bick-Maurischat. She is from San Jose, California and a graduate of Bangor University. Please welcome Maren Bick-Maurischat. Escorted by Assembly Member Addis is Michael Guerra. He is from La Habra, California and a graduate of California State University, Maritime Academy. Please welcome Michael Guerra.

Escorted by Assembly Member Gabriel is Camryn Chan. She is from San Ramon, California and a graduate of the University of California, Davis. Please welcome Camryn Chan. Escorted by Assembly Member Ta is Caleb King. Caleb is from Sacramento, California and a graduate of Jessup University. Please welcome Caleb King. Escorted by Assembly Member Garcia is Tricia Sarmiento.

She is from Bakersfield, California and a graduate of the University of California, Riverside. Please welcome Tricia Sarmiento. Escorted by Assembly Member Reyes is Hector De Leon. He is from Moreno Valley, California and a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Please welcome Hector De Leon.

Escorted by Assembly Member Hoover, is Sara Marshall. She is from Shingle Springs, California and a graduate of Azusa Pacific University. Please welcome Sara Marshall.

Escorted by assemblymember Calderon is Jerika Edwards. She is from Pritchard, Alabama and a graduate of Dillard University. Please welcome Jerika Edwards.

Escorted by assemblymember Wilson is Laura Edwards, she is from San Diego, California. Laura is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles's Luskin School of Public affairs. Please welcome Laura Edwards.

Escorted by assemblymember Quirk-Silva is Marco Pimental. He is from Manteca, California and a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. Please welcome Marco Pimentel.

Escorted by assemblymember Alanis is Daniela Timofeyev, she is from Sacramento, California and a graduate of Columbia University. Please welcome Daniela Timofeyev.

Escorted by assemblymember Alvarez is Julia Estrada, she is from Santa Clarita, California and a graduate of University of California, Davis. Please welcome Julia Estrada.

Escorted by assemblymember Bonta is Natalie Pita, she is from Huntington Beach, California. Natalie is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Please welcome Natalie Pita.

Escorted by assemblymember Juan Carrillo is Claire Norton, she is from Sacramento, California and a graduate of University of California, Irvine. Please welcome Claire Norton. Escorted by assemblymember Hart is Amani Wilson, she is from Sacramento, California and a graduate of Sacramento State University. Please welcome Amani Wilson.

As our Assembly fellows in Assembly leadership pose for a group photo which might take a minute. Please welcome those who manage the Assembly fellowship program. In the gallery is program academic advisor Doctor David Selby. In the rear of the chamber is Executive Director of the Center for California Studies Leonor ailing and not able to join us.

Let me wait a second here. Looks like and not able to join us today is the Director of the Assembly Fellowship program, Mbar Carlisle Sagaro. In closing, in closing, we have no doubt this class of fellows will continue the program's legacy of achievement. As the fellows exit the chamber, let's give them another round of applause.

The California Council on Science and Technology Policy Fellows program places PhD level or equivalent scientists and engineers in legislative offices to provide Members and legislative staff with advice on legislation and public policy issues. I get your attention please Members, as we honor our science fellows during their fellowships. Our five science fellows have worked as Committee staff.

We appreciate their contribution to the people of the great State of California. I ask Speaker Rivas, Republican Leader Gallagher and Majority Leader Aguiar Currie to come back. As we continue into our next ceremony, you colleagues, I am pleased to present the 2024 Science and Technology policy fellows. Your attention please. The Clerk will read.

Our first honoree is Doctor Serena Patel who was placed in the emergency management Committee. She is escorted by Committee chair Freddie Rodriguez. In her research, Doctor Patel studied earthquake early warning systems and seismic safety using community source data from the my Shake app.

She earned her PhD in earth and planetary science from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in geology from Middlebury College. Please welcome Doctor Serena Patel. Our next honoree is Doctor Kathleen Chen, who was placed in the utilities and energy Committee. She is escorted by Committee chair Katie Petrie Norris.

In her research, Doctor Chen studied chemical and material advances in herbicides and cultured meat to promote sustainable food systems. She earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and a BA in chemistry from Wesley College. Please welcome Doctor Kathleen Chen.

Next is Doctor Slater Sharp who was placed in the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. He is escorted by Committee chair Rebecca Bauer Cahan. In his research, Doctor Sharp studied neural circuits that promote learning and memory. He earned his PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University and a BA in biochemistry and molecular biology from Cornell College.

Please welcome Doctor Slater Sharpen. Our next honoree is Doctor Brenda Cisneros Larios who was placed in the environmental, Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. She is escorted by Committee chair Eduardo Garcia. In her research, Doctor Ceneros Larios studied the neural control of reproduction, including hormone release and reproductive behaviors.

She earned her PhD in molecular and integrative physiology from the University of Michigan and AB's in physiology from San Francisco State University. Please welcome Doctor Brenda Cenaros Larios. Our final honoree is Doctor Stephanie Choing, who was placed in the Transportation Committee. She's escorted by Committee chair Lori Wilson.

In her research, Doctor Choin studied light absorbing catalysts to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases from water. She earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and a ba in chemistry from Northwestern University. Please welcome Doctor Stephanie Choinge.

While the science fellows in Assembly leadership pose for a group photo, we'll welcome other guests from the program. In the gallery are executives from the California Council on Science and Technology. They are Puneet Bular, the interim CEO and Director of policy engagement, and Bethany Hopkins, science fellows program manager. Please welcome them.

As the science fellows exit the chamber once again, a round of applause please Members, this concludes our ceremony. We will now be moving to guesthouse introductions. It may be a minute or two as we get those guests to come in but I will say this, today is baseball fans day. So go giants.

zero, and maybe some other teams as well. While we're waiting for our guests to arrive, we had a lot of people here in the chamber and in the gallery. So we will move to our business on the daily file. We're going to move to second reading file item one.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 691.

All bills will be deemed read and all amendments will be deemed adopted. We will now move to concurrence in of Senate amendments. Move to file item number three, AB 1849 by Assembly Member Grayson. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1849 by Assemblymember Grayson an act relating to consumer warranties.

Assemblymember Grayson, you are recognized.

Good afternoon Mister speaker and members. I'm pleased to present AB 1849 which is on back on concurrence.

AB 1849 authorizes a buyer of a travel trailer or motorhome to elect to receive reimbursement in lieu of replacement and specify that the buyer is not required to accept a replacement in the event that the manufacturer representative fails to service the trailer or the portion of the motorhome as specified.

Senate amendments add motorhomes and habitable portions of a motorhome to the items covered by the bill. This bill has no opposition, has bipartisan unanimous support, and respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Grayson. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes.

Ayes 59, noes 0, Senate amendments are concurred in moving to file item four, AB 960 by Assemblymember Mathis.

The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 960 by Assembly Member Mathis, an act relating to school safety.

Assembly Member Mathis, you are recognized.

Good afternoon, Members. Today I rise to present AB 960, which is back in the Assembly on concurrence. I'd like to start by thanking the committee and staff who have helped along this effort to get this to where we are at. The amendments taken in the Senate address several privacy, security, and oversight concerns and added requirements to ensure that AB 960 complies with federal regulations in regards to surveillance and data that are handled securely.

Briefly, AB 960 would encourage each public school with an enrollment of 100 pupils or more to implement a web-based, app-based school safety program by July 1st, 2030. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, between 2013 and 2021, there was an average of 44 mass shootings a year in California, which equates to a mass shooting every eight days.

AB 960 would tackle these issues and promote a crucial tool for schools and law enforcement by encouraging that by July 2030, each public and charter school should implement a web-based or app-based school safety program. There is already existing tools for schools to use that have safety apps that are included with the features of AB 960.

For example, ActVnet in my home county of Tulare that was introduced by our Tulare County Office of Education. As shown during live trials with law enforcement when using ActVnet, the average time it took to apprehend or eliminate suspects was only 53 seconds from the time law enforcement arrived at the school site using the program.

During crucial incidents like mass shootings, every second is vital and can and does mean the difference between life and death. Colleagues, there is no opposition to this bill. AB 960 has received support from the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, amongst other various school administrator association groups in the state. Members, I respectfully ask for your aye vote to ensure that our children remain safe. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mathis. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 60; noes: zero. Senate amendments are concurred in. Moving now to File Item Five: AB 2663 by Assembly Member Grayson.

The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 2663 by Assembly Grayson, an act relating to land use.

Assemblymember Grayson, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and members, AB 2663 is back on concurrence. This bill enhances transparency for jurisdictions that charge inclusionary housing in lieu fees. The Senate amendments are technical in nature. The bill has no opposition. Be thankful for and respectfully sir and aye vote turned up there.

As you wish Mister Grayson. The Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 62 noes zero, Senate amendments are concurred in we're going to be moving back to guest introductions.

Assemblymember Dixon, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Good morning. Thank you speaker and members. In 2018, former Assemblywoman and now Senator Nguyen authored SCR 122 honoring September 20 as California Surfing Day. A day to highlight the long history and beautiful culture of surfing.

I am honored to introduce some of the Assembly District 72, my district local officials, surfing legends and fellow surfing enthusiasts to the Assembly chamber.

I welcome Peter PT Towend, world champion surfer and board member of the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame, was the first surf champion of the first pro surf tour in 1976. Kim Aaron Justice, Director of operations for Surfing the Nations California; Gracey Van Der Mark, mayor of Huntington Beach; Tony Strickland, former mayor and Council Member of Huntington Beach; Robin Grant, Council Member of Newport Beach; and Nicole Llido, the Vice President, administration and community engagement of visit Newport Huntington Beach. We welcome together to celebrate not just the art of surfing, but also the shared commitment to safeguarding the unique culture and environment that make California a global surfing destination.

Welcome to the Assembly floor. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Dixon, and welcome to your guests. Moving now to Assembly Member Berman. You are recognized for your guest introductions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my pleasure to introduce my district office interns who are here today. With me today are Sonia Dholakia and Jeffrey Tu, and I also want to give a shout out to my other interns, Melanie Ho and Sophia Camiso, who have been fantastic in the office.

They couldn't make it today, but these four stellar interns have been answering phones, helping constituents with constituent casework, and today actually they're going to pitch me on bill ideas for next year. So please join me in welcoming my district office interns for AB 23.

Thank you, Mr. Berman. Welcome to your guests, your staff. We're moving back to Concurrence, Senate Concurrence. Moving to File Item Number Eight: AB 1779 by Assembly Member Irwin. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1779 by Assembly Member Irwin and others, an act relating to crimes.

Assembly Member Irwin, you are recognized.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker and Members. I'm pleased to present AB 1779 for concurrence. This is a part of Speaker Rivas's Californians Together Against Retail Crime package of bills. This bill is in the same form you voted for in May with all the changes that were made in the Senate being reverted back.

This bill returns authority to district attorneys to join charges for multiple counties in one trial when prosecuting organized retail theft rings. This is critical as organized retail theft rings frequently operate across multiple counties. The bill has safeguards that require a district attorney to present written agreement of other jurisdictions in a consolidation hearing.

Otherwise, charges occurring in a non-participating jurisdiction will be returned. AB 1779, along with the speaker's package of ORT bills, is moving today. They will work together to hold criminals accountable and provide relief to retailers and consumers. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Irwin. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 58; noes: zero.

Senate amendments are concurred in. Moving to File Item Number Nine: AB 1802 by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1802 by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer and others, an act relating to crimes.

Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. AB 1802 is back in the Assembly for concurrence. This bill will eliminate the sunsets on the crime of organized retail theft and the operation of the California Highway Patrol Property Crimes Task Force, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Jones-Sawyer. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 67; no: zero. Senate amendments are concurred in. Moving to File Item Ten.

AB 1972 by Assembly Member Alanis. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1972 by Assembly Member Alanis and others, an act relating to theft, declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately.

Assembly Member Alanis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. AB 1972 is back on concurrence. As part of the larger legislative retail theft package, AB 1972 builds upon the California Highway Patrol's Regional Property Crime Task Force, providing targeted support to counties experiencing high levels of cargo theft. The Senate amendments add an urgency clause and makes technical to non-substanstive--substantive, substantive, there we go--charges. This bill represents the outcome of strong bipartisan collaboration.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together to address this important issue. It means a lot to me, and thank you guys, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Alanis. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 65; no: zero on the urgency.

Ayes 65, no zero on concurrence of Senate amendments. Moving to file item 11, AB 2943 by Assemblymember Zbur, the Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 2943 by Assemblymember Zbur and others an act relating to crimes.

Assemblymember Zbur you are recognized.

Mister speaker, members, I'm proud to serve as a joint author of AB 2943 along with Speaker Rivas, who made addressing the challenges our communities across the state are facing with respect to retail theft one of his priorities, and I want to thank him for his partnership on this Bill and his leadership on the entire Bill package.

Even before the speaker formed the Select Committee on retail theft, I received countless calls from community leaders, council Members, chambers of commerce, presidents, business owners and operators, public safety officials and residents expressing concern and sometimes outrageous over the retail theft that we were experiencing in our community.

Local retailers in Hollywood and in Santa Monica and other parts of my district told me that they were within months of closing their doors and without equivalent replacement. Neighborhood leaders understandably feared that those locations would become dead zones, that workers would lose their jobs, and that their neighborhoods would become blighted.

You see, retail theft is not only bad for business, it also undermines safety and the perception of safety and impacts our communities and our neighborhoods. What's happening in our communities is not acceptable and we must act expeditiously. But we must also look at facts and find solutions that will actually work.

We need to make sure that we're pursuing reforms that are effective at targeting retail crime while avoiding the rollback of criminal justice. Reforms that have been successful at keeping our communities safe and have reduced the cost, including the human cost, of imprisoning people for minor infractions, funds that could better be used for our schools, our environment, and tackling the root causes of crime.

I appreciate that there is a wide range of views in this body and in the community, and getting this to the right place has been complicated. Members of this body have raised concerns that are passionate and authentic, and I respect them.

We also have members of this body and stakeholders that passionately believe that we should be doing more. All of these considerations inform the Bill, which advances measured reforms that I truly believe achieve the balanced and effective solutions our communities are calling for.

Meaningful new solutions that focus on the repeat offenders who are responsible for a high proportion of the retail crime in our communities. This Bill includes some of the key proposals Governor Newsom proposed earlier in the year to effectively target these crime rings.

We focused on what the experts, including criminal justice reform experts advocate, telling us that the key things we should do for deterrence is to minimize approaches that merely lengthen prison sentences and focus instead on strategies that increase the likelihood that people engaging in crime will be apprehended and that there will be meaningful consequences after arrest.

We did that in parts of the Bill related to aggregation and enforcement. And finally, we focused on strategies to help people address the underlying causes of crime by giving courts the ability to consider community rooted diversion and rehabilitation in lieu of imprisonment.

Overall, this Bill makes California safer and does its best to maintain criminal justice reforms that have been so important. The amendments that occurred in the Senate replaced the key provisions that were amended out earlier in the year, except for the inoperability provisions, which are no longer part of this Bill.

I want to thank the speaker, the pro tem, the Governor, all of our stakeholders, including retailers, workers, criminal justice reform advocates, law enforcement, and community members from across the state, for their strong engagement over the past many months and for investing in developing this comprehensive set of proposals that will have meaningful impact on retail crime.

I also want to thank the members of the Assembly Retail Crime Select Committee and the co authors of this Bill. With that I ask for an aye vote at the appropriate time.

Thank you Mister Zubur. Assemblymember Schiavo. You are recognized.

Thank you Mister Speaker. I want to thank the speaker and the author for their leadership on this issue. I know it's been a difficult issue and something that all of us have heard about from our own constituencies, mine included, around just frustration and needing to see action.

And I think that this Bill, which I'm proud to be a principal co author of, is a really important step forward. You know, this is the Bill. When I'm in my community, I hear about concerns about repeat offenders, which aggregation is able to help address by pulling together multiple different incidents into one.

It gives more tools to law enforcement who have felt like they've had their hands tied. And it also makes sure that we have diversion and other programs available for folks who really need help and support, and make sure that we still are supporting those kinds of programs that we know that work.

And so I think that this is a really common sense solution to an issue that we've been working really hard on. I've been proud to be a part of the Retail Theft Select Committee.

I've been meeting with business leaders and law enforcement in my community to discuss this, and I'm pulling together a working group to work on this specifically.

And so I think that there's a lot of opportunity for us to make sure that we're really making an impact in this area, which I know people are really concerned about in our community and happy to join as a principal co author and respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Schiavo. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 59, Noes 4.

Ayes 59. Noes 4. Senate amendments are concurred in. Moving to file item 12. AB 3209 by Assemblymember Berman. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 3209 by Assemblymember Berman and others. An act relating to crimes.

Assemblymember Berman, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise to present AB 3209, which is part of the comprehensive legislative package to address retail theft and crime. In recent years, rates of retail theft and robbery have risen in California, affecting our businesses, our employees, and our communities. AB 3209 would authorize a court to impose a retail crime restraining order for up to two years for theft, vandalism or battery of an employee within a store. AB 3209 passed unanimously off the Senate Floor last week with bipartisan support and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Berman. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 65. Noes 5. Senate amendments are concurred in. Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry, you are recognized for your motion.

I request unanimous consent to order HR 116 Gallagher to the third reading file.

Without objection. Such shall be the order. Assemblymember Calderon, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Joining us today in the rear of the chamber is Teresa Romero, the President of United Farm Workers, alongside UFW Members Jorge Santana, Maria Perez, Gerardo Reyes, Erica Deluque Barros, Isidro Fierros, and Lelia Lanrunhel. Over a third of the country's vegetables and nearly three quarters of the country's fruits are grown right here in California. Our state farm workers are essential, and they deserve dignity and our respect. Please join me in welcoming Members of the United Farm Workers to our state capital.

Thank you Assemblymember Calderon. Welcome to your guests. Thank you Assemblymember Calderon, once again, and welcome to your guests. Assemblymember Ortega, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Thank you, speaker and Members, I would like to introduce in the rear of the chamber my district field representative, Ebony Odier and Carolina Hernandez, who's a student intern at her second year in Chabot College in District 20. Please give them a warm welcome.

Thank you, Assemblymember. Welcome to your staff. Moving on, back to business on the daily file, Governor's vetoes pass and retain on file items 13 through 15. File item 16 is a notice under reconsideration. All items shall be continued. Moving now to Assembly third reading, file item 23, ACR 128 by Doctor Arambula.

The clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 128 by Assembly Member Arambula, relative to California Latino and Latina Physician Day.

Dr. Arambula, you are recognized.

Thank you for the opportunity to present on Assembly Concurrent Resolution 128 today. ACR 128 would designate October 1st, 2024 as California's first Latino and Latina Physician Day. This measure recognizes the importance that health care workforce that represents the diversity of our great state.

California's Latino community currently makes up 40 percent of our state, and yet it only represents seven percent of our physicians. On our current trajectory, it would take over 500 years for us to reach parity between having providers who are reflective and concordant with the communities that they serve.

This lack of diversity in the medical fields has led to worse health care outcomes, such as higher rates of chronic disease, as well as higher rates of maternal mortality. It's important for us to make sure that we have providers who look like the communities that they serve.

As a Latino physician, I will tell you what it feels like when young kids who look like you, who sound like you, who speak the same language as you, look up to you and recognize themselves in you because you can't be what you can't see.

And for too many of our community members, unfortunately, they have not had those leaders within our community, and so I look to you here on this floor to help us to pass ACR 128 so we can recognize the importance of having those who are providing care being as diverse as our great state. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote on ACR 128.

Thank you, Dr. Arambula. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 67; no: zero. The resolution is adopted.

Moving to File Item 25: ACR 222 by Dr. Weber. The clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 222 by Assembly Member Weber, relative to Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

Doctor Weber, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, Members. It is my honor to rise and present ACR 222, which would designate the fourth week of September as Historically Black Colleges and University Week, also known as HBCU. I graduated from high school in 1996. I was student body president and class valedictorian.

I got accepted to many of our state's and nation's prestigious universities such as UCSD, Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Georgetown, and many were shocked and confused when I told them that I would be attending Xavier University of Louisiana, an HBCU in New Orleans. Most of the responses were not: 'oh, my God, that is so awesome.'

It was instead, 'what is an HBCU, and why would you want to attend one?' See, many don't know the history of HBCUs, that for hundreds of years, Blacks were not allowed to attend American institutions of higher learning. Not because we weren't smart enough, but because of racism and segregation. So we created our own higher institutions of learning.

In fact, the definition of HBCUs are those institutions of higher education that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the attention of primarily serving African Americans. There are currently over 100 recognized HBCUs across the United States, and my why for attending one was very simple.

HBCUs produce excellence in an environment that is supportive and nurturing. HBCU graduates include civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior and Congressman John Lewis, legal scholars such as the Honorable Thurgood Marshall and Willie Gary.

All three of this nation's Black U.S. surgeon generals, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, NFL greats such as Jerry Rice and Walter Payton, our 23rd U.S. Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman, our California Speaker Emeritus Herb Wesson, and of course, the first female Vice President of the United States of America, our very own Kamala Harris, just to name a few.

We are all HBCU alum. Today, over half of all African American professionals are graduates of HBCUs. HBCUs have played a significant role in producing Black professionals in degrees of STEM, and despite representing only three percent of higher education institutions, HBCUs award 24 percent of STEM bachelor degrees to African Americans.

In fact, when I graduated from Xavier in 2000, my HBCU produced more Black students that successfully entered medical school than Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and the University of Maryland combined.

Data has shown that HBCUs represent a vital network to accelerate Black economy, economic mobility, increasing Black worker incomes over an estimated ten billion dollars in revenue, 1.2 billion in incremental business profits, 300 million in decreased student loan debt, and one billion in additional consumer expenditures. In California, we have recognized the importance of HBCUs.

We created the HBCU Transfer Guarantee Program, which provides a clear pathway for Black California community college students by gearing admissions to partnering HBCUs.

May 17th, 2024 marked the 70th anniversary of Brown versus Board of Education, and while we have come a very long way to ensure the success of our Black students, we still have a much longer way to go in reducing barriers and ensuring the equitable support for those same students and their families.

HBCUs are a critical piece of that puzzle to close those gaps and reduce those barriers. As a very proud HBCU alum, I know firsthand that HBCUs provides supportive educational environments and culturally competent teaching and mentoring designed to create opportunities, celebrate cultural awareness, and cultivate social belonging.

In September of 2023, President Biden proclaimed September 24th through 30th as a nationally Historically College--Black Colleges and University Week, and in an effort to align with what has already been done on the federal level, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 222, declaring the fourth week of September as HBCU Week here in California. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Weber. Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer, you are recognized.

I want to thank Assembly Member Weber for doing this. As a proud parent of two HBCU graduates, one from Morehouse, the same university that Martin Luther King graduated from, and one from Hampton University, I know firsthand how important it was for my children to go to Historically Black College.

I know the support system that was given to my son who graduated with a degree in biology and math at Morehouse, which is one of the hardest things you could ever graduate from, from just about any HBCU, and my daughter in math.

If it wasn't for the support system that actually understood the challenges of an African American student, that they needed, that support system where I would get a call at 2:00 in the morning from one of the deans because my son was out partying too much, I wouldn't get that from any other university because they cared.

They cared deeply, and they knew they had a responsibility to graduate people of color, but most important, to graduate more and more professional African Americans to go back into the community and make it better.

Right now, I'm supporting two teachers who are now in LAUSD, and my daughter just became a principal, and I believe she's a principal at age 32. One of the youngest principals in LAUSDA is because of the training she received there.

She now has a doctorate because of the training that she got when she got her masters at Hampton and they got her her doctorate because they talk about excellence, excellence every day, and that excellence you could see in the people who have graduated from these institutions.

So again, I want to thank Dr. Weber, Assembly Member Weber, for ACR 222 because I think we need to educate people on this floor how important HBCUs are, but most important, the critical role that they play in the African American community.

Thank you, Mr. Jones-Sawyer. Assembly Member McKinnor, you are recognized.

Yes. I'd like to thank Assembly Member Dr. Weber as well. I am a daughter of a graduate of an HBCU student. My mother went to Prairie View A&M back in the sixties. She came to California and worked in the television industry. She worked for Desilu Productions and she worked for Lucy and then she worked for KCET.

Years later, my nephew was getting ready to go to Prairie View and my mother was able to walk him in there as an alumni and so she felt very proud, but I just like to thank you for recognizing that, and she gave me my drive. It came from Prairie View A&M. She gave me my drive to excellence, and so I'd like to thank you and I ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member McKinnor. Dr. Weber, would you like to close?

I would like to thank my colleagues who stood up and spoke. HBCUs are truly an integral part of this nation's history, have been, will continue to be forevermore, and with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 222.

Thank you, Dr. Weber, and with that, the clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 72; no: zero. Resolution passes. Adopted. Moving now to File Item 26-- oh, I'm sorry. My apologies. Dr. Weber, you have guests.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am also pleased to welcome to the Assembly floor in the back, Dr. Helen Young, Founding Direction and Assistant Director of the HBCU Transfers Pathway Initiative. Also joining Dr. Young are Amerie Young, Elaine Cook--Elaine Moore, excuse me--Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Pamela Hayes, and Dr. Jamal Cooks. We also have other members who are here, HBCU alum in our gallery as well. Please give them a warm welcome.

Thank you, Dr. Weber. Welcome to your guests.

Thank you again, Doctor Weber. Welcome to your guests. Moving to file item 26, HR 112 by Assembly Member Lee.

The Clerk will read House Resolution 112 by some Member Lee relative to Filipino American History Month.

Member Lee, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and colleagues. I rise to present House Resolution 112 to recognize Filipino Americans and their influence on shaping the social, cultural and and economic fabric of our state and country. Filipino Americans have played a pivotal role in advancing equal rights and social equity in our communities.

They played a significant role in one of the most important campaigns in modern labor history, the farm worker movement. In 1965, Filipino labor leaders like Larry Itlung and farm workers took a bold step by launching the Delano grape strike.

They walked out of Central Valley's grape fields, took to the picket lines, and joined forces with Mexican labor leaders like Cesar Chavez to fight for better pay and working conditions. The legacy of Filipino farmworkers at the time lives on to this day.

The historic strike ultimately led to the creation of the United Farm Workers labor union who we featured today. Two city parks in my district in Milpitas and San Jose were named the Delano Menongs park in honor of the Filipino Americans who led the Delano grape strike.

And the stories of Filipino Americans extend far beyond the farm worker movement. Public servants dedicated to making a difference in their communities. Activists who have led social movements like the international hotel anti eviction struggle. Filipino Americans are making a big difference in society every single day.

Community organizations led by Filipino Americans are uplifting their communities through advocacy, education and so much more. Musicians, artists and actors in the Filipino American community are greatly influential in the arts and entertainment industry. From the fields of education and technology to healthcare, Filipino Americans are making vast contributions to our California.

These are just some of the many achievements Filipino Americans have contributed to. HR 112 celebrates their accomplishment by recognizing October as Filipino American History Month, and with that I respect. Last year, I vote and ask the first roll to be open for co authors. Mister Wheatley.

Thank you Mister Lee. Assemblymember Bonta, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise also in support of HR 112 and thank my colleague from Milpitas for authoring this critical Bill. The Filipino community, a community to which I have had the privilege of being married into, has been one that has served California with great heart and joy and great impact.

We understand and know that the Filipino community has stood up for social justice alongside Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itleong, along with the UFW that we just celebrated here in partnership with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

They are the reason why we have the kind of agricultural support for our laborers that we have to have and need today. Filipino community also brings, in addition to its great advocacy, great joy and celebration, things that we often don't necessarily take hold of. In my district especially, we have a strong, vibrant Filipino community.

And in fact, Filipino community is the largest growing AAP and I community in the state. And we're very thankful for that. We've had the opportunity to have Members of this body who are Filipino. This year we don't. In future years we will, thankfully.

And while enduro is opened with my partner in life serving in this Legislature, we know that there will be more because the strong voice of the Filipino community deserves to be heard. With that, I respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bonta. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll for co authors for the resolution. All those vote who desire to be a co author. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes.

There are 74 co-authors added. Without objection. We'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All in favor say aye. Opposed say no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted, so may. Member Lee, you have guest introductions.

Thank you Mister speaker. Colleagues, please join me in welcoming my guests in the gallery and the floor to celebrate my introduction of HR 112 and the upcoming Filipino American History Month in Assembly District 24. Filipino Americans make up the third largest Asian American and Pacific Islander group. It's an honor to represent such a diverse group.

I want to take a moment, introduce the guests on the floor with us today. First, we have Doctor Angelica Cortese of Leed, Filipino. We also have the honorable Kirin Amaling Makapugai of the Commission on Asian and Pacific American Islander Affairs.

Doctor Robin Rodriguez of the Amado Kaya Foundation, Doctor Allison Tinti, Anko Kubalas, Asian American studies Professor of San Francisco State University, Ann Reginio of the Filipino American National Historical Society and Genevieve Chopanda, Filipino Young Leaders program. These exceptional leaders and organizations empower Filipino Americans through civic engagement, advocacy and mayor variant. Much more.

Colleagues, please give my guests a warm welcome to the California State Assembly.

Thank you Mister Lee, and welcome to your guests. Once again, thank you Mister Lee, and thank you to your guests. Moving to file item 27, ACR 226 by Assemblymember Wilson. The Clerk will read

Assmebly Concurrent Resolution 226 by Assemblymember Wilson. Relative to Black Girl Joy Day.

Assemblymember Wilson, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister Speaker. Good afternoon members. I am honored to present ACR 226 to officially designate August 10 as Black Girl Joy Day in California. This day is not just a celebration, but a profound acknowledgment of the vibrant roles that black girls play in enriching our state's diverse tapestry. Black girls in California embody resilience, creativity and potential.

Despite facing systemic challenges from a young age, including higher rates of school discipline and exposure to violence, they continue to make significant contributions across various fields like academics, arts and community service. Recognizing the disproportionate challenges faced by black girls is essential.

Data from our state Department of Education and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey reveals alarming disparities in educational and health outcomes which necessitates, necessitates our focused attention and action focus on their mental health, well being and joy. Black Girl Joy Day is an opportunity to uplift and celebrate the resilience, creativity, brilliance, beauty and leadership of black girls.

Recognizing the potential inherent in each black girl to shape the future of California. Now, this is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a commitment to our future, a future where every black girl in California can thrive in a society that sees her and celebrates her. Let us stand together for our future.

Let us stand together for equity, and let us stand together for joy. I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 226 and request the row be open for co-authors. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wilson. With seeing the hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll on the resolution. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 67, noes zero. The resolution is is adopted.

Moving to file item 28, ACR 227 by Assembly Member Wallis.

Clerk will read Assembly Concurrent Resolution 227 by Assembly Wallace and others relative to women in animation.

Senator Wallace, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, today I rise to present Assembly Concurrent Resolution 227, which honors and acknowledges the contributions of women in the animation industry and the organization that supports and promotes their work. Women in animation, or WEA. California is the birthplace of some of the most beloved animated icons known throughout the world.

Walt Disney animation, Pixar, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and Sony animation are just a few of the amazing studios in our state. Many of the iconic characters we've grown up watching are women. However, women historically have been underrepresented in the creative production space.

Three decades ago, a group of women, frustrated with the mistaken belief that only men could be animators and women can only be painters and inkers, founded WEA. Their goal is having 50% of animators be women.

By 2025, WEA works with all levels of professionals within the global animation communities to empower and advocate for people of underrepresented gender identities in the art, technology, production and business of animation. However, the animation industry faces new challenges with the emergence of AI technology as a key part of California's culture and economy.

The industry must navigate the evolving landscape where AI's rapid advancement is beginning to influence traditional roles and artistic practices. ACR 227 raises awareness and calls for the preservation of the creative and cultural significance of our animation industry, and particularly the important contribution of women in an era of technological advancement. Colleagues, I ask for your aye vote on Assembly Concurrent Resolution 227.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wallace. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Aye, 68, no, zero. The resolution is adopted. Moving to file item 29.

ACR 228, Assembly Member Pellerin by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 228 by some Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, relative to Women's Equality Day.

Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Good afternoon, members. I am proud to rise today on behalf of Assemblymember Pellerin and the entire Legislative Women's Caucus to present ACR 228, proclaiming August 26th, 2024 as Women's Equality Day. August 26th marks the 104th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which guarantees women the constitutional right to vote.

Today we are celebrating 104 years of having a voice, 104 years of having a seat at the table. And today I find myself thinking about the women who came before us and who made this a reality and everything that they endured. Nobody gave women the right to vote. Women fought for it.

Women worked for it, and women earned it. These women were ostracized, mocked, even beaten. But they persisted. They did not take no for an answer. We stand on the shoulders of these leaders and these trailblazers who came before us. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid.

But we certainly can do everything that we can to make them proud. And I think they would be. Women in California and across America have made tremendous strides. There's a record number of women serving on corporate boards and in leadership roles, in business, law, politics, in so many fields.

And proud to say that this year we have a record number of women serving in the California State Legislature. 50 women strong. We are shattering glass ceilings each and every day. But we know that we still have a lot of work to do.

Women still struggle for fair pay and equal job opportunities, access to childcare, family friendly workplaces, and work against domestic violence, sexual assault, and laws regulating our personal health decisions.

And despite all of our progress, despite all the leadership roles that we hold, there are still people who want to take us backwards, who want to strip away the rights that we have fought so very hard to achieve. But we will not go back. We are continuing to march forward.

We have so much more to accomplish, and I am so excited to see what we have yet to achieve, and even more excited to see what our daughters and granddaughters have to achieve. So let's never forget those who came before us and lit the flame and help us.

Help us each and every day to do the work, to pass the torch and lift up the generation of women who come after us. With that Mister speaker, I respectfully ask for your aye vote members on ACR 228.

Thank you, Assemblymember Petrie-Norris. Assemblymember Pellerin, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members. I rise in support of ACR 228, which recognizes August 26th, 2024 as Women's Equality Day. This day is not just a commemoration, but a powerful reminder of the progress we've made and the work still ahead in the fight for gender equality.

The women's liberation movement had its early start in the 16th century, with early feminists such as Maryland Maryland Wollstonecraft advocating for women's education and Elizabeth Cady Stanton advocating for women's suffrage. Fast forward to August 26th, 1920 when the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote.

This was an incredible milestone, though we took though we know it took almost 50 more years for African American, Asian American, Latina American, and Native American women to fully exercise this right. Then we saw even more historic changes with the Civil Rights Act and Title IX

in the 1960s and seventies, these laws were game changers, promoting fair treatment in the workplace and opening doors in education. But here's the reality, our journey isn't over. Even with these incredible achievements, women still face challenges like wage gaps, unequal job opportunities, and the need for better support and childcare and family friendly policies.

Women are also disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and violence, impeding their ability to thrive. Women also face healthcare inequality as reproductive health services are often underfunded or inadequately addressed, causing disparities in health outcomes. Additionally, women of color face compounded challenges, including systemic racism and discrimination that affect their access to opportunities, Healthcare, and economic stability.

And we must also recognize and support our trans women, who face unique challenges and discrimination today. Their struggles for acceptance and equality are an integral part of the broader fight for women's rights. Recognizing and addressing these unique challenges is crucial to achieving true gender equality and ensuring that every woman has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

By adopting ACR 228, we honor the trailblazers who paved the way for progress and signal our commitment to continue their work towards a future where gender equality is truly realized. I ask for your support of ACR 228.

Thank you, Assemblymember Pellerin. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Aye 69, no 0. Resolution is adopted.

Majority Leader Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Good afternoon, members. As Vice Chair of the Legislative Women's Caucus in celebration of Women's Equality Day, which is Saturday, August 26, I'm proud to honor Piper Kermandhe. Piper is best known for her 2010 memoir of prisons experiences, Orange is the New Black, my year in a woman's prison, and it's Emmy awarding Netflix adaptation.

Since leaving prison, Piper has spoken widely about the conditions women face in prison and problems with the federal prison system. Her work to shed light on these issues is truly admirable. She now works as a communication strategist for nonprofit organizations and has just completed her second manuscript about her four years teaching at a men's prison in Ohio.

Please join me in welcoming Piper Kerman to our chamber. Thank you so much for coming and visiting us today, Piper. We look forward to hearing your discussions later this afternoon.

Thank you, Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, Assembly Member Pellerin, Assembly Member Petrie Norris, and welcome, Miss Kurman. Moving now to file item number 30, ACR 229 by Assemblymember Pellerin.

The Clerk will read Assembly Concurrent Resolution. 229 by Senator Pellerin and others relative to suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

Members, your attention to assemblymember Pellerin.

Thank you, Mister speaker and colleagues. I rise today to ask for your support and your voice for ACR 229, which proclaims September as suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

While this is extremely hard for me, as you can tell, I am grateful to be a member of this esteemed body to have this incredible platform to speak to you about a subject that has profoundly impacted me and my family.

Suicide was not a topic I spent much time thinking or talking about before November 192018 when my husband of 25 years, Tom, the father of our two children, died by suicide. I am motivated to speak openly and publicly about suicide and mental health conditions because suicide is preventable and mental health conditions can be treated.

Early in my grieving process, I went to a talk on suicide and the speaker encouraged us to put our grief to work. That resonated with me. So I joined a suicide survivors group. I did the overnight walk in San Francisco to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention.

I authored proclamations from my county and cities and joined the local National alliance on Mental Illness, the Nami board. If you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health condition, please reach out to Nami. They have an incredible no cost education program for families, caregivers and people experiencing mental illness.

I then ran and was elected to represent the 28th Assembly District because I want to be a voice and a face for suicide prevention and awareness as well as mental health.

I'm honored to serve as Vice Chair of the Select Committee on California's Mental Health crisis, which is chaired by my incredible colleague from Marino Valley who has taught me so much about our mental health crisis impacting people who we all know and love. I understand how difficult it is to talk about suicide and our mental health.

In the beginning, it was hard for me, but now, as my friends and family will attest, I do it often. I've learned a lot about suicide in my journey, and I'm grateful to my children, family and friends and all of you here who have supported me on this path.

I want to share some things I learned about suicide beyond the statistics that you can read in the resolution. Suicide is not a selfish act. It is something that happens when a person has lost all hope, is stuck in a very dark place and loses their fear of death. I no longer say someone committed suicide.

Suicide is not a crime. It is the result of an illness. We do not say someone committed cancer. Words matter. So please say died by suicide or took their own life. Asking someone if they were thinking about suicide will not put the idea in their head.

Most will be relieved that someone cares and is willing to have a conversation. Grief is not a journey to a destination. It is something we carry with us every single day. The path is not straight, nor flat, nor one direction. The stigma around suicide is real and emotions are complex.

So please don't ask if someone is done with grieving or question why they continue to make their loved one's birthday or anniversary a special day. And if someone can get through the intense and short moment of an active suicidal crisis, chances are they will not die by suicide. That's why the semicolon has become more than punctuation.

It's a symbol of a battle fought, a pause that wasn't an ending, and the ongoing narrative of mental health. I have a semicolon pin in the Members lounge for all of you. I hope you'll wear it.

And when asked about its meaning, you can tell them the reality is each and every one of us has struggled, has felt hopeless and has been depressed.

Life has been especially difficult, recovering from a global pandemic, witnessing pervasive division, violence and hatred abroad and here at home, and navigating through life's many challenges and stressors, like losing a loved one, financial insecurity or depression. Yet many of us silently fight our own battles. Suicide does not discriminate.

It impacts all people, all ages, genders, race, ethnicity, incomes and sexual orientations. But suicide numbers are higher for white males, veterans, people who live in rural areas, LGBTQ youth, transgender adults, middle aged adults and tribal populations. Firearms are used in more than half of all suicides. So what can you do to prevent suicide?

First on my list is simple. Be kind. You don't know what someone is going through. You don't know their story. So just be kind to one another, even to those who are unkind to you. Second, promote the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.

The lifeline has proven to provide quicker access to crisis counseling and connecting people with local mental health resources. The volume of calls, text messages and chats has increased significantly since its inception, showing a huge demand for this service. However, it continues to struggle with staffing shortages and funding. We have got to do more.

Third, let's talk about suicide in the workplace, in our schools, in our religious institutions and in our homes, and not just in September. Training is available to teach people to identify who may be at risk for suicide and how to link them to care. Fourth, learn the warning signs. Is someone talking about wanting to die?

Are they feeling hopeless, more anxious or full of rage? Are they withdrawing from friends? Giving away important items? Having extreme mood swings, eating or sleeping more? These are just some of the warning signs. Fifth, if you have firearms in your home, please store them securely.

Finally, ask the difficult questions and let the person know they are not alone. Talk to them. Listen, you don't have to be an expert and it might feel uncomfortable. Let them know that help is available. Tell them what they are experiencing is treatable and that suicidal feelings are temporary. Suicide is final.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or a mental health episode, please reach out for help by calling or texting the hotline at 988. Or talk to someone you trust. I want anyone who is thinking about suicide to know that your life matters, your friends and family will not be better off without you.

Take it from someone who knows. Finally, let's do everything in our power to create a world where no one chooses to leave it by choice. Thank you and I respectfully ask for.

Your I vote thank you Assembly Member Pelerin, Assembly Member Papin, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Mister Speaker, I rise in support of ACR 229 and I want to thank my colleague from Santa Cruz for bringing bringing this resolution forward. Your resolve in raising awareness around this issue is truly inspirational and I'm so honored to stand with you in solidarity.

Mental health, which is the top, which is the topic at the root of this issue, has risen to almost epidemic proportions. 45% of the residents in my county alone have reported experiencing difficulty with loneliness and isolation.

Addressing rising suicide rates begins with devoting more resources to mental health, minimizing risk factors, and increasing early ID of folks at risk and getting them connected to services.

Quite a few bills have passed over our desks, but so much more needs to be done to support those who lack the tools needed to properly navigate their own mental health issues.

As we continue to approach broader solutions, it's important to uphold resolutions like this one, which reminds us of what can happen when mental health issues are left unchecked. By dedicating September to suicide prevention, we strengthen our conviction that the most at risk populations need our support and the support of their communities.

Securing resources for these populations and raising awareness ensures that we do everything we can to improve mental health outcomes, thereby carving a path towards suicide prevention. I thank you and I respectfully request and I vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Papin. Doctor Jackson, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mister speaker. As chair of the California's Human Mental Health Crisis Select Committee, I want to commend my dear colleague from Santa Cruz in which we've been on this journey together this last two years, and without a doubt continues to show how one can turn pain into power.

And there is no one else who is able to deliver such a message so clearly and so passionately as our dear colleague. If we can take anything from this resolution, there are a few things that we must all, that we must all keep in mind.

Suicide is a leading cause of death and affects people of all ages, especially our seniors. Suicide is a serious public health problem and has far reaching impacts. One person dies in this country every 11 seconds due to suicide. But resources are available to prevent these things.

Hope is possible, and each and every one of us can do something to prevent someone from committing suicide. Let's be clear. The people that we interact with every single day, the people who we say, how are you doing? But we don't really wait to listen to the response.

And many of those people who say, I'm okay, are actually the ones that are contemplating suicide. They work in our offices, we live with them in our homes. They sit with us right here on this floor. The idea is, is that it is more prevalent than we think.

And the only way to combat that is to talk about it. Anytime we talk about mental health, you have noticed that either my colleague or myself or others who are advocates for mental health, we share our personal stories on purpose.

Because if we don't normalize the fact that if you don't have any mental health issue, that is not normal. It is normal to struggle. It is normal to contemplate. It is normal to not be okay from time to time.

So if you are on this floor or working here in the capitol offices, contact HR today, contact them now. Because what you're going through is not permanent. And you will be okay. But what will not be okay is for you to leave this earth sooner than sooner than it is your time.

And make no mistake about it, we will miss you. We will suffer without you. This world will not be the same without you. So stay with us. Let us know when you are not okay. And we will stand up and be with you in that process. Because if it's you today, it will be me tomorrow.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote on ACR 229.

Thank you, Doctor Jackson. Mister Mathis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker Members, at the author's request, I will share my story. See, there's a quote by Plato that only the dead have seen. The end of war. And as a young man coming home from getting blown up twice in Iraq to another guy in my house, my account's in the red.

The VA, the veterans hospital who's supposed to help me with traumatic brain injury and PTSD and everything else they told me at 25. Devin, you've got a body of an 85 year old man. Here's a bag of pills. Opioids, depression, meds, everything else, just. Here's your bag of pills. Thank you for your service. You're good.

A little self medicating later, I had my attempt. Last year was the first time I publicly shared it. As a body, we have an obligation. We've heard the data on the veterans. 72% higher chance. We look at the opioids, the fentanyl.

All of that started because a company called McKinsey cut a double deal with the VA and some pharmaceutical companies to purposely get veterans hooked. They still have a no bid contract with the State of California. This firm does. And I've asked for help to highlight that and haven't got much we talk about, and I looked our budget.

We're actually doing a pretty good job. We're spending more money on mental health than anybody else has, which is good, but it's. What are we doing at the local level to make sure that there's access? What are we doing to promote the 988?

What are we doing to make sure, as mentioned by some of our colleagues, that people know it's okay, that it's okay to fill? How many of us as men, we see the numbers are even higher, and we don't talk about it as much because, you know, we all fear toxic masculinity these days.

But as a man, and hell, I'm a millennial. I'm the first millennial combat vet with a Purple Heart elected to state office in the country. I don't know who all you're going to get to get when I retire, but good luck for men. We carry that weight, that mochismo weight.

We are told as kids, you got to take care of your family, you got to make the money, you got to do all of these things. You have all that pressure on you, and when you hit rock bottom, it's a different kind of feeling, because you don't know what to do. You feel like you're drowning.

You feel a darkness, you feel a pain, and you feel like no matter what you do. You can't share it because you're afraid it's going to hurt those around you. I led hundreds of combat missions at Iraq, and we brought every single one of our guys home.

But we have lost several of them to suicide more and more every year. And it's nuts to think in a place where we got shot at every single day that we survived that. That was easy because we were prepared for it. But we are not prepared for the little things that tear us. Apartheid emotionally.

We're not prepared for breakups. We're not prepared for loss of jobs. We're not prepared for an economy that has the highest inflation we've ever seen. We're not prepared not to be able to provide and to have our self worth be diminished because we don't have that ability.

It is important, as mentioned earlier, it's not always the guy that seems sad. Oftentimes look at Robert Williams. It's the guy that's happy. It's the guy that's trying to make everybody else happy because they're taking out their pain, being empathetic to those around them. It was mentioned earlier, just a simple smile to slow down.

Yeah, we all pass each other in the halls. We pass everybody. Hey, man. Have a good day. How you doing? zero, yeah, great. But we don't know when's the last time you actually sat down with somebody, even if it's an old friend, beyond just social media. Maybe it's the long phone call.

Maybe it's just the sitting there, Abraham here, and letting them connect to fill that human energy, that spirit of another soul connecting with them so they know they're not alone. I encourage you all to do that.

But I also encourage us as a body to look at how we can break past the monotony of the red tape of the bureaucracy of those who are at the lower end providing services. Not to look at people, just as well, this is my caseload.

But to look at it from the humanity of it, to make sure that people know if they do call a number or if they do go to counseling or if they do, because nobody wants to do that. Nobody wants to say there's something wrong with me, but it's not. It's human.

The one thing that remains true, and it was on the ring of the wisest king known in history, King Solomon. This too shall pass. Good or bad, it will pass. And we have to remember that, and we have to be there for those around us. Thank you to the author for bringing this forward. Thank you all.

Thank you, Mister Mathis. Mister Joe Patterson. You are recognized.

Great. Thank you, Mister speaker, Members. And thank you to my colleague from Santa Cruz and a colleague from Porterville, from sharing that story. I mentioned here on the floor last year that suicide has impacted my family as well. And you, you know, it's not really something shared publicly, but, you know, in 2019, I joined a group of what I would say was just like six crazy guys working out once, twice a week in Rockland. And the name of this group was called F3. And it stands for fitness, fellowship, and faith.

And this was, like I said, in November, the end of November of 2019, then Covid hit in March of 2020. And this group of six guys that work out, you know, a few days a week grew to, in this region, went from Rockland to Roseville to Lincoln, all over El Dorado Hills, all over the Sacramento region, Elk Grove, and it's grown to thousands of men in, in this area, and it's actually nationwide.

But this just a couple guys here started this group, and their motto is, leave no man behind, but leave no man where you found him. And what was interesting is, I think what we realized, and the point is, you do these workouts at very obscene hour of the day, 05:15 a.m. and you're done by six. It's 45 minutes. You always get done on time. But the point wasn't necessarily just, hey, let's go to work out things like that. I can guarantee every guy in this room who's been married, who's married, has been married, has kids.

Your friends are people you've met in high school or college or the other option is your spouse's friend's husband's. And as you get older and you go into adulthood, you really don't develop those close relationships with other men. And so I didn't really, you know, I say this because it was kind of surprising to me to learn that men are four times more likely to die by suicide. And that was very surprising to me that there was that big of a difference there.

And, you know, so in this group that we've had, you know, we have, after we kind of, we do something called circle of trust and we talk, and we've had guys who've lost their wives, lost their children. And, you know, you develop these relationships and you say, like, hey, you know, we're really bonding together and there's something about that workout. And sometimes we'll just go on a run or something. And I'm ranting to the guys about whatever I sometimes about some of my colleagues here, in fact.

But, you know, it's just a good way for, I think, guys to develop deep relationships with other men. And I think all the guys here, all the staff in the building across the street know that you definitely need help. You need other guys that you can talk to. And we don't really, we're really bad at developing friendships, close friendships outside of our college or our spouses friends buddies.

So, you know, I just want to encourage everybody to take some time and, you know, not only be nice to each other and things like that, but find an activity where you can actually develop close relationship with other guys and be able to share some of those intimate details about what's going on in your life. So, and, you know, truthfully, when things get crazy here, it's good to be able to rant about some of you guys. And I hope you do the same about me. And it's a pleasure serving with all of you, by the way. And I'm looking forward to the next two and a half weeks.

But I really appreciative of my colleague for sharing her story and bringing this resolution up here. And, you know, it's a tough subject, but I think, you know, I'm really glad we have this discussion on the floor every day, despite we do a lot of resolutions and things like that, and they're all really important. And I think this one, I really think it's great that we're talking about something that is something we didn't talk about five years ago, you know, much less last year. So with that, I ask for an aye vote on ACR 229.

Thank you, Mister Patterson. Assemblymember Pellerin, would you like to close?

I just would like to thank my colleagues for sharing their stories today and thank all of you for dedicating the time on this floor to listen to these stories. I'm looking at my bracelet here, too, which is really great. It says, you can never be replaced. This world needs you. I need you. So thank you so much. I need your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Pellerin. With that, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 on tallying the votes. Ayes 70. Noes 0. The resolution is adopted.

Just want to acknowledge we have a guest in the chamber. Past Assemblymember Adam Gray is in the back of the chamber. Mister Gray, welcome. Good to see you. Moving now to Senate third reading. File item 32, SB 357, Senator Portantino by Assemblymember Davies. The Clerk will read

Senate Bill 357 by Senator Portantino and others. An act relating to vehicles.

Assemblymember Davies, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and Members. SB 357 would provide doctors with more discretion to report any conditions they believe will impair a patient's ability to drive, including epilepsy. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder, affecting more than 425,000 Californians and 3.4 million Americans. In 1957, a state law was passed that mandated physicians to automatically report these drivers to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Even though there is evidence drivers with epilepsy don't have meaningfully higher accident rates than the broader population. This reporting requirement has limited led to patients not disclosing their conditions to their doctors out of fear that they may get their license suspended or revoked. Not disclosing also means patients are getting less access to appropriate care and have increased risk of seizures, injuries and death.

By giving doctors more discretion, we encourage individuals to get the care they need without risk of losing their ability to drive and protect the doctor-patient relationship. This Bill will lastly update an outdated law and ensure Californians join the other 44 states said do not mandate reporting. For those reasons, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Davies. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 58. Noes 0. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 35, SB 1386, Senator Caballero by Assembly Member Petrie Norris. For the purpose of amendments, the Clerk.

Will read Senate Bill 1386 with amendments by assuming Petrie Norris.

Member Petrie Norris, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise to to present amendments to SB 1386. On behalf of Senator Caballero. These amendments simply add co-authors respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, assemblymember Petrie Norris. Without objection, we'll take a voice vote on this on these amendments. All in favor say aye, opposed say no. The amendments are adopted out to print and back on file. Moving to file item 42, SB 1140, also by Senator Caballero by Mister Juan Carillo.

Clerk will read Senate Bill 1140 by Senator Caballero and afterlane to local government.

Senator Carrero, you are recognized. Thank you, Mister speaker, Members, I rise to present SB 1140 on behalf of Senator Caballero. SB 1140 will reform enhanced infrastructure finance in districts and climate resiliency district law to streamline information, process and expand the types of projects these tools can finance, all while protecting public input and participation.

SB 1140 will reduce the mandatory meetings from four to three. It broadens the alternative mailing and notification methods to incorporate all IEF formation meetings, annual reports and potential amendments. This Bill provides a specific notice.

It shall be provided in English and in all other languages generally spoken by 20% or more of the population in the jurisdiction of the county. Lastly, SB 1140 expands the type of projects at EIFDs and CRD scan finance to include projects that improve air quality.

These benefits will significantly improve the ability for EIFDs and CRDs to advance their mission to support economic development and spur climate change resiliency in communities across the state, while at the same time allow robust community notice an opportunity to participate. The Bill has no opposition and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Thank you, assemblymember Carrillo. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes's 55, nos, 5. Measure passes. Moving to file item 71.

SB 1356, Senator Wahab by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1356 by Senator Wahab and others. An act relating to judiciary.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members, I rise to present SB 1356 on behalf of Senator Wahab. This incredibly important Bill will ensure that our judges get training on gender bias. As a former practicing attorney who on one of her first appearances was told I could not represent my client because I wasn't wearing a skirt, I know the importance of this Bill. It is critically important. And yes, I graduated from law school in 2004. So it is critically important that our judges get this training, understand the gender bias that is in part of our judicial system. And so I respectfully ask your aye vote on this Bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 59. Noes 0. Measure passes.

Pass and retain on item 79. Pass and retain on file item 86. Moving to file item 88, SB 981, Senator Wahab by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, as soon as the Clerk reads, you will be recognized.

Senate Bill 981 by Senator Wahab and others. An act realting to social media platforms.

Assemblymember.

Thank you Mister speaker and Members. SB 981 on behalf of Senator Wahab. This Bill is important because it allows for people to remove sexually explicit material on social media deepfakes that represent them in ways that they were never, and so it will ensure immediate pulldown of those items is obviously important to the safety of everyone online. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 65. Noes 0. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 89, SB 1283 Senator Stern by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan for the purpose of amendments, the Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1283 with amendments by Assemblymember Bauer Kahan.

Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and members. This is up for floor amendments only. These are critical amendments to help address the concerns of our LGBTQ caucus. With that, I respect your aye vote on the amendments.

Without objection. We'll take a voice vote on these amendments. All in favor say aye. Opposed say no. Ayes have it. Bill is out to print and back on file. Amendments are adopted. Moving to file item 109, SB 1379, Senator Dodd by Assemblymember Wilson.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1379 by Senator Dodd and others in accolade to public retirement, declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately.

Sending Member Wilson, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker. Members, today I rise to present SB 1379 on behalf of Senator Dodd, a district Bill to temporarily waive the 960 hours limit for retired annuitants working for Solano county sheriff to address a critical staffing need in Vallejo. The Bill will sunset after three years.

The Vallejo City Council declared a State of Emergency last year due to a major police officer staffing shortage. Despite being authorized for 132 officers, Vallejo PD currently only has 32 patrol officers and four detectives.

As a result, the Solano County sheriff is tasked with responding to emergency calls in Vallejo, and this Bill is essential to addressing a severe public safety issue. This Bill requires the sheriff to try to hire full time active deputies before using a retired annuitant, and it requires thorough background checks on anyone that is hired.

Without this Bill, the Solano County sheriff will not be able to respond to public safety needs in Vallejo. This Bill has broad local support and no opposition. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Wilson. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 64 No 0. Measure passes. Oh, I'm sorry.

Ayes 64, No 0 on the urgency. Ayes 64 No 0 on the measure. Members of quorum call is still in place. We ask that you give your respect, respectful attention to those who were granted prior permission to speak on an adjournment in memory. If you need to have a conversation, please take it off the floor.

Quorum call is in place. If you need to have a conversation, please take it off the floor. But the quorum call is in place. It assemblymember Dixon, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you. Thank you so much Mister speaker and members, I rise today in the memory of Carol, or known as Dean Rasmussen, a distinguished California resident, visionary leader in construction, and a dear friend. Dean passed away on July 20, 2024 at the age of 81 after a 21-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

Dean pursued his education, graduating from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, going on to earn a US Naval Reserve Lieutenant Commission. Dean served as President and Chief Executive Officer at CA Rasmussen from 1978 to 2006.

Under his leadership, CA, Rasmussen pioneered the use of d 10 tractor in California, rebuilt infrastructure after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and developed major roads, bridges and railroad projects in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Ventura counties.

Dean was deeply committed to charitable causes, serving as Chairman of the board and trustee for the Viewpoint School in Calabasas and the ALS Network. Founder of the ALS associations national and California advocacy programs, among many other charitable causes.

Memories of his own father's battle with ALS and eventual death in 1989 led him to commit time and funding to support families and research for a cure to neurodegenerative disease. For 21 years, Dean placed his Parkinson's diagnosis, faced his Parkinson's diagnosis with courage and without complaint, a testament to his strength and perseverance.

Dean is survived by his wife of 23 years, Kathleen Rasmussen his sons, Andrew St.

Chad and Eric Nels, Aaron, Mary, Urbina and Jeremy Pritchard Mann and six grandchildren, Grace, Ashlyn Nilsen Rasmussen, Dean, Sage, Josie, Beth and Alice Irene Rasmussen and Isabella Kathleen and Roman Rafael Urbina and his siblings, Larry, Charlie and Ella Glover and James Rasmussen and nieces and nephews. Dean will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Please join me to adjourn in memory of Dean. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Assemblymember Dixon, Assemblymember Wicks, you are recognized from the majority leader's desk for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you, Members. I rise to adjourn in the memory of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood, community leaders and beloved friends of mine who for decades devoted their life to public service, particularly to the Bay Area's LGBTQ, women's and black communities.

To describe them as a force of nature would be a severe understatement of who these amazing women were. Peggy moved to California from Oklahoma in the mid 1990s, and it did not take long for her to become a real leader in the Bay Area.

She quickly began organizing events and plugging into community organizations such as the Black Girl Collective, NIA, and Lavender Sisters seniors. In 2002, she founded Sista, Steppen and Pride, an East Bay Pride march and festival that ran for 10 years in Oakland. Politics was Peggy's true calling. She was extraordinary at everything she touched.

In 1999, she cut her teeth with the Noah Knight campaign, fighting the initiative that aimed to ban same sex marriage. She played important roles in both the Obama and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns. She ran for Oakland City Council.

She worked as a campaign manager for Libby Schaff's successful bid for mayor of Oakland, then served the people of Oakland as a senior advisor to the mayor. I first met Peggy in a downtown office in Oakland in 2007 when I was the field Director for Barack Obama, and I remember meeting her in that office.

You knew when Peggy Moore walked into the room, you could feel her energy. You could feel her presence. She was then my partner in crime. On the 26th Hillary Clinton campaign. She was Hillary's political Director in California.

Now, it's no small task to be Hillary Clinton's political Director in the State of California, dealing with elected officials, and she handled that job not only with grace, but most importantly, humor. Peggy was funny, and she could cut any tension with a little bit of humor.

She had that intangible ability to do that in politics and to make everyone feel included. When I ran for office, I remember I called Peggy early 2017 when I heard that my predecessor was not going to be running for the seat. And I said, should I run for this seat? Like, I've never thought about doing this before.

And she was like, absolutely. And she was with me every single step of the way on that race. It was during the 2008 Obama campaign and with organizing for America that Peggy would meet the love of her life. Hope would. Peggy met her match when she met Hope.

Hope was a powerhouse of public service in her own reignite, working with organizations ranging from the Harvard Kennedy School for Leadership, color of Change, and the Courage campaign. At first glance, these two seemed like an unlikely duo.

Peggy was a political organizer from Oklahoma, originally in the Bay Area, organizing in the community, and there she was meeting Hope, a former Lakers cheerleader and a Southern California girl through and through. But their connection was magnetic and their partnership was dynamic.

The impact of their work together and as individuals could be felt from Oakland City Hall all the way to the White House. And I met Hope first in a LA organizing union hall in Burbank, California, with Marshall Gans.

And when we were literally developing what would be our national field organizing strategy in California, and Hope was there as a key, integral part of the beginning of that nascent movement that was just taking shape. Hope beamed. She literally beamed light. She beamed love. And these two together again were more than a force of nature.

The pair married in 2013 at Oakland's Lake Merritt and in 2019 launched their own consulting organization together called Hope Action, Change. And you know, we had a saying on the Obama campaign, you came for Obama, but you stayed for each other. And that is where Peggy and Hope met.

There is a void in our East Bay community without their energy and their tireless public service, and a void in my heart without my dear friends. I urge everyone to carry on their example of public service, and I ask that we adjourn in the memory of these two fierce, amazing, badass women.

Thank you, Assemblymember Wicks. Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo. You are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you. Mister speaker and Members. I rise today to honor the lives of Hope Wood and Peggy Moore, both of whom passed away on May 10 of this year in a tragic car accident. They were both incredible, dynamic women who wielded passion for politics in our democracy that inspired so many of us.

I first met my friend Hope back in early 2008, or maybe it was late 2007. We were part of what was then a small group of angelenos who were supporting a little known Senator from Chicago named Barack Obama in the primary, who had the audacity of Hope and dared to dream to be President of the United States.

Hope and I joined in the dream, and we bucked the political establishment in supporting Obama, going against all conventional wisdom at the time. We first met online through a MySpace group organizing coffees, and later we learned that we had mutual friends in common.

Shortly after, we met in person at a coffee shop in Koreatown that became the hub for efforts in Mid City, and she joined us in the East LA for Obama office when we opened up the Latinos for Obama effort.

Hope then helped me heavily lobby the California State Director for Obama, our now colleague, Assemblymember Wicks, to give us resources, posters and buttons on the importance of the Latino vote. Her energy, her drive, and her friendship were constant reminders of the belief that we could in fact, create the kind of society we wish to live in.

This belief is what led her to the love of her life, Peggy. I joked with her that this was her first campaign that she had ever been involved with and she found love. And yet, I had worked on several campaigns and was still single. I didn't think it was fair. She never said that I was too picky.

But she did allude to doing a poll in the district as to the reason why. So when I made the decision to run for office in 2017, Hope was one of the first people that reached out.

She and Peggy offered to host phone bangs, organize community, and even though they were in Oakland, they reached out to our OFA family in Los Angeles to help me win. And we did.

Her best friend, Jamie Preciado, is a friend and a constituent, and she said to me that to know Hope in Peggy was to truly feel loved, seen, and celebrated. They worked endlessly to uplift and enact change, all while making organizing look effortless.

They believe and fought for women, people of color, LGBT rights, underserved and underrepresented communities, and they made it look so easy. When I learned about their accident, I, like many of us who knew and loved Peggy and hope were incomplete and utter disbelief. It was a shock to my system to realize that they were, in fact, gone.

Because of them, I was reminded just how fragile life is to be present in my own life, live in every moment, and to love deeply because tomorrow is never promised. May Peggy and hope rest in power. May they watch over us and may their memory continue to inspire us. I respectfully request that we adjourn in their memory.

Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Carrillo. Assembly Member Gibson, you are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you very much, Mister speaker and Members. I too rise on this adjournment and without. Don't want to be redundant because I think that my colleagues some Hope and also Peggy up very eloquently. Just let me say this. I met Peggy in Washington, DC. It wasn't in California. It wasn't in the East Bay Area.

It was actually in Washington DC where we as young, elected officials gathered. It was an organization called YEO Young elected officials. And at that particular point in time, we were surrounding ourselves by this gentleman who was running for President of the United States with a funny name, Barack Obama.

And she was there leading us all into a vision, the audacity of hope, but talking about America, and she was there. So tenacious. And as a matter of fact, I remember so distinctively that in which I walked out and she walked out right behind me, recognizing I was from California at that particular time.

I was the Council Member at that point. And Peggy and our relationship continued to intersect in a number of different issues in California. And when I heard of the news of her and hope tragic passing, my mind began to reflect back on that moment when I met her. She was a very unique individual.

And I remember when she came before the caucus and seeking endorsement when she was running for the state Legislature and had an opportunity to hear and watch her talk about this position and why her credentials match what we're looking for in terms of trying to support her. She was unsuccessful.

But I want to say to this family, if you're listening and if you're watching, thank you so very much for giving us both tenacious individuals, two individuals that our atmosphere will have a void because they're no longer with us.

But thank you so very much for allowing them to touch our lives, to interface in our trajectory, because our lives would never be the same again because of hope. And also Peggy. Thank you family. And I ask that my colleagues adjourn in these two incredible women's memory.

Thank you Mister Gibson, Mister Haney, you are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you Mister speaker. And thank you to my colleague from Berkeley for your beautiful words. Fired up, ready to go. Fired up, ready to go. That was Peggy and hope. When I think about who they were and what they represented, that's the first thing that comes to mind.

Not just because every time I saw Peggy, wherever we were, that was the first thing she would say to me. Before she said hello, she'd come up and say, fire it up. And you'd have to respond ready to go.

Whatever it was that she was fighting for, that she was standing for, that's the type of energy that she brought. And hope as well. I just looked at my Facebook wall from the last 15 years and hope and I shared the same birthday, April 17.

And even though it was her birthday, she would always come and wish me a happy birthday as well, and on each of those messages, I was looking down at it. She would always say, make sure you get out there and dance for your birthday.

And when I think about the two of them and what they stood for and how they did what they did, yes, they worked in government. Yes, they worked on campaigns, but at their core, they were community organizers. And I think if you asked them what they did, they would not tell you that they were campaign workers.

They would note, tell you that they were consultants. They would say, I'm a community organizer. And for some of us, that's a term that is sometimes hard to define.

But they lived it in every single way they viewed their role in the world, to make sure that people were included, that they had a voice, that if they had a problem or they had a concern or they were being treated unfairly, that they had somebody fighting for them and that they were heard.

And so wherever they were, that's what they brought. And they brought it with a level of joy and audacity and just life. You know, I just. You know, you'd see them when they'd walk into a room, and just wherever it was, the energy and just the.

The joy for other people and the love for other people was so. Just radiant in both of them.

And like so many of you, I had the opportunity to get to know them over the years, to see their work and also, as has been said, to see the love that they had for each other and their loss is. Is immeasurable. It is hard even to process.

And the fact that they were able to find each other in this world is one thing that I'll take that was special as well.

Not just that they were individuals who did incredible, extraordinary things and lived with such joy and commitment, but that they found each other and they had each other during their time that was cut so tragically short. We would not forget them. We would not forget how they lived and how they fought.

But also our state and our communities. The Bay Area LGBTQ community in our state, the black community in our state, has had incredible impact because of their work, and that will also live on forever. I want to ask this body, along with my colleagues, to adjourn in the memory of Hope and Peggy.

Thank you, Mister Haney, Mister Jones, Sawyer, you are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members. It is great sadness that we adjourned today in memory of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood, whom I knew separately as secretary of the California Democratic Party. You could see their light, their light individually shined and I didn't know that they eventually came together.

And when they did come together, that light together shined brighter, more so than when they were apart. And when I talked to them about different campaigns, their commitment to their candidates was unwavering. And I even remember talking to them about Obama.

As my colleague said, this funny name, skinny dude from Chicago, and I would say, brother ain't gonna get, he's never gonna be President. But they were committed to the cause. And they got me on board with Obama. Even though as a brother from Arkansas, I wanted to support the wife of a brother from Arkansas.

They're the ones that got me on board to make sure that we did something that was, that was unfathomable when that first began. And it was the kind of, it was the kind of light from both of them that made me understood that they were true believers. When I say true believers, true believers.

That people mattered more than power. I believe that's why Peggy even ran for office. Because she knew that she could do something for the people that she wanted to represent. And she was absolutely positive that she could do the kind of job that would show us why you run for office.

She didn't make it, but she did create the consulting firm which talked about hope and to be able to make a change. A change. And they were change agents, that they wanted to do something that was remarkable.

And it's just, you know, I worked in the mortuary business for 10 years and I can tell you, each of our bodies, each of our souls, there's a spark in us. It's a wonderful spark that comes down, that makes us different and special in ways that everybody is.

But those two together was something that I had never seen before. And if you look at their pictures now, irradiates. Irradiates not only in life, but love. And what we need to do to move on.

And if we're going to do anything, we need to not only remember them, but then take what they were trying to preach, what they were trying to teach in their consulting firm. We need to be able to do that.

We need to take that light into ourselves and then move it on to the next level if we're going to honor both of them. That's what we need to do, not only in this floor, but when we leave this floor and out in the community. So I thank you for your journey memory.

Thank you Mister Jones. Sawyer, send me a Member. Bonta. You are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you Mister speaker. Today I rise with great sadness along with my colleagues, and especially my colleague, who I share Oakland with, to ask this body to adjourn in the memory of two amazing community leaders for the black community, for the Lgbt community, for women, and for the Bay Area and, quite frankly, the nation.

Peggy Moore and Hope Wood Peggy's and Hope's connections to AD 18, the district I get to humbly represent, now, run very deep. As mentioned, Peggy and Hope got married at Lake Merritt, a site that continues to be a place of beautiful joy in our community.

And Peggy herself was known as the mayor in Oakland because she so is so deeply loved and knew to love the City of Oakland so greatly.

In addition to loving our nation and our democracy, I wanted to just share some of the things that were a part of, particularly Peggy's mission or vision for the City of Oakland when she ran for City Council, the at large seat, because I think it's important when we honor people to also know how we can tap into their vision for what should be.

She wanted to champion affordable housing and sustainable, transit oriented development so our economy can grow without displacing.

Longtime Oaklander, she wanted to work collaboratively with residents and local businesses to make our government more responsive to constituents needs, build meaningful partnerships with the mayor and with fellow council Members to bridge longstanding divisions, leverage local, state and federal relationships to attract more resources to Oakland while preserving our economic and cultural diversity and lead a push to implement restorative justice practices across Oakland to improve our city's capacity to mediate and mitigate conflict outside of the criminal justice system.

Peggy and hope were part of what Oakland needed. Absolutely. And with her vision of what we want in Oakland, I want to see that. And I'm sure we will as we move forward. Peggy was somebody who always said to me, whenever I saw her for years, she'd just say, I see you.

And to me, I didn't really know what that meant until I ran for office in 2021 because she was a part of the many women, the many strong black women who stood by me when I was elected to office, made sure that I had an opportunity to serve in this Legislature.

So with that, I want to ask, as others have, to adjourn in the beautiful memory of Miss Hopewood and Beggie Moore.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bonta Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. My apologies when I miss Wicks. You have an introduction, and I also.

Want to recognize hope and Peggy's friends who are here Francine Ramsey, Nicole Griffin, Jasmine Wallace. And Cynthia Walson.

Thank you, Miss Wicks, and our condolences to you. Moving to announcements. Session. Session schedule is as follows. Tuesday, August 13, check in session. Wednesday, August 14 check in session. Thursday, August 15 floor session at 09:00 a.m. all other items remaining will be passed and retained. All motion shall be continued.

Seeing and hearing no further business, and ready to entertain a motion to adjourn, Miss Wilson moves. Mister Patterson seconds that this house stands adjourned until Thursday, August 15, at 09:00 a.m. quorum call is lifted and the house is adjourned.