Senate Floor

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. Would the Members and our guests beyond the rail and in the gallery, please rise. We'll be led in prayer this morning by our chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, after which we're going to ask you to remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

As we gather today, we pray. In the words of Rabindranath Tagore. This is my prayer to you, O Lord. Strike. Strike at the root of penury in my heart. Give me strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows. Give me strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. Give me strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles. And give me strength to surrender my strength to your will with love. Amen.

Members, join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance. All right, Members, now is the time. We will continue our tribute to our outgoing Senators. So, we ask that Members take their seats so we can properly recognize those individuals. First up is Senator Atkins. I'm sorry. And she's joined today by her partner, Jen Lasser.

So, let's begin with Senator Eggman. You have two minutes. Recognition of our outgoing Members, each presenter.

Okay. Good morning, everybody. And before I start on my friend Toni, I'm going to take a memo from Senator Bradford's talk. And I didn't get to say enough last night because I was trying to stick to the time. So, now get comfortable, folks. Looking at you, Ben Allen. I really, really want to again thank my staff.

I have been so blessed to have a team that has stayed with me almost my entire time. I could not have done the things that I've done with them. And that goes to Committee staff, to caucus staff, to all the staff I've worked with, and most especially, as people know.

I came here from being a social work professor and really wanted to bring my profession into this building. I'm proud of the social workers that have come out of my office and continue to do good work: Leah Barrows, Gustavo Medina, Lauren Evans, and Elizabeth Carranza. And still in my office are Annabelli and Jacob.

All MSWs, hopefully increasing the work that we do. One of the things I always told them was to err on the side of generosity and kindness. That's how I want to start off talking about my friend Toni Atkins. If anybody always errs on the side of generosity and kindness, it is my friend, former Pro Tem Emeritus Tony Atkins.

It has been my honor to serve in two houses with her, but especially in this house here, where I think all of our work really came to a lot of fruition. As people know, Toni came from Appalachia, from a place that didn't have running water.

And so for many of us who come from very working class families, we can get a sense of imposter syndrome when we go into different spaces where people don't expect us to be, and certainly we or our families never expected us to be.

I have never seen anybody with more confidence, more at ease with herself, and more comfortable in her own skin, no matter the setting, than my friend Toni Atkins. And that's one of the things that has allowed her to excel, shine, and be the leader that she is. That true comfort in who she is, and what her mission is, and that North Star of serving people. Whether it's passing incredibly reform housing policy, whether it is ensuring a woman has every chance to have control over her own body, whether it's our veterans' issues. She has a huge heart for veterans. Our agriculture community, a lot of food continues to be grown here because of Toni Atkins and her interest in farming and working people and how all those things come together.

When it comes to being a leader, is there anybody that has been able to do it with more calmness, again, respect and kindness, making sure that there is room for us all, as our friend Toni Atkins?

We know she loves Dahle Parton, and we know it's because she sees that same authenticity, not quite as much bling, but all the style that might come with that. People say the true measure of a leader is what they do when nobody is even watching. I don't know if people know.

Toni Atkins has a huge heart for those on our streets with mental health issues, especially veterans. I have walked with her on the streets, things that, again, people don't even know. This one gentleman whom she's kind of adopted, we came along him one night, and she stops.

She asks him how he is, if his dog needs some food, if he's cold. It was kind of raining, it was kind of cold. We then went to her place, where she looked through her closet. She found a quilt and she said, oh. my former girlfriend gave me this.

But we had a good 17 years, and this quilt kept me strong, and we went back out there, and she covered that man with her quilt from her first partner, Johnna. Sorry, Johnna, if you're listening. But he was warm for a night, and sometimes that's what it just takes, right?

Somebody who sees people, somebody who cares about people, and somebody who is addicted to responsibility and who doesn't shy away from hard things, who brings a team together and makes sure things get done so that the people of California have had the benefit of her service. I don't think she's done yet.

And I think there's a much bigger seat for Toni Atkins to sit in in our great state. But for now, she has been the first one who has been the leader of two houses. Again, just a little gal from Appalachia who took California by storm with kindness and generosity.

I will forever be grateful to you for the chances that you gave to me. And I'm sure our friendship will remain strong the rest of our lives. I love you, Toni.

Thank you, Senator Eggman. Next up for the tribute will be Senator Grove.

Thank you, Mister President. I, unlike my colleague from Stockton, had to keep my notes because if I go off script or go rogue, I probably wouldn't make it through this. So, colleagues, it's hard to put into words how much I will miss serving with Senate Pro Tem Emeritus Toni Atkins.

We seldom agree on any policy, and not everyone understands our friendship.

I've served with Toni, like my colleague from Stockton, since 2010 when we started in the Assembly. She truly is a well-rounded leader who covers every end of the spectrum, from being born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains in Roanoke to sitting side by side with the Governor as the first woman elected as a Senate pro tempore of the California State Senate.

She exudes excellence and class. She is demure and polished, but she's also like that American Girl, that fantastic representation of the simple working class trying to make ends meet. It's almost like that 1980s haircut, the mullet.

When you think about it, she's all business up front, and she's party in the back. From champagne taste to Fluevog shoes to managing policy packages and negotiating budget deals during the day and making sure every Member in good times got something for their district and the people that we represent.

To going home singing Dolly Parton and Glen Campbell, or just good old gospel with a hairbrush microphone, dancing in the kitchen while making egg custard pies. Both of our mama's favorites. She represents it all. Coming from a poor working-class background, she understands hard work and perseverance and big dreams. She's the embodiment of determination.

I had the great honor of serving as Senate Minority Leader when Toni was PT. As different as we are, we worked side by side, and our friendship and respect for each other grew during that time and was stronger than it was before.

We've twinned it on this floor for two years, and we have won first place both years in a row. I think during our leadership together, we certainly went through some of the most challenging times and the most exciting times in the State of California.

I thought long and hard about some of the stories I would tell, but I'm going to stick to this statement, and I'm going to tell you that you got to buy the book.

With all the stuff that we did in leadership, I can't share it today, but when we're both out of politics, I guarantee you it will be a best seller.

We were together in 2019 when our Members were assaulted by bodily fluids that flung right over that balcony onto our desk right here in the chambers, which led to a very eventful end of session in a committee room, which was certainly the first for most of us, if not all of us.

Naturally, we followed up the blood curse of 2019 with a worldwide plague in 2020, and neither of these were fun. Both of us were really worried about what was going to come in 2021. None of us knew what was going to happen through the pandemic.

And we had to ensure the safety and support of not only our staff here in the Legislature, but first and foremost, our constituency and all of Californians. Toni always made sure, always made sure that my staff and I were looped in and briefed in the ever-changing situation.

Again, we didn't agree on all the policy, but Toni always ensured everyone was equally prepared, and completely in the know. Her first priority, and her priority that will continue in her future, always has been and always will be the safety and security of Californians.

And she never let party affiliation get away, get in the way of that goal. She's fair and inclusive, one of the few Members that understands that Republicans represent roughly just over a million people in each of their districts very different than a lot of yours.

But she understands that we, too, deserve representation for our constituents in the State of California. One great example of that, when I was leader, she approached me and allowed a Republican to chair a committee during her tenure as leader. This was unprecedented. She let a senator that represented the top food-producing county in the entire world be the chair of the AG Committee because it made sense.

She established the workplace conduct unit with former Senate Republican leader Pat Bates. Two women, two different parties, working hard together to change the culture of this building. She's fought to expand educational opportunities for California's children, including establishing a statewide program to increase literacy rates across the state.

The PT and I are so proud that we brought Dolly Parton's Imagination Library statewide, and the children in California now have access to reading both English and Spanish translations of one of our greatest role models who cares deeply about everyone who Toni is a perfect example of.

She supported veterans and women, especially victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. And also, we all know that we serve side by her side. We are so proud that she is the only woman that has led both houses of the Legislature. The beautiful thing about my friend is that she leads with dignity and grace.

She has quite the strength and she doesn't have to flaunt it. It's very well understood and demands much respect when she just enters the room. Her collaborative spirit is what makes her incredibly successful, and it's evident by the fact that I'm here giving this speech today. But let me tell you something, she's benefited from knowing me too.

It's not one sided.

You would think that because she's prestigious and powerful in the positions she's held as Speaker and Senate Pro Tempore, she might have champagne tastes. But it's my husband that has proven to her that cracking open a cold beer or a cold Coors Light on a hot summer day, riding a side-by-side with Rick, while chasing Jen and I on horseback is a lot of fun too.

Also, she wears my clothes. Seriously, she has probably 20 of my dresses. I think our similar backgrounds really united us both growing up in poor families where our mamas were the backbone of the family and the role model of kindness and perseverance, never settling for the status quo, always pushing us to be our very best, I think bonded us together more than anything. She did make one big mistake in our relationship.

She connected me with her twin sister, Tina, a fellow veteran. Tina makes me look like a liberal. No joke. Tina makes me look like a liberal. And I can tell you that whenever Tina's in town, Toni is outvoted all, always two to one, hands down. That is a really good feeling coming from a conservative Republican.

The best thing about Toni is that she's open minded and always willing to work with those around her. Her empathy, humility, communication skills, and emotional intelligence propel her forward and drive her to be one of the most incredible leaders I've ever known.

Evident by the expectation that she has for all of us on this floor with her congeniality, because we represent the red carpet. I'm forever grateful to have served by your side in both the Assembly and the Senate. But more importantly, I'm forever grateful to call you my friend. And frankly, you and Jen are just damn good people.

I know we will miss you very much. But there are big things in store for you. And I leave you with one of my favorite scriptures. Be on your guard. Be on your guard. Stand firm in faith and be courageous and be strong. And always be you because you are the daughter of Betty Catherine Davis Atkins.

And that is something to have a legacy to follow. Colleagues, please join me in celebrating my friend, Toni Atkins.

Thank you, Senator Grove. Senator Atkins, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President. To my colleagues. To my colleague from Bakersfield. I'm pretty sure half of that should have been in the book, but that's great. And to my colleague from Stockton. Johnna didn't want that quilt. That's why I had it. So, I'm pretty sure we're cool. Thank you for those eloquent, eloquent remarks. I'm blown away.

you know, I thought today I told Jen, you don't need to come. It's just going to be a simple three-minute thing. And I really feel like I've had my 15 minutes of fame and there are so many people that deserve it. So, I'm going to take a minute and thank those folks.

But to my two colleagues that spoke today, you are dear friends. And yes, I love Rick and I love Emmy and Renee. And we will continue to be friends. Our time together has given us the ability to forge those relationships, and I am forever grateful.

As I say all the time, and you mimicked me yesterday perfectly. I've always been a we. I've never been a me. I am a twin. I played team sports. It is how I thrive best, which is working with each and every one of you.

And I am grateful for all that you've allowed me to do, to allow a little girl from Appalachia who didn't believe society or government was about me or for me to be able to be in this position and show people like me and families like ours. Because we all have stories.

You all have stories to show people in this state that government can be about them. And we can do good things despite our differences in how to do those things. And I believe that each and every one of you came to serve your constituents.

And that's what I remembered, because to the staff here who have served all of us so well, it really is always about the constituents. And if you remember that, we'll all go a long way together. I want to thank Jennifer for being here today.

24 years together, 24 plus, you know, 14 years in the Legislature, flying up every Monday, flying home, and then, of course, stepping into two leadership positions and realizing that I wouldn't necessarily always be home. And, you know, she is her own person. She is her own individual. She owns businesses. She's got stuff to do.

And thank you for being here today. Tuesday is her busiest day of the week. So, I am honored by your support, your love, your friendship, and all that you've helped me learn over the last 24 years together. Thank you, Jennifer.

You know, the we part, I have had incredible staff every step of the way the entire 14 years I've been here in the Assembly, in the Senate, and it's just amazing that many of them are here today.

I will never be able to thank you enough, and I can't look at you, although I really want to. Just know the work we've been able to do together on behalf of the constituents in my district in San Diego County. But, and I say this, I really like infrastructure. I think its, infrastructure is critical.

And I started calling the speaker staff and the PT staff the infrastructure staff. And then I realized they might not think that's a compliment, but incredible, incredible teams in both the Assembly and the Senate. I see you here today. You make each and every one of us look good. You do the work.

I mean, I just don't know how to thank you enough for everything that you've done for me to be able to do the job in leadership and for our constituents throughout the State of California. And it's also the staff in the Republican Caucus.

You know, we all expect a great deal out of all of you, and you deliver each and every time, each and every time. So, can we thank our incredible staffs who do this work? You know, I've had staff, you know, who come and do incredible things, and then they get other opportunities, and they move on.

And let me just tell you how you’ve passed the baton to the next Chief of Staff, the next Policy Director, or the next District Director. Each of you has professionally managed that transition, ensuring that your successor steps in and continues the work.

I am just so grateful to each and every one of you.

I think it was Diane who said we should all be stooped over me and Nick Hardeman and Diane, for how often we pat ourselves on the back for the fact that we found Erica Contreras and how wonderful it was to have her take this position, have all of you vote on her to become the Secretary of the Senate, especially as we approach those crises that my colleague from Bakersfield talked about.

You rose to every occasion you put together the team. I know that you are someone that, you know, really wants to give credit to all those that help you do that work.

And so, I can never thank you enough for what you've done in the Legislature to help us with the workplace conduct unit, to get that up and running, and your respect for each Member as we set the tone on this floor.

One of the greatest compliments you've given me, and others have, has been the tone of collegiality that we have set in the Senate. Regardless of political philosophy, we have some hard times and hard discussions, and out of this building we have some hard political battles.

But when we come here, most of the work we do together we agree upon. And when we don't, we make our case. But we leave. We work together on this floor, and we manage to figure it out and still be respectful to each other every step of the way. And I think that sets us apart.

I think it is a great model and example for others how you should conduct the business of the people, because we represent a very diverse group of people. And I don't just mean in terms of ethnic or gender. We represent different philosophies. Not everybody is a Democrat or Republican in this state.

There's a heck of a lot of declined estates and no party preferences and lots of others. So, we represent everyone well. I want to thank one of the first people I met when I was in the Assembly. My mentor, Chris Kehoe brought me over here and she was so excited to introduce me to Bernie.

She said, Bernie knows everything, and we've stated that again and again and again. And to Bernie and the floor team, we are so grateful. I know I'm still in the PT's end of session speech, but we can never thank the people that help us enough. The sergeants, Adrian and Michael, who have taken really good care of me.

Thank you so much. And to the extended all of the sergeants and Katrina, I want to thank you. In San Diego, I got some incredible retired annuitant CHP officers that are just incredible. And I do want to recognize my district staff, who are probably listening. Jason, all of you.

Pam has moved on, but to all of the district staff, I've had all these years, 14 years, you have allowed me to step into the speakership role and the pro tem-ship, knowing that you're taking care of the constituents at home, knowing that I'm going to be anxious if we don't have the business of my constituents being taken care of.

And to my colleague from Stockton, thank you for saying I do it with calmness and all those things. My staff know, my spouse knows that underneath all that is great anxiety.

And when I have a team like them and all of you, my leadership team, Mister PT, and all of you helping get the job done, then I'm calm and I relax because we got it. Together we got it.

And to those of you that gave me an opportunity, I mean all of you, for letting me do the position of pro tem, let me thank you. You helped me so much to grow and to learn and to see the different lens that each of us puts things through and how that's important and how it comes together.

I am going to take one moment of personal privilege. There are two people here today that voted for me to be speaker and pro tem. Mr. President, I want to thank you to my colleague from Berkeley. I think we're going to talk about the shoes outside of here to determine who, you know, who has more Fluevogs.

But Nancy, thank you. And there are a few others. Mister Portantino, I see you and of course my Republican colleagues, where we came in together, you were sort of drug along. You had to support me at one point because we had a majority, but you didn't, you didn't oppose me.

So, I take that as a win, and I move forward. So, I want to thank you for that graciousness. But to the colleagues that helped me see that I could do this and push me every step of the way, I want to give you a special thanks and of course to my dear, dear friend Susan.

You're all incredible. Thank you for this 10 minutes of fame. And I want to just make sure that everybody sees who deserves the 15 minutes of fame plus. And that is all the people in this room that help us do our jobs and that's our incredible staff.

Mister PT, thank you also for continuing to support me and it means the world to me, you and your staff. Thank you, Mister President.

Senator Atkins, thank you for your leadership. Next up for recognition will be Senator Dahle from District 1. Joining him today are his family, Assemblymember Megan Dahle, his son Chase Dahle, the eldest, Reagan Dahle Eggman.

Okay. And I forgot one more. Logan Hess, the fantastic Leg Director. I'll keep coming back, ask me to speak again. But right now I want to talk about my friend Brian Dahle. Brian and I came in together in 2012. We have spent these last 12 years together and instantly hit it off.

I think we saw in each other the same kind of trying to lead with common sense, trying to let people see your heart, don't think you're too smart, and not be afraid of hard work. When I first got here, one of the first things Brian did is invites everybody up.

And I was able to go and meet his lovely family more than once. I was invited into the Dahle home once during a forest fire when the women's caucus was out fly fishing, and all of a sudden there was a fire. Women's caucus had to evacuate out of that river and we couldn't go back down.

We had to go up. And so the Dahle's invited us to their home, opened their home, and we all had a giant sleepover. So thank you to those Dahle's and these here. I think some Members slept in teenage boys room. And it was kind of funny. Brian will tell you he didn't go to college, just a farmer.

But I'll tell you, there's not a smarter person on this floor than Brian Dahle because he's got a natural curiosity. He always wants to understand. He always wants to learn more, and he always wants to, if he can, be a friend. Brian Dahle is also a man of huge faith.

And he is the kind of guy who's a person of faith who. He doesn't tell you about it all the time. He never talks about it. He lives it. You see it. You see it in how he carries himself. You see it in how he loves his family. You see it in how he serves his constituents.

He lives the word of God. He lives the word of God to love the other and to love God and to love our land. Right? His family came here, as I was going to say, sharecroppers. That's Tony. No, they came here as homesteaders to get a stake of land.

And Brian has kept that dream alive with that stake of land. And I think we're all better and all understand farming a little bit more because he tells about us all the time. He's probably as famous for his floor speeches as I am, but in a different kind of way.

But it's that same thing, trying to make people understand. Rural California takes up almost the entire state, but they have the fewest representatives, and Brian has been a representative for those people.

I'm very proud that I get to speak for somebody who was going to be Governor and speak for somebody who was almost Governor because he took his love of California and agriculture and what he believed in and put it, took it on the road, went up and down this state, talking about California and the California of his dreams.

And we don't agree with each other on policy a lot, although sometimes we do, because we both believe that people need a shot, people need a fair playing field to be able to do their very best, and that hard work should pay off. I had an occasion a couple months ago.

People know my brother like Brian, tall, handsome, charming, all those things. But unlike Brian, I was at an event and there was two women there who said, zero, I knew. I know your brother, and I cringe and I say, I'm sorry.

And as I'm driving home, I think about how my brother and I are so aligned in politics. But sometimes our behaviors don't always mirror those things. And I thought about the perfect brother, and I thought about Brian, that we don't share the same politics, but I honor his values and his friendship and his courage.

When we got here together, it was a little bit. We were still in the before. It was before the hash metoo. So there was a lot of things that went on in the evening, and you get to see a lot.

When we first got here, I don't know if I ever said this to you, Megan, but, you know, I saw a person from across the street being friendly and. And I said, you know, and he was so horrified that anybody would even think, even think that he had looked outside his marriage.

He immediately changed everything about what could appear, what was not. But could a beard just be something that wasn't? Just the appearance of him straying from his family, from his commitment, from his values was so horrifying to him. I will never forget that. And I'll never forget you, my brother from the North State of Jefferson.

I love you, man.

Thank you, Senator Eggman. Next up, Republican leader Brian Jones.

Thank you, Mister President. And Members, I want to file an official complaint for whoever's assigned the speaking order that I never want to follow Senator Eggman ever again in a speech of any kind. She's had some powerful words this year on the floor, and thank you.

I'm very impressed that you did all that without notes and got through it. I'm going to try to do this with notes and still get through it. Members, it's an honor, of course, whenever you're asked to speak on somebody's behalf and recognize the importance that they are to you.

Professionally, of course, is always a big deal, but personally is even a bigger deal. And Brian is a big deal in my life and my family's life. But the reason he's a big deal is because of his family supporting him and helping him be a big deal.

I mean, first off, anybody named Brian's got to be a pretty cool dude in the first place.

But as some of you may remember, Brian is the founding Member, one of the founding Members of the Brian caucus, which was a big deal when we were in the Assembly, because nearly 20% of the Assembly Republicans at the time were named Brian. And so we thought we were kind of hot shots by starting the Brian caucus.

But Brian has attacked, tackled many issues over the years. And one of the things that impressed me immediately when Brian got elected in 2012, and for those of you that will remember this, the class of 2010, which poet him emeritus myself, Senator Grove, I think, are the only ones here that Nancy was here at that time.

But those of us that got elected in 2010 had a particular type of attitude when we got here. And the class of 2012 got elected and came in, I think can honestly say a better attitude. Wanting to get things done, wanting to work, to be collaborative.

And Brian was one of the first Republicans that I got to watch work in that manner. And immediately I coined the phrase the Democrat whisperer because Brian was able to build relationships across the aisle that many of us had tried and struggled to do, but actually came in.

And he set the example of how to do that, how to stay true to your principles, true to your policies, true to your faith, but at the same time, find a way to be effective and make a difference, not just for his district, but for the entire state. I think Brian did that.

Just a few of the issues that Brian worked on are rural broadband, agriculture, healthcare, water, transportation, water and transportation, wildfire prevention, energy. And the list goes on and on. Not a single one of those is a softball. Every single one of them big, important issues that Brian championed and took on.

He represents, I think, the largest Senate district in the state. He has dozens of counties covering a massive amount of California, ranging from happy camp to Goose Lake to peaceful pines to nearby Folsom, from Rockland to Whitney Ranch, and every point in between.

He has served as constituent, proudly, for five years in the Senate and seven years in the Assembly. Before that, he was elected to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors and reelected three times as we all know, Brian began as a state. Being a state Legislator can be a tough job. Serving in local government is really tough.

And Brian Dahle did it for 16 years before joining us here in Sacramento to help us fix California. Senator Dahle, as we all know, is a big supporter of FFA, future farmers of America. And I'm sure that there's lots of good stories about him supporting young farmers and young ranchers and state fairs and things like that.

And he had lots of great headlines when he was running for Governor. I think there's one, a couple of stories that were told while he was Governor in headlines he would have rather done without when it was dealing with supporting future young folks coming up in the farming. I'll let you all look that up for yourselves.

We all know he strongly supports 4-H, which is, if I have this in the right order, head, heart, hands, and health. But Senator Dahle is also a supporter of the four f's. Yes, the four f's.

Faith, as Senator Egmond rightly pointed out very clearly, he serves God and demonstrates every day his unwavering support for the right of all others to believe and practice their own faith in religion. And when I think of Brian in my personal life, I think of proverbs 20717.

As iron sharpens an iron, a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. And I think I can say I know for myself, but I think for both of us that there has been many times that as iron has sharpened, ironed, we have strengthened, sharpened the countenance of each other, sometimes in agreement.

But that sharpness comes in disagreement when you can work them out, speak it out, talk it out, walk it out, and at the end of that experience, come to an agreement and work together to make the world a better place.

Family of which Brian strongly loves, who are all here today and are the backbone of Brian's life and his service, not here in the state, but his entire life, his hard working staff.

You know, one of the things I believe, after being here for as many years as I've been, that you can, how you judge, fellow Member of the Legislature or any person actually, is their relationship with their staff.

And if you watch Brian's staff from the moment he got here to the moment that he's leaving, he has some of the hardest working, most loyal, I believe some of them, if they had to, would walk through snow from the Capitol to beaver for him if there was a task that needed to be done and they knew it was for the better good, freedom.

Nobody can make a more persuasive argument than Brian Dahle for the absolute need to protect freedom for Americans, particularly the plight of family farmers and small business owners. His heart and thoughts are always with the struggling small businesses and disappearing family farmers. Thank you for those impassioned pleas on this floor that I know has moved votes.

I know it has. Maybe not on the floor every single time, but I know in Committee and I know behind the scenes and I know as Members are talking to folks at different events, your impassioned pleas have made a difference and they will continue to make a difference. Now be part of your legacy.

The fourth f is for friendship. There's no better friend to have than Brian Dahle. History thick and thin for his friends, which know no boundaries, including politics.

And ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I would implore you to look at the example of Senator Dahle and Senator Eggman, Senator Grove and Senator Atkins as the example that we should all aspire to of having a friendship that is meaningful in this building. And not just in this building.

But those friendships have an impact and an everlasting legacy on the future of California from this day moving forward. It is a personal goal of mine to build those kind of relationships and follow that example from my friends. He is literally the poster person for agree to disagree, but don't be disagreeable.

Brian, Megan and their family have hosted over 140 legislators from both parties to their house in Bieber, California. Where is Bieber, California? I mean, who ever heard of Bieber, California? I talked to people in my district about Justin Bieber. Why does Justin Bieber have a town in California, 300 people?

217.

217. And my family has stayed in those teenage bedrooms also. One of the things I pride in my kids is all three of my kids know how to drive a stick shift. I had the privilege of teaching my older two. He had the privilege of teaching my youngest one how to drive his big f.

No, it's a big dodge, which is totally different than driving a small little jeep. He was and still is like a child on Christmas morning when he's about to finalize a bipartisan agreement on something by working across the aisle for the common good.

When Brian Dahle wasn't working for California in his district and Committee are on this floor, he was hosting wild game feeds or his annual peach distribution, which we got to enjoy yesterday. As a former, one of the former leaders in our caucus, Brian has been a source of much wisdom and advice, which I singularly appreciate.

And part of that ironing, sharpening iron in 2022. As we've already heard, Brian stepped up and carried the Republican flag in the race for Governor against a well funded incumbent. Many of you may not know this, though.

Bryan carried a majority of counties, 33 out of 58, and won more Senate seats and more congressional seats than the Members running in those seats. So he set the example for Republicans on how to win over 40% of voters. Four out of 10 Californians throughout the state wanted him to be Governor back in November 2022.

And I'll just take a guess here that there's probably even more that would like for him to be Governor today. I'll just leave it at that.

Senator Dahle, I'm going to miss you. You are a brother. You're my older brother. And I've always needed an older brother. And you just ask my mom. And I know that our friendship is going to last the time. And when we both depart from here, our friendship is genuine and real and will continue.

And I'll look forward to hosting you down in my district at my home at some point in time. The difference between my district and his district is there's lots of cool places to stay in my district. The only cool place to stay in his district is his house. So, Members, I'm really going to miss Senator Dahle.

But we have a new Senator Dahle coming in in December, I believe. And the new Dahle will even be better than the old Dahle when she gets here. Ladies and gentlemen, please help me thank Senator Dahle for his service to our state. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Senator Jones. Senator Dahle, the floor is yours.

Well, thank you, Mister President, my friends, for speaking. First, I want to. And foremost, I want to. I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to serve the north state for the past 12 years. I am deeply humbled. And then I want to talk about Megan.

You're the best thing that ever happened to me in my life. I love you so much. Thanks for saying yes to me. Thanks for being a great mom. Thanks for being a great assemblywoman. Thanks for everything that you've done for my life and for my family and our future. You are the rock.

And I could not do, make, do anything without you. So, thank you so much for being my partner for life. And I want to just go away from my notes because I want to. I want to say something about Senator Eggman right at this point, because a true friend will challenge you and question you.

And Senator Eggman. I went out and had some beers with an environmental friend of ours. She's our friend. And Susan heard about it and thought something was up. And she called me out on it. And we were walking down the street. I'll never forget it.

And it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me because I made a rule that day that nothing good after 1030 at night happens. And I would go home at 10:30 because I don't want that perception. But it took a good friend to tell me, hey, this is the perception.

And so, Susan, I told my son about that the other night when I was talking about you. So, I just want to take a little sidebar. And now I want to. Megan, I love you. You're the rock. Chase, you were 12 years old when we started and you're 24 today. You have stepped up to be a man.

I am so proud of you. You are running our business; you're running our farm. You're taking on the generations of Dahles that will hopefully still be on that land. And I appreciate you so much. You are unbelievably a wonderful human being.

Reagan, one year of your life, you substituted to run for Governor for me and spent the whole time on the campaign trail with me. And I love you so much. And you're going to be in this game someday, I believe.

I don't know how you're going to do that, but I believe you'll be part of this process because you need to be, quite frankly. And you'll be a thousand times better than I am. Now Ros, 12 years ago we were at Chicory, walking across the street.

You were three, and I was holding your hand, and you said to me, daddy, is that your castle? And I said, yes, it's where I'm going to go to work. Here you are now a woman. I don't know how many thousands, tens of thousands of miles you've ridden in a car back and forth to Bieber.

And you are wiser than your years. I'm sorry that there was times when you had to deal with your dad running for Governor and having to put up with that at school and ridiculed and all the things. But you're better for it. You'll live through it. And you're awesome.

I can't wait to see the rest of your story, all three of you, your stories and your history, and the chapters that you'll do in this great state. So, thank you, guys. I love you so much. Now to the staff. Bernie. Erica. Erica, I have something for you. It's our inside joke.

I want to thank you so much for making us all look so good and doing the hard work behind the scenes. The sergeants, the committee consultants that have that make us so much better, that I built relationships with. And I gave a speech on the budget, and they were back in the back, and they were teared up.

They were teared up and they said, Brian, we're going to miss you. And I'm like, I'm going to miss you more and I'm going to miss the fight. So, the committee consultants, the Republican Caucus Team and the Dahle Team, I see. I'm not going to name them off because nobody's specialer than anybody else.

They're all amazing to my district staff who's traveled tens of thousands of miles in this giant district to go serve somebody, to my staff, helping other Members through the EDD process, every one of you is so special to me. I love you so much. You've been amazing.

And to the staff that I don't have working for me now that work for other Members, it's amazing how many. Senator Nguyen has a Chief of Staff that came from my office. My wife has a Chief of Staff that came from.

I can just tell you there's many people that worked in my office, and I love you all, and I'm so proud to see you grow, and I expect you to continue to do that.

Now, to my employees at home, I don't know where the camera's at, but, and my neighbors for harvesting my crops, for taking care of my business. Lester Shepherd, I love you. You run my business better than I could. They're wonderful people. And to the people in my little town of Beiber that said, yes, you can do it.

We are behind you. Go to the state. We will take care of your land; we will take care of your family. All those amazing people. I want to just say thank you so much. I could not have done it. I could not run my business and be here, and they did it for me.

Now, I want to just take a second to give you a little bit about why I love California so much and why this place is so important. My grandfather, during the Great Depression, came to California looking for a job. He was the second youngest of 13 kids, and he was a machinist.

He got shot in the war, World War I, and he went to LA, could not find a job, and he ended up up north. He had an uncle in Shasta County that he went to visit, and his uncle told him, you need to go to Siskiyou County. They're giving out land grants for veterans.

And he went and put his name in a pickle jar, and they drew his name out and we got an 80-acre homestead 94 years ago. And California has been great to the Dahles and the Californians. And he said, this is the promised land. This is the place. He was Mormon.

The Mormons were in Utah, and he said they missed it. They should have been in California. And so, when you till the land and you think about the next generation, that was my grandfather and my dad and now me and now Chase are going to tend that land. So, it's about the next generation.

It is why I do what I do, because I want a future for my kids. I want a future for your kids. And I want a future for this state. It's amazing. It's an amazing state. It's been a great run to be able to serve with all of you.

I thank you for coming to my district and understanding and thank you for taking me to your districts and understanding and telling me your stories. I think at the end of the day, we need more. The relationships that we've built and learning. Try to walk in someone else's shoes before you judge what they do.

Because when you do, you'll understand a lot more about them. I've learned so much from all of you. I talked about it with Senator Bradford. I've learned. I've learned different ways of life, different cultures. And that weighs in on how this awesome state is. It is a melting pot like no other. It's also.

It has a lot to offer, and we need, there's, there's obviously challenge. But I want to just say to all of you and my family and my district and my staff, I love you all. I want. The term is up, but the work, the work still needs to be done.

And I will be doing some work in the. In making this state a great state. So thank you all. I appreciate it.

Congratulations Senator Dahle, for your service. Thank you. Next up for recognition is Senator Roth from the 31st district. Joining him today is his lovely wife, Cindy Roth. Let's give her a round of applause. Say welcome to the California State Senate. And first up to recognize Senator Roth is Senator Atkins.

Thank you, Mister President. I am just so incredibly honored to get to speak and pay tribute to the General. To Senator Richard Roth. Earlier this month, the world's attention was on the Olympics in Paris, France. Also, earlier this month, Senator Richard Roth's attention was on the senior center in Paris, California.

Because whether it's seniors in Paris or businesses in Moreno Valley, students at UC Riverside, mobile homeowners in Jurupa Valley, or healthcare educators and providers up and down the Inland Empire, Senator Roth always puts the people of his district first. Senator, our districts, like unfortunately so many others, are no strangers to the devastation of wildfires.

And I have to acknowledge as we honor you today, your support for fire victims and survivors, for the first responders in your district, including those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in protecting others. Senator Roth has not only been there for his district, he's also made sure to bring the district here to the Capitol in Sacramento.

Now, my scheduler, Grace tells me we've processed more than 2300 invitations every year when I was pro tem, and that's not counting the non-state requests. A few of those invitations were known as immediate must-dos and went to the top of the yes pile.

And thanks to Senator Roth, the Riverside Monday Morning Group was one of them. I learned so much about Riverside County because of those meetings, and I want to thank you for that. Senator, I don't think I missed one, and I think that holds true for my predecessor and my successor as well.

Although to be fair, I think Cindy may have had been the one to be more persuasive as you in driving our attendance. Thank you. So, speaking of Cindy, it was so great to see you, Cindy, and your granddaughters, Paige and Parker here earlier this summer.

Some of the best stories from the General were when he was able to leave and go visit the granddaughters. And so, we also share a love of other parts of the country and found that we ended up in the strangest of places at times, Lima, Ohio, parts of Florida.

Sharing those stories and those histories was always really a wonderful thing. I get the feeling now that you are going to be spending more time closer to home in another role, in another capacity, which we think is wonderful, representing your community.

And it might be Papa who has to learn to take orders, General, as opposed to giving them, you know, on a personal, more personal note, I will never forget your reaching out to me when I became the speaker, and you were here in the Senate coming in and talking to me and welcomed me then to the Senate.

Your friendship, your reaching out to me early on has meant the world to me. I appreciate your service to country. I appreciate your service to California. I appreciate your approach to issues. And, you know, a lot of us on this floor, we, you know, some of us get up and talk on issues a little more than others.

But I guarantee you when the General gets up to speak, everybody listens because he speaks when he needs to, when it's critically important. And many times, we get up to speak and you know how it's going to go. It's predetermined. We all know how we feel.

But I have to say, of all the folks on this floor, and there are some incredible colleagues here and orators and speakers, but when the General gets up, he speaks plainly. He puts it simply. He's brief, he's concise, and he sits down.

And then you, you know, it is upon us to listen to the words of wisdom uttered by the General. I have been honored, sir, to serve with you. I thank you for your friendship. I thank you for your counsel.

I thank you for being willing to take the helm of some committees when I had to convince you to do this. And you reminded me each and every time, I am here to do A, B, and C. Now, if what you want me to do aligns with A, B, and C, I am here to serve.

Thank you so much for your service. We are all better because of your counsel, of your service. And I can't wait to see you tackling things back home at the local level. General Roth.

Thank you, Senator Atkins. Next up is President Pro Tem McGuire.

Thank you so much, Mister President. Honored to be able to stand today, Members. Every time the Senate meets, we do so under a motto inspired by ancient Rome, which also had a pretty good Senate as well. Ancient Rome had a practice that we follow right here in California.

That practice is, at times, they sent their wisest generals to the Senate. And California is so lucky that they sent such an accomplished military man, a general, to the California State Senate. We are so grateful to be able to honor Senator Roth today. He's a friend and a colleague. And no one.

No one has done more for Riverside than Senator Richard Roth. He is always loyal. He's never afraid to tackle the tough issues. Speaking of tough, he is tough as nails. He is the person that you want by your side in the darkest of days. Senator Roth has brought discipline, focus, and organization to his leadership in the Senate.

The same that he displayed wearing a uniform, representing the United States of America. And his leadership and care for people of the Inland Empire and the people of California has been nothing less than tremendous. Senator Roth represents an area that is growing in population, industry, and influence.

And he has been right there every step of the way, moving the Inland Empire into the future. This is his mission. Always. And let's be clear. The Inland Empire is going to be forever healthier because of his work.

You know, Senator Roth is doing amazing job helping solve the nursing shortage in our state, which he's done in a bipartisan approach.

He's been a champion for UC Riverside, helping it grow from one of the newest campuses in the UC system to now one of the best and brightest, but will continue to benefit our region and our state for decades to come. Next year is a special year for General Roth and for our state.

2025 will be the golden anniversary of a young man named Richard Roth, who originally entered active duty in the United States Air Force a half-century ago. His choice to serve the people of the Golden State in the United States of America for half a century is a gift. It is a gift for all of us.

And, Senator, it is a gift for Riverside County. You are truly one of the best. You're kind, you're thoughtful, and you're always people driven. We are so happy that Cindy is here. You're an amazing grandpa. We are going to miss you.

And we know that the best days, what Senator Roth does for this state and for the Inland Empire is still ahead. Can we please give it up loud and proud for the one, the only, General Senator Richard Roth?

Thank you, Mister PT. General Roth, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President, Mister Pro Tem, and Madam Pro Tem Amerita. Thank you for those kind remarks. As you know, I tried not to speak today, but I guess it's now my turn.

You know, a few weeks ago, I was sitting at home watching the Paris Olympics, the incredible performance of those Olympians, both from this country and other countries. And I wondered what it would be like to be on an Olympic team. Ever wonder that?

Yesterday I was sitting on this floor, and I was watching the recognitions, and I was thinking about my service with you on the red carpet. And it suddenly dawned on me that for 12 years I've been surrounded by a team of Olympians. Different type, policy Olympians, but Olympians, nonetheless.

You know, when I first came up here in 2012, never having served as an elected official before, I didn't know what I was going to get. I didn't know whether it was Forrest Gump's proverbial box of chocolates or something else.

But what I found was a group of the brightest, hardest working, most focused, most principled individuals that I have ever worked with in any of the careers that I've had in, as the Pro Tem said, my rather long years on this earth. Absolutely, absolutely incredible.

And you accepted me for what I was and am, and you and your predecessors accepted me for where I come from. And you allowed me to join this very, very special Senate team.

And since that time, I've watched this Senate team shoot for the gold, time after time, on both sides of the aisle, more often than not hitting the mark. And I have to tell you that I am very, very, very proud to call myself your teammate.

You know, since I got here, I've tried to work very hard, frankly, just to keep up with you. And I hope I've made a difference. I guess I'll leave that for someone else to judge. But I do know this. You made a huge difference in my life and the individuals that I represent. You've changed our lives.

When I. Before I came up here, actually, I told some of you this before. Our high school graduation rate in Riverside County was about 78%, and our college-going rate was lower. Frankly, much lower than that. We didn't have enough doctors. We didn't have enough nurses. We didn't have enough allied health professionals.

We didn't have enough clinics, and we didn't have a medical school. And about 21% of the people where I come from didn't have any health insurance at all. Any health insurance at all. We were under resourced and underserved, and frankly, I don't think anybody cared.

At least that was our perception until you all and your predecessors took notice. Today in Riverside County, our high school graduation rate is well above 90%, and our college-going rate isn't far behind. Less than 7% of the individuals where I come from lack health insurance now.

And some of that is because they choose not to have it. We have more doctors, we have more nurses, we have more allied health professionals, we have more clinics, and we actually have medical schools, plural, where I come from.

Cindy and I will be going home to a much, much better place, thanks to you and the amazing, amazing Senate staff we have in this building.

And speaking of staff, I guess I should give some thanks to Madam Secretary and to Bernie and the desk staff and all the staff in this building, and the staff in the O Street Building. I want to thank you for guiding me and allowing me to survive and thrive, for the most part in this environment.

To my capitol office staff and my district staff, I want to thank you for the hard work and the diligence. I want to thank you for having my back. And frankly, I want to thank you for putting up with me. And to my committee staff.

You know, if you've been here long enough, you get to chair committees, and I've chaired about six of them, policy committees and budget subcommittees, over my time here. And to each of you committee staffers, I just want to say you're awesome.

And for every day that you thought was your worst day and your worst performance, I have to tell you, in all the careers I've had, it's the best I've ever had. And, you know, you've recognized Cindy. Hopefully, you've all met her.

She's the one who made me get up every day, pack up, get on the airplane, and come back to you whether or not I wanted to or not. She's had my back for decades and I owe her a lot. I love you, sweetie. We're going home soon.

It's been an honor and a privilege to serve with each and every one of you on this red carpet. Obviously, the privilege will end soon, but the honor will remain with me for the rest of my life. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you for your service. Senator Roth. Last but not least, it is now the dean of Napa, Senator Dodd, and he'll be first recognized by Senator Caballero.

Thank you, Mister President. Members, it's my distinct pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to a really dear friend, colleague, gentleman, and a connoisseur of fine living, the one and only Senator William Harold Dodd, representing Napa Valley and the northern San Francisco Bay Area. Senator Bill Dodd is a homeboy, if you will.

He's a fifth-generation Californian and he was born and raised on a small family farm in Napa Valley. His roots in the valley go deep and he carries a special love for that valley. He's a wildcat from Chico State. None of that will surprise you.

Where he graduated and then settled back in Napa, where he started his own business. Senator Dodd became the original Culligan man. For those of you of a special generation that remember that commercial.

Senator Bill Dodd started his 25-year political career as a supervisor on the Napa County Board of Supervisors, and he was so popular that he was elected four times.

After that, he spent two years in the Assembly before he arrived here in the State Senate, where he has served with distinction for eight years during some of the most difficult, dangerous, and devastating years in his district.

We will never forget the wildfires that ravaged communities, required evacuations, where families lost all of their possessions, vineyards and tens of thousands of acres of grapes were destroyed, which caused economic disaster on top of the lives lost in the fires.

Afterwards, during the recovery process, when the reality of the fire damage became apparent, the region endured destroyed water systems, cleanup of contaminated soil which required remediation, temporary electrical shutdowns which affected businesses and residents, and compounding the problem delays in insurance claim and subsequently the hardship of being able to obtain fire insurance.

In the middle of this process, the Napa Valley received excess rain, which caused flooding. And for a rural community, water is the lifeblood and now godsend. But it's a hardship when water comes flooding in after a fire. The true test of character of a legislator is what they do when things get tough.

Senator Bill Dodd jumped into action. He worked on issues critical to his district and to our state. Insurance reform, disaster relief, planned power outages, residential property insurance, flood control, wildfire forecasts, natural disaster insurance, defensive space.

All of those are familiar to us because Senator Bill Dodd made it his mission to make sure we understood how important these were to his district because the fires didn't stay contained to his district only, they have ravaged the state.

But Senator Dodd was at the forefront of making sure that we were taking care systematically of some of these issues. He worked on them and invited all of us to come along and join him in a tour of his district to see how recovery was coming along.

And those of you that went along on those tours, remember how hard he worked, how he knew everybody on the front line, and how important it was to his soul that we really take care of his district.

Senator Dodd is a compassionate, caring, and considerate leader who makes everyone feel comfortable, although we also ask tough questions and doesn't tolerate any BS. He has authored 114 bills in the eight years that he's been here in many different policy areas, including farmworker housing, Williamson Act, elder independent adult, student, nutrition and agriculture.

While in the Senate, Senator Dodd has served as a Chairman of the Senate Government Organization Committee for the past seven years.

A perfect committee for a gentleman and a scholar like Senator Dodd, because he has dived in with class and gusto into all of the arcane details of the various industries which encompass the committee's jurisdiction, alcohol, gambling, and cannabis. And you know, he's been a passionate advocate of all three.

And you know what his opinion is on these issues as well. Senator Dodd has always graciously served as a bipartisan host for all the senators. And so, if you didn't take advantage of this invitation, my friends, you missed it.

He has invited us to intimate gatherings in his office, to his home, taking trips out to Napa Valley, in order to learn and taste every aspect of his district. They've been fabulous. Bill, we've loved it.

We hope you keep doing it because we get an opportunity to see a part of Napa that no one else gets to see, private wineries that make some of the best wines in the world quite frankly. Senator Dodd has also been a great travel companion.

My husband Juan and I have really enjoyed traveling with Senator Dodd and his wife Mary on several delegations, most notably on a study trip to Denmark. A lot of fun.

In Denmark, we immersed ourselves in learning about their climate change solution, which include offshore wind, eliminating trash through paralysis, and generating radiant heat using biofuels, all things that are important to their survival as a green country.

On those trips, Senator Dodd greatly represented this institution with, with distinction and helped to build bridges with other nations, to create an exchange of ideas, solutions, and partnerships.

And on the floor and in committee, I will miss Senator Dodd's incisive questions and comments, along with his sharp wit, and there's no doubt that we will all remember what a Dodd aye meant.

Senator Dodd's character, good chair, and hard work on behalf of his district has helped to bring this institution closer in a manner that helps us perform our work while not alienating anyone. His wit, sense of decorum, and ability to bring people together has greatly supported our work and will be part of his legacy.

Finally, I will say that I am grateful and enjoy the privilege of a great friendship with Senator Bill Dodd and will continue to count on his counsel, sense of humor, policy expertise, and love of life. We love you, Bill.

Thank you, Senator Caballero. Next up is President Pro Tem McGuire.

Thank you so much, Mister President and Members. I rise today to send off one of our colleagues who has walked these halls with thunder for the past decade. You know, Bill Dodd is someone who I consider not just a colleague or a neighbor. I consider him a friend.

Napa County has been so incredibly, so incredibly lucky to have his stewardship over the past 25 years that he's dedicated his life to public service, first on the Napa County Board of Supervisors, the State Assembly, and of course, here in the California State Senate. The Senator for Napa and I have a lot in common.

We both grew up in the country, out on farms. We are die-hard lifelong Giants fans. And I do apologize to Senator Durazo. We have worked together, sharing both Lake and Sonoma counties for our entire tenure here in the Legislature, and I'm going to get a little choked up, and I apologize. We have.

We also share the scars from multiple wildfires that have ripped through our communities and candidly burn entire communities down, the Valley Fire in 2015, the Tubbs Fire that destroyed 6,300 homes, and multiple wildfires in between.

And in the middle of such devastation, you learn who you can count on, who will shine in our darkest moments, who will have the back of those who need it most in one of their most trying times in life. And that's Senator Bill Dodd.

He has proved to be the source of resilience and hope for thousands who lost everything, saw his tenacious work firsthand on the ground in the North Bay time and time again.

He and his team were relentless for the community, ensuring that no need, no need met that was not met from emergency shelter, ensuring that homeowners got the insurance settlements due to them, fighting unscrupulous contractors, taking on greedy utilities, and never, never backing down for the people that he proudly worked for in his Senate district.

You know, Bill Dodd is fiercely loyal. He's collaborative, he's a fighter, and he's successful because the job that he does is so incredibly personal to him. He wants to be able to leave this earth better than the way he found it. He wants to improve his hometown and build a better Northern California for decades to come.

And there is no doubt, as we heard from Senator Caballero, that the Senator has been incredibly productive. In his 10 years, 10 years here, you heard he's authored more than 100 bills, one of the most prolific in the California Legislature. And the reason being is he knows how to build bridges, build consensus, and get the job done.

I want to take a moment to say thank you, Senator. It has been an absolute privilege to be able to work with you and what we can say today because of your leadership, California is safer, stronger, more resilient, and all of us can get cocktails to our door thanks to the leadership of Bill Dodd.

I want to end it right here. You know, Bill Dodd is loyal, but he has some of the most loyal staff on earth. They have been with him his entire time in the Legislature. He's a proud papa, a proud granddad of 13, and a proud husband to Mary.

I think we need to take a moment and say thank you, Senator Dodd, for your incredible work on behalf of California. Can we please give a warm Senate thank you?

Senator Dodd, the floor is yours.

God, my time is finally here. Well, first of all, I am entirely honored by the comments from my colleagues from Merced. Thank you very, very much. And from our President Pro Tem, or should I say today, Governor McGuire. Thank you. You've been a great friend in local government and state government.

Just really appreciate your friendship over the years. You know, being a senator is one of the greatest honors of my life. The opportunity to be able to work here on this red carpet with each and every one of you is an unparalleled time in my life.

But candidly, it's bittersweet at this moment as I look at the end of this road, so to speak. But over the last 10 years, if you've heard, we've contended with some pretty unbelievable issues, from wildfire to the pandemic.

And while we're on the pandemic and for so many other reasons, I want to thank this great staff that we've had and what they've been able to do to lead us through all these different things and their ability to think on their feet and react quickly as they did that one dark night as we all were in here.

I say we because like it or not, this is a team sport. We're all on the same team because we're all working for our mutual constituents in our districts and the great State of California and of course, our staff. What can I say? You heard a little bit about my staff. I am so incredibly proud.

And I try to tell them all the time. We have quarterly meetings every six months, and I try to let them know, but I don't think we ever really do enough to let our staff know about how awesome they really are.

They come to work every single day, not only to make a difference in our district, to make a difference in this great State of California. Many have been with me my entire career. As you heard the pro tem say. Ezra Shaban, Leslie Span, Marisol Prieto-Valle. I can finally pronounce your name, Marisol.

Tom Barti, Logan Pitts, and Ron Turner have been with me for all 10 years. Just incredible team. My GO team. We know if you're a chairman or chairwoman in this house, you know when you get a lot of bills, there are just a lot of different factors.

And I've had a team that has stood tall during the entire seven years that I've been chair of this Committee, and they've streamlined it for me, and I just appreciate them more than I know they know. And thanks to my district staff for tirelessly doing the work. Many of us forget about how important constituent casework is.

We don't talk about constituent casework much up here in the Capitol because they're doing the heavy lifting in constituent case work back home. And I have been absolutely amazed at the work that they do. Solving problems for our constituents that make a big difference in our constituents life. And sometimes it totally amazes me.

I think, oh, my God, how are we going to get this done in any quick timeframe? But, you know, they do it because they're smart. They come to work with that in mind, that they're going to make a difference.

I didn't start in the Legislature thinking that I was going to be a leader in wildfire issues, but it started almost immediately, as the pro tem said in 2015 with the wildfires in Lake County 2017, that burned my entire district, hitting it very, very hard.

But I've also tried to tackle other issues that need attention, from privacy and consumer protection to water resources and senior issues. And I think it was mentioned about the cocktails to-go. You know what? We got more publicity out of that Bill than probably we deserve.

But during COVID that was a really particularly important issue for all of our constituents. But what unites us here in this great Senate is greater than what divides us I truly believe in our ability to meet the moment and overcome our challenges.

So, my advice to the incoming class of legislators is to talk and work together and to remember, and we could all remember this, hopefully, that rarely is there an issue that is truly black and white.

We need to recognize our problems, but we can't forget that the Golden State is still the greatest place to live and work and raise a family. And I feel blessed to have been here my entire life and I will continue to live here the rest of my life. You all have made a difference in my career.

I consider you all friends. I want to take this opportunity at this point in time to remember my family, that you had an opportunity to meet on this floor back in June. And when we were on family vacation this summer, they said, papa, I couldn't believe it.

All these senators were there smiling from ear to ear and they were just so happy. It seemed like to see us. And so, you made a difference in their lives. And I'd like to thank my wife Mary and my five kids and the 13 grandkids because, you know, this is not just me.

You've all met, missed pivotal moments in your families, in your extended families, because you had business to do up here. And I respect all of you for that. We've all done it. But I want to thank my family for just hanging in there with me for just a mere 25 years of this.

But although I will be retiring from elected politics, I'm not going away. I think there's another chapter somewhere somehow. But by and large, it will be making the communities that I live in and serve better for the State of California and my district.

Thank you to all of you and the extended Senate staff everywhere throughout this great body. Thank you all very, very much.

Thank you for your service, Senator Dodd. And let's say thank you to all 11 outgoing Members. We appreciate your service to the State of California. It's much appreciated. Members, we will now break for 30 minutes for lunch. We ask that you please stay in the building.

We have over 70 bills that we want to get done after lunch, so we need to start back on time. So, thank you. And we're going to ask all the retiring outgoing Members to come forward for a group photo.

Once again, we want all of our outgoing Members right now before you leave the floor, Senator Atkins for a group photo. Senator Roth, Brian, Dahle.

The following bills are referred to Committee on SB 691. Senator Cortese, for what purpose?

Motions and resolutions. Mister President, I'd like to pull AB 871 from the inactive file so that it can be amended.

The depths will note anything else under motions, resolutions. Seeing no microphones. We're now moving on to consideration of the daily file. Second reading file items one through 43. Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 863 with amendments 2427. Amendments 20514 with amendments 2091. With amendments 2465. With amendments 2343-2533-3184-2875116830-242-19823183177-3281313.

2nd reading will be deemed read. Now we're moving to Assembly. Third reading. We're starting with file item 82. Senator Atkins, she's prepared. Secretary, you may read a Selma Bill 2546 by Selma Member Rendon.

An act relating to law enforcement agencies.

Senator Atkins, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President. Colleagues, AB 2546 broadens the definition of military weapon for the purposes of state law that requires law enforcement to engage in a public approval process before acquiring such weapons. The current definition of military weapons uses brand names for some of these weapons, including acoustic weapons.

This Bill instead uses generic terms for those weapons, thus ensuring all military weapons are subject to the same good public process during the acquisition. This was looked overlooked before, created a loophole and a problem. This Bill attempts to correct that. Ask for your aye support. Thank you.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing seeing none. Secretary call the role.

[Roll Call]

Secretary please call the absent members.

[Absent Roll Call]

Ayes 32, Noes four the measure is adopted. Now we're moving on to file item 85 by Senator Dodd.

Secretary, you may read Assembly Bill 1778 by assemblymember Connolly and accurately into vehicles. Senator Dodd, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President. Members, I rise today on behalf of Assembly Member connally to present AB 1778. This Bill would authorize Marin county and its cities to establish a voluntary pilot program prohibiting individuals under the age of 16 from operating class two electric bicycles.

Our priority is to strike a balance between encouraging the use of sustainable transportation and ensuring the safety of our community Members, particularly our young writers. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing none, please call the roll on file item 85.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 38, noes zero. The measure passes now. Members were moving on to file item 86 by Senator Cortese. He is prepared.

Secretary, you may read Assembly Bill 1904 by Assemblymember Ward and Accolade Into Vehicles. Senator Cortese.

Good afternoon, Mister President. Senators AB 1904 would grant transit agencies with the authority to equip transit buses with a flashing led yield right of way sign on the left rear of the bus, provided the transit agency's governing board approves a resolution to adopt such signage.

This authority would reduce traffic delays experienced by transit buses when attempting to re enter traffic and facilitate safer reentry, allowing operators to provide more timely services. The Bill has no formal opposition as received by partisan support. I respectfully ask for your I vote.

Any further discussion or debate? Hearing. Seeing none, please call the roll on file item 86.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Ayes 31 no is eight. The measure passes now. Members are moving on to file item 86. Devon Senator Allen, he's prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 761 by Assemblymember Friedman. An act relating to local finance.

Senator Allen.

Thank you, Mister President and members. LA Metro is in the middle of one of the largest regional transit expansion programs in the nation, with the K line project that will connect four major rail lines and six of the highest ridership bus lines in LA County.

Metro and Los Angeles area cities are exploring the utilization of enhanced infrastructure financing districts. EIFDs to support the project.

Under current law, EIFDs may collect tax increment for up to 45 years from the date of the first bond issuance, but because of the relatively slow appreciation in property values, in many cases, it may take 10 to 15 years before revenues are significant enough to borrow against or begin paying down debt.

The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act also extended the length of the federal Transportation Infrastructure, Finance and Innovation act, the TIFIA loans, to 75 years.

So this Bill will extend EIFDs to 75 years to align with the federal TIFIA loans, allowing local jurisdictions to take full advantage of the flexible terms of a federal loan and Fund much needed transit projects that support all of our goals. With that, I respect for ask for an vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll on file item 87.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent members.

Ayes 39 knows zero. The measure passes. Now, Members, we're moving on to file item 88. Senator Becker, are you prepared? He is. Secretary,

[Absent Roll Call]

[Absent Roll Call]

Alright. Please call the Absent Members.

You may read Assembly Bill 2967. By some amendment enact relating to housing. Senator Becker, the floor is yours.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, in 2016, the Legislature passed the Teacher Housing act to facilitate the creation of housing that is specifically set aside for teacher and school district employees.

This bill expands the Teacher Housing Act to include employees of publicly funded nonprofits that operate on school district property and serve children from Low and moderate income families. I respectfully ask for your I vote.

Any further discussion or debate? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 36, noes zero. The measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file on item 92. Senator Laird, he is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2399 by Assemblymember Rendon Accurately Into Mobile Homes.

Senator Laird.

Thank you very much, Mister President. AB 2399 revises an annual notice to help mobile home tenants be aware of legal services available to them under the Mobile Home Residency Law Protection Program, the MRLPP. This Bill increases tenants' awareness of their rights and informs them of how those rights might be protected through this program.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent members.

[Roll call]

No Ayes. 30 nos nine. The measure passes now, Members, moving on to file item 93. Senator Wiener, he is prepared.

Secretary, you may read

Assembly Bill 2359 by Assembly Member Ting enact relating to alcoholic beverages.

Senator Wiener, floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Mister President, colleagues, right in time for this off, I am presenting AB 2359 on behalf of Assemblymember Ting. This district Bill strengthens San Francisco's successful neighborhood liquor license program.

The Legislature created this neighborhood liquor license program, known as the type 87 license, to help spur economic development in San Francisco's outer neighborhoods. These neighborhoods tend to have less economic activity and nightlife than other parts of the city, which makes it harder for them to compete for normal liquor licenses, which can be quite expensive.

Currently, the program allows for 30 affordable and non transferable liquor licenses in specific neighborhoods. And this Bill will increase the number of those licenses from 30 to 40 and make other technical changes. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any further discussion of it on this item hearing. Stand on, Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to applying a unanimous roll call? Aye is 39. No, zero. The measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file item 97. Senator Umberg? He is ready.

Secretary, you may read

Assembly Bill 20215 by Assembly Member Brian. Enact Relating to Criminal Procedure.

Senator Umberg?

Thank you, Mister President and colleagues. I'll try to keep my voice up.

This Bill empowers the cop on the beat, empowers an arresting officer to make a decision as to whether or not someone who is, for example, suffering from mental illness or who is severe poverty, rather than taking that person to jail, may take that person to a diversion program.

We've had a number of different bills that deal with diversion. Ultimately, diversion early on is a cost saving public safety measure.

I urge and I vote any further discussion or debate on this item. All right, secretary, you may call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absence, Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 30, noes nine. The measure passes now, Members, we move on to file item 100. Senator Wilk is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 1853 by Assembly Member Padilla, Enact Relating to Transportation.

Senator Wilk.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise to present AB 1853, which proposes to update the San Joaquin Regional Transit districts authorities. This bill will advance two changes. First, it will bring more equitable pay scale to the San Joaquin Regional Transit district. San Joaquin RTD currently ranks among the bottom three districts for compensation.

Second, the bill would authorize the RTD to invest or deposit funds that a city, county or local public agency may place in its reserves, while including the appropriate limits that apply to other jurisdictions. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Seeing none, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is any objection to applying a unanimous roll call on this measure?

Ayes 39, noes zero. The measure passes. Now, Members, we move in on the file item 103. Senator Umberg? He is prepared.

Secretary, please read.

Assembly Bill 2505 by Assembly Member Gabriel Enact Relating to Attorneys.

Senator Umberg.

Thank you, Mister President and colleagues. AB 2505 by some of Gabriel simply underlines the requirement or at least the moral obligation if you're a Member of the legal profession to provide some sort of pro Bono service that's part of being a professional. This Bill simply says that when you.

Perform pro Bono services you can report that to the state bar. You're not required to perform pro Bono. Services although it is recommended. It simply provides an opportunity and empowers. Attorneys to report to the state bar. What they've completed or their firm has completed in terms of pro Bono services. I urge and I vote, thank you.

Any further discussion or debate, you see none. Secretary, please call the Royal and file item 103.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Ayes 30, noes nine. The measure passes. Now, Members, we move it on to file item 104. Senator Portantino, are you prepared? Yes, secretary. Please read.

Assembly Bill 1855 by Assembly Member Arambula Enacting to Open Meetings.

Senator Portantino, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President and Members. AB 1855 will modernize the Brown act. This is a barrier for many students who are disabled, have limited access to transportation, or otherwise unable to participate in meetings in person.

AB 1855 protects public access and allows eligible legislative bodies of a student organization to use alternate teleconferencing provisions. If approved by the board of trustees and adopted by an eligible body. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate Hearing C. None. Secretary, please call the roll on file item 104.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absence of members.

Ayes 29, noes eight. The measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file item 107. Senator Atkins, are you prepared? No, I'm sorry. I missed 106. Removing file item 106. Senator Padilla? He is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2435 by Assembly Member Maienschein Enacting Into Health Care Coverage.

Senator Padilla.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise to present AB 2435. Since 2012, Covered California has engaged in a very public process with robust stakeholder engagement when proposing and adopting regulatory changes.

The Legislature has granted Covered California Emergency Rulemaking Authority because it must act faster than the traditional rulemaking framework to process and implement changes in law that affect healthcare access for consumers. This emergency authority expires January 12025.

Consumers will be at risk of significant delay in new benefits or protections if Covered California is not able to quickly conform to new state and federal policy. AB 2435 would extend the authority for emergency rulemaking until January 12030 in order to adequately and promptly react to both annual and ongoing federal and state rules.

Once the rulemaking process has been completed, Covered California must then complete a permanent rulemaking process within five years. This is to allow yet another round of public engagement through comments at Board Meetings and regular rulemaking processes. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item hearing c nine. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 31 noes, seven. The measure passes now. We're moving the file. Item 107. Senator Atkins, she's ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2442 by Assembly Members of ER Enacting Into Healing Arts.

Senator Atkins.

Thank you. Mister President, colleagues, I rise to present AB 2442 on behalf of Assembly Members aboard. In recent years, the number of states with laws or policies restricting access to gender affirming care has dramatically increased, from just four states in June of 2022 to 23 states in 2020.

Gender affirming care is highly specialized, and delaying it would be detrimental to patients seeking care. AB 2442 seeks to improve access to this care in anticipation of a surge in out of state patients seeking care in California.

The Bill specifically requires the expedited processing of licensure applications for providers demonstrating a commitment to gender affirming healthcare our mental health care services within their licensed scope of practice. California has long served as a safe haven for reproductive health care and gender affirming care.

AB 2442 reflects our state's commitment to upholding these values and ensuring equitable access to essential services. Respectfully ask for your I vote.

Any further discussion or debate hearing? Saying none, please call the roll on file item 107.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Ayes 30, noes seven. The measure passes now. Members were moving on to file item 118. Senator Laird, he is ready. Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2493 by Assembly Member Pellerin. Enact Relating to Tenancy.

Senator Laird.

Thank you, Mister President. Assembly Bill 2493 will prevent a landlord or property management company from charging a potential applicant a fee to be entered onto a waiting list for a rental unit if no rental unit is available at the time or will not be available in a reasonable amount of time.

A common constituent of assemblymember Pellerin and I was charged $2,000 to be on various waiting lists when units weren't available and by the time she scored a rental unit, she'd spend her savings set aside for secure deposit and had to borrow money from her friends and family.

Amendments were taken in the Assembly that removed the opposition of the Association. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate hearing seeing none, secretary, please call the roll on file item 118.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 28, noes zero. Measure passes. I mean, I'm sorry. Eyes 28, noes, eight. The measure passes. My bad. Now moving on to file item 120. Senator Nguyen prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2081 by Assembly Member Davies, an act relating to substance abuse treatment.

Senator Nguyen.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise today to present AB 2081 by Assembly Member Lori Davies. AB 2081 requires operators of substance use treatment facilities to provide on their website and on any intake paperwork at disclosure that links to the DHCS run list of facilities whose licenser is either on probation, has been suspended, or has been revoked.

This can be greatly beneficial to patients by empowering them to look deeper into which government agency oversees these facilities. They can learn more about treatment options and protections guaranteed to them as a patient.

It also empowers DHCS to assess a penalty that is in line with their current penalty structure on any facility that doesn't fulfill the new requirements. AB 2081 has yet to receive a no no vote on its way to us here on the Senate Floor.

This bill is also sponsored by the California League of California Cities and has received support from cities across the state. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Seeing none, Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to applying the unanimous roll call to this measure? Seeing none. Ayes 39. Noes zero. The measure passes. Now moving on to file item 123. Senator Padilla, he is ready.

Secretary, you may read

Assembly Bill 2876 by Assemblymember Berman. An act relating to people instruction.

Senator Padilla.

Thank you, Mister President and colleagues. I rise to present AB 2876 by Assemblymember Berman which will ensure that all k through 12 students in California are prepared with the AI literacy skills necessary to comprehend basic AI principles and applications. This essential curriculum will build students understanding of the implications, limitations, and ethical considerations of AI.

The Bill specifically directs the Instructional Quality Commission to consider incorporating AI literacy content into relevant curriculum frameworks when those frameworks are next revised. As AI grows in popularity, children growing up in today's digital world need to be better equipped than any generation before them to understand these principles. This Bill has had bipartisan support and no opposition.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote any further discussion.

Debate on this item hearing seeing none. Secretary, please call the royal on file item 123.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 39, noes zero, the measure passes. Now we're moving on to file item 140. Senator Stern, he is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 796 by Assembly Member Weber, an act relating to athletic trainers.

Senator Stern.

Thank you, Mister President. Members, this bill would establish certification and training requirements for athletic trainers in California and prohibit individuals from calling themselves athletic trainers unless they meet those requirements. The American Medical Association recognizes that athletic trainers are allied healthcare professionals and classified by such as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Every other state regulates this certification except California. So, this means that untrained individuals are calling themselves athletic trainers and working as such. This bill is about remedying this gap and improving public health and safety for youth sports players all the way up to professional athletes. No no votes in Policy Committee. No opposition.

Respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing, none. Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Any objection to applying a unanimous roll call? Ayes 39. Noes zero. The measure passes. Now moving on to file item 142. Senator Niello.

Oh.

No, I'm sorry. We'll have Senator Min first. My bad.

I'm like Niello.

Secretary, please read.

Assembly Bill 1827 by Assemblymember Papan, an act relating to local government finance.

Senator Min.

Thank you, Mister President. They call me the Korean version of Senator Niello.

On behalf of Assemblymember Papen, I present AB 1827, which simply reaffirms that California's water supply suppliers can continue to include the incrementally higher costs of water service due to higher water use within the water rates charged to customers who drive those costs within a particular tier or type.

It also reaffirms that those costs can be reallocated among those higher use customers using any method that reasonably assesses the cost of serving those parcels, including using meter size and peaking factors.

Water customers who use more water than other similarly situated customers increase a water supplier's overall cost of providing water service due to the higher costs associated with building, operating, and maintaining a larger water system that can meet those demands.

Now, Proposition 218 allows water suppliers to recoup the legitimate costs attributable to that higher water use from those higher water using customers.

But recent litigation has sought to call this into question, which risks requiring water suppliers to spread the cost to associated with serving higher water use customers across their entire customer base, effectively potentially forcing lower water use Californians to pay more for water.

AB 1828, to be clear, would not permit a water supplier to violate Proposition 218 and set water rates above the cost of service or subsidize lower water users water bills with charges placed on higher use customers. It simply preserves Prop.

20018's proportionality and cost of service principles, allowing water suppliers to continue using the reasonable methods they've used for decades to allocate costs. AB 1828 seeks to protect current rate setting practices, and I respectfully ask for your I vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this matter? Hearing c none. Secretary, you may call the roll.

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 29 all right, Jones? Yeah. All right I I 20 we close it or we're gonna leave it over it.

All right, Members on file item 142. Ayes are 29. The noes are nine. The measure passes. Now moving on to file item 143, Senator Laird. No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm Senator Niello. Now I messed that up twice. Secretary, please read.

Thank, oh.

Assembly Bill 2457 by Assembly Member McCarty, an act relating to Municipal Utility District Act.

Senator Niello, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President, and for waking me up unexpectedly just prior to the last item. I am presenting AB 2457 on behalf of Assemblyman McCarty. AB 2457 is a district bill sponsored by the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District, affectionately known here as SMUD.

This bill extends the sunset, currently in statutes set by a previous bill of Assemblyman McCarty's AB 689 in 2019, which allows SMUD to enter into partnerships that result in financial returns which it has successfully utilized to help keep SMUD rates low.

Those of us that live in this region know that they are among the lowest and give SMUD the opportunity to invest in clean energy, helping them reach their very ambitious carbon emission goals. The bill before you will extend the sunset 10 years and caps their SMUD at six partnerships total. Thank you very much.

And I respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to using a unanimous roll call? We're going to call the roll now. Okay. Secretary, please call the roll on file item 143.

[Roll call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members one more time.

[Roll call]

Ayes 39. Noes zero. The measure passes. Now we're moving on to file item 144, Senator Laird. He is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2682 by Assembly Member Kalra, a act relating to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

Senator Laird.

Thank you very much, Mister President. This is a district bill by Assembly Member Kalra which would amend the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Enabling Act to improve its functions and align them with similar jurisdictions.

It would allow the authority to purchase lands and fee title from willing sellers, allow the authority to authorize the general manager to bind the district to certain contracts, increase the contracting thresholds for materials and equipment which have not been increased since 2012, enable the authority to finance facilities and issue bonds pursuant to the Mello-Roos Act, and amend the uniformity clause to allow them to charge lower tax rates to seniors which other districts have.

This is very desired flexibility. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item. Seeing none, hearing none. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 30. Noes. Eight. The measure passes. Now moving on to file item 154, Senator Durazzo. She is ready. Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2224 by Assembly Member Santiago, an act relating to special immigrant juveniles.

Senator Durazzo?

Thank you, Mister President. Special immigrant juvenile status, commonly referred to as SIJS, provides limited immigration relief for vulnerable undocumented children and young people who have been abused, neglected, or left without one or both of their parents. Unfortunately, SIJS applicants face lengthy delays in their application process.

This bill aims to address the backlog by ensuring clarity and expediency in the state's role in the application process.

By clarifying that the court can appoint a parent as a guardian for their unmarried child if they are over the age of 18, but under 21, and pursuing SIJS and ensuring that individuals receive the SIJS court order in a timely manner. This bill has received no opposition and bipartisan support. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Any further discussion or debate? Members, this is eligible for a unanimous roll call. Any objection to applying the unanimous roll call? See none. Ayes 38. Noes zero. The measure passes. Now we're moving on to file item 158, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. She is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2749 by Assembly Member Wood, an act relating to the California Health Benefit Exchange.

Senator, Smallwood-Cuevas.

Thank you, Mister President, and good afternoon, colleagues. On behalf of Assembly Member Wood, I'm pleased to present AB 2749. This bill would revise and clarify existing law provisions that grant workers on strike access to expedited and subsidized coverage through California care, Covered California.

In 2022, the state required Covered California to administer a program of financial assistance to help workers who lose health insurance coverage due to a labor dispute. Through an unprecedented wave of strikes, we found that workers across the state were receiving less health care coverage.

AB 2749 clarifies eligibility for the program to reach the intended target of workers and employers who are directly involved in the strike. We want to further protect workers and ensure they attain their benefits. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing seeing none, secretary, you may call the roll.

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 33. Noes zero. The measure passes. Now Members, moving on to file item 181. Senator Caballero is prepared.

Secretary, please read.

Assembly Bill 2257 by Assemblymember Wilson and act relating to local government.

Senator Caballero.

Thank you, Mister President and Members. I rise to present AB 2257 on behalf of Assemblymember Wilson. This Bill will enhance the transparency, the efficacy and fairness of the rate setting process for water and sewer services in California.

At its core, the Bill is about fostering a constructive dialogue between public agencies and the people they serve. Under existing law, Proposition 218 requires public agencies to provide advance notice to property owners, including a public hearing for protest, and restricts the imposition of fees unless they represent the actual cost of services.

Often, legal challenges come without prior objections being raised during the public comment period, leading to costly and unforeseen lawsuits that strain the financial resources of these agencies. AB 2257 will create a transparent and communicative procedure to allow for public comment to be submitted regarding water and sewer rate assessment fees.

The agencies involved will then be required to respond to each comment in writing before any action on rates can be taken. This will resolve disputes early and reduce the frequency of litigation, which can be costly and time consuming for both parties.

By promoting early and meaningful dialogue between public agencies and ratepayers, this bill lays the groundwork for a more equitable, equitable, reliable and effective water and sewer service rates in California. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item hearing scene. Secretary, you may call the roll on file item 181.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members one more time.

Jones? Mcguire.

No. Orlando.

Ayes 28. Noes zero. The measure passes. I'm sorry. Golly. Ayes 28. Noes 10. Ayes 28. Noes 10. The measure passes. Now, Members, we're moving on the file. Item 184, Senator Ashby, she is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2123 by Assembly Member Papan enact relating to paid family leave.

Senator Ashby.

AB 2123. On behalf of Assemblywoman Papin, AB 2123 removes an unnecessary hurdle for individuals attempting to access their paid family leave benefits. While California has led the nation in implementing paid family, workers still face barriers in accessing the benefit that they contribute to.

Under current law, employers can require an employee to use up two weeks of accrued vacation leave prior to accessing their PFL benefits. AB 2123. Will sunset that provision and ensure that workers are able to access their PFL benefits when they need them most or urgent aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Seeing none. Members, this is eligible roll call. Is there any objection? Hearing and seeing none. Ayes 3938. Nos. Zero. The measure passes. All right, moving on to file item 185. Senator Rubio? She is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2129 by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris and equilibrium to healthcare coverage.

Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Mister President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I rise to present ap 2129 that will improve access to long acting reversible contraceptions in hospitals and birth centers.

By standardizing benefits across public and private insurance plans, it will support mothers with timely access to their contraceptive needs without the hassle of complex insurance benefit navigation by both patients and providers. This vote has enjoyed bipartisan support and has no opposition on file. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

Any further discussion or debate on this item hearing see none. Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Any objection to applying the unanimous roll call to file item 185? Seeing none, ayes 38, noes zero. The measure passes. Now, Members, we're moving on to file item 188. Senator Blakespear, she is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 1784 by Assembly Member Pellerin, an act relating to elections.

Thank you, Mister President and Members. Since 1913, California law has prohibited a person from running for more than one office at a primary election.

Senator Blakespear.

But in December, a Sacramento Superior Court judge ordered the Secretary of State to place a candidate's name on the ballot for a congressional seat, even though that same candidate was already on the ballot for a seat in the Assembly.

AB 1784 clarifies that state law prohibits a person from filing nomination documents for more than one office at a primary election. This clarification ensures that the law is applied in the way that it has been interpreted for decades.

AB 1784 has the support of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, the League of Women Voters of California, and Secretary of State Weber, among others. There has there is no opposition and this has received no, no votes throughout the legislative process. I respectfully ask for your I vote.

Any further discussion of eight on this item here in c none. Members, this two is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to applying a unanimous roll call here? Seeing none, Ayes 38 No, zero measure passes. Now we're moving on to file item 193. Senator Caballero, she is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 1921 by Assemblymember Papan, an act relating to energy.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise today to present AB 1921 on behalf of Assemblymember Papen, which updates and clarifies the definition of a renewable electrical generation facility to include Linear generators using RP's eligible fuels. Linear generators are a cutting edge technology that offers a tremendous opportunity to have renewable power at the flip of a switch.

Senator Caballero.

They can run on a number of different fuels, including many that are eligible for RP's and not unlike fuel cells that are already included in the definition. If linear generators remain excluded from RP's, the state will have an insufficient portfolio of on demand power as we approach our 2045 deadline.

AB 1921 will establish technology parity and help meet the state's renewable energy goal. The bill has enjoyed unanimous support, and we respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item, enter seeing none. Secretary, please call the roll on file item 193.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Ayes, 36. Noes, zero. The measure passes. Now moving on to file item 196. Senator Becker, he is ready.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2021 by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan enact relating to crimes.

Senator Becker.

Thank you, Mister President. Rise present AB 2021. This Bill increases the fines associated with selling tobacco products to anyone under the age of six of 21. These fines have not been adjusted since 2016, and our youth deserve better protections. Told bad actors responsible for poisoning our children with tobacco products.

This has had bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote any further discussion.

Debate on this item. Seeing no microphone, secretary, you may call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 33, noess one. The measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file item 200. Senator Porntino is prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2062 by Assemblymember Grayson and act relating to credit unions.

Senator Portantino.

Thank you, Mister Pro Tem. And Members, I'm pleased to present AB 2062, which will update and strengthen California, California's credit union charter. Credit unions can either receive a state charter or a federal charter. Making sure California's state charter is competitive is important. We want credit unions to form here and we want them to succeed.

These changes are modest, but they will help credit unions better serve their membership. And I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion debate on this item? Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Opposition to applying a unanimous roll call. Seeing none. Ayes 38 no, zero. Measure passes. Now moving on the file item 205. Senator Skinner, she's prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2199 by Assemblymember Berman and accurately into environmental quality.

Senator Skinner.

Thank you, Mister President. Members, AB 2199 provides a narrow CEQA exemption to limited infill housing projects within unincorporated county areas. Nine projects. This rather that is already in statute, what I just described. In 2018, it was passed this narrow exemption in the unincorporated areas, but since that time it has only been used for nine projects.

The exemption on this bill sunsets next year. So it's kind of a pilot. So what this bill does before you $21.99 is extends that provision for an additional seven years in order to promote infill housing projects within those unincorporated areas within counties. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item seen none. This is eligible for unanimous roll call. Any objection to using unanimous roll call? Seeing none, ayes 38, noes zero. The measure passes now, Members, we're moving on the file. Item 206. Senator Glazer. Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 20214 by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan. An act relating to pollution.

Senator Glazer.

Thank you. Thank you, Mister President. On behalf of Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. This Bill requires the Ocean Protection Council to lead an interagency coordination group to identify and recommend necessary statutory changes to implement the recommendations outlined in the statewide microplastics strategy.

Members were faced with an urgent threat to our environment and our health, and that's microplastics. These particles are found in our natural environment, food, and even our own bodies. This Bill is a prudent step forward and respectfully would ask for your I vote today.

Any additional discussion or debate on this item? Seeing none. Secretary, you may call call the roll on this item.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 32, noes six. The measure passes. Now we're moving on to file item 208. Senator Blakespear. She's prepared.

Secretary, you may read.

Assembly Bill 2238 by Assembly Member Low, an act relating to tax Administration.

Senator Blakespear.

Thank you, President and colleagues. AB 2238 adds the state treasurer and lieutenant Governor to the Franchise Tax Board. Currently, the Franchise Tax Board has three Members. The comptroller, the Director of finance, and the chair of the Board of Equalization. The state treasurer is responsible for banking, cash and asset management, and debt issuance.

Given fiscal issues, the treasurer should be involved in decisions affecting state revenues. We have collaborated with the BoE to address their concerns, and they are now neutral on this measure. Both the state treasurer and lieutenant Governor support joining the board.

AB 2238 seeks to ensure that decisions made by the Franchise Tax Board are informed by a thorough understanding of their implications and impacts. By securing that, Madam treasurer and the lieutenant Governor are involved in the discussions. Thank you. And I respectfully ask for your. I vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item entering C. None. Secretary, you may call the roll and file item 208.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Secretary, please call the absent members.

[Roll call]

Ayes 25, noes 10. Measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file item 211. Senator Roth, he is ready. Secretary, you may read assuming Bill 2304.

By assuming Member Lee and act relating to civil actions. Senator Roth.

Thank you, Mister President. Under current law, when a landlord decides to take a tenant into the eviction process, the court record is masked unless the landlord prevails within 60 days. If the tenant prevails, or the case is withdrawn, then the record remains masked.

On the contrary, if the landlord prevails, then the record may be released, resulting in the tenant ending up with a mark on the credit record. This Bill extends the record masking protection to mobile home park tenants. Respectfully asked for your aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item. Hearing C. None. Secretary, you may call the roll-on file item 211.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 30. Noes 9. The measure passes. I was just about to say give a Senate welcome to former Senator, but he disappeared. He was up in the gallery for a few minutes ago. All right. Is Ray still here? He left. Okay, got him. All right. Now, Members, we're moving on to file item 218.

Senator Wiener, he is prepared. Secretary, you may read.

Yes, let me. Bill 2503 by Islamic Member Lee enact relating to environmental quality.

Senator Wehner. Thank you, Mister President. We need some WD 40 over here, I think. Colleagues, I rise to present AB 2503 by Assembly Member Lee, which exempts from CEQA the delivery of zero emission train projects and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled to help us achieve our climate, air quality, and equity goals.

Electrified and other zero emission trains will help reduce sources of air pollution, including from sources such as nitric oxide, ozone, and other particulate matter that acutely affects frontline communities while helping make trains faster and more frequent. These projects are beneficial for the environment and our communities and should not be held up by red tape.

This Bill builds off of existing CEQA exemptions for sustainable transportation projects, which I authored. Incentive Bill 288 and Senate Bill nine passed by this body, and thank you very much for that. We must do more to build a climate friendly transportation future, and AB 2503 helps achieve that vision. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing none. Secretary, you may call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 30, No's 5. The measure passes. Now, Members, we're moving on to file item 220. Senator Nielo is prepared.

Secretary, please read.

Assembly Bill 20618 by Assembly Member Shin and acclaim to local government.

Senator, floor is yours.

Thank you, Mister President. I rise to present AB 20618 by Assemblyman Chen.

AB 20618 extends an existing sunset date that grants local agencies the authority to invest up to 50%, rather than 30% of its surplus funds in deposits at a commercial bank, savings bank, savings and loan Association, or credit union from January 1 of 2026 to January 1 of 2031.

The measure maintains flexibility for local agencies and banks as they work together in managing local agency funds and in servicing their communities. I respectfully request and I vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Hearing and seeing none. Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to using a unanimous roll call hearing? Seeing none. Ayes 39, noes zero. The measure passes. Now moving on to final item 227. Senator Laird? He is ready.

Secretary, you may read Assembly Bill 2723 by Assembly Member Irwin. Enact relating to education data and declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately.

Senator Laird? Thank you very much, Mister President. This Bill provides updates to the cradle to career data system. I represent the Senate. The author of the Bill represents the Assembly on the board. This is relatively new, and with any new entity, there are aspects of its governing statute that would benefit from refinement.

So this Bill clarifies the role in relation to data that is maintained and importantly, directs Californians who want to exercise their privacy rights to data providers who have the ability to honor these rights. There's support on both sides. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on file item 227? Seeing none. Secretary, please call the row 227. All right. Yes. Okay, Members, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to using unanimous roll call? Seeing none. Ayes 39 on the urgency. All right, we do have an objection. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent members.

[Second Roll]

Please call the absent members one more time. Limone. Ayes 39. noes, one on the urgency. Eyes 39 noes, one on the measure. Measure passes now, Members, we're moving on to file item 228. Senator Durazo is ready.

Secretary, you may read Assembly Bill 2735 by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio and accurately into water corporations. Senator Durazo.

Thank you, Mister President. AB 2735 rises out of clear need to protect both consumers and our water providers from uncertainty posed by the current State of California's insurance market. This Bill looks to provide stability for the existing market by establishing an alternative insurance option for our state's water providers.

The California Fair plan has provided a backstop for entities seeking coverage when they otherwise have not been able to. However, it has become abundantly clear that this existing system is in jeopardy. This is being felt by the water providers across the state.

AB 2735 provides a unique, explicitly permissive solution to the complex problem for our water providers. This Bill would help stabilize water rates while stabilizing the utilization of the fair plan. It's a model for other utilities, and I respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you. Any further discussion or debate on this item? Evening c nine. Secretary, please call the roll on file item 228.