Senate Floor

We couldn't be more honored that you are here on this truly special day celebrating the new Senators and returning Senators. If we could please give them a round of applause, please, and say welcome. The hour at 12 o'clock having arrived, pursuant to Article 4, Section 3 of the California Constitution, the Senate is going to come to order.

The Senators, we're going to ask each and every one of you and our guests in the gallery to be able to take seats.

And pursuant to Section 9150 of the Government code, Erica Contreras, Secretary of the Senate, Katrina Rodriguez, Sergeant at arms and Matthew Burns, Minute Clerk, are in their respective places to commence the convening of the 20252026 session of the great State of California, State Senate. We're going to begin with a musical prelude.

If we could please give a warm welcome to the Sacramento Women's Chorus. The Sacramento Women's Chorus is a testament to success here in the great City of Sacramento. They're going to be led today by artistic Director Rachel Jackson. They have two beautiful songs that they're going to kick us off with again.

Another welcome to the Sacramento Women's Chorus. Director Jackson, we welcome you and to all the Members, thank you for being here on this truly special day. In your own time, the floor is yours.

Hark how the bells sweet silver bells all seem to say throw cares away Christmas is here bringing good cheers two young adult me and the ball Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding turtle wing doll Carolyn wanted to hear words of a cheer from everywhere dinner zero others love raising the south door in the dale county While people sing songs of the cheer Christmas this year Merry Merry merry merry ring song Merry Merry merry ring on they slam dog without end they bell sweet silver bells all seem to say throw cares away Christmas is cheer too Young adult speak and the ding dong ding dong talking wanting to hear words of good cheer from everywhere filling the air zero how they found praising the sounds of the cheer Christmas is here Merry Merry merry merry dreams all day Merry Merry merry Christmas Sa.

Want. To change the world there's nothing to it There is no like my.

Kicking off the 2025-2026 ceremony.

Can we please give a round of applause to the Sacramento Women's choice.

That was beautiful. Thank you so much. I don't know about you, but I started getting misty eyed. So we're grateful. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate and to our guests, we're going to respectfully request Senators, Senators elect and all guests beyond the rail and in the gallery, we're going to ask you to Please rise.

We're going to be led in prayer today by our chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, after which we're going to ask each of you to please remain standing for the presentation of the colors by the CAL FIRE color guard local 2881. Sister Michelle, good morning.

Welcome. Good morning, Senator Mcguire. And let us remember that we are always in the presence of holy mystery. In 1954, Lillian Smith posed the following questions in her book, the Journey. A century from now. What shall be said of our journey in these times? And who shall the shapers have been?

Shall they be the hopeful dreamers who were strong enough to suffer for the dream, or the fearful pessimists who were convinced that dreaming and hope are for sleepers only, not for those awake to the age A century from now? Shall hope have been strong enough to enable living with unanswerable questions?

Or shall the pain that a transitional age necessarily brings have caused a retreat to old answers that no longer acknowledge new questions? Gracious God of creativity and newness, as we begin this session, open our eyes to the immensity of our call to be shapers of our future.

Let us be hopeful dreamers, dedicating our strength to make the dreams of our people a reality. Help us to live into the unanswerable questions with courage and trust, acknowledging new questions as potential for the discovery of greater truth and freedom.

May we listen attentively and respond generously to the needs of all our people so that a century from now, all will know that our journey was not in vain. We ask this in your name. Amen.

To respectfully request that each of you please remain standing. California is home to the gold standard of firefighters here in the United States of America. And that includes the CAL FIRE Color Guard Local 2881. Color Guard, please present the colors. Ladies and gentlemen, the Senate.

We're now going to be led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United. The flag of the United States of America by Senator Dave Cortese. Senator Cortese, please join me.

I pledge lead to the flag of.

The United States of America and to the republic which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all. Color guard, please retire the colors.

Color guard, forward. Mark.

Sa.

Thank you. Y'all may be seated. Senators. Senators elect. And all guests are getting to the good part. The Secretary of the Senate will now read the names of the Senators elect. Mr. Secretary, please proceed.

[Roll call]

[Roll call]

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. The next order of business is the oath of office for the Senators elect. Senators elect and returning Senators, if you could please proceed to the bar of the Senate to take your oath of office. All Senators elect, please advance to the bar of the Senate to take your oath of office.

We have several special guests who are with us today. One of the busiest is the 40th Governor of the State of California, who is going to be attending the proceeding in the Assembly as well today. Can we please give a warm Senate welcome to the one, the only, Governor Gavin Newsom. Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. The following Senators have been selected to be an escort Committee for the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court. Would Senators Umberg, Allen, Caballero, Durazzo, Richardson and Niello. Proceed to the rear of the chamber.

Proceed to the rear chamber in order to escort the honorable Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, who administer the oath of office. Ladies and gentlemen, round of applause for the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Chief Justice Guerrero. The Chief Justice will be advancing the oath of office for Senator Cabaldon's desk.

Madam Chief Justice, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much for the office of Member of the Senate. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, state your name. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear.

That I will support and defend that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California and the Constitution of the State of California. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That I will bear true faith and allegiance that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. To the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

That I take this obligation freely. That I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation.

Without any mental reservation.

Or purpose of evasion.

Or purpose of evasion.

And that I will well and faithfully distrust and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I'm about to enter the duties upon which I am about to enter.

Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen, loud and proud. Can we please give a round of applause to the newly elected Senators of the California State Senate. Everybody up on your feet and let me hear you.

We're going to ask for the indulgence of each of you. We're going to take a group photo here of all the newly elected and sworn in Senators.

All right? All right.

And the boo is back.

Future Senator, your time.

Can we give another round of applause to the newly sworn in Senators here in the great State of California? You know, this is truly an emotional day. Many of the Senators who are returning never had a formal swearing in ceremony due to the pandemic. And we are so grateful that I've been able to accomplish this here today.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, to all of our guests, if you're following along in your program today, the next order of business is Senate Resolution 1 by Majority Leader Gonzalez. Mr. Secretary, can you please read the resolution?

Senate Resolution 1 by Senator Gonzalez, relative to holdover Senators.

Senator Gonzalez, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President and Members. Senate Resolution 1 would have the holdover Senators take their seats and have this House proceed to organize. I urge an aye vote.

Thank you so much, Senator Gonzalez. Is there any discussion or debate on this resolution? Senator Gonzalez is requesting an aye vote. Gonzalez is requesting an aye vote. We're going to take this via voice vote. All those in favor of the resolution, please state 'aye.' All opposed? The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted.

All right. We're now going to make it official. The Secretary is going to call the roll of all Senators of the newly constituted California State Senate. Mr. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Ladies and gentlemen, I think that deserves a round of applause. The newly constituted California State Senate is official. We have a quorum. We're now going to be moving on to our next resolution. The next order of business is Senate Resolution Number Two by the Majority Leader, Senator Gonzalez. Mr. Secretary, can you please read?

Senate Resolution Two by Senator Gonzalez, relative to the election of officers.

Senator Gonzalez, good afternoon. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President and Members. Senate Resolution Two will elect Senator Mike McGuire as President Pro tempore of the Senate, Erika Contreras as Secretary of the Senate, and Katrina Rodriguez as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate as our officers of the Senate for the 25-26 regular session.

First and foremost, Secretary Contreras works tirelessly on behalf of the Senate and manages this body and our staff with grace, fairness, and integrity. She hails from Aguascalientes, Mexico, just like my family, and she works so hard on behalf of our Senate. She is the glue that holds us together.

Katrina Rodriguez works diligently to keep us, our staff, and the public safe day-in and day-out, and her professionalism and kind demeanor are unmatched, and we thank her so much for her work.

And last but not least, our President Pro tempore, Mike McGuire, a force to be reckoned with, the son of Sonoma, the Energizer Bunny, and, of course, an incredible friend to many of us regardless of party affiliation.

He has worked and will continue to work to oversee our important work in this chamber and will help lead our state to strengthen us as we move forward in these years ahead. We thank him for his service to California, and with that, I urge an aye vote.

Thank you so much. I'm going to start getting emotional now. Madam Majority Leader, I'm nervous to ask this. Is there any debate or discussion on this resolution? Senator Gonzalez is requesting an aye vote. This will be a voice vote of the body. All those in favor of the resolution, please state 'aye.'

All opposed? Hot ding. There we go. The resolution passes. The ayes have it. Members of the State Senate, the oath of office will now be administered to the newly elected officers of the Senate by the Honorable Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California.

We're going to request that Secretary Contreras and Chief Sergeant Rodriguez to please come to the bar of the Senate. I'm going to request Erica Mcguire, my wife, to please advance to the rostrum, which I know she's very excited about. So, Erica, if you could please come forward. Yep.

We're going to ask the Sergeant. Arms, please come forward. Quick run of show will be officially sworn in. Then we're going to have the Chief Justice swear in the Secretary and the Chief Sergeant. Madam Chief Justice.

Congratulations. Please, for the office of President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I. State your name.

I, Mike Mcguire.

Do solemnly swear.

Do solemnly swear.

That I will support and defend.

That I will support.

The Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the United States.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That I will bear true faith and allegiance.

That I will bear true faith, allegiance.

To the Constitution of the United States.

To the Constitution of the United States.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

That I take this obligation freely.

That I take this obligation freely.

Without any mental reservation.

Without any mental reservation.

Or purpose of evasion.

Or purpose of evasion.

And that I will well and faithfully discharge.

That I well and faithfully discharge the.

Duties upon which I am about to enter.

The duties upon which I'm about to enter.

Congratulations.

We're now going to request that the Chief Justice heads to Senator Cabaldin's desk for the swearing in of Madam Secretary and Madam Sergeant Marms. Madam Chief Justice, the floor is yours.

Erica Contreras Valles and Katrina Rodriguez for the office of Secretary of the Senate and Chief Sergeant at Arms, respectively. Please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That you will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California. That you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. And that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which you are about to enter?

If so, please affirm your oath by stating. I do. I do. Congratulations.

Ladies and gentlemen, can we please give a round of applause to the Secretary of the Senate and the newly sworn in, Sergeant of Arms, Katrina Rodriguez. I want to say it again, and I don't think I could say it enough. We are so incredibly grateful that each and every one of you are here today.

To the family and friends who have traveled far and wide from every corner of this great state, we want to say welcome to your Capitol, the California State Capitol, and especially to the families of Senators. The families of Senators make enormous sacrifices to let Those who serve in this August body do the job that they love.

But I hope that you know the job. The job is never more important than you are. And nothing, nothing can ever match the love we have for each of you. We are so grateful you are here. Can we please give a round of applause to the family and friends of the California State Senators.

On behalf of this body, I'd like to take a moment to say a few thank yous. We need to take a moment to say thank you so much to the Chief Justice for attending our ceremony and swearing in. Senators, we want to be able to say thank you to Dr. Shirley Weber, Secretary of State.

Can we please give her a round of applause and say thank you? We want to say thank you to Attorney General Banta, Comptroller Malia Cohen, Fiona Ma, Treasurer, along with Board of Equalization Chair Sally Lieber for attending today, can we please give them a round of applause?

We are also honored by the presence of several retired Senators who are here today. And we'd like to be able to acknowledge them. And then also acknowledge retired President Pro Tems of the California State Senate. We'd like to be able to introduce, even though he needs no introduction, the one, the only, Mr. John Burton.

We are also touched that President Pro Tim Steinberg is here. We also want to thank him for his amazing work as the Mayor of Sacramento, just retired. Can we please give Pro Tim Steinberg a round of applause to all of the county supervisors, mayors and City Council Members and tribal leaders who are here today.

Thank you for your partnership. To our friends and labor and the business community together. Together, you keep the world's fifth largest economy humming. And we are grateful for you. And I think we also need to take a moment to congratulate all the Assembly Members who are being sworn in today. You know, the Assembly's success is our success.

And we look forward to our work together in the months to come. The fact is this, the California State Senate, it is truly a special place. You know, in 175 years of statehood, only 1,199 Californians have served as Senators. As Leader Jones stated last night, each Senator is truly one in a million.

And to all those returning Senators and Senators who are new to these chambers, I hope you just take a moment today, look around these amazing surroundings. It is a surreal moment. And you all work so incredibly hard to get here.

Senators knocked on thousands upon thousands of doors, hosted countless community meetings, phone call after phone call to voters, eating cold pizza almost every night at your headquarters. Let's be candid it takes courage. It takes courage to put your name on the ballot and put yourself out there for criticism.

But you are here now because you put in the work. You earned the community's trust, and the voters saw your passion. And today, today, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to. To get to work. Senators, are you ready to go? Let me hear you. Come on now. You know, this afternoon is a historic day in our state's capital.

There are more Members of color in the California State Senate than any other time in our state's history. We continue to see gains with LGBTQ membership. And for the first time ever, the first time ever, the Senate has reached a historic milestone with parity between women and men in the California State Senate.

And I hope that you are with me. It is about damn time. Let me hear you, ladies and gentlemen. Look. California. California leads the nation in many things. And these women leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, they are leading the way to uplift the lives of millions in the Golden State. And today and every day, we celebrate them.

We celebrate their hard work, and we celebrate the diversity makes California strong and candidly separates this state from the rest of the pack. I hope that we can all agree, especially in this time in American history. Let us never forget, California's diversity is our strength. It is who we are and who we've always been.

And we will fight like hell to be able to protect everyone who calls California home in the years to come, including our immigrant communities, who are the backbone of our economy and an integral part of the fabric of our success. Are you ready to go? California. The Golden State.

The Golden State is where the American nation meets the Pacific Ocean and the future. We feed the country and supply the world. We're the largest agricultural economy in America. We export almonds. We export the best wine in the world, oranges and strawberries. And yes, we export apple.

California's entrepreneurial history is seen in the mines in Northern California, the movies filmed in Southern California, the microchips that are developed in the Silicon Valley, and the medical miracles that are being achieved right now in the great County of San Diego, California. May Beach. But let me be clear. We never coast. Californians are always learning.

We are always leading. We are always discovering. And yes, California is always leading. Today, we have a special responsibility to help keep the California spirit thriving, to make California shine even brighter, and to deliver for all of the people of California. You know, we come together today.

We come together today, both in regular and in special session, to do the work for the people that we all work for. We put Californians first.

And knowing this and knowing what's ahead, this Senate must double down on our efforts to make life more affordable and livable, make our economy work for all and not just a privileged few.

We need to lower energy costs, build more housing, continue to invest in our kids in strong public schools, modernize our electric grid, create family sustaining good union jobs. And we need to get folks off our streets, get a roof over their head and connect them to care.

And I want to be, and let me say this, if Washington D.C. refuses to tackle climate change in the coming four years, Mark, why Mark my word. California will continue to lead as we always have.

Because here in the Golden State, here in the Golden State, we fight to lift up every person, no matter your background, no matter your skin color, who you are, who you love and how you identify. This is the California way. And let's be crystal clear.

We will always stand strong for women and protect safe and unfettered access to reproductive health care and abortion care. Are you ready to go, California? Let me hear you. This is the moment. This is your moment.

It is up to each one of us, all of us, Democrats and Republicans alike, to be able to feel the weight of this time and to be able to step up the muted. You know, America's sun may set in California, but together we're going to make sure that the future continues to rise here as well.

I want to close with this. On the last night of last session, I talked about driving along the rural north coast where I live, where my family is called home for four generations. And what I said is when it looks like things may be getting dark, you turn the bright lights on.

And that's what we all need to do here together. Turn the bright lights on, work even harder, think even smarter, and do even better. Are we going to fight to protect the people, the policies and the progress that make California great? Absolutely. We're going to go to the mat for them.

But we also can't forget we have a lot to fix in this state as well. Fix the toughest challenges facing our communities with the innovative solutions that you are going to bring forward.

I'm firm in the belief the highest calling in life is to help others, to fight for those who can't fight for themselves and to work together, no matter your party affiliation, because working together is the only way. It's the only way to make progress stick. And this is what we do in the State Senate.

I look into this historic chamber and I see 40 of the brightest lights, 40 of the brightest lights ever to come together under this Capitol dome. To our new colleagues. Again, congratulations to every Member of the California State Senate. Let's show the nation how leading can be done. Be proud of what you achieved.

Dream big for how much more we can do, and let's shine the light of California. God bless the people of the Golden State. And here's to a great 20. Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen. We are grateful that each of you are here. Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate and to our guests, it is now my honor to introduce my friend, the Republican leader, Brian Jones.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, guests of the Senate, it's an honor to be with you this afternoon. Congratulations to Mike Mcguire to your reelection as Senate Pro Tempore. We are excited about your leadership and continued dialogue and cooperation across the aisle. Congratulations to Erica Contreras and Katrina Rodriguez for their reelection to their leadership posts.

We know that they are actually the backbone of what makes this building work and keeps us on time, keeps the trains running on time and keeps us all getting here on time and out of here on time. So thank you very much. Congratulations. It's been said sometimes that serving in the Legislature is similar to buying a boat.

The two best days are the day you take the oath and the next best day is the last day of session.

And so as we look forward to sometime in September of the last day of session this year, I know that we are going to have many times together where we are going to be working together and cooperating and agreeing on the things that we need to do for all of our constituents for 39 million Californians to fix California.

But there's also going to be times when there's heated debate, and not always are those debates across party lines. Sometimes those debates are within party lines.

And I think what's important to remember at the end of the day, no matter how emotional, no matter how passionate, no matter how exasperated we might become in our service here in the Senate, that we leave each day knowing that the other person also has the best interests of California in mind.

I'm going to pare down my comments. I had about two hours of comments, but since the pro tem didn't take his whole two hours, I won't take my whole two hours. One thing I do want to share with all of us, and I share this with my Republican constituents and my Democratic constituents.

Let's not get too nervous, let's not get too excited, let's not get too upset about what's happening in Washington, D.C. what has happened in California over the last eight years has been an example to the rest of the country on how people can work together across party lines to get good things done.

Well, I believe we also set the example for courageous but polite debate. When we disagree, we bring our passions, we bring our arguments, we bring those things that are important to us and our constituents to table. But we also recognize that they're just policies, they're just things to debate. But we all remain friends and continue working together.

One of the things I like to tell my constituents, when they come up to me and they're very animated or upset or serious about something they've seen on national television, especially the cable networks, and they're, you know, you can see them. They're red in the face. Their hair might be on fire a little bit.

Whether it's Fox News or MSNBC or CNN or any of the others, I tell my constituents, take a break, turn the TV off for a couple of days. Nothing's gonna. The world's not gonna end. While you take a break from the national chaos, national scene, let's concentrate on California.

Let's focus on how great it is to live here in California. Let's focus, as the pro Tim said, on all of the great attributes, the beaches, the mountains, the deserts, and everywhere else in between, on how great of a state California is. Many of us were not born here in California.

Many of us came here from other countries or other states. My family moved here in 1978. My dad was a home builder in Colorado. We came to San Diego on vacation, on a whim. And in the two weeks we were in San Diego, we fell in love with California. I was 10 years old when that happened.

We moved home. I didn't quite understand everything that was happening. My dad sold his business, sold the houses that we lived in, the houses that he was building, sold his truck, 1968 Chevy truck with a Corvette engine sold that packed up the kids and the dog, and we moved to California. And California is the Golden State.

California was the State of opportunity then. California remains the State of opportunity.

You have my commitment as the Republican leader that we are going to work together across the aisle and cooperation on the things that we can agree on to make sure that we're all moving the ball forward and that we're doing the very, very, very best job that we can for all of our constituents and continue to work on fixing California.

Thank you very much.

Leader Jones. Thank you for those eloquent words and grateful to work with you and your caucus each and every day to recognize this momentous. Occasion reaching parity here in the California State Senate. I'd like to be able to turn the floor over to Senator Limone, also Vice Chair of the Women's Caucus under privileges of the floor.

Senator Limon, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Colleagues and guests, I rise on behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus on this historic moment for the Senate in the State of California. Today, women account for more than 50% of our Senators, marking the first time in history that this great state has reached gender parity in either house of our Legislature.

The women in this caucus represent all parts of the state. Central Valley, Northern California, Southern California, Inland Empire, Central Coast and the North Coast. We lead policy conversation in all areas, including agriculture, labor, business, profession, finance, public safety, health and so much more. We, our daughters, we're mothers, we're labor leaders, we're small business owners. We are California.

The Legislative Women's Caucus was founded in 1985. And we have come a long way since its founding, but have come an even longer way since the founding of this state in 1850. In the last 174 years, we have accomplished much and today we make history.

Our strength is not just in numbers, but it is in the diverse representation that we bring in a bipartisan way to this Legislature. Members of the Legislative Women's Caucus, I'd like to invite you to please stand. Members. This. This is our Legislative Women's Caucus. This is California and family and guests and colleagues. This is history. Congratulations.

Thank you. Senator Limon, go us as we're moving on with order. The next order of business is Senate Resolution 3 by Senator Mcguire. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Resolution Three by Senator McGuire, relative to the election of members of the Senate Committee on Rules.

Mr. Pro Tem, you may proceed.

Thank you so much, Madam President. Madam President and Members, Senate Resolution Three--it's going to elect Senator Grove, Senator Jones, Senator Laird, Senator Gonzalez as members of the Senate Committee on Rules. This committee membership will likely change and be revisited in January, but respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Is there any debate or discussion? I'm seeing one. Senator Jones, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd also ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. Any further discussion? Senator McGuire requesting an aye vote. Senator Jones is requesting an aye vote as well. All those in favor of the resolution, please say 'aye.' All those opposed, say 'no.' The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. The next order of business is Senate Resolution Four by Senator Gonzalez. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Resolution Four by Senator Gonzalez, relative to the Standing Rules of the Senate for the 2025-26 regular session.

Senator Gonzalez, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President and members. Senate Resolution Four contains the Standing Rules of the Senate. The majority of the changes are technical in nature with the exception of exempting budget implementation bills from Senate Rules 29.10 and decreasing the bill introduction limit to 35 bills per member per two-year session. Go us. So I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. I see Senator Niello. You're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Senator Roger Niello from the Sacramento region area. I'm Vice Chair of the Budget and I frequently rise to object to rule amendments that we believe compromise transparency as well as certain procedures that are typically approved by the majority party that we feel are unfriendly to the process, and I rise to object to SR 4, particularly the change of Rule 29.1, which now includes budget trailer bills.

In times past, trailer bills have always been budget related, but in recent years we pass all sorts of policy unrelated to the budget as part of budget trailer bills and they have not received a committee hearing and we protest this, but as the majority party's explanation for this variance, it is to clarify that practice that lacks transparency.

So basically what we're doing is we're clarifying that we're not going to be transparent with regard to budget trailer bills. Now, permission to use a prop? I have a notion to adjourn. Permission to use a prop? Thank you very much.

I have here the Standing Rules of the Senate and I'm going to read them all in detail. I am just kidding. I'm not going to read them because the way we do business here, the majority power has the ability to waive any rule and it does happen, and as I said, I often rise to object to that. So again, we're clarifying the fact that we will not have transparency with regard to budget trailer bills, particularly those that deal only with policy. I urge a no vote.

Thank you, Senator. Any further discussion or debate on this matter? Senator Gonzalez is asking for an aye vote. Senator Niello is asking for a no vote.

I would just say--Madam President--

Senator Gonzalez, you may close.

Yeah. The changes to 29.10, the Senate Rules are clarifying in nature, in fact. It has been the custom and practice of the Senate to exempt budget trailers from the Rule 29.10. So this change would just simplify the process and we would believe that it would make it more transparent. So with that, I urge an aye vote.

Thank You, Senator. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Secretary, please call the roll one more time.

[Roll Call].

Senator Choi, you're recognized.

I want to change my vote from aye to no.

Senator Choi's requesting to change his vote from aye to no.

Choi: aye to no.

Ayes: 29; noes: nine. The resolution is adopted. The next order of business is Senate Concurrent Resolution One by Senator McGuire. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Concurrent Resolution One by Senator McGuire, relative to the adoption of the joint rules of the Senate and Assembly for the 2025-26 regular session.

Mr. Pro Tem, you may proceed.

Thank you so much, Madam President and members. Senate Concurrent Resolution Number One contains the joint rules for the Senate and the Assembly. These rules are basically the same as the 2023-2024 joint rules. The changes are technical in nature. For example, the Joint Rule 61, which is Leader Jones's favorite rule, the date changed to reflect the current legislative calendar. Big stuff. Would respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Jones, you are recognized.

Thank you. Madam President, I would ask for a no vote on this SCR, please.

Thank you. Senator McGuire is asking for an aye vote. Senator Jones is asking for a no vote. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Ayes: 29; noes: nine. The resolution is adopted. Up next is Senate Concurrent Resolution Number Two by Senator Umberg. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Concurrent Resolution Two by Senator Umberg, relative to the selection of the Legislative Counsel of California.

Senator Umberg.

Thank you, Madam President. I am pleased and privileged to be able to carry SCR 2 to appoint Cara L. Jenkins as Ledge Counsel. I'm pleased to be able to do that, but I'm a little sad because I'm going to burst the bubble of a number of newly elected members and those in the gallery: is we don't actually write laws. Ledge Counsel actually writes the laws. We simply give them a concept and then they write the law.

And as the head of the Legislative Counsel's Office, Cara Jenkins has done an absolutely outstanding job. As you're quick to find out is that they not only write our laws but they also give us advice; they also review our laws to make sure that they're consistent with other laws, or at least they point out the inconsistencies.

It is an incredibly important job. It is an incredibly important office. I urge all of you to be very nice to them, and I am pleased to be able to urge an aye vote to appoint Cara L. Jenkins as Ledge Counsel.

Thank you, Senator. Any discussion or debate? I'm seeing a mic up. Senator Alvarado-Gill, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise in respectful opposition of this appointment being that we have an open investigation with the California State Bar initiated by this body against Ms. Jenkins. I ask that we wait until that investigation concludes before we make this appointment. And I'm also asking for a voice vote.

Mr. Pro Tem, you're recognized.

Ms. Jenkins is one of the most ethical individuals to be able to hold this office as Chief Counsel. She works closely with the Senate, works closely with the Assembly, works closely with Republicans and Democrats alike. Would respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mr--Senator Umberg, you may close.

Thank you. I have, over the last six years, come to know Ms. Jenkins as a person of incredible integrity, as a person who is not only a fine lawyer, but also an excellent leader and administrator and I strongly urge an aye vote.

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Ayes: 37; noes: one. The resolution is adopted. Up next is Senate Resolution Five by Senator Wahab. She is prepared. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Resolution Five by Senator Wahab, relative to notifying the Governor of the organization of the Senate.

Senator Wahab.

Senators and members of the public, Senate Resolution Five would have the President Pro tempore of the Senate appoint a special committee to notify the Governor that the Senate is duly organized for the 2025-2026 regular session and is now ready to receive any communication he may have to make to this House. I urge an aye vote.

Any debate or discussion on this matter? Senator Wahab is requesting an aye vote. All those in favor of the resolution, please say 'aye.' All those opposed, please say 'no.' The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. The President Pro tempore has appointed Senators Wahab, Pérez, Wiener, Jones, Weber, Cabaldon, and Archuleta to call upon the Governor. The next order of business is Senate Resolution Six by Senator Ashby. She is prepared.

Secretary, please read.

Senate Resolution Six by Senator Ashby, relative to notifying the Assembly of the Organization of the Senate.

Senator Ashby.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues and guests, Senate Resolution Six will allow the President Pro tempore of the Senate to appoint a special committee to notify the Assembly that the Senate is duly organized for the 25-26 regular session and is ready to proceed with the business of the State of California. I urge an aye vote.

I don't see debate or discussion on this matter. Senator Ashby is requesting an aye vote. All those in favor, please say 'aye.' All those opposed, please say 'no.' The ayes have it. Resolution is adopted. The President Pro tempore has appointed Senators Ashby, Dahle, Rubio, Grayson, Cervantes, and Padilla to call on the Assembly.

At this time, the regular session will stand in recess and the First Extraordinary Session will be convened. Pursuant to the provisions the proclamation of the Governor--of Governor Newsom, the 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session will come to order.

Pursuant to Section 9150 of the Government Code, Erika Contreras, Secretary of the Senate, and Katrina Rodriguez, Sergeant-at-Arms and Matthew Burns, Minute Clerk, are in their respective places. The prayer and pledge will be deemed complete. The secretary will call the roll.

[Roll Call].

A quorum is present. The secretary will now read the proclamation of the Governor.

'B: make conforming changes to existing law consistent with the preceding paragraph. I further direct that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California.'

Thank you, Secretary. Senator Gonzalez, you are now recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I request unanimous consent that the officers in the Committee on Rules for the 2025-2026 regular session be adopted for the 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session.

Without objection, the officers in the Committee on the Rules for the 2025-26 regular session will be adopted for the 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session. The oaths of office will be deemed complete for the elected officials. Senator Gonzalez, you are once again recognized. This is your show.

Thank you, Madam President. I move that the Standing Rules of the Senate, except Senate Rule 12 for the 2025-26 regular session, be adopted for the 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session.

Secretary, please call this roll. Senator Niello, you are recognized before the roll call.

Thank you, Madam President. Without repeating all of my prior remarks, I will just refer to them and urge a no vote on this measure.

Senator Gonzalez is asking--Senator Grove, you are recognized.

Madam President, colleagues, we just listened to the Senate Pro Tem--who was elected by all of us to be the Senate Pro Tem--talk about how we work across the aisle. There was legislation that got passed on the Republican side last year that could have never happened if it wasn't for our colleagues across the aisle.

Senator Grove, we could speak to the nature of the resolution, please.

Yes. So we talked about working together. There's no reason why we would allow a blank check to go out to the DOJ and other agencies to be able to sue the Trump Administration. We've shown that we can work together and we can make good decisions--

Senator Grove, to the motion only.

No debate on the substance of the request?

Just to the motion only.

Respectfully ask for a no vote on this as I think that Californians expect us to be frugal with our budget, make good decisions, and I think that we should absorb the benefits that we have from the new Administration, and that--

Thank you, Senator Grove. Only to the--Senator Seyarto, if you could stick to the merits of the motion, please.

If you will allow me to go ahead with--

You are recognized.

Thank you. We understand that these rules want to be put in place for something, but we do not want to put in place rules for something that shouldn't exist. This special session should not be called and it shouldn't exist. Thank you.

Any other member wish to be recognized? Seeing no longer--no other debate or discussion. Senator Gonzalez, you may close.

Thank you very much. We respect our colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle. We respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Ayes: 29; noes: nine. The motion carries. The next order of business will be Senate Concurrent Resolution One by Senator Gonzalez. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senate Concurrent Resolution One by Senator Gonzalez, relative to the joint rules for the 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session.

Senator Gonzalez.

Thank you, Madam President and members. Senate Concurrent Resolution One establishes the joint rules for the Senate and Assembly for 2025-26 First Extraordinary Session. These rules are similar to the joint rules adopted for the regular session but identify necessary exemptions to some rules for the purposes of the extraordinary session. I urge an aye vote.

Any debate or discussion on this matter? Resolution requires 21 votes to be adopted. Senator Jones.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd ask for a no vote on this resolution, please.

Thank you. Senator Gonzalez asking for an aye vote. Senator Jones asking for a no vote. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call].

Ayes: 29; noes: nine. The resolution is adopted. Senator Grove, for what purpose do you rise?

Condition of file, Madam President.

Thank you. As I was saying earlier, colleagues, we just got a really resounding wonderful speech from our Senate pro tem and our Republican leader about working together. We have the Trump Administration.

Senator Grove, you're recognized.

For the next four years, there are going to be things that I realize my colleagues don't like, and there will be things that our constituents I do believe will like.

If the Trump Administration pursues educational choice to let the money follow the student and let Low socioeconomic disadvantaged communities be able to pick a school that works best for them, or our IDD kids that are warehoused primarily in our public school systems to be able to have an opportunity for growth in the educational choice that their parents choose.

We shouldn't oppose that. We should work with the Trump Administration to make sure that our students have the same opportunities. I know there's a lot of you that don't agree with the domestic energy stuff that I have. Kern, County, 70% of the state's oil. We produce energy. We import it now from foreign countries.

Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and other countries, even Russia sometimes, when we can produce that energy right here. If there's a domestic energy production agenda that comes forth, we should put people to work in California, here, by using our people and our process in the Central Valley to be able to produce the oil that we use every single day.

1.8 million barrels of oil we use every single day in the State of California. And we're importing it from foreign countries that don't give a rip about environmental equality or anything like that.

We produce energy here under the strictest, most environmental protections in the entire world, but we bring that oil from other countries to give to our constituents that need that oil to drive every single day.

If we're going to look at the Chevron decision, which was just awarded by the Supreme Court, that doesn't allow agencies to be able to just randomly charge our constituents, like recently, the CARB decision, you I none of us voted on that increase for 60 cents a gallon of gas, we wouldn't do that to our constituents.

We have the highest gas prices in the nation. But these unelected bureaucratic agencies have the ability to be able to just increase cost on our constituents. And they shouldn't be based on the Supreme Court's decision, with the Chevron decision.

And also if the Trump Administration comes forward and they eliminate that and they stand by the Chevron decision that was made, we should allow that to take place in California so that our constituents benefit from it as well.

I think with the budget deficit that we're facing, I think that with this 100 and something $1.0 billion error that was in the latest budget, we need to be very strategic on what we spend our money on. And giving a blank check to these agencies is just file a lawsuit against the Administration.

I think if we were going to do this, I would ask you to deny what is going on today and bring forth something that authorizes us to pick and choose and have a debate over what's going to be filed, a lawsuit against the Administration.

I'd also like to take note that we get roughly about $240 billion from the Federal Government.

And I think that over the last four years, in the past we've worked with the Federal Government on high prone fire areas and climate issues and transportation issues and high speed rail funding and all of those things that a lot of us on this side of the room don't agree with.

But I think we need to work with the Administration to make California's lives better. Respectfully ask for a no vote which we could not take now. But those are my comments and I know there's not a no vote there.

Madam President, I apologize for making that error in my comments, but that's the comments that I had on the condition of the file. And I think we just need to be more prudent with our dollars that we have in the State of California. Thank you, Senator Grove. Senator Wiener, you're recognized.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Respectfully, to my colleague from Bakersfield, I have a different perspective which I would like to express in terms of what this special session making.

Sure just if you could phrase. Senator. On the condition of the file.

On the condition of the file, please proceed. Thank you. Madam President. This special session is about sticking up for Californians and for California values. It is about ensuring that the President of the United States and his Administration actually follow the law.

And I will remind you colleagues that the last time this Administration was in power, of the lawsuits that we were forced to file against the Administration because it violated the law. California prevailed in 80% of those lawsuits and saved our state an enormous amount of money as a result.

And so we know that there are risks to our state, to our people, and to our finances.

If this Administration illegally seeks to take a wrecking ball to healthcare access in California, if it illegally tries to take a wrecking ball to education funding in California, if it illegally denies us funding for natural disaster relief, if it illegally seeks to use the military, the United States military on our streets to mass Deport more than a million Californians who contribute $8.5 billion to our economy, if it illegally seeks to make our air and water dirtier in California, and if it illegally seeks to make workers less safe, we will act and we will prevail.

And that's what this special session is about. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Wiener. Senator Seyarto, you're recognized.

Thank you. This is on condition of the file as well. Please proceed. Thank you. So my issue with this, that we have proceeded down a path that sets us up with a more adversarial relationship with the Federal Government than we already had.

California has a lot of issues and we're not going to solve them with just the taxpayer dollars that we send to California. Our taxpayer dollars that get sent to the Federal Government are going to be needed as well.

And when we're going to, if we're going to set up an adversarial relationship worse than we already have, this is this. What we're doing today is sending that exact message that we're going to fight you tooth and nail for everything. And you know what that means? They're going to fight us tooth and nail for everything.

If you go look at the last election, guess what? We are not the tip of the spear anymore, folks. In fact, what we are is an outlier. In fact, if you look at the map in California, people are not following what California is leading on anymore. They've turned in a different direction.

So we need to work with the Federal Government to be able to address our issues. This is not going to do it. What we've done today is not going to do it. The second thing is using even more taxpayer dollars than we've already given the DOJ to file all these lawsuits.

The DOJ currently has a funding mechanism that they had recently taken from an account that was not on the books and put it into an account. It's a half $1.0 billion.

It used to be a billion, but we took some of that 400 million of it and put it into the General Fund to try to patch up the deficit. Anybody remember the deficit? Well, we still have one.

They have a half $1.0 billion sitting in an account that if they need to use money for that, they could take it right out of there and put it into a different account. All it takes is a little action by the Budget Committee.

So, you know, we do not need to be going down the path of spending more taxpayer dollars suing the Federal Government to create an adversarial relationship so we can't take care of the many problems. I know we paint this rosy picture of California. We have a lot of problems and we need cooperation to fix it.

This is not going to do it. So those were my comments. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Seyarto. See no other mics up. Mic is coming down. If there is no further business, the first extraordinary session will stand in recess upon call of the President pro tem and we will reconvene the regular session to our guest. I hope you're having a good time so far.

Members, we will conclude our events for the day with the musical performance by the Transcendence theater company. Joining us today is Julie Craig and Ezekiel Andrew. Welcome to the State Senate, Julie. When you're ready.

Every mountain. Search high and Low. Follow. Every by way every path you know Come your every rainbow till you find your dream A dream that will need all the love you can give. Every. Day of your life for as long as you live Climb every mountain hold every stream from every remote till you find your dream.

Dream that will need. All the love you can and me every day of your life for as long as you live Climb every mountain all around every rainbow till you find you.

Thank you so much. Julie.

It.

When I am down and o my soul so weary when darkness comes and my heart burdened peace then I am still and wait here in the silence until you come and sit a while with me you raise me up so I can stand on mountains you raise me up to you walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on your shoulders you raise me up to more than I can be to dream the impossible dream to fight the unbeatable foe to bear with unbearable sorrow to run where the brave dare not go to right the unrighteous wrong to love pure and chaste from afar to try when your arms are too weary to reach the unreachable star this is my quest to follow that star.

No no matter how hopeless no matter how far to fight for the right without question nor pause to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest that my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest. And.

The world will be better for the sun? That one man scorned and covered with scars still stroll with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star. You raise me up?

So I can stand on mountains?

You raise me up you walk on stormy seas? I am strong when I am on your shoulders? You raise me up to more than I can be. You raise me up two more than I can be.

In the words of our pro temp, I was feeling a bit blubbery up here. Thank you. Thank you so much, Julie and Ezekiel, for sharing your magical voices with us today. Is there any further business in front of the house today? I'm seeing none, Mr. Pro Tem. The desk is clear.

Thank you so much, Madam President. We want to take a moment to be able to say thank you. Thank you to the friends and family who gathered here today on this amazing occasion. And I want to end as we started, take this in today, take a look at our surroundings.

Less than 1200 Californians in the last 175 years sat in the desks that we're all sitting in now. It is such an honor.

It's a privilege to be able to work on behalf of the people of California, on behalf of all of us here in the State Senate, to all of our guests, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for joining us today. And one more time, let's do this for California.

Let's give it up to the new Senators and the California State Senate. The Golden State proud and California forever. The next floor session is scheduled for Monday, January 62025 at 2:00pm the.

Desk will remain open until the hour of 3:30pm for the introduction of bills, at which time the adjournment motion will be placed. The Senate will stand in recess until Monday, January 62025 at 2:00pm The Senate is now in recess. As a reminder, the desk will remain open for Bill introduction during the month of December. Merry Christmas.

Happy holidays.