Assembly Floor

Assembly Member, Excuse me the Assembly is now in session Assembly Member Rogers notices the absence of a quorum Sergeant arms will prepare the chamber and bring the in the absent Members Clerk will call.

[Roll Call]

Father God, we come to you this morning with a grateful heart for the new year, but also with a heavy heart as we think of those affected by the fires in our immigrant community who face much uncertainty.

We continue to pray for the victims of the devastating fires in Southern California, the families that have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. Surround them with your peace and strength as they rebuild their lives. Bless the firefighters, emergency responders and all those who have worked tirelessly and volunteer to protect and save others.

We ask that you strengthen them and keep them safe. At the same time, we turn our hearts to the immigrant community, many of whom are living in fear and uncertainty. Lord, grant them courage and resilience in these difficult times. May we all, as leaders, rise to our moral responsibility to create policies rooted in justice, compassion and inclusion.

Help us be instruments of healing and hope. Help us come together as one California, as one United States of America. We ask for your wisdom, mercy and grace as we seek to serve the most vulnerable among us. Amen.

We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing to join us in the flag salute. Assembly Member Ortega will lead us in the pledge.

Members, please join me. I pledge allegiance to the flag.

You may be seated. For our guests and visitors today, state law prohibits persons in the gallery from interfering with legislative procedures proceedings or disrupting the orderly conduct of official business. Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest or other duly appropriate legal remedies. Reading of the previous day's Journal .

Assembly Chamber Sacramento Monday, January 6, 2025 the. Assembly met at 1pm The Honorable Josh. Lowenthal, Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly, presiding. Chief Clerk Sue Parker at the desk.

Ms Aguiar Curry moves and Mr. Flores seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispatched. Dispensed with presentations and petitions, There are none. Introductions and reference of bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor? There are none. Messages from the Senate? There are none.

Moving to motions and resolutions. The absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the Journal. Majority Leader Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Carrillo and Demaio to speak in adjourned in memory today.

Without objection Such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly. Rule 118A to allow Assembly Member Wallis. To have a guest in the rear. Of the chamber today.

Without objection, such shall be the order. Members, let us wish a very happy belated birthday to Assembly Member Bryan. The ripe age of 33 celebrated yesterday. We're going to move on to business. On the daily File file item 1, ACR 7 by the birthday boy, Assembly Member Bryan Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 7 by Assembly Member Brian and others relative to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.

Assemblymember Bryan, you are recognized. Thank you. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise to present ACR 7. ACR 7 is our annual resolution commemorating the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a prolific Order, an organizer, a Reverend, a father, a friend, a mentor, an American King hero.

He was many, many incredible things. One of the things he was not, however, was liked during his lifetime. In fact, he was incredibly controversial all the way up until his death. And the things that made him controversial are some of the things that we often gloss over this time of year when we remember him.

The fact that he fought for workers, he was on the picket line, that he questioned authority. He felt like unjust laws had to be fought against. He organized against systems of power that were weaponized, against marginalized people in this country. He believed in reparations and repair. He believed in dignity. He didn't propagate meritocracy where it didn't belong.

In fact, he called it a cruel jest to ask a bootless person to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. Dr. King was a hero because he was hated during his lifetime. Because he fought for what was right, even when it was incredibly difficult, incredibly hard. He believed that our diversity was our strength.

He believed that through equity, everybody in this country could rise. And he believed that an inclusive society is one where race becomes meaningless. Not that we make race meaningless. In order to keep folks subjugated, we have to build together to build the country that sees, believes and uplifts Everybody. That's what Dr. King fought for.

And ultimately it's what he died for at the ripe young age of 39. He should still be with us today. With MLK Day being this Monday, I would argue we could use him now more than ever. I respectfully ask for your support, your co authorship and your remembrance today as we bring ACR7 to the floor.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus to honor the remarkable life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a little girl, I would sit in my rabbi's office in the big couch, trying to get my feet to the end of the couch.

And the picture that was right in front of me was my rabbi marching with Martin Luther King. It was one of the proudest moments of his life. Rabbi Axelrod would teach us about what it meant to march with people whose struggles we didn't experience, but that we understood and needed to stand up for.

And that it was through those fights that we built kinship and relationship. So that when we were down, when we had moments where we needed allyship, we knew that they, too, would stand with us. And it's not why we do it. We do it because it's the right thing to do.

Because equity and the diversity of our communities is our strength. And we know that. And the core of our Jewish beliefs is to stand up and fight for those values every single day. And so I grew up with that.

On my way to work this morning, I was talking to my brother on the phone who was telling me that tonight at his synagogue, the sermon will be given by the preacher from the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco to honor Martin Luther King.

And then on Sunday, he will be giving the sermon there that they're coming together across faiths to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, to remind the City of San Francisco the strength in our diversity and the kinship that we share even today.

And so I couldn't agree more with my colleague from Los Angeles that it is incumbent upon each of our communities to stand up today to remember Martin Luther King's legacy, to feel gratitude for all that he did, all that he left us, and all the work we have to do in the years to come to honor what he did.

This last year has been one of the hardest in my life as it relates to anti Semitism and many of those hard days.

I thought of Martin Luther King when people were attacking a Jewish man who went into a business in Oakland and was denied service and demanded that he had a right to be served in that restaurant.

It was Martin Luther King who I thought of, the man who taught us that we don't just sit down and allow people to discriminate. We stand up. We walk into those restaurants with our heads held high, and we demand our rights.

And the communities across the state that stood with us and fought against hate did exactly what Martin Luther King asks of us today and every day.

And as we embark on the year ahead, I know that many of us will experience moments where we need that strength that he taught us about, where we need to find deep inside of us. Those moments to stand up, to speak out for our own communities.

But for the communities who, like my rabbi taught me, we don't experience their injustices, but we know them, we see them, and we are obligated to stand up for them. And so with that, I'm proud to ask for an aye vote on ACR 7.

Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and Members, on behalf of the Latino Caucus, it is my pleasure to rise in strong support of ACR 7, which commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's life serves as an extraordinary example of how one person can have a profoundly positive impact on all of our lives. Dr.

King is a symbol of justice. He was an educator of civil and human rights. He held honest conversations and provided wise words about many topics relevant in our society today, including civil rights and social justice. He also understood the value and unity and the power of solidarity. Dr.

King inspired our Latino civil rights leaders, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, to utilize his model of nonviolence during the struggle for farm worker rights. Although they never met in person, Dr. King sent Cesar Chavez a telegram in 1966 in support of La Huelga, the farmworker strike. Permission to read a quote from that message, Mr. Speaker?

Without objection.

As brothers in the struggle for equality, I extend the hand of fellowship and goodwill and wish continuing success to you and your Members. The fight for equality must be fought on many fronts. In the urban slums, to the sweatshops, of the factories and fields. Our separate struggles are really a struggle for freedom, dignity and humanity.

You and your valiant fellow workers have demonstrated your commitment to righting grievous wrongs forced upon exploited people. We are together with you in spirit and in determination that our dreams for a better tomorrow will be realized today. Our communities continue to strive to achieve the dream Dr. King fought for and for which he paid the ultimate price.

As we celebrate and honor Dr. King and his legacy, let us acknowledge the community leaders, teachers, and those individuals who have been inspired by Dr. King's vision, his spirit and his dream to continue to fight for social equality and justice.

I am proud to stand in support of this resolution on behalf of the Latino Caucus and will do my part to honor Dr. King's legacy by advocating for the most vulnerable and ensuring social and economic prosperity for all. I join my colleagues in respectfully asking for your. I vote on ACR 7.

Thank you, Assemblymember Rodriguez, Assemblymember Elhawary. You are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, I rise today as a proud joint author and on behalf of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and Women's Caucus in support of Acr7. Today, we honor a giant in the fight for civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sparked a revolution, and his legacy is one of action in the name of justice.

This titan was not afraid to stand firm in his advocacy for civil rights for black Americans. His advocacy continues to transcend generations and has sparked movements toward equal rights for many communities, including women, Latinos, and LGBTQ folks. Dr.

King's legacy is still felt today as we invoke his name and try to fulfill his dream of equity and justice for all. I would like to share a couple of his powerful words as we continue to remember him. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.

And in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Let us all affirm his commitment to supporting our diverse communities that are targets of unwarranted hate. Because, as Martin Luther King Jr. Said, Love is the greatest force in the universe. Members, I respectfully urge your.

I vote on ACR 7. Thank you.

Assemblymember Kalra, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the California Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, it is my honor to rise in support of ACR 7, recognizing January 17th as Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr. Day. Dr.

King, of course, fought for inclusivity and equality, and leaders today continue to be inspired by his fight for parity, for equitable opportunities and equal protection under the law. And there's a long history of our communities working together to achieve the dream that Dr. King espoused.

AAPI women like Grace Lee Boggs, Yuri Kochi, Yama Inochika Roska, and Helen Zia work closely with allies in the civil rights movement, including Dr. King and Malcolm X. Of course, Dr.

King made a journey to India as he learned more about how to use nonviolence and nonviolent non cooperation, which of course, was a cornerstone of his civil rights movement. Together, our communities fought for integrated education and human rights. And I would suggest that we don't simply honor Dr.

King as a relic of the past, but his legacy as a living example of fighting for the poor, for health care, justice for the working class, and not just for racial harmony. As we're going to see a lot of corporate ads talk about holding hands and racial harmony and whitewashing his legacy, but for racial equity.

And ensuring that we fight for that every single day and not allow those that are in power, whether it's in Sacramento or in Washington, D.C. erase our history and erase the legacy of Dr. King.

I would also note that for many of us who are Asian Americans, the majority of us actually came in the 60s, 70s, and after that, in terms of the influx of migration, of course, we have a long history in this country, and whether it's in San Jose or LA or the Central Valley, as farm workers building railroads, what have you.

But the reality is that it was not until the Immigration Nationality act of 1966 that would not have happened without the Civil Rights movement, would not have happened without Dr. King, that so many of us are able to stand here today.

And I think it's incumbent upon us to teach our children, our Asian American children, our parents who may not have grown up in the education system here, about that history so that we don't forget that we owe a great debt to. To Dr.

King, a great debt to the Civil Rights movement for allowing us the opportunity to come to this great country and contribute and of course, be able to benefit from our generations of being here since that movement. So today, the AAPI Caucus stands for the Black Caucus in recognizing the life and legacy of Dr. King.

And we look forward to continuing to work together to make his dream a reality. And as Dr. King said, and I would remind folks, as we start the legislative session and have decisions to make, that the time is always right to do what is right.

I want to thank the Member from Los Angeles for bringing this resolution forward. And I respectfully asked for an I vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Kalbrough. Assemblymember Gallagher, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, I also want to rise in support of this resolution and thank the gentleman for bringing it forward. You know, I really think about, as sitting here this morning, I think a lot about the Christian legacy of Dr.

King, and that I don't think you can separate the great faith of this man from the work that he did. And I think a lot about. I think we all kind of wrestle with, you know, how do we live out our faith in how we do our work?

And it's not only like, what we do, but like how we do it. And I think that Dr. King really left a legacy and showed the way forward on how you can do that, obviously recognizing when something is wrong, that we have to do everything we can to stop it, to change it.

And he certainly was that change agent. But I think he also really showed how you can do that as a Christian, as a person who wants ultimately peace and wants harmony in bringing those things. And I think of the letter from Birmingham Prison, which I think is one of the.

A great American piece of art where he's really wrestling with the question of, as a Christian, we're told, you know, to obey the authorities and obey the law, but wrestling with, you know, what. What does that really mean? And then he.

He really, I think, spelt out in a way that maybe nobody had before and relying on Scripture and relying on, you know, those who had come before to say there is a higher moral law and that when the law of the land is in.

Is in conflict, you know, with that higher moral law, that is when we have that obligation to disobey. And really, the beginning, and I think it was the culmination of his thoughts on civil disobedience. And when you get to that point, but then there's also a. How you go about that. And it was nonviolence.

It was not, you know, bringing about violent revolt against others, but really, you know, being that, you know, putting the wrench in the wheels of injustice. And I think that his path and the way that he did that ultimately changed people's hearts. It changed people's minds. And as my colleague pointed out, it was not popular.

It was not, you know, at the time. But the way that he went about that ultimately brought about the change that was really necessary at the time. And so I look at that as an example.

And I think he also called us to a higher path when we're in the midst of division, when we're in the midst of turmoil, that we look to a higher way. And the mountaintop speech certainly comes to mind.

You know, when he gave that speech, almost when you hear it, when you listen to it, when you read it, it's almost like he knew what was coming. I don't think he knew what was coming. But he may not get there, right? May not get there with you, but he had that dream of what could be.

And so I'm very mindful of that this morning. I think it's something that is convicting to me as a leader, as a Christian, as someone who wants to bring about positive changes and in the times that we find ourselves in. And so I hope, you know, to.

As I sit here today, I want to think on that and model that as we move forward in our work. So thank you.

Assemblymember Demaio. You are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I join in support of ACR 7. And I feel compelled, though, to urge all of us. If we want to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, let's celebrate his progress, his achievements. I agree with my colleague. We shouldn't whitewash what Dr. King fought for, nor should we erase his legacy.

But all too often, I think some leaders in our state, some advocacy groups, diminish his legacy by ignoring the substantial historic progress for civil rights that has been achieved in this country.

I worry about the rhetoric, particularly to our younger generation, instilling fear in them that no matter how hard you work, no matter what your idea that we live in a society where the predominant judge will be your skin color, I think that's a falsehood. It is a corrosive falsehood.

It undermines the dreams of these children, and it conditions people to always second guess and be apprehensive about their fellow American and fellow Californian. If we want to celebrate Dr. King, and we absolutely should, then we need to do a better job of actually celebrating his grand achievements. If Dr.

King were to come back today and be with us in America, in California, his heart, I believe, would be overfilled with joy at how close we are to that wonderful vision that he articulated. Let's not diminish his achievements by misrepresenting America and California. I believe Californians, Americans, are fundamentally fair people, Democrat, Republican, and everyone in between.

I believe that racism is extremism because of the progress we've made in society. Let's not normalize it by saying we have racism everywhere, because when there is true racism, it should be called out as extremism, as the exception to the norm, to be condemned by all. I encourage you not just to vote for this resolution.

I encourage you to live this resolution by doing a better job, all of us, of celebrating Dr. King's substantial and remarkable progress. The more we point out that we are closer than ever to his vision, the more racism is consigned to the extremist exception to the norm. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. DiMaio. Seeing and hearing no further debate, Assemblymember Bryan, would you like to close?

Yes. First, I'd like to thank all of my colleagues from all of the diversity caucuses and all the regions of the state that stood up and spoke in support of this resolution. I also want to thank the Republican leader.

I don't know that I've ever heard a Republican leader get up and reference a letter from a Birmingham jail and their remarks on Martin Luther King Jr. And that means a lot to me personally, and I know my colleagues in the Black Caucus. I, too, think about what Dr.

King would think about if he came back or if he was here today. And I think he would be proud and mortified. He would be mortified at the stagnation of black economic progress. He would be mortified to see the number of black folks who are unhoused and underfed.

He would be mortified to see the way our education systems disproportionately produce or under produce in black communities and make it harder for black students to transition and matriculate into higher education. He would be mortified to see the racism that exists in its most violent and flagrant forms both in person and on social media.

And if you don't believe it, please scroll through my feed. But I do think he would be hopeful seeing a body like this, the most diverse body in the State of California's history. I think he would be proud to see this. More importantly, I think in this exact moment here in our state, Dr.

King would be in Altadena. He would be organizing community aid and mutual aid and building systems of community care for the black families that have been disproportionately displaced and had their entire livelihoods burned down in that section of our great state.

I think of many quotes that he gave, but one that comes to mind for me in this moment. Dr. King once said, life's most pressing and most urgent question is what are you doing for somebody else? And with that, I respectfully ask for your. I vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bryan. Mr. Bryan, do you wish for the first roll to be open for co authors? All debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll for co authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. This is for co authors. All Members vote who desire to vote.

The Clerk will close the roll. There are 66 co authors added without objection. We will now take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

Foreign.

Assembly Member Wallis, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, last week we passed ACR 8 which celebrated World Desert Day. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, a cherished institution in my district, is the genesis for World Desert Day. It's one of my favorite places in the district. The Living Desert is home to over 500 animals, 150 species, 1200 protected acres and miles of hiking trails. They're engaged in 80 plus conservation projects around the world. They also host weddings and my beautiful wife, Desiree, and I were one of the first couples to get married there.

I'm happy to welcome to the Assembly floor in the back of the chambers from the Living Desert, Dr. Anna Young, Vice President of Learning and Impact and Kathy Sacher, Grants and Government Programs Officer, part of the team promoting World Desert Day. Please give them a warm welcome.

Welcome to the California Assembly. Members, we will be moving on to adjournments in memory. Quorum call is still in place. I ask you to please take your seats. Please give your very respectful attention to those who are granted prior permission to speak on their adjournment in memory. Please take all conversations off the floor. Assemblymember Demaio, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Today I rise and ask that we adjourn in memory of Jeffrey Thomas Kanas, who sadly passed away on December 16, 2024 in a helicopter crash as he was en route to a border security mission in Southern California. Jeff was born to Tom and Gail Kanas and grew up in Islip, New York.

There he developed his love for sports as well as his favorite teams, the Mets, Islanders and Jets. Jeff was a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in music. After graduating, Jeff joined the United States Navy where he became a dedicated aviator. Following his service in the U.S. navy in 2008, Jeff joined the U.S.

Customs and Border Protection Agency where he served for 16 years, protecting the U.S. homeland and serving on the San Diego border. His skill, commitment and passion were evident in every mission he undertook as an Air Force sorry - as an Air Interdiction Agent, Jeff was also known to be intelligent, curious and loving to all those who knew him.

He was known to have a great sense of humor, be able to brighten a room and lift everyone's spirits. Jeff shared 21 years of his life with his wife Tracy, whom he loved dearly. Jeff and Tracy cherished watching their daughter, Ella, figure skate, cheering on their son, Connor, at his hockey games, and taking their beloved dogs Benny and Mojo for walks. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, parents Tom and Gail, his sister Jen, family members and friends, Jeff's memory will be treasured and will continue to inspire his family, friends and colleagues that had the pleasure of sharing his life journey.

Thank you, Assemblymember Demaio. Assemblymember Carrillo, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to a journey in the memory of Mr. David Thomas Gomez. David was born on May 15, 1967 in Burbank, California and passed away at 57 years old on November 18, 2024 in Palmdale California. The eldest of three children, David was a beloved brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend.

He was the epitome of a servant leader whose impact is profound and far reaching, and his life was a testament to his calling to serve his community. For over 38 years, David worked in the electrical industry, beginning as an inside wireman and ultimately serving as Executive Director of Business Development for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, also known as IBEW Local 11 and the Los Angeles Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association, also known as NECA.

David served on the Palmdale Water District Board of Directors, City of Palmdale Planning Commission, Los Angeles Community College District Bond Oversight Committee, Commissioner of Antelope Valley State Water Contractors Association, and as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for the City of Lancaster. His contributions extended far beyond his professional career, and he was an integral part of his community.

One of the greatest chapters in David's life began when he met his wife, Kathy McLaren-Gomez, a fellow public servant who shared his passion for community service. Together, they were steadfast in their dedication to their shared values, working tirelessly to improve the communities they call home.

He not only embraced Kathy's love of public service, but also her family. With Kathy, David gained two stepdaughters, Barbara and Samantha McLaren, whom he loved as his own. He cherished spending quality time for his family and friends. David found joy in the simple moments, whether he was sharing a meal, trading stories or catching a sports game.

David is survived by his loving wife, Kathy McLaren-Gomez, his stepdaughters, Barbara and Samantha McLaren, his siblings Jennifer Gomez and Mark Gomez, his cherished grandchildren, Kennedy, Peyton, Ace and Finley, and countless friends and colleagues who were like family to him.

His wife was a testament to his calling to serve his community, and his legacy will continue to inspire and guide those who knew and love him. Today as we adjourn in memory of Mr. Gomez, may his memory inspire us to bridge divides and empower our communities. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Members, I respectfully ask that we adjourn in the memory of Mr. David Thomas Gomez.

Thank you, Assemblymember Carrillo. Assemblymember Lackey, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, one of the great privileges that we have on this Assembly floor is to stand and honor these people and express our appreciation for their lives. And I stand and also request we adjourn in memory in the honor of David Thomas Gomez. It's with heavy heart that I actually take this opportunity to say thank you. I have a lot here to to read, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to share with you one of the compelling reasons why I feel it is a deserved honor. Because David had something unique.

He had something, a quality that we can all recognize when it exists, but it's really hard to describe. The best term that I can come up with is quiet goodness. David shared different political party affiliation than I did, but that really didn't matter. It didn't matter because we all wanted to work towards something that bettered our community and bettered our surroundings that we lived in. He was an electrician. He was a very active union member. And therefore there were some things that we saw differently.

But what he was able to do is influence a group of elected officials back when I was in local government called the Get Along Party, or known as the GAP Party. And we tried to focus instead on the things that defined the differences that we shared, that defined the common interests that we had.

And that is something that I hope that we can all learn from. You know, this quiet goodness that he has is not something you acquire through a title. It's not something you can purchase. It's something that's a consequence of setting an example for goodness. And I'm thankful for his example, and it will forever stay with me. And I'm very thankful and hope to be able to understand that the things that unite us are much more powerful than the things that divide us if we let it. And it's my hope that we will follow that great example and adjourn in the memory of this great person. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Assemblymember Lackey. Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the Journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the Journal. Moving on to announcements, session schedule is as follows. Monday, January 20th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed. Tuesday, January 21st.

There is floor session at 1pm. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Assemblymember Krell moves and Assemblymember Ta seconds that this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, January 21st at 1pm. The quorum call is lifted and we are adjourn.