Senate Floor

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. Members, would the Members and our guests beyond the rail and in the gallery please rise? We will be led in prayer this morning by our chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, after which, please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

So let us bring our hearts and minds and bodies into the presence of our God. This prayer is based on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. S reflections on Amos 5:24 and Micah 6:8.

Merciful God, in times of fear, amid rumors of war, we pray that one day justice will roll down like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream. We pray that all elected officials will do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.

We pray that one day war will come to an end, that nations will no longer rise up against nations. We pray that one day everyone will sit under their own vine and Fig tree and none will be afraid. We pray that one day the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh will see it together.

We pray that with this faith we will be able to adjourn the councils of despair and bring new light into the chambers of pessimists. We pray that with this faith, we will speed up the day when there will be peace on earth and goodwill toward all. And we pray for that glorious day when the morning stars will sing together and the children of God will shout for joy. Amen.

Please join me as we salute our flag. Members, the Senate wants to congratulate our own Brian Green on his retirement after 30 years with the Senate. Let's give him a warm Senate thank you. A personal thank you as well. You've been an integral part of the Senate, so thank you very much for your service.

And we're going to miss you now that you're moving into retirement. Congratulations, Members. Under privileges of the floor, I'd like to recognize Senator Blakespear.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, it is my great honor and privilege to welcome my constituents and friends who are up in the gallery here. Leah Mcarthur and Helen Osterheld. Thank you for joining us in Sacramento.

Welcome, Members. There's going to be some construction going on, so it's important that we pay attention and be quiet. So, Members, without objection, we're going to move to Senate. Third reading to take up file item number six. Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 by Senator Ochoa Bogh from the Majority leader's desk, Secretary, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 by Senator Ochoa Bogh relative to World Desert Day.

Senator Ochoa Bogh, the floor is yours.

Good morning. Thank you, Madam President and Members, I rise to present SCR 5 which recognizes January 11, 2025 as World Desert Day. While they appear barren, deserts are brimming with life. California's three distinct desert regions support thousands of plants and animals that remain resilient in the face of the most extreme conditions on Earth.

Without widespread education about the value of these ecosystems and the sustainable practices necessary to maintain them, we risk losing access to the vital aspects of California's and the nation's culture and history.

For example, in my district, the Mojave Desert, named for the Mojave people, occupies more than 25,000 square miles across southeastern California, as well as portions of Nevada, Arizona and Utah. This region experiences extreme variations in daily temperatures with not only winter frost, but also the hottest recorded temperatures on Earth.

The Mojave Desert is home to the Mojave Desert tortoise, the California tree frog and roughly 250 species of birds, including roadrunners, cactus wrens, red tailed hawks and golden eagles. Deserts like the Mojave, the Colorado and the Great Basin are integral to the California's ecosystem.

SCR 5 recognizes that the Legislature must support ongoing efforts to educate our residents about the role in conserving desert biodiversity. Our deserts broaden our understanding of how remarkable and resilient our world is. It is our responsibility to preserve them. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Members, is there any discussion or debate on this item? Any discussion or debate? Seeing none, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 32. No 0. The resolution is adopted. I understand you have some introductions.

I do. Madam President. Thank you, Members. I want to extend a warm welcome to representatives of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Kat Satcher, Grant and government's programs officer, and Dr. Anna Young, Vice President of Learning Impact.

These women are among the many individuals at the Living Desert who work day in and day out to educate our communities on the importance of the desert conservation and habitat restoration.

For over 50 years, the living Desert Zoo and Gardens, located in Palm Desert, my new district, has been educating the public about the unique and often overlooked qualities of the rich desert environments of North America, Australia and Africa.

The Living Desert is currently engaged in over 80 projects, including international conservation efforts, local habitat restoration and initiatives to protect endangered species. This includes an effort to bring back the pronghorn, the second fastest land mammal in the world, which once was native to Southern California.

Through a partnership with Pronghorn Recovery programs in Mexico, the Living Desert is actively working to reintroduce two subspecies of pronghorn into the historic Southern California desert environments. Please join me in recognizing Kat Satcher and Dr. Anna Young, along with the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens for their more than 50 years of advancing local and international conservation efforts.

Welcome to the California Senate and thank you so much for your work on behalf of the environment.

Thank you very much. We're going to move on to. Messages from the Governor will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports of Committee will be deemed read. Motion, resolutions and notices. There are none. Introduction and first reading of bills will be deemed read.

Members are going to move on to consideration of the daily file. We'll take up Senate third reading file item number seven. Senator Weber Pearson. Secretary, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 by Senator Weber Pierson, relative to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Senator Weber Pierson, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, colleagues. I rise today to present SCR 8 to commemorate January 20, 2025 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in honor of the civil rights pioneer. It is a decades long tradition to celebrate MLK Day on the third Monday of January. And even now, we still feel the impact of the Reverend's life.

As we begin to navigate through unprecedented times, we can use this day to ground us before embarking on the journey ahead. Standing strong in the face of challenges and injustices. After American slavery ended, black Americans faced legalized, institutional, systemic racism for nearly a century.

The time between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the signing of the Civil Rights act was an era marked by unfulfilled promises, Jim Crow laws that institutionalized segregation and violently enforced barriers to basic societal needs like employment, housing and education, to name a few. Dr. King grew up in the segregated South.

In the 1930s and 40s, he turned his experience in racism into advocacy for civil and human rights. His activism was inspired by a deep sense of moral duty to his beloved community, shaped by his faith, intellectual influences and the ongoing racial injustices of his time.

He, along with other prominent leaders of his time, like Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Stokely Carmichael, led activists to brave against the majority and fight for equal rights for black and all Americans. Sparking the civil rights movement.

Dr. King's famous I have a Dream speech rang in the ears of all Americans, sparking necessary conversations about fighting injustices through collaboration and nonviolent means. The Civil Rights movement fundamentally transformed American society. So for many of us, bringing about change in public policy that would promote racial integration and equitable access to basic rights that were afforded to others.

The civil rights movement also inspired numerous other social justice movements across the nation and beyond that can be traced back to the power and influence of Dr. King, such as the Women's Rights Movement, the LGBTQ rights movement, Black Lives Matter movement, and so much more.

Our present society still has a long ways to go in the fight for racial equity. There is evidence that racial biases affect health, education and economic outcomes. And California unfortunately is no exception to that. As chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, my fellow Members and I are committed to advancing reparative justice and racial equality up and down the state. And we hope to have your support in our efforts.

Dr. King's devotion to his life in the pursuit of racial equity, justice and non violent social change inspired millions with his vision of a world free from racial segregation and discrimination. And I am honored to present this resolution on his behalf. So please join me in celebrating the memory and birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

And with that I respectfully ask for your aye vote on SCR 8.

Thank you, Senator Richardson.

I rise today in support of SCR8, a monumentous opportunity to honor the life and legacy of a man who fundamentally reshaped the moral and political landscape of this nation. Dr. Martin Luther King, armed with courage, conviction, faith and an unwavering commitment to justice, stood at the forefront of the movement and challenged.

And more importantly, he moved the needle of Americans conscience from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he shared his dream, to the streets of Selma where he marched with resilience to sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, where he taught the principles of economic equality.

Dr. King's tireless pursuit dismantling barriers paved the way with his life for Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk, Dolores Huerta and Gloria Steinem, just to name a few. Dr. King's imprisonment, work and triumphs resulted in the monumental legislation even though he was never elected, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, all of which did not benefit one race or one gender, but benefiting all Americans.

In 1968, 4 days after his assassination, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was introduced as a Bill to make Dr. King's birthday a national holiday. In 1979, the Bill was debated in Congress on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's birth, but fell short by five votes.

In 1981, musician Stevie Wonder released the song Happy Birthday to promote the holiday. And in 1982, the Civil Rights Marches in Washington amplified the campaign. But it wasn't until 1983 that the Bill passed the House and was signed into the law.

But of course, as legislation works, it took an additional 17 years for the holiday to be recognized in all 50 states. Coretta Scott King wrote, the meaning of the King Holiday stated, the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and the legacy of a man who brought hope and Healing to America and to the world.

We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example. The values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King's character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal unconditional love, forgiveness and non violence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.

Now those were the words of his wife, Coretta Scott. I know we may hear today and through the weekend many references to Dr. Martin Luther King, his speeches, stirring quotes, but one seems to stand out to me. As one of the Members standing with you, Dr. King said, if you want to be important, wonderful.

If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want to be great, wonderful. But recognize that he or she that is greatest among you shall be your servant. That is the new definition of greatness.

By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody, no matter one's age, race, gender, physical ability, income or party affiliation, everyone can be great because everyone can serve in some way. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, let us be his definition. Let us be great.

Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. I rise today to add my voice to the chorus recognizing the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day here on the floor of the California State Senate. It is more important than ever to recognize Dr. King's demands that America live up to its stated ideals.

Because we are about to enter a very difficult period in our 250-year-old American history with the inauguration of a new President on MLK Day itself. Reminding ourselves of the challenging journey that Dr. King faced during his tragically short 13 year career can help us to fortify, motivate and gird ourselves for the difficult road we face ahead here in America and in California. It's important that we keep close to us Dr. King's vision of building a beloved community, a community based on justice, equal opportunity and love of one's fellow human.

He envisioned a world where we collectively rejected bigotry, discrimination and racial prejudice, in fact all types of prejudice, and where the wealth of our nation would be shared in an inclusive spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood.

Dr. King was able to crystallize the demands for racial and economic justice that were demanded by an entire generation and harnessed together with the political know how of first President Kennedy and then Primarily President Johnson. Dr. King's too short life saw the. Remarkable legislative achievement of the Great Society.

Programs and the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act. These laws unequivocally changed America for the better While we now have nearly universal acclaim for Dr. King, who is our nation's only modern founding father, I find it comforting to remember that this universal acclaim was not the case during his life, and that visionary leaders and great societal strides came during periods of tremendous disagreement and upheaval.

Dr. King was attacked not just from segregationists in the south, but also by black activists who wanted more, faster, and by northern white liberals and by nearly non stop calls to defer the dream and to stand down until the supposedly right time had come. As we enter a period in our national politics where Dr. King's core values seem to be wholly rejected by some, I console myself with Dr. King's deeper truths. That darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. That hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday that is explicitly recognized as a day of action and of service. To volunteer, to give back, to work. To create that beloved community of which Dr. King dreamed.

While here in California, we are imminently faced with the immense task of equitably helping rebuild homes and lives after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and we face the inhumanity and cruelty of coming federal policies. We must channel Dr. King's courage in the face of cynicism, distrust, and ultimately for him, what was deadly violence.

California is the state that most vigorously. Strives to make real the ideals of. Both Dr. King and our United States Constitution. And as Dr. King did, we in California must rise to this moment.

In 1850, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, great men have not been boasters or buffoons, but perceivers of the terror of life and have manned themselves to face it. King did this, and we in California do this as well. I urge all my colleagues in the California State Senate to support SCR 8. Thank you

Senator Smallwood-Cuevas.

Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. Good morning. We were just reflecting in the hallway how relevant. Dr. King is 39 years old, 13 year history, and his words are just so poignant today and apply in such a real way and just really appreciate the words that have been said.

And I rise today as a Member, as a Legislative Black Caucus and as a Member of the Women's Caucus in support of SCR 8, which recognizes Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. S life and his ongoing fight for racial and economic justice. Today, as forces throughout our nation call for division and distrust, we must remember

Dr. King's commitment, radical commitment to the rising tide that lifts all boats to the truest beloved community and the deepest commitment to justice for all. And A champion for all, including workers, including women, including and also some of our sick brothers and sisters. Dr. King believed in nonviolence.

And he believed that our struggle is really to change the hearts and minds of those who hurt us, to join our fight for humanity. He was a champion for workers. He assembled coalitions like the Poor People's Campaign.

Later in his career, as after building civil rights for our nation, he stood along the striking sanitation workers in their early fights for fair wages and for dignified workplaces. And while we have yet to realize all that Dr. King has envisioned for this nation and as we fight to achieve it, many of us here in this chamber, we must protect the progress against current threats, foreign and domestic. And we must make as a state and as a nation and as Californians, a place where we are free, where we are free from discrimination and from harassment.

That women have access to safe reproductive health care and that black and brown students are safe and receive high quality education and job training.

As so many throughout our state and districts begin the hard work of rebuilding through this very difficult time, testing every bit of our commitment to justice, we must not forget that this day represents a commitment to service, a commitment to dignity, a commitment to equity, and a commitment to building on the front lines of our frameworks for what is good and what is right and what is true American values realized in the lives of all of our residents.

Already we have seen our communities come together across all different walks of life to aid and support an unimaginable loss in this time areas impacted by these horrific fires, particularly in Altadena and the Palisades, in our historic districts where black home ownership rate of over 81% have served as a refuge for so many against discrimination in housing practices. In the enduring the civil rights era, for many black families, Altadena represented a beacon of hope.

And I want to just recognize our good colleague Sasha Perez, who is not here today as she is warring on the front lines for her communities to ensure equity and to ensure a swift and fair rebuild, we have to ensure that we are focused and hyper committed to the notion of fighting discrimination in our rebuild and our housing projects, in the access to job creation and to ensuring that we in build the wealth that has been lost by so many who have fought for it the most.

With this historic significance of this catastrophe, we look to the civil rights era, we look to our cultural strongholds, we look to the fight of unity and solidarity to weather this crisis throughout Los Angeles and for all of California as we work to protect so many of our communities. From such loss.

As we continue to assess the damage and more stories will come to life like those of Rodney Nickerson, the grandson of William Nickerson, who was the founder and owner of Nickerson Gardens in Watts, one of the largest and most organized and beautiful public housing development projects in Los Angeles.

As we continue to assess the damage, we must remain committed to service. We must remain committed to the beloved community. We must remain committed and lock fast in the beliefs of Dr. King and what he taught us.

We must remain committed to work together, to stay together, to not compete, but to build across this great state and to ensure that all of our residents are better. When all is said and done and over, I look forward to working with you in the spirit of

Dr. King up and down the state to restore not just the physical, but the cultural, the historical and important parts that make California California. So many of those that have suffered to really make our communities whole and to build the beloved community Dr. King encouraged us to do every day. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote

Senator McNerney.

Thank you, madam President. Senators, I rise today to honor the life and achievement of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Much is being said today, rightfully so, about the man.

My take is that this was a man, a human being, whose vision, determination, and perseverance against severe obstacles, even at the risk and ultimately the cost of his very life, helped transform a nation and raise the legal standing and prospects of black Americans and all other mistreated ethnic groups, and was the guiding light of hope for all the dispossessed.

I'm not even going to elaborate about his efforts for peace in this world. I honor the man and challenge all Americans, including myself, to live by that standard. Colleagues, I urge an aye vote on SCR 8.

Senator Padilla.

Thank you very much. Madam President. I would ask permission to cite and read during the course and scope of my comments. Thank you, Madam President. I rise on behalf of the California Latino Legislative Caucus as well as the LGBTQ Caucus in strong support of SCR 8, which commemorates the life and legacy of the Reverend

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His life served as an extraordinary example of how one principled voice can inspire millions to speak out, and how one principled actor can inspire millions to stand and to act, to resist and to respond to hate with love and to respond to fear with hope.

Dr. King forced honest conversations and spoke powerfully to the powerful about civil rights. And about social justice. He also understood the value in unity and the power of solidarity. He was an inspiration and a comfort to Latino civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, who utilized his model of nonviolence during the struggle for farm worker rights.

And indeed, as well, his example inspired the call for personal connection as a critical and necessary tool to achieve understanding that Harvey Milk insisted upon. Although they never met in person, Dr. King sent Cesar Chavez a telegram in 1966 during one of the early cuergas, one of the early farm worker strikes.

And the telegram said, 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, in the sweatshops of the factories and the fields.

Our separate struggles are really a struggle for freedom, one struggle for dignity and for 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.

As we celebrate Today to honor Dr. King and his legacy, let us renew and recommit ourselves to that clarion call he issued on that August day in 1963 in the shadow of Lincoln's image, as hopeful then, as hopefully, as it is so very necessary today. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice. To the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice. A reality for all of God's children.

We are proud to stand in support of this resolution and we will continue. As caucuses to do our part to. Honor Dr. King's legacy by action, by advocating for the most vulnerable and ensuring social and economic prosperity for all. Colleagues, respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Colleagues, I rise today as co chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus in support of SCR 8. Dr. King emphasized the power of love and light over hate and darkness, combating division and oppression. He fought for justice, seeking to dismantle the status quo of race and class divisions.

And he was murdered for it. The movement for racial equality and equity for all people did not end with Dr. King's assassination. Dr. King's ties with the Jewish community were deep and fostered a powerful coalition in the fight for civil rights in America. The relationship between

Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel began at the National Conference of Christians and Jews and continued with the march from Selma, which the Rabbi famously joined, Dr. King acknowledged the concept of shared struggle, fighting for the inclusion of Jews and other marginalized groups in his movement.

He saw our communities as partners in the fight against prejudice, citing Jewish philosophers like Martin Buber to explain the immorality of segregation and referencing the persecution of Jews. As racial discrimination and antisemitism continue to rise here and around the world, it remains paramount for our communities to remember Dr.

King's wisdom, that our greatest strength lies in our unity. While we are far from the liberation that Dr. King imagined, it is our duty to continue his fight and to ensure that the lessons he left us endure. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Senator Cabaldon.

Madam President. Thank you. A decade ago I was invited to speak at the Birmingham church to commemorate the bombing that took the lives of young girls in a community that was wracked by the continuing battle for civil rights in the 60s.

And when I got the invitation, I wondered why would you invite gay Filipino Californian to Birmingham to speak? And I realized I wouldn't exist if it weren't for the civil rights movement and for the work of Dr. King. My parents marriage was illegal in most states at the time.

That I would still be not just in a closet, but I would still be a person defined as not a human being with no rights, could be fired, evicted, beat up on the streets, and that's by people entrusted to save me. If it weren't for the legal legacy of the civil rights movement and of

Dr. King in so many ways that legacy informs, most of us would not be here if not for the work to advance our rights. And yet so often now, those of us in power want to project today's world on to that era and onto that struggle that we. We want to believe that what Dr.

King represented was principally nonviolence, forgiveness, love and hope, which he did. We want to believe that if only he had an Instagram, he could have reached millions more people with a speech on Capitol Mall. That simply the power of his inspiration.

A few good quotes, maybe a data point, and he was a great lobbyist in on the halls, in the White House and in the halls of Congress. That that alone is how social change happens. But no. What that movement meant and what it continues to mean today is a rethinking of how democracy works. The democracy means protest.

It means nonviolent action. It means civil disobedience. It means calling to account power through the ballot box, but in every other way. And that is the model that was adopted by the farm worker movement. That is the model that was adopted by the LGBT rights movement and so many others.

And so, as we celebrate the man, let us remember the girls, the man, and so many others whose lives were not given, they were taken in the struggle. And to remember that, that's the legacy, the legacy of how we craft and create and advance our democracy, our justice, and our civil rights for all. Members, I ask for an aye vote on SCR 8. Thank you.

Seeing no further discussion or debate, Senator, you may conclude.

Thank you, Madam President. And I want to thank all of my colleagues, all of my sister caucuses who stood up and spoke in support of SCR 8 and reminded us about the amazing life, very short life, as was noted, but the amazing and very impactful life of Martin Luther King Jr.

And as I stated, you know, this is a celebration that has been recognized for decades, I'm sure probably along the same lines, we've been having these resolutions on the Senate Floor, on the Assembly floor. Everyone votes, everyone goes back to their respective districts, does parades or day of service, and then we just kind of move on.

But what I would really urge and plead and challenge with everyone on this floor is this year, especially in the light of everything that's going on, really take your vote. Take the life of Martin Luther King Jr. To heart, not just today, not just this weekend, but for the rest of your lives.

And remember that when you are prisoning policies, when you are voting on certain bills, that it is our responsibility. If you truly believe in his life and his legacy and what he fought and died for, that you will do everything in your power, regardless of what's going on at a national level, regardless of what different parties may say.

But you will do everything in your power to create a California that is more just, that is more equitable for all Californians. And with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote on scr8. Thank you.

Members, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to using the unanimous roll call, seeing no objections. I32. No. 0. The resolution is adopted. Members, we're going to move on to the first extraordinary session which we will convene at this time. The prayer and the pledge will be deemed complete.

And we're going to move to motions and resolutions for Senator Gonzalez, floor, please read. No. Okay. We're recognizing you before. Sorry.

Thank you, Madam President. Members, I move that the introduction of bills and adoption of amendments be processed. By the desk on Saturday, Sunday and. Monday, January 18th, 19th and 20th. These bills and amendments will be processed. And published thank you.

This is a motion, Senator Niello.

Thank you. Madam Chair, have a question for the gentle lady from Long Beach?

Would the Senator take a question? She will.

Thank you.

You're in luck today.

Can you tell us what bills you'll be working on and specifically what the amendments might be through the President?

It's a procedural motion, as per usual, and what we want to do is ensure that it's published and it's clear and concise for the public and for Members as amendments come in.

Well, one thing I want to say is I'm grateful that the special session is also addressing disaster relief, as both our Assembly and Senate caucuses had written a letter regarding that, I think it was last week.

And since we don't know what is going to be taken up as amendment, whether it's going to be the Special Fund Fund legal action against the incoming Administration, which we have significant concerns about, or if it's going to deal with disaster relief, which we will likely support, but hold off on that particular issue until we see the details, which won't be after.

Till after the weekend. I will state, by the way, that if you would like a Republican perspective in your deliberations, I am not going anywhere this weekend. And if you want to give me a call, I'd be happy to be there. But because of that, the not knowing what you're taking up, I am going to lay off on this particular motion.

And if I can clarify. Thank you, Madam President. As we've known, this is. These are bills that are referenced to the LA fire victims. As we know, we're dealing with a. Historic wildfire right now back home in Los Angeles. Back home for me, as well as. Separately, a Bill on legal defense. So you are absolutely correct, and we always welcome Republican comment and also, of course, just continued debate.

So thank you very much. Members, this is a procedural motion to keep the desk open. Senator Gonzalez recommends an I vote. Senator Niello, I'm assuming you're recommending a no vote or you're laying off. I stand corrected. Thank you very much. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 26, no 0. The motion carries. Okay, there's no further business. The first extraordinary session will stand in recess until all legislative business has been received and we will reconvene in regular session. We're going to return to motions and resolutions. This is the time for the adjourn in memories, so we're going to start with Senator Gonzalez.

Thank you, Madam President. And good morning, Members. I rise today to adjourn in memory of Signal Hill Police Chief Wayne Byerly, who died unexpectedly before the Christmas holiday just last year. Chief Byerly became the Chief of Police for the Signal Hill Police Department on May 22, 2023.

He grew up in Lakewood and graduated from Cal State Long beach as well as Long Beach City College. And he was so very proud to serve serve his community in the very same community he was raised. Prior to serving as the Chief of.

Police for Signal Hill, Byerly served as the Captain of the Los Alamitos Police Department and honorably retired from the Orange County Sheriff's Department as a Division Commander. After 32 extraordinary years, Chief Wayne Byerly's leadership, optimism and unwavering dedication to our small but mighty Signal Hill community will leave a lasting legacy.

Chief Byerly is survived by his wife and 15 year old son, as well as many family Members, colleagues and friends. And I respectfully ask that we adjourn in his memory and offer my sincerest. Condolences to the Byerly family.

Please extend the Senate condolences to the family as well. And if you could bring his name up to the desk so that we can memorialize him. Senator Seyarto.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, today I rise to request that we adjourn today's session in memory of a remarkable woman, a community leader and a dear friend, Joan Sparkman. Joan Sparkman moved to Temecula Valley in 1969 when it was nothing more than a resting stop on the way to Ensenada along old Highway 395.

Joan quickly became engaged in just about every aspect of the fledgling community and played a large role in in the successful development of Southwest Riverside County.

Starting out as an appointed Member of the Temecula Valley School Board, she ended up serving on the board for 22 years, where she helped bring K through 12 education to an area that previously required students to travel up the road to Lake Elsinore. For high school.

Temecula Valley School District became a top school district in Riverside County and was one reason the city became an attractive place for young families to move to. Ms. Sparkman also served 14 years on the Mount San Jacinto community College Board of Trustees, helping to establish and grow the college to better serve the students in the growing region.

Additionally, she served as a Trustee to the UCR foundation for 10 years and was heavily involved in the business and science advisory boards. Joan recognized the need to grow and expand medical care and helped transition what started out as an extended care facility into our first full fledged hospital and served as a Member of the Hospital Board of Directors from the early 1980s through last year when her health began to fail.

Today, Southwest Healthcare Systems operates three hospitals in the cities of Temecula, Murrieta and Wildemar. Joan Sparkman was a banker by trade and through her involvement with Temecula Valley bank, she was able to help spur development in Temecula and Southwest Riverside County by assisting people who wanted to start businesses in the valley with the loans they needed to get started or expand.

Her passion to help businesses is also reflected in her involvement with the Chamber of Commerce where she served as a board Member and past President of both the Temecula Chamber of Commerce as well as the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce.

Temecula Valley also has become known for its burgeoning wine country, but it was almost destroyed by the glassy winged sharpshooter back in the early 2000s. Joan recognized the importance that our grape growing industry would play in our region's economic future and went to work getting help from every level of government to combat and eradicate the pesky and destructive insect.

Joan's efforts were invaluable in helping to save our wine country with her tenacious and unrelenting advocacy and today the Temecula Valley Wine country is a major attraction for tourism in California. Joan was also instrumental in supporting and ultimately helping numerous charitable organizations be successful in their mission.

She was a board Member for the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Riverside County, the Susan B. Komen foundation, the Assistance League and the Professional Women's Roundtable and numerous others. She was also a founding Member of the Southwest Legislative Council where she served for over 20 years.

She has streets and two communities named after her as well as having an elementary school in Temecula named after her. The Professional Women's Roundtable has honored Joan with the creation of the Joan Sparkman Unity Award given out annually to accomplished women leaders to recognize their achievements.

Joan has been the recipient of many, many community service awards over the years, including being named as the Woman of the Year in the California State Assembly District twice, the Senate District once, and was also awarded Temecula Citizen of the Year. That was before she became a citizen of Murrieta.

A good friend summed up Joan Sparkman's life by describing her as a loyal friend but a formidable adversary. She did not mince words. She was either out or she was all in, and typically the latter. As a legislative advocate, she was a war horse.

She knew everybody and everybody took her calls, whether they were in the US Senate, the House of Representatives, the Sacramento Legislature, tribal leadership, city or county government, or the CEO of a company. She got stuff done, and for that, our communities can never thank her enough.

Joan Sparkman is survived by two children, Steve and Margaret, as well as her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Will, in 2010.

Members, thank you for allowing me the time to honor Joan Sparkman, a pioneer in our region and one of the most impactful people to ever pass through Riverside County who made the most of her remarkable 90 years. I ask that you join me in adjourning today's session in memory of this fabulous lady.

Thank you, Senator. Please send Senate condolences to the family and bring her name forward to the desk so that she may be appropriately memorialized. Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Madam President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, today I rise to adjourn in the memory of Angelina Gonzalez, who tragically passed away last month at the age of 17. Angelina was a bright life in the. Lives of all who knew her.

A passionate cheerleader and student at Azusa High School, she brought energy, joy and a spirit to all events she attended. But that joy and that spirit was. Cut short when she was killed by her boyfriend and her future was robbed. Angelina will never walk down the aisle. She will never grow old.

She will never fulfill all her dreams. It is unfortunate that domestic violence continues. To rob us of incredible people and torture others. Of course, there were signs, but as domestic violence goes in our society, bystanders. Stay silent until it's too late. Recently, Angelina had taken on a new.

Challenge by joining the school's wrestling team, embodying her fearless nature and determination to succeed in everything she set her mind to. Angelina, she had generosity. She was selfless. She was always the first to lend a hand or offer a kind word, and her radiant smile had always lit up a room.

Angelina loved her family, friends and teammates fearlessly, and her kindness left a lasting mark on everyone she met beyond her achievements. Angelina's true legacy lies in the love she gave so freely. She lived her life with a heart full of compassion, a soul full of dreams, and an unwavering dedication to lifting others up.

Angelina, your spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew you. And though our time with you is short, your impact will remain eternal. Angelina has reignited my fire to continue. To fight abusers in the fight to keep families safe in domestic violence situations.

Once again, she was a beautiful soul and she will never be forgotten. She is survived by her loving parents. Siblings, grandparents, and a wide circle of friends and classmates who will forever cherish her memory. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in. Adjourning in the memory of Angelina Gonzalez. Thank you.

Please send Senate condolences to the family and bring her name forward to the desk so she may be appropriately memorialized. If there is no other business, Senator McGuire, the desk is clear.

Thank you, Madam President. Two quick items for us here in the Senate. I want to take a moment one more time to be able to say thank you to the legendary Brian Green You know, he has dedicated his almost adult, entire adult life to bettering the lives of others, better in the lives of millions across this great State of California. You know, he started his career as a radio producer, then a dj.

He came over to the Assembly and the Senate and has done a phenomenal job through thick and thin, getting the most important messages and issues out to the voters, to the people of California. One more time, ladies and gentlemen, round of applause to Mr. Brian Greene and say thank you so much.

Members, if there's anyone who would like to take a picture, now would be an appropriate time to do that. If you'd like to take a picture with Mr. Green

One last item. I want to say thank you so much to Dr. Weber Pierson in the entire California Legislative Black Caucus for hosting that beautiful breakfast on such a challenging week, uplifting all of us. And as Dr. King once said, the time is always right to do what's right.

And especially right now, here in California, no matter if we're Republicans or Democrats, we are coming together to do what's right for those who survived these horrific Southern California wildfires. As we head home to be with our loved ones and to those who we proudly represent, let's keep LA in our hearts and let's do right by California.

The next floor session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21st. We'll see you next week. Thank you so much, Senators.

The Senate will be in recess until 3:30pm at which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 2 p.m