Senate Floor

[Roll Call]

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

Let us remember that we are always in the presence of holy mystery. Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have become true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely, because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life. And have fallen too much in love with life. We have ceased to dream of eternity. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly. To venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery, where, losing sight.

Of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes and to push. Us into the future in strength, courage, hope and love. Amen.

Please join me as we salute our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of. The United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God.

Members. We're ready to take up items. The privileges of the floor. There are none at this time. Moving on to. Messages from the Governor will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments adopted. Motions, resolutions and notices without objection.

The Senate journals for February 102025 through February 142025 will. Will be approved as corrected by the minute. Clerk. Next is introduction and first reading of bills. Secretary please read.

Senate Bill [First reading]

Members, we're going to move back to privileges of the floor. And I'd like to introduce Senator Grove's granddaughter who has graced us with her presence here today. Austin J. Zabin. Say hello. She's at Senator's desk. Thank you for joining us. We're happy to see you today. Senator, did you want to say something? Oh, protocol problems here.

Wait, wait. Bend down, Austin. You have to say it again. My name's Austin. And who am I? Your grandma. Okay.

Well, welcome. Welcome, Austin. Members, we're ready to take up consideration of the daily file. First item up. Grandma has to work. First item up Is. Is file item number three? Yes, ma'am. Sorry. That's all right. I can see you're getting harassed by adoring grandfathers behind you. I am. File item number three.

The former Secretary of Natural Resources asked my granddaughter if she liked oil and gas. And she said, I love oil and gas.

I can vouch for that.

That's what she said. Is. Is this in reference to file item number three?

No, Madam President, it is not. But. Colleagues, item file item number three is a confirmation of Ali Jahangiri and Terrence O'Brien for the appointment of the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Mr. Jahangiri is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EB5, investors in U Global, and Mr. O'Brien has been serving as the board's chair.

He is a former chair of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and was Governor Brown's senior advisor on forest. They were approved at the Rules Committee on January 29th on a 5-0 vote. So I respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Is there any comment on these appointments? Any comments saying. None. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 35. No 0. The appointment is confirmed. Moving on to file item number four. Senator Grove.

Sorry. Thank you, Madam Chair. Colleagues, file item number four is the confirmation of Kim Johnson for the appointment of Secretary of California Health and Human Services Agency, which was previously held by Dr. Ghaly.

And Dr. Ghaly was an extraordinary representative for all of us and all of our districts, especially going through COVID with financially distressed hospitals and just solving problems. And Kim Johnson is stepping into that role. Dr. Ghaly is just so proud of her meeting with her.

She has big shoes to fill, but she is well on her way to making sure that happens. She's really an incredible human being and really understands. Understands all aspects came from prior serving to develop. Excuse me. California Department of Social Services.

So she has a real grasp on making sure that we have healthy Californians and that we make sure that all Californians are cared for. Respectfully asked for an I vote. She was approved in the Rules Committee by 5o vote. Senator Laird.

Thank you, Madam President. I just want to join in the support for this nomination because. Because it's an unusual path. We don't usually have the Director of Social Services coming to the Health and Human Services Agency as secretary.

And yet, as the Senator from Bakersfield said at this hearing, we were all in support and there was incredible strength for the nominee. And so I am pleased to join the Vice Chair of the Committee in recommending the confirmation to the Senate.

Any further discussion? Discussion saying none. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 35. No 0. The appointment is confirmed. Members, we're going to move on to Senate. Third reading file item number seven. Senator Alvarado-Gil. She is prepared. Please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 by Senator Alvarado-Gil relative to Thyroid Health Awareness Month.

Senator, the floor is yours. Thank you, Madam President and Members, I rise today to present Senate Concurrent Resolution 16, which proclaims January as Thyroid. Thyroid Health Awareness Month. Madam President, permission to use a Prop. Permission granted. The. Thank you.

So if you visited my office, you have seen that as a champion of aging women's health we have several learning tools. And as an educator, we also teach by showing the thyroid is actually a butterfly shaped organ that is located right here in the front of your neck. This is A lot larger than the thyroid can be.

However, it does grow depending on different ailments that we have. It has many bodily functions and is part of the endocrine system. According to the American Thyroid Association, thyroid nodules or abnormalities are present in 60 to 70% of women.

Women are five to eight times more likely to experience a thyroid condition, and one in eight women will develop a thyroid condition within their lifetime. And we know that the prevalence of thyroid disorders increases with age.

While the causes of thyroid issues are largely unknown, there are a variety of conditions that stem from an unhealthy thyroid, including hyperthyroidism, an overproduction of hormones, and hypothyroidism, a lack of production of hormones.

Thyroid issues can cause complication with your metabolism, often seen as in weight gain or weight loss, heart rate, often experiences heart palpitations or lethargy, bone density, lost weight gain, weight loss, and digestive issues. In short, the thyroid really does regulate the temperature of the body and how the whole system of your digestive and endocrine system actually work.

About 20 million Americans suffer from some sort of thyroid condition, and 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their conditions. If it's left untreated, it can lead to cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, infertility, and sometimes even death.

That is why it's important to request a blood test from your primary care provider and check your neck for any unusual thyroid, any unusual nodules, bumps or irregularities. Thyroid diseases are manageable with medical treatment and physicians often can talk to you about your thyroid health as you age.

For any questions, please talk to your physician and work with some of our wonderful organizations throughout the US that have highlighted thyroid awareness and thyroid disease as their champion topics. I am thankful for the chance to champion health health and wellness policies for aging women and Thyroid Health Wellness Week.

And I know that together that we can propel Californians to take action and be proactive about their own health. Let's continue to spread the message about thyroid health awareness and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

There any discussion or debate on this resolution? Senator Jones?

Thank you, Madam President. Members, our colleague from Jackson did a very good job of presenting the resolution this afternoon, and I rise in support of SCR16 from personal experience.

In March of 1999, I went to my primary care physician just for a checkup, following up from a flu or a cold or whatever that was going around that year. And as he was doing the typical examination, he goes, what's this bump, this lump in your throat?

I said, I don't know what bump in my throat or what lump in my throat. And sure enough, he pointed out that I had a exposed bump on the left side of my neck that I had never noticed. And then once he pointed it out, I noticed it right away.

And so after a series of tests and trying to find out if it was cancer or not, I was determined that it probably wasn't cancer. But I was young enough and healthy enough that it was irregular to have.

And especially, as you pointed out, it impacts women more than it does men that we were going to have that side of the thyroid removed. So in the first week of December, went ahead and had that half of the thyroid removed, still thinking that it wasn't cancerous.

Even the surgeon that removed it thought it was just a benign growth in the thyroid. But fortunately, they sent it off to pathology. And unfortunately, on the successive Doctor's appointment, I was given those three words that none of us ever want to hear. You have cancer. It was 1999. I was 31 years old.

My youngest son was six months old. I had two older kids. And I remember sitting in the parking lot of the Doctor's office that day on a December afternoon in East County in La Mesa, raining, and just wondering, how am I going to tell my wife of three young kids that her husband has cancer at 31 years old?

Now, fortunately, if you're going to be told you're going to have cancer, but you get to pick the cancer you want to have, you would pick thyroid cancer, typically, because it is the easiest to treat. So I went back into the hospital in the next couple of days, removed the rest of my thyroid.

And so I am without a thyroid. I have that very less unknown scar that a lot of us have on our neck now from the thyroid being removed. Took about five years to get the thyroid levels regulated on synthetic thyroid and thyroid replacement therapy.

The reason I share this with you is I'm the exception to every normal rule when it comes to being having a thyroid problem. I was young, I was male, I was healthy, which is not typical for thyroid challenges. And the reason for sharing this, I called my mom and, oh, no, we don't have a thyroid.

There's no history of thyroid problems in our family. Well, come to find out, when my dad passed away a couple years ago, he had a history of thyroid problems from the time he was in his 30s that he just never shared with anybody. I was like, thanks, dad.

So even though the thyroid is small, the challenges are minimal. They can become big problems, and they can become big challenges. So I encourage you, if you're having any kind of challenge with regulating your body's heat, sleep, weight, please get your thyroid checked out.

Please have it checked out by somebody who knows what they're doing, a specialist that specializes in thyroid challenges. And if you have a history of thyroid challenges in your family, please make sure that you're on the top of the list of getting that checked out as well. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Members, I support SCR16.

Any further discussion or debate. Senator Alvarado-Gil, you may conclude.

I want to thank our leader from San Diego for sharing his very impactful story. It's often that we find ourselves in vulnerable positions, and it is through that experience, that journey, that we can help build awareness and help prevent someone else from walking through those shoes, as we have far too many times.

Raising awareness for the thyroid and its function is not just an annual event. It is an everyday event. Please check your neck, talk to your physician, and I humbly ask for an aye vote on this resolution today.

Senators, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Is there any objection to using the unanimous roll call? Any objection saying none? Ayes 35. No 0. The resolution is adopted. Members, we're going to return to motions and resolutions. This is a time for adjourn and memory, so if you click give your attention to the Senator.

The first is Senator Padilla.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise today to adjourn in memory of Chula Vista Assistant Police Chief and my friend, Phil Collum. He was taken from this earth way too soon early last year. Phil the professional was a leader in every sense of the word.

Principled, focused, professional, and possessed with an empathy and compassion that is all too rare in this world, especially now. Although he never sought recognition for himself, his example was inspiring. His law enforcement career began in college in Santa Cruz, where my good friend, my neighboring Senator, knew him and where he worked as a community service officer.

He would later return to the San Diego area where I would first meet him. While we both served the City of Chula Vista, he in the Police Department, he would serve for nearly 30 years, and I as a detective dealing with child abuse and domestic violence in another agency while serving as a member of the City Council.

He would later make history as both the first African American and openly gay sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and ultimately Assistant chief of police. He was constant in his guiding voice and he was an incredible asset to our community. He met his loving husband William in 2008, and together they shared more than a decade of love and adventure.

He served as Chairman of the board at Mission Gathering Christian Church in San Diego, and through that community became connected to their mission work, especially with orphanages. He and William would visit Los Angeletos orphanage in Tijuana almost monthly.

They were drivers, major drivers in support of the annual Corazon De Vida fundraising efforts to support these most greatly underprivileged children. He formed deep bonds with many of the children and served as a mentor, as was his way. Phil, the person was genteel, with a wry wit and sense of humor and an appreciation for the ironic.

He was steady, calm clear headed person, especially under pressure. He was candid. And I can recall many, many private conversations with Phil where he offered guidance, support, and even critique in controversial times. In June of 2023, I was honored to honor him on this floor as an LGBTQ Caucus Pride honoree.

And later that evening at dinner here in Sacramento, we found ourselves sitting and talking together, two LGBT men of color, about life, love, family, and what really matters in life. He spoke of his love of photography, his side gig, and how he met William, the two of them crossing paths through a mutual client.

We spoke of spending time again soon for more sharing a time that would never come. Today I am thinking about Phil and about what he would say. A gay man of color who knew all too frequent reality of having to work 10 times as hard through work and example just to stay even in a sometimes harsh society.

He would likely say, live and give the life and world you envision. And if you're different, never forget you are precious. You will never be invisible. After his passing, William established a scholarship in Phil's name to support and uplift the educational aspirations of children, those that he personally nurtured, mentored and loved over the years.

He passed last April after a brief battle with cancer, but leaves behind a legacy of compassion, dedicated service to his community in a host of memories that loved ones and community alike will cherish forever. We're joined today in the gallery today by his husband William and family. Vera Boyence, over my right shoulder here standing.

I was so fortunate to know him. I looked up to him and respected him and was glad to call him a friend. And I certainly will never forget him. And it is for those reasons, Madam President and colleagues, that I ask that the Senate adjourn in his memory.

Please accept the condolence of the entire Senate. Thank you for being here today and please bring his name forward to the desk so that he may be appropriately memorialized. Senator Umberg.

Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. It's my privilege to honor the life and memory of Senator Seth Hufstedler, a prominent figure in California's legal community, recently passed away at age 102. Seth was born in Oklahoma before his family moved to Bakersfield when he was five years old.

He attended USC for his undergraduate degree, enrolled in ROTC, and during World War II, Seth was a naval officer helping to decode Japanese naval communications. Following his stint in the Navy, he attended Stanford Law School. Graduated in 1949 at the very top of his class. Interestingly, he and his wife Shirley established Stanford Law Journal.

She graduated number three in her class. You may know Shirley Hufstedler name because Shirley was the first Secretary of Education established by Jimmy Carter and the Congress. At the time, Shirley was on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and she left the Ninth Circuit to become Secretary of Education.

And again, if I didn't mention it, they established the Stanford Law Review together. After graduation, Seth secured his first job in downtown Los Angeles and he established a practice with Charles Beardsley that became a prominent Los Angeles law firm.

Eventually it merged with Morrison and Forster, and I was privileged to be partners with Seth and Shirley for many years. Seth calling Seth a brilliant and accomplished lawyer really is undersells him because he was all that and he was an incredible, incredible mentor.

He was President of Los Angeles County Bar Association and he was President of the State Bar Association. Seth never shied away, nor did Shirley, from doing the right thing. In the early 1950s, his firm hired the first female lawyer. I know that sounds bizarre today, but that was rather controversial in the early 1950s. Helen Kimball.

And then later on they hired the first African American lawyer lawyer to become partner again. That doesn't sound particularly revolutionary today, but it was at the time. He also was very prominent in representing engagement in the busing issue when it was unpopular to do so.

His ability to inspire countless young lawyers, including me, with guidance and encouragement was absolutely remarkable. Many credit him and Shirley for shaping their careers, instilling in them the values of fairness and professionalism. And there could not have been a more a greater example of a couple who absolutely set the standard for professionalism in the law. Sadly, Shirley passed away in 2016, but Seth is survived by his son, Dr. Steve Hufstedler. I ask that we adjourn in memory of Seth Hufstedler.

Please bring his name forward to the desk so he may be appropriately memorialized. Senator Wiener.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, colleagues. It's with great sadness that I rise to ask that the Senate adjourn in memory today of world renowned chef Charles Phan, who passed away.

On January 20, at the age of 62, Charles will be mourned and remembered by San Franciscans and people around the world as the visionary chef who transformed the Vietnamese food of his childhood into the cultural and critical mainstream.

His first restaurant in San Francisco, The Slanted Door, inspired an entire generation of chefs to embrace their heritage through food, and he elevated Vietnamese cuisine to the national stage. Charles life story is also one of incredible resilience. Born In Vietnam in 1962, he and his family fled to the US just before the fall of Saigon.

The Phan family spent two years in Guam before settling in San Francisco coast Chinatown in 1977. A former architecture student at UC Berkeley, his American dream began in his home kitchen, learning to cook Vietnamese food from his mother and his aunt.

A self taught chef, he opened his first restaurant, The Slander Door, in San Francisco's mission district in 1995. It later moved to its location at the historic Ferry Building. His legendary establishment would quickly become a staple in San Francisco's culinary space, receiving national recognition for its trailblazing fusion of heritage cooking, locally sourced ingredients and modern dining experience.

He was one of the first restaurants in San Francisco to feature craft cocktails. In 2004, Charles won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in California, and in 2014, the slanted or won the award for Outstanding Restaurant. He authored two cookbooks, the Vietnamese Home Cooking and the Slanted Door.

Charles is survived by his wife and three children. This is a huge loss to the culinary world and to San Francisco, and I ask that the Senate adjourn in the memory of Charles Phan.

Please bring his name forward to the desk so that the Senate may appropriately memorialize him. Senator Rubio.

Thank you, Madam President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, today I rise to adjourn in the memory of Paul Gladfelty, a dear friend to so many of us in this Capitol. Paul passed away last month, leaving his footprints on the halls of this Capitol and creating a void in the hearts of so many who loved him.

Many of us here on the Senate Floor knew Paul personally. I had the privilege of calling him a dear friend. Paul was multifaceted with so many layers to him, and if you were lucky, you had the opportunity to see his incredible talents. You couldn't know Paul without recognizing his gift as an incredible artist.

In my first meeting, I remember we bonded over painting techniques and how much we care about the arts. Paul is known for his incredible work ethic and his kind heart. He never failed to step up for a friend, although he would Remind me. We're not friends, we're family.

Paul was a dedicated leader and a highly respected figure in our capital community. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy of excellence, advocacy, mentorship and integrity. When Paul gave you his word, he meant it. Paul was born near my district in Pasadena, California and spent much of his childhood and adolescence in the Sangro Valley, which I represent.

Paul went on to attend California State University, Fullerton and later took a journey to Sacramento searching for an internship which led to a four decade career in California government relations. It was here in Sacramento that he met and fell in love with Candy, who had become his wife for 47 years.

Paul worked for many years as an influential voice with the California's Manufacturers Association and he also attended McGeorge School of Law at night, graduating in 1984 with his Juris Doctorate degree, all the while carrying his three year little old daughter Courtney across the graduation stage.

That same year, Paul established Gladfelty Government Relations and a few years after that, Paul co-founded the Apex group and welcomed his son Brett, who is now carrying the torch and following in his dad's footsteps.

Paul's work spanned a wide array of critical issues including environmental quality, energy, health care, land use, insurance, labor law and so much more. Paul was incredibly successful as both a family man and as a pillar of the capital community. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.

One of the layers that we didn't often get to see here at the Capitol was Paul as a family man. I'm so honored to have experienced that side of him. Most recently at the role of proud father and doting husband. At his son's wedding, there was a sense of calm and chaos all at once.

Calm in him knowing that he was leaving his son in good hands. Passing the torch to someone equally kind, compassionate and loving as Jael. And chaos. Because Paul enjoyed a good party, he partied that night like no other. He jumped on stage wearing dark shades.

He looked like a rock star, dancing away with his new family and having the time of his life. That night, Paul came into focus for so many of us. His bond with his wife Candy and his understated free spirit. Paul's compassion was also unmatched.

After my nephew Chris passed away a few months ago, Paul showed up at our family home with a tree for us to plant in Chris's honor. In that moment, he didn't offer words. He simply gave us something that would grow, something that would carry Chris's memory forward.

It was such a simple yet profound gesture, one that captured his thoughtfulness, his kindness and the way he always knew exactly how to lift up others when you needed it the most. That tree will forever be in our family, and so will he.

Paul is survived by his wife Candy, his daughter Courtney, and her husband Nick, his son Brett and his husband Jael, his grandchildren Bo and Dylan, his sister Susan, brother in law Craig Mathis, and all of whom are here today in the gallery.

Paul, your memory will live on forever in our hearts, especially all of those who knew you and loved you. And every time that lemon tree blossoms all, I'll think of you, of your kindness, your generosity, and the way you made the world a better place simply by just being in it.

Ladies and gentlemen, please help me in a journey in the memory of Paul Gladfelty. Thank you, Senator Ashby.

Well, my colleague from Baldwin park did the best job a human can do in this scenario. But I wanted to rise because Paul is my friend and constituent, and so is his family. And I just. You know, I said this to Brett in the last weeks that I.

I would have a hard time thinking of a person, any person that I know, as joyful and happy as your dad. I never met with him without seeing pictures of grandkids, maybe a video or two, even if the video was, you know, beating on a rock with a shovel.

He was so proud, proud, so happy just to be here with all of us. He loved being part of the Capitol community, and I was really new, and he was very excited to show me the ropes and explain it all to me. There are so many layers to Paul.

One of my favorite things about him that you can all still experience is that he's a tremendous artist. I mean, really, a very gifted painter. And if you'd like to see his work, it's in Cafe Cota, hanging there for all to see. And it is fantastic and beautiful.

He could have probably had a million careers, and we are quite lucky that he chose the one that brought him to us. And I count him amongst my friends as well as I do his family, particularly Brett. And I want to give you my condolences as well, Senator Umberg.

Thank you, Madam President. Hard for me to add to the eloquence of my colleague from Baldwin park and also my colleague from Sacramento. Paul was a fantastic family man. He was so proud, so, so proud of his family. He's also the consummate professional, and I really respected that and learned a lot from that.

You know, when you'd ask Paul, he'd come in and he'd be an advocate either for or against something, say, give me your Best case. And he'd give you his best case. And then I'd say, okay, what's the other side going to say?

And he would give me their best case, often better than the case that they would make later on. And then he would tell me why his point of view was better than their best case.

But he engaged, and he engaged with all of us, at least I think all of us, certainly with me, as someone would, as a professional. And I appreciate that. And for you, Brett, what a great role model. Because that's exactly the way it's supposed to be done. Exactly the way it's supposed to be done.

I am sad to my core that I won't have an opportunity to interact with Paul, but I'm looking forward to interacting with his progeny. So thank you. I join with my colleagues in asking that we adjourn in his memory.

Senator Stern.

Thank you, Madam President. I've known Paul since I got started in this town as a staffer, and most of the time it just gave me grief for being such a liberal. And so he's like chiding me, I don't know, for hours we'd spend. What was that place? Pangea. Go there and drink a beer and just like figure out why, you know?

My wide eyed idea, like, you know, sort of hopeful. And he tried to bring me back down to earth, the practicalities of how things are and all that. But, you know, it was funny.

I was single at that time and as much as we would talk about policy or politics or all he ever really wanted to talk about was Courtney and Brett and his kids and that, oh, maybe she's gonna get married or, you know, like, want to hang out with the fam.

Just, and I didn't quite get how rare that thing was in Sacramento, but I think now I do get that because now I have a family and I know how important that stuff is and how much it transcends everything else.

And it changes how you deal with people and somebody who just their ego and all that stuff we puff up in ourselves in this kind of work. The way it sort of just melts away when you think about the people you love. And it's so clear what his priority. Was in his life.

And we don't get to choose how long we get to live, but when you have things lined up the right way, I believe that God smiles on you and the eternity will too. So in that respect, pay you great. Respect to your father, your husband, brother, sister. You know, everyone is up there.

Senator Niello.

Thank you. Thank you. Madam President, when I decided to come back to the Legislature in 2022, I was calling all of the lobbyists, a lot of whom I knew from my time in the Assembly before. And when I called Paul, it was like the time had never passed. He was so familiar, so friendly.

Paul had the ability to convince everybody that you are the most important person in the world. He just. He had that way about him, the positive attitude, and very happy.

I can't really add much to what has been already said, except to say that I was certainly saddened deeply by his passing and shocked because he left us way too soon. It makes you contemplate how fragile this life is and say thank you for every day. I joined my colleagues in adjourning in. The memory of Paul Gladfelti.

Senator Jones.

Thank you, Madam President. Members, I just wanted to share briefly a personal story that kind of underscores what everybody has shared this morning on how great of a friend Paul Gladfelty was. First of all, to all of us, and then an advocate after that.

When I got elected to the Assembly in 2010, he quickly realized that I'm a motorcycle rider. Well, he is also a motorcycle rider at the time. Now, the problem, though, was we rode competitive brands, and the two brands don't actually see eye to eye very often.

And I think at the time, he actually represented the brand that he rode, and I worked for the brand that I rode. But as true motorcycle friends will do, we will lay aside our brand loyalty for a good ride. And he would bug me over and over and over, when are you going to ride your motorcycle up?

When are you going to ride your motorcycle up so we can go for a ride? And the brand that I ride is much less known in the United States than. Than the brand that he rode that's made in the United States.

And so whenever we're invited to go ride with the big guys, it's like a big deal for all of us. And was invited to his home, had a great introduction to some of his family that day and his home, and we had a great ride. And then we also learned that we share the love of British Columbia.

My wife's family is from British Columbia. Paul and his family had an affinity for British Columbia as well. So we were always talking about trying to meet when we're up together in British Columbia. But the problem with British Columbia is when you're in British Columbia, you don't.

And wherever you are in British Columbia, you don't want to go anywhere else. You're just. You're There escaping this place. So we actually didn't ever really want to see each other when we were in British Columbia because we knew we'd see each other here.

But also, I think all of us, when we received the news of that day, I think first of all, it was disbelief, shock. It's like I made three other phone calls just to confirm that the news I was receiving was real because it was unbelievable.

And shock and disbelief because he is so close to each one of us and such a good friend and a professional and. And that does come out through his family as well as has been shared.

So I just want to say personally to my colleagues on the floor, thank you for sharing and to the family that's in the gallery, we are so sorry and our condolences. And we will miss Paul.

And I think each one of us will be committed to making sure that his legacy continues here in Sacramento, throughout California and, and the entire world. Thank you. Madam President.

Senator Rubio, I just wanted.

To say real quickly, thank you everyone, for telling the stories. The stories go on for days and days. What the great Senator from San Diego didn't tell you is that he fell off the bike one time and was disabled for a long while. But that was Paul just living life to the fullest. A great family man.

So I'm glad that the family made it to the gallery. We want to just say how much we cared and loved for your father and brother and grandpa. And he was just such a genuine person with that. Thank you, everyone.

I want to thank the family for being here today. And please accept the Senate condolences. We all feel your loss very, very sincerely. And please bring his name forward to the desk so he may be appropriately memorialized. If there is no other business.

Senator Grove, the desk is clear. Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. What a beautiful tribute to one of our Capitol zone. The next floor session is scheduled for Thursday, February 20th at 9am look forward to seeing everybody there.

The Senate will be in recess until 3:30, at which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 9:00am.