Senate Floor

Secretary will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

A quorum is present with 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.

Father, Mother, God, we pray with Maya Angelou. Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days, for then we have you to lean upon. Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days, for then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the holy days, for then we are able to celebrate you, our families and our friends. For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak. For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour out your love in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing. For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company. For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope. Dear Creator, you, the borderless City of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most. Peace. Amen.

Members, please join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance. Members, without objection, we will move to Assembly. Third reading. To take up file item 78, AB100. Senator Wiener, are you prepared?

Yes, Madam President. Secretary, Please read Assembly Bill 100 by Assemblymember Gabriel. An act relating to the state budget and making an appropriation, therefore, to take effect immediately. Budget Bill.

Senator Wiener, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. AB100 is a budget Bill junior that amends the 2023 and 2024 budget acts. The Bill authorizes General Fund expenditure authority of $2.8 billion to support the medical program in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Ensuring sufficient cash flow to pay managed care plans and health care providers. This action reflects the commitment of the Legislature and the Governor to health care coverage for all Californians.

Caseload and expenditures in MediCal overall have increased more than anticipated, and the Legislature is committed to working with the Governor to identify whether there are ways to deliver care for the population more efficiently through bringing down the cost of prescription drugs or connecting individuals with regular sources of lower cost care as well as other options.

The Bill also allows for the use of funding authorized in the first extraordinary session for the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles County to offset property tax revenue losses of specified local governments from 2024-25 and 25-26 similar to prior property tax backfills after major natural disasters.

The Bill also appropriates 181.1 million from Prop 4 for purposes of wildfire prevention and resilience in areas across California. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Senator Alvarado-Gil. Have amendments Ask for amendments to be considered. Secretary, please read the amendments.

Amendments by Senator Alvarado-Gil. Set one.

Senator Alvarado-Gil, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise today to present the amendment that would allow this body today to restore the cuts to our CSU and our UC middle class scholarships that the Governor has cut from his budget. We're not just talking about a line item here.

We're talking about a lifeline for working families that we have put on the chopping block because of years of mismanagement of tax dollars. This is attack on the middle class. And this is another example of Democrat policies that continue to attack the middle class. These are my constituents. These are your constituents.

And we have a duty to our constituents here in California to rise and let and rise up the middle class instead of attack them with such menial budget cuts. The CSU Stanislaus is located within my Senate district and while UC Mercedes just outside, many of the constituents that I that we serve draw into that University together.

All 33 California State universities and UC campuses across the state will shoulder this hit. That means every single person in this, in this area, our constituents will suffer from these cuts. Tens of thousands of families who are already squeezed by high living costs.

I hear over and over again from our constituents that they want this body to address affordability in California. Nothing in this Bill addresses affordability yet. My amendments on the table ask for us to ensure that we are protecting that ability to afford the most basic access to higher education.

We know that four year degrees are necessary for some of those jobs here in California that we are. We have a deficit in to be a teacher you need a four year degree. To be a nurse you need a four year degree. And on and on and on.

So why is this an amendment that we have to put on the table rather than for us to have this body protect the middle class and to reinstate those cuts to CSU and ucs. The campuses are already bracing for the impact of this reduction. Thank you, Madam President. For some students this means taking on more debt.

We are giving more debt to the middle class and with this Bill putting more money towards undocumented health care programs. Health care programs for the undocumented. We're seeing students leaving school entirely because of the affordability crisis here in California.

With just over $2.8 billion that are included in AB100, the state could eliminate tuition for every single student in the Cal State system. Imagine that, a tuition free education for a four year degree. I'm the first woman in my family to go to College.

Of the 27 grandchildren that my grandmother raised, having that title to me comes a lot of responsibility. In my parents generation, not a single one of her brothers and sisters had access to higher education.

But because my ancestors came to this country for a better life for their kids, over half of my grandmother's grandchildren had access to education for the very first time. That's the impact that AB100 is having on our students in our Cal State system, in our UC system.

These are public schools schools some of the most the best public schools in the whole world that we are attacking by eliminating the middle class scholarships. The following stats came directly from our CSU President, Brit Rios Ellis. One in 10 California workers is a California State University graduate.

This amendment speaks to the CSU impact because we know that CSU produces over 50% of the state's teachers. What is AB100 saying to the students who are looking for qualified teachers and mentors and adults in their life to propel them in as Members of California society and being able to access higher education.

We are telling them that they're not worth it. That cuts to the middle class scholarship is telling them that their dream is broken. That the California dream is broken based on Democratic policies. If my Democratic colleagues really want to protect the middle class and stand for the working class families, this would not be a discussion.

This would be a unanimous vote to protect the middle class scholarships for our CSU and ucs and to restore the funding for our public higher education facilities. Stan state economic impacts in its six county region was 770,000. I'm sorry, 770 million in 2022, nearly five times its $160 million budget.

It is clear that the investment in higher education in our public school institutions pays off tenfold. Stan state serves student population that is 73% first generation and 62% Pell. Grant eligible. What does that say?

That by us not restoring the cuts to CSU and UC and by us attacking the middle class scholarship, we are saying to these students, your California dream is broken. Affordability in California is already broken. Our housing crisis, our health care crisis, accessing healthy foods in our families.

The last thing that we're taking away from California dream is access to a public education. High quality education in California. For every $1 invested in Stan State, California receives 14.50 cents in return while these students remain active in our workforce. This is a no brainer.

This amendment is a solution to what we say we are here to do. To create an affordable California for all and to protect that middle class. And so for every men and women here in California that is working hard in our middle class and working class jobs so that their children can have access to higher education.

This is a punch in the gut. It's a punch in the gut by cutting these middle class scholarships and not giving their children and their grandchildren access to what you and me had when our parents made that sacrifice to come to California.

When, when our parents made that decision to work hard and open their businesses and to sacrifice so much so that we could get our four year degrees and master's degrees and doctorate degrees. College is already unaffordable enough. Why should students have to grapple with higher costs?

While we here in this body have voted previously to Fund a $6 million toilet in San Diego, we are Flushing money down that $6 million toilet instead of uplifting the youth of California by giving them these middle class scholarships to access to public education.

So let me be very clear that a vote to the table is a vote to avoid accountability and to green light to keep this current budget in line. And that every middle class family and every youth that is looking to have a civic duty here in California, be aware of today's vote.

Because to lay this amendment on the table is to say that we are not protecting your future and we are not here to help protect the affordability in California. By laying this amendment on the table, we are saying the middle class will continue to diminish.

And so I asked my colleagues to acknowledge that our constituents deserve to know where we stand. I stand with students and families who are asking us to restore the middle class. I stand with my colleagues who are here to defend the working class and the middle class.

And a vote of aye on the amendments and no on the motion to table. It is what I'm asking this body to do.

Thank you, Majority Leader. For what purpose do you rise.

Thank you, Madam President. Speaking to the amendments, I'm actually very surprised that we're talking about this. Despite the fact that many of my colleagues across the aisle attended CSU and UC.

Like so many of us, their own kids attend a CSU UC, they consistently vote against investments in two of the best higher education institutions, not just here in California, but in the United States of America.

When we increased base funding for UC and CSU's nearly $1.0 billion in 2022, 2023 and 2023 and 2024, not a single Senate Republican voted aye. Not one. So it's really interesting.

And as Pell grants, $4 billion in Pell grants are being threatened by the Federal Government as we speak, no one's speaking out on the other side of the aisle about this. That would threaten the lives and the livelihood of so many California students. Not one.

And that middle class scholarship that you've mentioned, that was actually created by Senate Democrats. So thank you for mentioning that. We will continue to support those efforts and it's great to see that Republicans now want to protect this critical funding that Democrats have changed champion. We, we welcome that. Thank you. If you, if you vote aye, we would really appreciate that. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Senator Alvarado-Gil, would you like to respond.

Yes, thank you to the Minority Leader for asking for an aye vote on this amendment. I am responding. In terms of her comments, which unfortunately our colleagues here in the Senate when presenting budget bills have added excess fat, excess pork, excess budget items that have nothing to do specifically with what helps working class families.

And so as a Republican, I cannot, I cannot support the excess fat and debt that is embedded in these bills. This, today, my amendment is about protecting the middle class, those middle class scholarships that are so essential to access to higher education. And the minority leader herself on microphone said to vote aye on this amendment. Thank you.

Majority Leader, you rise. Correction. Majority Leader, we ask, I ask that we lay the amendments on the table.

Senator Alvarado Gil, for what purpose do you rise?

I rised a question. One minute the Minority leader or Majority leader is saying to vote aye on my amendment. Next she's saying to lay it on the table. Which one is it? As you can imagine, this is so confusing even to Senator budget. How can we expect our constituents to understand our votes on the budget?

This motion is not debatable. I was just simply recognizing you. Yes, the amendments. Senator Gonzalez has requested that the amendments be laid on the table.

Madam President, with all due respect, I appreciate the debate was opened by the Majority Leader, by not laying these on the table and by commenting on my process.

Excuse me. Senator Alvarado. Gill. Yes. The debate has ceased. She. She debated, you responded. She then laid the motions on the table. It is no longer debatable. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Eyes 28. No, zero. The amendments have been nine. Sorry. The amendments have been laid on the table. Senator Sarto, you are recognized.

Thank you. I have amendments at the desk.

Secretary, please read the amendments.

Amendments by Senator Seyarto set to.

Senator Syarto, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Members, if you will pay attention, I have an amendment that I would like to speak with you about today. I rise to present a common sense and urgent amendment to this budget on an issue we have all expressed concern about this year, and that's our wildfires.

Earlier this year we told the public that we are going to make our seasonal firefighters permanent. We have yet to do that, and that's not going to happen until next January. They will come back in a couple of three months. But in the meanwhile, we need the funds now to ramp that up and get them on duty.

Last night I talked to a professional firefighter that is involved in mental health. The firefighters on these fires are being overtaxed as we go into another fire season.

Now is the time to be doing the projects that we need to get done in order to minimize or at least try to exacerbate some or not exacerbate some of the issues with fires this year.

So with that, I ask that funding be put into this trailer Bill so that our firefighters that are seasonal firefighters can get back to work. This year. We can pull them off of unemployment and they will be saving. We will be saving that money by putting them to work. We need firefighters working.

So with that, I simply ask that you support this. Don't just lay it on the table as a Routine. But support this amendment because it is important for the work that needs to be done this year.

Thank you, Senator Syarto. Majority Leader, for what purpose do you rise?

Thank you, Madam President. Speaking to the amendments again, thanks to Democrats, we passed our June budget, AB107, which will add almost 22,500 permanent CAL FIRE positions and over three quarters of $1.0 billion to the CAL FIRE budget by 2028. Making California more safe. More fire safe. Republicans unfortunately voted against this budget augmentation.

Now all of a sudden they are for more firefighters. We welcome you to the team to be for a more fire safe California. Thank you.

Senator Syrto, would you like to respond?

Thank you. I find it ironic that anybody would challenge me to welcome to the team. I am part of the real team. And that's the team that's out there doing the work. And right now we need that work done now, not in 2028. And right now we can do that.

We can put money into this trailer Bill to bring these firefighters back right now. Get them out there to do the vegetation management needs to be done. And that's all we're asking for. Yes, next year we'll be doing more of this. But right now we need to get a jump on it.

This is the perfect vehicle to do that. That's why I'm asking for an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Majority Leader, for what purpose do you rise? Thank you. Madam President. I asked to lay the amendments on the table.

Majority Leader has moved to lay the amendments on the table. This motion is non debatable. Majority Leader is asking for an aye vote. Senator Sarto is asking for a no vote. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 28, Nos. 9. The amendments have been laid on the table. Senator Strickland, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. Members. When we're talking here about Senator Strickland Yes.

What are you speaking on?

Zero, I have amendments, friendly amendments at the table.

Thank you.

They're very friendly.

Okay. Secretary, please read the amendments.

Amendments by Senator Strickland, set three.

Senator Strickland, you are recognized.

Members I said, these are very friendly amendments. It's something that we should all be willing to support. In fact, a lot of the folks here just a couple weeks ago said that you were going to put this in the budget. This is the restoring the funding of Prop 36.

Prop 36 was voted overwhelmingly by the people of California. Over 70% of Californians voted in the affirmative of Prop 36. Almost every one of your districts voted in the affirmative of Prop 36. When we brought this up last time, you said the funding will be in this budget. Well, it's not. The funding is not in this budget.

And so this Amendment just puts $400 million to implement the will of the people. Members, a budget is a blueprint of your priorities. I think the most essential role of government is public safety, to keep our communities safe. It's essential. It's what the people voted for.

And last time we talked on the floor, it was a commitment that this money would be in this budget. It is not. Please vote in the affirmative of this amendment to put this money into the budget.

I do want to credit Senator Umberg because Senator Umberg has been a leader in trying to put some of this money into Prop 36. Looking forward to working with the Senator. But end of the day, vote for this amendment so we can get it done.

And make sure all Californians know, one, we want to implement the will of their voice, and two, that we make public safety a top priority for the State of California. I ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Strickland. Majority Leader, for what purpose do you rise?

Thank you, Madam President. Again, to the amendments. The Senate is committed to funding Prop 36. That's why we've convened local leaders from across the state in meetings and through our Public safety and Budget Oversight committees Subcommitee hearings, working to develop first year funding allocations from both state and local government. So we are absolutely committed. Thank you. Thank you.

Senator Strickland, would you like to respond?

Ladies and gentlemen, I would say don't look at the rhetoric, look at the record. The end of the day, the rhetoric says you're going to do it. But at the end of the day, you. You have the authority to put it into this budget right now, and you're not.

And then the day, some money should be in here, and we could always adjust if we need to put more in. But the fact of the matter is where we are now is zero. So don't look at the rhetoric. Look at the record. The record shows that this Legislature is not funding Prop 36.

Thank you, majority Leader. For what purpose do you rise?

I ask that we lay the amendments on the table.

Thank you, Majority Leader has ask that we lay the amendments on the table. Members, this motion is non debatable. Senator Strickland, request no. Majority leaders requesting an aye vote. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

ayes 28. Nos 0. The amendments have no's 9. The amendments have been laid on the table. We will now return to the Bill in chief. Senator Wiener has presented the Bill. So if there's anyone in the body who would like to now discuss the Bill or debate the Bill in Chief. Senator Seyarto.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Members, today I rise with concerns about this budget trailer Bill before us. The action taken today reflects poor decision making and irresponsible actions taken by the Legislature in the past two years.

Now we will add another $2.8 billion to our MediCal for all debacle with no discussion on plans to stem the hemorrhaging from our already overtaxed budget.

Given that next year's budget was projected to produce a $3.8 billion deficit and a cumulative deficit of $43 billion after three years, it would seem more prudent to wait until May the May revise to have updated financial information, especially as it relates to our medi Cal expenditures. That would be helpful.

Can you please get the attention of the Members? That would be helpful in our decision making process with regard to next year's spending plan and and how it is prioritized. It is hard for me in good conscience to join you in forwarding you yet another trailer Bill.

But it is also an example of why Republicans don't vote for bills that seem to make sense. It's because there's a part of it that makes sense and it was completely supportable, but then added into it as things that are not supportable and are completely unsupportable.

If we would be in the future separate those two things out and then we would be more than happy to support education and these other things. But in this Bill here we have the MediCal funding which we have issues with mixed in with funding for wildfires and other things.

So I don't know that I'm going to oppose this, but I am certainly not going to vote in favor of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Laird, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise in support of the Bill, but as the budget Subcommitee chair for education and let me make clear one thing about a previous speech. The cuts to UC and CSU are not in this Bill. The cuts to the middle class scholarship that the Governor has proposed are not in this Bill.

But where were they? They were in our fully transparent public hearing process on the budget. And we had a long hearing on both of those. And it was the clear expression of the budget Subcommitee that we oppose the cut to the middle class scholarship, that we oppose the cut to UC and that we oppose the cut to CSU and we would have welcomed participation.

Then when we were discussing it in front of the interests, in front of the students, in front of the professors, in front of the taxpayers, that was the time we were making a decision in a fully public transparent process.

And to give a speech at a time when it's not in the Bill, at a time when we could have used that opposition in our budget Subcommitee process is not a clear expression about what is going on. And we went further.

I went and dispatched all the people that were up here from the CSU system on to the legislators about what was that issue and about that cut and about how we shouldn't make it. I did the same thing with representatives of UC. I did the same thing in talking about the middle class scholarship.

Because if you look at the facts, because of the acts of the budgets that Democrats have voted for the University of California right now 2/3 of the graduates graduate with no debt. The average of the 1/3 that graduate from debt is 17,000 a person.

Campuses from the other 49 states are jealous about what we are doing here in California and we do not want to go the other way. And that is exactly why in a public process, when it was agendized with all the stakeholders there we oppose that cut. And I look forward to working for it between now and June.

And I welcome anyone that wants to join in the process and the discussion to express the opposition that we expressed weeks ago on this issue. I urge an aye vote on this Bill.

Thank you, Senator Laird. Senator, we'll take a quick recess.

Members, as you've seen, use a gavel more than I usually do. I know we're excited about what is to come after session, but if you have to talk, please take it off the floor. Senator Arreguin, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I also rise and support of AB100 as the chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee. And let me be clear, this is not the budget for fiscal year 2025 and 2026. We are augmenting the existing budget to address critical needs.

Now, that budget, the 25-26 budget, is still in development, going through a very public, transparent process that all of us are participating in. And let me also clarify something. Once again, we are committed to implement Proposition 36.

We said that in February when budget sub 5 and the Public Safety Committee came together to have an informational hearing about the implementation of Prop 36. That commitment still stands.

It's unfortunate that the Proposition included not a single dollar towards treatment, despite the promises that this measure would guarantee treatment for people with serious substance use disorders in California. And so I'm glad we all agree across the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, that treatment in California is seriously underfunded and must be prioritized in next year's budget.

So let's go through the normal process. Let's not try to allocate an arbitrary amount of money in a budget. Junior Bill to amend the existing budget. These requests should go through the normal process. We need a complete understanding of the costs and needs at the county and state level.

And that's why in February, we had a special informational hearing about the implementation of Prop 36. We will have another one in May with budget sub 5. We are already also considering other requests. Senator Umberg has a $250 million budget request for the implementation of Prop 36.

Just this past Tuesday, the Public Safety Committee moved Senate Bill 38 forward, which would allow for the Second Chance Grant program to be used as a potential funding source for the implementation of Prop 36.

So let's do the hard work over the next few months to advance our shared commitment to implement the will of the voters and to expand treatment in California to make sure people have the resources to make sure we're not putting people in jail, but we're getting them into the services that they need. Let's do the work and let's stop the theatrics. I asked for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Cabaldon, and you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. For the last three and a half months, our Republican colleagues have been telling us each week as we've taken up budget bills and budget Bill juniors how unconscionable it was that we would be amending bills with only five days notice or only six days notice on the budget, that the budget deserved full transparency and that it couldn't be done under the COVID of darkness.

Then this morning, we get five minutes notice of more than $2 billion of proposals with no accountability, zero. The rest of this Bill includes lots of accountability, audits, reports, oversight by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee over and over and over again, not giving a blank check to the Department of Finance or to the Governor to just do anything. And instead, Today we get five minutes notice of $2 billion of funding with zero controls.

That's no way to run a government. California has serious challenges in front of us today. We need serious leadership. I'm only sorry that Senator Niello is not the Senator from Sacramento.

My colleague from this county who is the Vice Chair of our budget Subcommitee isn't here because he's made such a compelling case for transparency and for thoughtful leadership that we need to engage in today. The Senator from Berkeley is absolutely right. We don't have the budget before us today. This is not the budget for 202526.

This is simply cleanups to the budget of 2024. And in fact, the amendments that we heard earlier today illegally proposed to appropriate money in the 2025-26 year. That's not what's on the table. Where I do agree with the Senator from Huntington Beach is that we need to not focus on the rhetoric and instead on the record.

And the record is clear that these. That this Bill makes the necessary investments to make sure that we're protecting medical victims of wildfire and so many essential corrections to the last year's budget, while preserving our continued, open, transparent hundreds of hours of hearings that we've been having to advance a 202526 budget that will work for all. I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Blakespear. You are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise today in support, but also to add the urgent need for us to make the policy changes that will reduce the cost of Medi Cal to avoid the deficiencies like we are facing right now. It's laudable that 95% of people living in California have health insurance.

This is something we should be very proud of here in California. We have worked on this for many years, but we can maintain this commitment to overall public health while also having fiscal discipline.

And I feel it's urgent that we have that as part of this conversation, when we are adding this amount of money to our budget mid cycle as the fifth largest economy, we should be negotiating pharmaceutical costs for our MediCal patients. We should evaluate which Healthcare is nice to have versus need to have.

There's no question that we can provide quality medical care to everybody in this state while also reducing the cost and having cost containment. And that's something that needs our attention and our commitment. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Senator Perez, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I've appreciated the discussion that's happened today because it looks like we have alignment on so many different issues from both houses. I hear support for legislation like the middle class scholarship that was led by Democrats ending and making sure that we're opposing the cuts to the CSU and the UC system.

Funding Prop 36, supporting the Fight for Firefighters Act. It's pretty amazing actually. And I can't wait to revisit these conversations when we start voting in real time around the budget. You know, I want to remind everyone, as many of my colleagues have already, that this is an open and transparent process when we do our Budget Subcommittees.

And it includes both parties, both Democrats and Republicans. And there's a reason for that. You need to be included in the process. Each and every single one of you serves as a Vice Chair of all of these amazing subcommittees. I know on budget sub one that I serve on with chair and Senator John Laird.

Senator Ochoa Bogh participates. And we have robust discussions around oversight and accountability and making sure that our students are getting their fair share and that we're supporting them to educational success. And that is what that process is about. So I invite my Republican colleagues to join us in some of these conversations.

Opposing the cuts to the UC and the CSU system is going to be significant. It's an 8% cuts. It's going to be a huge chunk of my budget. The more advocates that we can get from for our education system, the better.

So I look forward to working with my colleagues and appreciate the early investment that they're showing in these issues and urge everyone to an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Strickland, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise in opposition to this Bill. This Bill once again here in the State of California. No, we're not the envy of other states. We spend more than we take in. California doesn't have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.

12 years ago, when I was on this floor, the entire budget collectively was $98 billion, we've now increased almost three times the amount of spending here in California and we're losing population. And so like families across the State of California that have to meet within their means, I believe California government should do the same thing.

And this Bill is once again going to get us into a situation where we have a deficit. And so, and then other things when we're talking about spending within the Bill, I would like to see more safeguards to make sure the money goes exactly where it's supposed to go.

And just instead of just a blank check that we need to have more safeguards within the money that we are spending to make sure it's going for what's intended to go. I don't see a lot of those safeguards in this Bill. And to answer my colleague from West Sacramento, you didn't have five minutes notice.

In fact, our rules in the House said we have to have 24 hours notice for any amendment coming before the floor. So we did give 24 hours. Maybe you only had five minutes to look at it, but this was across the desk 24 hours before we put it forward.

In terms of our amendments, again, I want to reiterate, Prop 36 is essential. You say you're gonna put it in, you have the opportunity to put it in. You didn't put it in. And again, I would say don't look at the rhetoric, look at the record.

You had the opportunity to put 36 in and you chose not to. So you chose not to make it a top priority. Because if it was a top priority, it would be in this budget Bill Today. I urge your no vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Durazo. You are now recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam President, I want to speak in terms of AB100 as so important to continue to provide health insurance to all Californians. There are nearly 15 million Californians that rely on Medi Cal. These include our most vulnerable people with disabilities, children and our elderly.

3 out of 4 MediCal Enrollees worked at least part-time. Your hard working Californians whose employers don't provide health care insurance. MediCal is essential in ensuring that people don't live in poverty. Poverty rates for the uninsured are more than double the rates for low-income families with MediCal coverage.

But here's the real, at least financial issue. Missing preventative health care opportunities cost this country $55 billion every year. Providing appropriate preventative care results in 89,000 less emergency room visits, which we all know are far more costly. This Bill is so essential to making sure.

That all those who are uncovered providing MediCal to all those that are uncovered and we know otherwise leads to less medical debt, better productivity in the workplace and a more stable health care system. For these and many more reasons, I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Richardson, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I rise this morning. I'm going to speak to 1.0 that was recently just mentioned and then I'm going to speak to the Bill. Several questions have come out today about Proposition 36. Again we want to restate. And I want to join the gentleman from Berkeley. We are in the process.

I'm the Subcommitee chair of Budget 5 and we are in the process of collecting the data, the information necessary. It will be an open process that all of you will be invited to participate in. The Administration stated that Proposition 36 would only have approximately 3,300 additional cases. We do not believe that is going to be the case.

So in 90 days, it has been 90 days since the implementation, we are in the process of collecting the data to make a sound decision about the budget impacts both in terms of treatment and in terms of funding needing to go forward. Now to speak to the point of the Bill.

AB100 colleagues, I rise as one of the Subcommitee Chairs. As I mentioned, our Republican colleagues in this body have asked for a process. This is a process. I've been here for a few years and I've seen Republicans use this same process. So let's talk about the past budget process.

Less than one year ago, we had the June budget Bill AB1, which added 2,500 permanent CAL FIRE positions over three quarters of $1.0 billion to CAL FIRE budget by 2028, making California more safe. California Republicans and Democrats. And you know what? Our Republican colleagues voted against this budget augmentation, but Democrats didn't.

Democrats stood up and said we were going to prioritize it. And that's exactly what we're doing today. We have invested billions into the California Emergency Relief Fund to support emergency response and relief for departments across the state.

In addition to prevention and response, we have helped communities to rebuild, excluding wildfire survivor settlements from income income taxes, keeping counties and school districts whole with property tax and school attendance backfill and providing resources to build vital infrastructure in impacted communities.

After the 2015 fires, the 2017 fires, the 2018 fires, and now the fires that we faced in 2025. Democrats have done the job. We want you to join us. Join us. We all saw what happened on January 7th. This state was going up in flames and that's what we're doing today.

We're saying, take that money and make sure that we take the first step towards recovery. The Los Angeles fires. We invested initially 2.5 billion in the LA rebuild. We were all here. We all said we knew it was going to take more money. It was going to take more money a month ago.

It's going to take more money now, and it's going to take more money tomorrow because we've got people, Republicans and Democrats, who need help to rebuild. So that's what today is about. That's what the wildfire response is about. It's about funding, additional funding, early action. Why? Because we haven't even seen the wildfire season yet.

We have to get ready and the public expects us to be ready and to make sure the fire departments are ready as well. With that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you so much. Seeing no further discussion or debate. Senator Wiener, would you like to close?

Yes. Thank you very much, Madam President. So I'm really, I have to say I'm sad and disappointed that my budget Vice Chair, the Senator from Fair Oaks, is not here today because he and I have many disagreements.

But he deeply understands the budget process and he understands, as I understand, as frankly, every single Member of this body on both sides of the aisle understands, that we are not voting on the budget today.

The budget will be voted on in June in approximately 60 days pursuant to an extremely thorough and public process that is happening as we speak in the Budget Subcommittees. And so that's where we will be.

We are working very, very hard to try to support UC and CSU, where we are working very, very hard to implement Prop 36 and to support behavioral health at the local level and where we are working to support all communities. That is the budget.

This is a very limited early action to deal with a shortfall in Medi Cal because people are doing what we want them to do, which is to access health care instead of getting their primary care in the emergency room, which is even more expensive for taxpayers and which is absolutely harmful to hospitals. And so let's focus on.

I understand that, you know, my colleagues, you know, want to cherry pick some things and make some statements and score some political points. That's fine. It's politics. I get it.

But everyone should know, and I think all 40 Members of this chair chamber know that we are going to be working on all of these issues in the budget. And I look forward to I votes from my colleagues across the aisle in a budget that supports all of These priorities that supports all of these priorities. CAL FIRE.

And we've done so much work in recent years. We've doubled CAL FIRE's budget since 2018. We are expanding CAL FIRE's personnel by 2500 positions.

We have a Bill that every single Member of our Democratic caucus and Republicans, it's bipartisan to try to expand CAL FIRE's capacity even more, and that's moving forward and that'll be involved in the budget process. All of this is happening, and I look forward to getting that work done.

And I look forward to a unanimous vote on the budget in June. I do just want to say one thing. In terms of the budget and in terms of, like, harm to uccsu, to CAL FIRE, to our ability to deliver mental health services. We have. It's like the Death Star sitting out there from 2,500 miles away.

And we have a President and we have a Congress, Congressional leadership that seemed bound and determined to cut the very things that my colleagues across the aisle have said today that they support with all of their heart and soul.

This Administration is targeting the UC, is targeting the UC with massive withholding of funding, with slashing of scientific research, which you. Look, the UC is, no offense to anyone else. It's the top scientific research institution on the planet, and they are taking a wrecking ball.

We had a hearing yesterday and we heard from scientists coming in, the scientists who. Who have. Who have helped cure or treat deadly diseases, saying that their grants have been canceled at the UC.

We have the Republicans in the White House and Congress are going after the UC and trying to make it harder for the UC to educate people. They are going after health care.

The House of Representatives, with no Democratic votes, today, passed a Bill to set the table for trillions of dollars in spending cuts that will absolutely include Medicaid and will dramatically harm our budget, which will harm our ability to Fund CAL FIRE and behavioral health. So I get it. We had a debate today.

All of these issues are going to be handled in the budget. But I would encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisles to please talk to your counterparts in Washington, D.C. and ask them to stop trying to defund UC, to stop trying to attack health care and to help us provide all of these services. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

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

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 29. No's, 7. The measure passes. Members, we will now move to privileges of the floor. Over spring break. We have a few birthdays, so let's please, please give a very happy early birthday to Senators Stern, Becker and Richardson. And, Senators, we also have a very special guest on the floor. Senator Valladare's daughter Charlotte is here. Welcome.

Welcome. Senator Ashby. You are recognized at the majority leader's desk.

Thank you, Madam President. Let me start by joining my colleagues from Yolo County and San Francisco. In lamenting the absence of my colleague. Who also represents Sacramento from Fair Oaks, who is not here this morning. I am going to do my best to stand in for him. As we honor and acknowledge a school in his district.

That is beloved by our entire region. I am rising on behalf of the good Senator from Fair Oaks. To recognize Jesuit High School and their basketball team. Who recently won their first, first state championship. On March 15, the Jesuit Marauders defeated Chatsworth High School.

With a final score of 66 to 53 to win the California State basketball championship. A strong bond and special connection carried the Marauders through the season. Their dedication and teamwork led them to secure a 279 overall record this season. Season, which is wildly impressive. Jesuit High School is known for its robust academics and successful athletic programs.

It is very difficult, very difficult to make a Jesuit High School team for athletics. The unparalleled success of the Jesuit High School basketball team. Is the result of the dedication of the players and their families. And the leadership of their coaches.

Joining me on the floor today are Marcus Brown, Levi Brown, Luke Brown, Luke Hinkle, Tice Hinkle, Grant Kaufman, Carson Keplinger, Jalen Mcdowell, Amari Mckinney, Xavier Owens, Mason Phillips, Sahib Randhawa, Brandon Williams, Jack Walker and Asher Schroeder.

With them, with the athletes, are their coaches, including Tim Kelly, who was named the Sacramento Bee Coach of the Year for the Greater Sacramento Region. Along with Matt Clifford, Bobby Christensen, Jay Nasalones, Eddie Ralph, and student manager Miles Brand.

The team is joined in the gallery by many family Members who are, of course, very proud of their young student scholars Members, please join me in recognizing the 2025 California CIF high school basketball state champions, the Jesuit Marauder. It.

Welcome to the Senate and congratulations. If any Members would like to take a picture, this is your time to go to the rear of the gallery.

Members, we are still on privileges of the floor. Senator Strickland and Senator Allen, you are recognized for recognition of your guest.

Thank you, Madam President. It is my privilege. Today we're on the 30th anniversary of the 1995 UCLA National Championship team. We all talk about March Madness, and yes, on Monday, Florida won, but they only had three championships. UCLA has the most at 11 championships and this is the 11th championship right here.

These guys who've done remarkable work not just on the court, but off the court as well. With us today, Coach Lavin. Where's coach? Come here, come here. Coach. Legendary basketball coach. He's coached at Purdue, UCLA, St. John's and for those kids, I told him he's now currently at UC San Diego.

For those folks in San Diego, USD, Sorry, USC. Sorry. Legendary coach. And he did a remarkable job with the 95 team as assistant coach to Coach Herrick. Next up, Chris Johnson. Chris legend. And he played for legendary high school coach Willie West from Crenshaw in Los Angeles.

He's only the only father son combination to win the national championship. Marcus Johnson and Chris Johnson, they both won how far apart? 20 years. 20 years apart. So the 75 and the 95 championship team. His dad was on the 75 team. He was on the 95 team. Only one.

And by the way, point of personal privilege, one of the most influential people in my life was my pro am basketball coach, Charles Ellison. Also coach Chris Johnson. So next up, everybody calls Tyus Edney. 4.8 seconds. And if you follow basketball, you understand what that means. It was in the regional round.

UCLA is down a point and they only had 4.8 seconds. He took the ball coast to coast and made a shot. It was one of the most legendary shots in March Madness and tournament history. And he made the winning basket. On top of that, Tyus and I played together for a team called the Los Angeles Lightning.

He's a Long beach legend at Long Beach Poly and he's currently an assistant coach at Pepperdine University. And then next up, Toby Bailey. Toby Bailey. Oh, by the way, Tyus. And he come back. He also played for the Sacramento Kings. So he was a Sacramento King. He's a star here in Sacramento, Toby.

So Toby Bailey and I also played Los Angeles Lightning together. But you know, that's not what he's known for. He's known. But he played for Phoenix Suns. He also has the record for the most points as a freshman in the championship game against Arkansas. He's been a leader in his community.

He's now in the business and he's in philanthropic situation. He helps out people who are in need. Toby, I'll tell you, as great of a basketball player as he is, he's got a bigger heart. This man is someone I looked up to. He's been a friend of mine a long time and he's just a wonderful, wonderful guy.

And thank you for being here. Played for the Phoenix Suns and again, six. All six or fifth, sixth all time leading scorer in UCLA history right here, Toby Bailey. So with that, it is a privilege because these guys have been friends of mine for a long time. They deserve.

In fact, when I talked to the Senator who represents UCLA, I said, hey, can we celebrate this team in 95 for the 20 year anniversary? And he reminded me it was a 30 year anniversary. So I guess I'm getting old. I used to be young here, but I guess I'm getting old.

But with that, I would like to turn it over to my distinguished colleague who represents Westwood, represents UCLA and actually his dad is a teacher at UCLA Center.

Thank you. Yeah. Well, it's just so exciting to be here and welcome these incredible heroes from the 1995 campaign. My dad, I'm literally a Californian because of UCLA. My dad took a job at the University long before I was born.

My parents moved west and he used to go to, he used to have season tickets when Wooden was the coach. I graduated from high school in 9695.

Of course, I was growing up just down the road in Santa Monica and I remember the hype, the excitement about this team as it, as it made its way through the season and then onto the tournament. It was an extraordinary, extraordinary run. And I will say, you know, I was just talking to coach over here.

Tyus shot the 4.8 second shot, remember, in the second round, right. Second round. Literally saved the whole coaching staff's jobs. He said they were, he said they were all about to get fired the next day. And of course Tyus made that shot.

They went on to win the championship many, many games later and it went down in history and they've all gone on to such extraordinary careers. So thank you, Tyus, for that extraordinary moment in basketball history.

You know, of course I should also mention, you know, Kobe did work play for the Suns, but most importantly, he was a Laker, you know, for, you know, so drafted by the Lakers. Okay, all right, all right. So at least for a little while, he got to wear some purple and gold.

So anyway, I just wanted to be part of this wonderful celebration. We all enjoy March Madness. We of course had a Wild debate a little earlier, but this is something that brings us together.

We're proud of this University of California that provides so much to our state, from research to upward mobility to educational opportunities, and then, of course, the incredible sports experience that takes place in places like UCLA. So congratulations to these incredible champions and go, go Bruins.

Senator Umberg, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President and colleagues, as maybe the only UCLA alumnus. Oh, I'm sorry. My colleague, Senator Menjivar here. I graduated with Chris Johnson's father literally the same day. He stood behind me at graduation. But you, you know, UCLA fans sort of went in the doldrums after 1975. We were kind of sad, kind of depressed till 1995.

And that 4.8 second. That 4.8 second event really rejuvenated all UCLA fans. I know Coach Wooden was incredibly proud of all you. So we're due again. I think we're due again. But thank you so much for coming. Thank you. To my colleague from Huntington Beach for celebrating, my colleague from Santa Monica for bringing us all together.

Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you. Members, if you would like to take a picture, please move to the back of the chamber. Members, we will proceed with the business of the house in one minute. Messages from the Governor will be deemed read. Messages from the Assembly will be deemed read. Reports and committees will be deemed read and amendments adopted.

Members, now we are now at motions, resolutions and notices without objection. Measures reported out of policy Committee with the recommendation do pass as amended and be re referred will be given their second reading and amendments adopted. Upon being reported and re referred to Committee without objection.

Measures reported out of policy Committee with recommendation do pass as amended will be given their second reading and amendments adopted. Upon being reported and returned to the second reading file. Members without objection, we will move to Senate third reading to take up file item 66, SCR 57 by Senator Reyes.

After adoption of the resolution, we will go to privileges of the floor for Senator Limon to introduce guests please read File Item 66, SCR 57.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 57 by Senator Reyes relative to Dolores Huerta.

Senator Limon, you are recognized at the majority leader's desk on behalf of Senator Reyes.

Thank you, Madam President and Members for the opportunity to present SCR 57 on behalf of the good Senator from San Bernardino. SCR 57 recognizes Dolores Huerta, an icon who has spent her life fighting for the liberty. An icon who has spent her life fighting for the liberty and freedoms of our marginalized communities.

Dolores Huerta began her career as an activist in 1955 when she co founded the Stockton chapter of the community service organization. As a CSO associate, Dolores Huerta met activist Cesar Chavez, with whom she shared an interest in organizing farm workers.

In 1962, Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association, the predecessor of the United Farm Workers Union ufw, which formed three years later. Their organization and power building efforts through UFW are still seen as some of our most impactful organizing efforts in the history of labor.

With Dolores Huertas spearheading the the nationwide table grape boycotts of the late 1960s and working as the lead negotiator in the workers contracts that followed.

It was Dolores Huerta who popularized the rallying cry Si se puede meaning yes we can, the motto of ufw, which has been used as a call to action for collective demonstration throughout our labor movement. After this, she dedicated her time to continuing to work for UFW and served as the Vice President until 1999.

Her hard work and commitment to justice has been widely commended by numerous organizations. Among those countless recognitions, she received the Eleanor Roosevelt Human rights award in 1998, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, and in 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2644 Reyes, formally recognizing today, her birthday, as Dolores Huertas Day.

Across California, Dolores Huerta has dedicated her life to being a voice for working class people. And that commitment has continued in her statewide advocacy for issues that impact those that need our help the most.

She currently serves as the President of the Dolores Huerta foundation, which she started in 2002 and spends much of her time continuing to fight for the rights and dignity of all, including immigrants, women, those in our LGBTQ community, and of course, for workers.

Today we honor and celebrate her lifelong career in activism, her commitment to to speaking truth to power, and her 95th birthday. And remember, if ever we are questioning if what must be done can be done, we say "si se puede." I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Cervantes. You are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. And Members, today I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 57 and I want to thank our colleague from Colton for introducing this resolution and our colleague from Santa Barbara for presenting it on her behalf. Today we honor not just an incredible woman, but an entire movement.

Dolores Huerta's voice has echoed across fields, classrooms and union halls not only in California, but across our country for decades. Her voice has amplified the struggles of farm workers, women, immigrants and the underprivileged growing up in the Coachella Valley. Dolores was my she hero. She organized so many farm workers throughout the Coachella Valley.

We remember her stories, the stories that continue to be told today from family members and so many from our community. For Dolores, the struggles of marginalized communities was not an abstract idea, but an integral part of her lived experience.

During her time as an educator in rural California, she saw children walk into her classroom with bare feet and empty stomachs. She did not stay silent. She organized, she fought, she led, and she won. And she changed our country forever.

Dolores not only taught us "si se puede", but she lived it and continues to live it every single day. Even now, at the age of 95, when others would have rested on their laurels, she continues to actively advocate for the same community she has always fought for.

Let April 10th be a symbol not just for of Dolores Huerta and her life and her accomplishments, but the values that she embodies. Let every student in every classroom in California learn the lessons that a single voice, a single woman can move the fields beneath our feet and change the world forever.

Today, colleagues, I ask that you join the Senator from Santa Barbara in respectfully asking for an aye vote on Senate Concurrent Resolution 57.

Thank you, Senator Rubio, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, today I also rise in support of SCR 57 and also as a co-author, but more importantly, as a proud daughter of a former farm worker, bracero worker.

And I want to say that my father benefited from those who saw injustice that is happening at the time when my father was a farm worker and they jumped into action. So many of us benefited from the actions of those who came before us. And certainly Dolores Huerta is one of them who really fought hard.

She is an icon, a civil rights leader and an advocate. And she doesn't stop. I can share with you. Not too long ago, I happened to be on a dance floor with her and she outdanced me and outpaced me.

This is a woman who is still giving her heart and soul to this cause, still fighting hard where many of us would probably be retiring. She continues to fight a good fight. And as a woman, I want to thank Dolores for breaking barriers and showing us what's possible.

You know, her and it, it is her slogan continues to resonate in, you know, schools, union halls, even on this floor. And I sat with the with on a panel a few years back, I would say 15 years ago, we were on a panel together. And I remember this story and it just resonates to this Day.

I always remember what she said. She said that 50 years ago, they set out to change the world, but one of the ways they wanted to change the world was they had a mission. You know, 50% of women holding 50% of seats across our nation. And it was 15 years ago.

And I remember, sadly, she said, and we're still not there. So today, I wanted to share with the Lord is that today on this floor, women are the majority. We are more than 50% on this floor.

And even though she hasn't really reached the 5050 nationwide, it is because of her that we now have a majority on this floor. And so, you know, it's a step forward to achieving the goal that she wanted to achieve 50 years ago.

And we need that kind of commitment to continue to push and elevate women in different sectors and different areas of what we do here in this country. But I really just want to say thank you for your activism. Thank you for believing in the cause. And everyone does it in many different ways.

But certainly we all know who she is. We know where she stands. And she's always on the side of the people. She's always on the side of treating people with respect, with dignity. And once again, to honor my father, I want to say thank you, Dolores Huerta, for.

For doing that, not only for my father, but for all those who. Who needed your voice and continue to need your voice. And with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Arreguin. You're recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I'm proud to rise in support of SCR 57, to recognize a giant in the civil rights movement, Dolores Huerta. Dolores Huerta is somebody I've known for over 30 years. I first met her when I was nine years old.

We worked together to name a street in my hometown of San Francisco after my hero, Cesar Chavez. And I've been honored to know her and work with her for the last 30 years. And I have to say, I was starstruck when I met her as a child. I still am today.

As a son and grandson of farm workers, I am always inspired by the work that Dolores has done over generations, standing up for the dignity and rights of the most vulnerable with an unwavering tenacity and just the right amount of good trouble.

And still, at the age of 95, is a champion for so many social movements, women's rights movement, the Environmental Movement, the Farm Workers Movement, the Civil Rights Movement. She is an inspiration to me and I'm sure, to many generations of Californians.

And it's remarkable that today, on her 95th birthday, that she's still active in the continual fight for true equity and equality in California, which we need now more than ever. It's hard to think of anyone that matches the iconic level of commitment and sacrifice that Dolores has done to make California and beyond a more just place.

I'm honored to stand before such a legendary figure, and I call on all Californians to celebrate Dolores worth today and to build on her legacy that is still being written to this day. Feliz Compleañeos, Dolores. And "si se puede".

Thank you. Senator McNerney, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise in support of SCR 57 to recognize Dolores Huerta Day. I had heard about Dolores for years before I got to meet her in 2006. I can tell you what, she's been an inspiration to myself, my family, and so many people that I've known over the years. It's always been a pleasure.

She's always very gracious and energetic and happy to see you. It's just an inspiration at this point to see her. Dolores has been a guiding light for millions of people, and I can tell you she is everywhere. I can't imagine how she gets around the way she does.

She puts so many of us ashamed by her energy and her accomplishments. So with that, I urge an aye vote, and I thank Dolores for coming in today, and I look forward to seeing what she's accomplished in the future.

Thank you, Senator Archuleta. You are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I also rise to honor this great woman who is God in country in California. When you look at her, God, country in California. Dolores, thank you for giving us this day. And it's your day, but you've given us the pleasure of having you.

God bless you for all the things you've done for so many. For so many, many years. And a lot of people, I've just heard, have never met you before, but when they meet you, they see this aura, they feel this love, this joy, and it's the spirit of giving that you've given to all of us.

So this is your day, and I would like to say that. Happy birthday. 95. We were at your 92nd, 93rd, now at your 95. And a special message from Grace Napolitano. You remember Grace, and she wanted me to say hi if I was able to catch you, but I don't know how anyone catch you.

300 days a year, you're traveling. I don't know how anyone can catch you or keep up with you, but thank you for what you've done. From humble beginnings. You've always been there as a leader, a beacon of hope prior to working.

And a lot of people didn't know this, but you're a teacher and you were working with these kids. You saw the children, you saw their parents who needed help, and you jumped in. You participated to say, I'm no longer going to allow this to happen. And you began organizing.

And of course, when you met Cesar Chavez, that put you both together to make an impression in the State of California, that to this day, we're still honored. And the great strike back in the 60s, I remember. It's amazing what you've done over the years. So politically, everyone is so honored to have you here.

You're a champion for women, but a champion for everyone. And on behalf of my two daughters, they also follow you as much as they can, but continue giving us the love that you've given to so many. God bless you and happy birthday. And I urge a aye vote.

Thank you. Senator Laird, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. In 1992, the research Center for the Americas was established at the University of California at Santa Cruz to do Latin and Chicano Studies. On the 30th anniversary in 2022, it was renamed the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas.

And as part of that, there is a special program, a fellowship program there, Dolores Huerta Fellows. I was very lucky to have the first two. And. And I have one in my office now. And I got an email a couple of weeks ago.

She had just decided that she was going to research this entire social services program, its history, what we needed to do, whether it was working, whether it was serving people, and it was just the spirit of Dolores Huerta, embodied and living on and knowing in the next generations her work will be recognized and how she mentored them. I'm proud to stand up in support of SCR 57.

Thank you, Senator Perez. You are recognized at your desk.

Yeah. I'm proud to stand up in support of SCR 57 for Dolores Huerta Day. I know so many of my colleagues have already spoken to Dolores Huerta's incredible history of activism. But I also want to highlight so much of the current work that she leads through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

I've had the pleasure, while I was working at the Campaign for College Opportunity of partnering with her foundation that is so committed to leading on educational equity and ensuring that black and brown students all over the state have access to a quality education and can achieve their educational dreams just like so many others.

Her foundation leads so much work on voter education and getting more individuals registered to vote. And it's really quite incredible. The first time I had an opportunity to meet her was back when I was in college and it was very interesting to me. We're honoring her in much of the same way.

And I got a chance to speak with you and almost immediately you started talking with me about legislation up here in Sacramento that she was advocating on and asking if my student organization could help with writing letters to support. And I think that just speaks so much to exactly who you are.

You are so committed to the work each and every single day. And I love and admire you so much as much as so many of my colleagues do here. So I urge an aye vote on this resolution and I thank you so much for all of the work that you've done in the past now until the present.

Thank you. Thank you. Senator Umberg, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues. So if you use the Google machine and you look up Laura Suerta, you're going to see that she's been involved in a number of campaigns. The Al Gore campaign, the Hillary Clinton campaign, the Biden campaign, the first Clinton campaign. And yes, you're right, it doesn't say the Tom Umberg for Assembly campaign.

In 1990 I was a little. My self esteem was impacted a bit by not seeing that because Dolores came down in 1990 to Orange County with farm workers and made a huge difference in a race that was determined by just a few votes to elect the first Democrat in a generation to any level in Orange County.

Now I hadn't seen Dolores for a little while and this is a couple years ago, and she saw me and she came up and she said, you used to be so good looking.

So I'm here to tell you, Dolores, that we met over 35 years ago and you're as beautiful today inside and out as you were 35 years ago. So happy birthday. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Cabaldon, you are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. At anyone in any part of California, if you see an injustice, if you see an opportunity for your community and you find a neighbor or a co worker or someone who needs your help and then you find another one and you've got three people and you decide on next Thursday we're going to have an organizing meeting and on Friday maybe we'll have a rally and see who comes and you work your butt off to try to organize people in your community, at your work site or elsewhere to make change in the world.

There is a very high likelihood that Dolores Huerta will be there at your organizing meeting on Thursday, that she will be there on Friday at the rally with you and three other people. Achieving legendary status for organizing and for movement building is not unknown in the world.

But what is so unique and so incredibly special is that to then devote every other moment of your life when you're not receiving resolutions or White House awards or giving speeches, to finding the next movements everywhere that they might be.

I first met Dolores Huerta when I was a great boycott organizer at UC Berkeley, when she came to speak there. And then she was there when we were just starting the divestment movement. She was there when Filipino students were being taken off the affirmative action programs.

And I thought, I honestly thought she was a Professor at Berkeley because she never left. And then I met students at UCLA who said the same thing, and students at Fresno State.

Then I came, graduated and when we were trying to organize for woodland public housing or for justice for janitors, these small movements of two or three people, most of which never went anywhere. Most of which never went anywhere, but some did. And she believed in every single one of them.

And if you are hoping that you can change the world and Dolores Huerta walks in the room on Thursday, you know you can. You know that fight can be won and that you have the joy of the universe, the commitment to change that you need.

So thank you on all the other days you were there for each one of us, for each one of our communities. And the opportunity for today to say thank you and happy birthday is one that so many millions of Californians that will not be here, some of whom have made their communities so much better and are still fighting, they say thank you and so do I. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Senator Cortese, you are recognized at your desk.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President. And I just want to put something on the record here in support of SCR 57 in that I don't think it explicitly calls out Doris Huertz work with the non violence movement throughout her entire life.

In fact, some would argue that she was part of the impetus for the nonviolence movement here in this country, along with Dr. Martin Luther King and of course Cesar Chavez.

The most memorable conversation I've ever heard two people have was Dolores Huerta and Ela Gandhi, who co drafted the constitution, the new constitution for South Africa with Nelson Mandela. She has created a global footprint for the nonviolence movement.

Some would say Today that movement's in trouble. But it's not in trouble because of the legacy of Dolores Huerta. And that will live on forever. Thank you so much. And I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Durazo. You are recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Madam President. I'm so grateful for the decades of friendship with Dolores. She keeps me grounded in what matters most. She gives me strength in doing this work. We will not turn our backs on the Californians who are the backbone of the state because of Dolores Huerta. You are working tirelessly at 95 years old.

But you show the resolve that the rest of us must be brave enough to emulate. In this time of a real crisis, a moral crisis, a humanitarian crisis, Dolores has been at my side to lift me up, to teach me and to scold me.

She recruited my late husband, Miguel, when he was 18 years old to work on the boycott. And she promised him that it was only for six months, but end up being for years and years. She sent him to Toronto, Canada, and he had never been out of the Lane Dinuba his entire life.

But you inspired him so much that it didn't matter where he was going to end up. You just gave him $5 and said, Find your way. You are known to most of us as a community organizer. But you're also known because of your fight for women's rights, for reproductive rights, for civil rights, for the formerly incarcerated.

You name it and you are there. The Lotus is there. But I agree with my colleague that it's your power of non violence that is really made and had the most impact. That's what you've taught me. That's why last year we began the James Lawson Dolores Huerta Institute for Nonviolence. So I'll end with a little story.

In the 90s, I was engaged in a multi year campaign with food service workers at usc. And we tried everything as far as nonviolent actions. Strikes, marches, rallies, clergy, students, faculty, community. And we decided to start a fast. And it was one day, then two days and 3 and 4 and it was going on.

And then about the tenth day, the Lord has visited all of us. And she came with us and she gave us such calm and strength. Others were upset, they didn't know what was going to happen. But she was calm and strong. She basically shared stories about how the farm workers had organized and never gave up.

And because of your visit, Dolores, we kept that and we became a revolving fast that went on for a couple of months. But we never gave up and we won. Gracias. Dolores Feliz Cumpleañeos.

Senator Gonzalez, you are recognized from Senator Wahab's desk.

Thank you so much, Madam President. Also just want to say very big Happy birthday to Dolores Huerta. When we sat down the last time as Chair of the Latino Caucus, we talked about how to get in good trouble.

Whether it was sit ins or talking and speaking out about why Latinos are in this very important moment right now and what we can do as Latinos and Latinas to keep pushing the envelope, especially in this time of deportations, especially in this time of attacks on our community.

So I want to thank you for giving me the advice to continue the good trouble. And you have actually instilled in Long Beach a brand new club, political club, that will be named after you.

So even though I will not be with you in Long Beach when I fly home, I'm still celebrating your birthday with incredible Long Beach leaders who have really wanted to raise your. Your leadership, celebrate your birthday, but also do so in the power that you have instilled on so many of us. So with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Seeing no further discussion or debate, Senator Limon, would you like to close?

Thank you, Members. I think so many have shared impactful stories that have left an impression, a memory and a history with all of us.

And I think one of the unique things about today, in addition to being Dolores Huerta Day, in addition to being her 95th birthday, is that we are among a presence that is a legacy and will continue to be a legacy.

And through the stories and the connections you've all shared a unique part of that is that we are also part. A small part of the work that she is doing. And so I am grateful for everybody sharing the experiences and also want to recognize the excitement that entered the room when you walked and stepped foot here.

And it is, I hope, an excitement that we continue and that we carry with us to do good work that the Lord is Huerta would want us to do and. And that continues to push us to do every day. As we all know, she also has a presence here in the Capitol.

With that, Members, I respectfully ask for an aye vote for scr57 on behalf of the good Senator from San Bernardino. Thank you.

Thank you. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 33. No, zero. That resolution is adopted. Senator Limon. Senator Limon, you are recognized for introduction of your guest.

Thank you very much. Without further ado, we have here on the red carpet on the Senate Floor, Dolores Huerta celebrating her 95th birthday. And on behalf of the Senate, the Latino and the Women's Caucus, our majority leader has some flowers for you. And we're very excited to wish you a happy birthday.

Members, if you would like to be in this photograph, please go to the rear of the chamber. On behalf of the entire Senate, California State Senate, happy birthday, beautiful. Members, we will now move on to our next item on the agenda. We are now at consideration of the daily file. We are at the second reading file. Secretary, please read the second reading file.

[Second Reading]

Will be deemed Members. Before we move on to the consent calendar, are there any Members who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar? Seeing none. Secretary, please read all the items on the consent calendar.

[Consent Calendar

Secretary, please call the roll on file item 83. SB 66 by Emberg.

[Roll Call]

Ayes 35 No 0 on file item 83, Ayes 35 No 0 on the remaining items. The consent calendar is approved if there is no other business. Senator Mcguire, the desk is clear.

Thank you so much, Madam President. Just want to point out the clock. We said 11 o'clock. Hot dang, huh? On behalf of Leader Jones and obviously all Senators, we are about to embark on our spring work period.

And that means that Senators from across the aisle are going to be traversing every corner of California working in their communities. We wish you safe travels as you take tackle the tough issues that our neighborhoods and our cities and towns are facing. We are grateful for your work and when we get back. Welcome to the Sprint.

We will be moving on our final Bill hearings. If you are in judiciary it will only last 14 hours, but we know that we have a lot of work in front of us and of course we will continue to move forward on our budget process delivering for Californians in every community.

One more Happy birthday to the California legend Dolores Huerta. Madam President, our next floor session is scheduled for Monday, April 21st at 2pm Have a wonderful spring work period, colleagues.

Thank you, Senator Mcguire. Members, on behalf of the Latino Caucus cake is in the Members lounge to celebrate Dolores Huerta's birthday. The Senate will be in recess until 5pm at which time the adjournment motion will be made. We will reconvene Monday, April 212025 at 2p SA.