Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Like to testify on a Bill? Start over. All right, we're going to do this over again. Good morning and welcome to this morning's Assembly Economic Development, Growth and Household Impact Committee hearing. To ensure Members of the public and the media have access to our proceedings today.

This hearing will be streamed on the Assembly's website and Members of the public can provide testimony here in room 127. All witness testimony will be in person. There will be no phone testimony options for this hearing.

If any Member of the public in the room would like to testify on the Bill, I will ask to approach the microphone at the appropriate time. To preserve the safety of everyone here and to ensure the public's access to the discussion, please allow directions of our sergeants.

We are going to begin today's hearing as a Subcommitee only if we do not have this Committee until we have quorum today. We have two bills following the Bill. On consent, we will allow primary witnesses here in the room today to speak for two minutes each with two primary witnesses per side.

Any additional witnesses will be limited to name, organization they represent and the position on the Bill. Primary witness in support must be accompanied by the author and who have otherwise have registered a support position with the Committee. And the primary witness in opposition must have their opposition registered with the Committee.

All other support and opposition can be stated at the standing M when called upon. State name affiliation position. This time we're gonna go ahead and move on to the agenda. Item number one. I see the esteemed distinguished. Oh, wait, no, it's Mr. Jackson. Dr. Jackson's here to represent on AB72. I see.

Mr. Jackson, when you're ready, you may start. Welcome.

Whatever, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And thank you, committee, for indulging me in this bill. AB 72, in brief, would direct the California's Labor Workforce and Development Agency to work with the County of Riverside to make electric vehicle manufacturing jobs and education more accessible in one of the fastest growing regions in the state.

We have seen all over the state of California job opportunities that are technology proof are not fairly and equitably situated throughout the state. And so if you are a representative in the Inland Empire, most likely more than half of our constituents are going more than 80 miles out of their communities in search for livable wage jobs.

It is time for the state of California to help with making sure that all of California is benefiting from the investments that are being made in the EV space. And so we know that the Inland Empire, primarily Riverside County, is a prime location for this kind of opportunity zone due to its growing population, proximity to world class institutions of higher education and technical training, in addition to one of the world's largest lithium deposits found in the region near the Salton Sea.

To be simply put, we are a prime location. So making sure that all facets of manufacturing of EVs, whether it's the vehicles themselves or the batteries and all the supply chain that comes with that, we want to make sure that we provide opportunities like so many parts of the state have gotten opportunities as well. So with that I want to thank this committee for working with us, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Dr. Jackson. Thank you for your passion in this in this area. At this point, we're going to go see if there are any support of this bill. So are there any witnesses in support in the room? Okay. Hearing none. Seeing any opposition in the room? Okay. Are there any witnesses? Okay. Bring her back to the committee. Are there any questions or comments for Members of the Committee? Member Petrie-Norris. Thank you. Vice Chair.

I just want to say to thank you for bringing this bill. I know Riverside County does have room for growth, and helping people from Riverside Inland Empire stay local where they don't have to commute is huge. So I thank you for that.

Thank you.

Okay. Seeing no other questions. Assembly Member Jackson, would you like to close?

I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. With that, we do want to make an announcement that we're waiting for at least one more Member of the Committee to come and staff quorum. So for that, we're going to go have to wait for a couple of minutes until we have, so we have sergeants calling the absent Members.

Let them know that the meeting start at 9:30 and we're waiting for them. With that, Assembly Member Jackson, let me take a privilege to say thank you and happy to support your bill. And besides breaking the ice at the beginning, you are doing a phenomenal job for your district.

Thank you very much.

All right, looks like we have quorum. So with that, Secretary, please call a roll.

[Roll Call]

[Roll Call]

Okay, the consent calendar has now been adopted. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

[Roll Call]

Okay. I did originally see a motion by Petri-Norris. Second by Wallace. Roll call, please.

[Roll Call]

Okay, thank you. Member seeing no further business. This hearing is now adjourn. Waiting for. Oh, we're waiting for Soria. Sorry. For one more Member. She has two minutes to get here, so let the public know that we're waiting till 9:41. Yes. On time, like. Okay, we're going to continue with this morning's meeting.

Secretary, please continue with the roll.

[Roll Call]

Okay, thank you. Members, seeing that there's no other fair business. Huh? Disposition. Oh, yeah, that's right. The disposition of this item is now out, and it's being sent. 7-0 vote. 7-0 vote. Okay, with that and the consent calendar has passed already, too. Yes, so with that, thank you. Members, seeing no other further business. This hearing is now adjourned.