Senate Floor

Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

A quorum is present with the Members and our guests, please, beyond the rail and in the gallery, please rise. We will be led in prayer this morning by Senator Durazo, after which, please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Thank you, Madam President. Loving God of mercy and justice, as we celebrate the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are reminded more than ever of his words to us as he wrote in a letter from Birmingham jail. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.

And whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Mysterious God, we pray for a greater understanding of our interdependence on one another. May we refuse to believe that we are unable to influence the events that which surround us. May we refuse to believe that we are so bound to racism and war that justice and peace are impossible.

And through your goodness at work within each of us, may we reach out with healing hands to those we serve. We ask this in your name. Amen.

Members, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. I pledge. Members, today, please make sure that you wish Senator Choi a happy belated birthday. I believe his birthday was yesterday. Yesterday. And under privileges of the floor, there are none. 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. Members, we are now at motions, resolutions and notices. Are there any Members that would like to be recognized at this time? Senator Gonzalez, you are recognized. Thank you. Madam President, I request unanimous consent for a letter to be printed in the Journal.

This letter has been approved by leadership and the Secretary. Thank you. Without objection, seeing no further Members that would like to be recognized. Under motions, resolutions and notices, we will now move to introduction and reading of first bills which will be deemed read.

We are now under consideration of the daily file with a second item file reading item one. Secretary, please read.

Senate Bill 381 with amendments will be deemed read.

We are now at Senate Third Reading, file item 59, SCR 107. Secretary, please read.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 107 by Senator Richardson, relative to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Senator Richardson, you are recognized.

Good morning, Members, and thank you, President. Good morning. I rise today to bring forward this resolution, SCR 107, on behalf of Dr. Martin Luther King. I'm going to hold my comments till the end to give more people an opportunity to speak. But I'd just like to introduce this with a few thoughts.

Dr. Martin Luther King died at the age of 39. There are only two of us in this room or Members who represent in the Senate. There are only two of us who are less than 39 years old. Imagine stepping forward to do the incredible work that he did and not even 39.

So why can't we agree that the principles that many of you are going to talk about today, that we can do in our positions today. Because, in fact, we have, some would believe, more power than what he had because we're a legislative body. We have the ability to pass laws. He had to go to legislators to pass laws. But he did it at a mere age in his 30s. So I urge all of us to hear and listen from the comments.

But I also urge you on behalf of Dr. Bernice King, his daughter. One of the things she often says as we begin to speak and honor him and celebrate this holiday, she often says how hurtful it is to the family to hear people use her father's words and yet still spew hate, inaction, and discrimination.

So I look forward to the comments. This resolution was brought forward on behalf of all of the Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. And I even believe that all of you would have signed on as well had given the opportunity. So today, let's celebrate, let's learn, and let's take all these thoughts.

So as we go out into our districts, we will share these in the next couple days and motivate people to do as he did, even at the early age of less than 39. Imagine that gentleman, what he did, that caused us to be here today. With that, I yield and will close. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Archuleta, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise to support SCR 107. It is my pleasure to do so. It is my honor. SCR 107, which commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King's life served as an extraordinary example of how one person can have a huge impact on all our lives.

Dr. King is a symbol of justice. He was an educator of civil and human rights, a role model, and beloved friend to so many. He understood the value of unity and the power of solidarity.

He inspired our Latino civil rights leaders, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, during their struggles for farm workers rights to utilize his model of non-violence. He held an honest conversation and gave powerful speeches about his many topics relevant to our society today, including civil rights and social justice.

Today, as we continue to fight largely the same injustices Dr. King fought for which he paid the ultimate price. African Americans, and Latinos continue to lag in educational attainment, have fewer opportunities for socioeconomic empowerment, and we continue to be targeted for incarceration at a higher rate than than other Americans.

Our communities continue to be demonized and judged on the color of our skin and not the content of our character. We see this in rhetoric from the President and his administration and in the policies they propose, including the treatment of our immigrant communities. But there is hope.

Today as we celebrate and honor Dr. King and his legacy, let us acknowledge the community leaders that we have in this room, the teachers, those individuals who utilize Dr. King's vision, his spirit, and his dream to continue to fight for social equality and justice.

I'm proud to stand in support of this resolution and will do my part to honor Dr. King's legacy by advocating for his most vulnerable and ensuring social and and economic prosperity for all. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Senator Choi, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President and the Members. Today we are commemorating the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a man whose courage, sacrifice, and moral clarity forever changed the course of American history.

Dr. King reminded this nation that the people should be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Many people recite these famous quotes that have been announced when he was alive. Those words were not just etched into our history books. They are alive in our lived experiences.

I am personally grateful for that truth. In 1998, the voters entrusted me with the honor of serving on the Irvine Unified School District School Board. They did so not because of my ethnicity or the color of my skin, but because of my character and my value and my commitment to serve the community.

On the day of ushering in, I thank the voters for electing me by saying just that. That moment in my life stands as a quiet but a powerful testament to Dr. King's dream becoming reality. As a Korean American, I also stand here with deep gratitude.

We thank Dr. King for the immense sacrifice he made through the civil rights movement he courageously led. His leadership was not without cost. He endured hatred, imprisonment, threats, and ultimately gave his life so that this nation could live closer to the founding promise.

Without his sacrifice and without the equal rights achieved during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, it is difficult to imagine what America would look like today. The doors that were opened then did not benefit only one group. They transformed the future for everyone because Dr. King helped pave the road forward.

Immigrants from every corner of the world, people different colors, cultures, languages, and the faith are able to come to this country and live with freedom, equality, and human dignity.

We are able to participate fully in civic life, just like myself, standing in this room as a Senator, raise our families, educate our children, and contribute to this great nation. Dr. King's dream was not just an African American dream. It was an American dream, and indeed a human dream.

It is a dream that calls each of us to continue his work. Not only in words spoken on the holidays, but in the way we live, lead, and serve one another every day. May we honor Dr. King, not only by remembering him, but by striving to be worthy of the freedoms his sacrifice made the possible he made possible. I urge your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President, and good morning. I rise on behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus and as a Member of the California Legislative Black Caucus in support of SCR 107, honoring the the Reverend Martin Luther King. His life, his fight for racial and economic justice that endures.

At a time of renewed division and distrust, Dr. King's vision reminds us that justice was never about exclusion. It was about a rising tide that lifts all people grounded in dignity, in fairness, and in collective responsibility. Dr. King taught us that budgets are a moral document and that public policies reflect our values.

What would he say as we now look at what has happened in our country, as we have seen recently the cuts in health care, in child care, in education, in arts and culture, in our environment, in immigration, to our businesses, to our communities?

He challenged the nation to measure success not by power or punishment, but by whether people are able to live with dignity and security. Through the Poor People's Campaign, Dr. King called for an economic Bill of Rights, insisting that every person is entitled to basic needs, including fair wages and housing and health care and opportunity.

When we view today's choices through that lens, what would we do in honor of Dr. King? How would we stand with him? Would we recognize how the consequences have become so clear? As of the new year, immigration enforcement agencies reported that more than 328,000 arrests nationwide have happened.

And data is showing that an increasing number of those are pregnant women. At the same time, current federal budgets, as we talked about, threaten the lives of so many. Dr. King challenged us to confront systems that concentrate wealth while leaving basic needs unmet.

He challenged us to confront systems that invested and enforcement brutal state violence and ensure that we put the needs of the people first. Today, California's reliance on unstable stock markets driven by revenue has limited our ability to sustain growth, protect families, deliver real affordability and economic security. What would Dr. King do?

Dr. King warned that a society that prioritizes punishment and neglect over care stability risks losing its moral direction. Justice, he believed, must be consistent, compassionate, and rooted in shared responsibility. That work was collective. The civil rights movement and the millions of women who stood behind Dr. King understood this imperative. And that imperative lives today.

Coretta Scott King expanded the movement's vision to include peace. She fought for the rights of the poor and for global human rights, ensuring that Dr. King's legacy remained a living call to action. Women leaders such as Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Height, Rosa Parks carried the movement forward through strategy, courage, and relentless organizing.

Their leadership reminds us that justice is sustained not by speeches, but through action, through courage, through risk, and collective care. Honoring Dr. King means that reflection, particularly on today, is necessary.

It means recommitting ourselves to the work he left unfinished by building policies that reflect our shared humanity, protecting families from harm, ensuring that dignity is not reserved for the very few, but guaranteed for all. Dr. King reminded us that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice.

And that gives me so much hope and inspiration on days like this, and it should for you all as well. Only when people choose to bend that arc will it be realized. Today, honoring his legacy means choosing compassion over punishment, care over neglect, and shared responsibility and courage to achieve that dream. For these reasons, I urgently and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Senator Blakespear, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. Members, I rise today in support of SCR 107 and to honor the greatness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and all he stood for, his many accomplishments, and his profound legacy, which is more meaningful and relevant today than it has ever been. To say that today American democracy is under stress is an understatement.

We have a federal government that is, let's be honest, terrorizing cities and communities across this nation. It is sending the National Guard and troops into communities to support ICE operations that involve snatching people off the streets and disappearing them without any due process.

And even innocent bystanders who are simply trying to get out of the way are being abused, beaten, and even, as was the case in Minneapolis, killed. The federal administration's lawlessness and disregard for basic civil and human rights is horrifying. Now, to be sure, American democracy has always been under stress, as we have always struggled to live up to the ideals set forth by our founding fathers.

And it certainly was not easy for Dr. King and his followers to demonstrate peacefully in the face of fire hoses, tear gas, attack dogs, beatings, bombings, unspeakable violence, and hatred of all kinds. The civil rights movement in this nation, like the labor movement, was long, torturous, and full of violence and strife. And it is not over.

Dr. King recognized that fighting violence with violence was a losing strategy. That civil disobedience was the way to highlight injustice and advance social progress in a democracy. Dr. King understood the ultimate goodness of all people that you could change hearts and minds and create meaningful social change with persistence, goodwill, intelligence, caring, and particularly mass action.

We have a federal administration whose approach is confrontation, bullying, and threats of violence and and actual violence. That might makes right. Forget about any moral imperative or ethical standards. As law abiding citizens who believe in democracy and the rule of law, we must turn to the example of Dr. King now.

To social consciousness, to togetherness, to mass peaceful action, to civil rights reform. Personally, I marvel at Dr. King, his character, and his example. He is one of our greatest figures, one of our most admirable, our only modern founding father. It's important that we keep close to us Dr. King's vision for building the beloved community.

The community based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of one's fellow human. He envisioned that world where we collectively rejected bigotry, discrimination, and racial prejudice, all kinds of prejudice. He struggled mightily in his lifetime and he was fought by many on all sides. Those who flatly rejected or opposed his notion of a colorblind society.

Those who thought he wasn't pushing hard and fast enough. Those who thought he was too aggressive. But he stayed the course until his life was tragically cut far too short. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day is the only federal holiday that is officially recognized as a national day of service to volunteer and to give back.

To work to create that beloved community of which he dreamed. Here in California, we pride ourselves on so many things. But perhaps what we should be proudest of is that California strives to live Dr. King's dream. To epitomize his ideals like no other place on Earth. I urge all my colleagues in the California State Senate to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and support SCR 107. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Pérez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and the in support of SCR 107. Today, we honor a giant in the fight for civil rights. He sparked a revolution, and his legacy is one of action in the name of justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lit a path for millions to follow. We honor him through peaceful protest and continue to work for equal rights, an end to discrimination, and a more just America. Dr. King inspired us to stand tall in the face of hateful rhetoric and challenge those who oppose equality at every turn.

He told us to be brave, even when the goals may not seem achievable. Dr. King called for an end to wars being waged abroad, as well as wars being waged here at home against innocent people. He called for social, racial, and economic justice. These calls included support for a guaranteed income. Dr. King's legacy is still felt today as we invoke his name and try to fulfill his dream of equity and equality for all. I respectfully urge your aye vote on SCR 107.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Weber, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise as Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day and support SCR 107. Not just as a ceremonial holiday, not as a convenient quote for social media, but as a moment to tell the truth about who Dr. King really was and what he actually fought for.

Dr. King was not just a dreamer. He was a disruptor. He challenged systems of power. He confronted racism head on. He demanded economic justice. He opposed war and militarism. He called out the moral failures of this nation, even when it made people feel uncomfortable. Especially when it made people feel uncomfortable. He marched when it was dangerous.

He organized when it was illegal. He spoke when it cost him allies, safety, and ultimately his life. He put his body on the line so that black people, so that all people could live with dignity, safety, and an opportunity in this country.

His sacrifice made it possible for every person, regardless of where they come from, where they're born, how they look, or what zip code they live in, to have the fundamental human right to live in freedom. And at the end of his life, Dr. King did not speak with blind optimism. He spoke with urgency and realism.

He once confided in a friend right before the end of his life that he feared that he might be, quote, integrating his people into a burning house, end quote. Because he realized that without true structural change, without moral courage, without economic justice, America could betray the very freedom it claimed to offer.

That is the Dr. King that we need to honor today. Not the watered down version, not the convenient version that makes everyone feel comfortable. Not the version reduced to a single line while everything else that he said and did gets ignored.

Because if we are completely honest with ourselves, what we are witnessing right now is not the dream that Dr. King spoke of. It is actually this fear that he spoke of. He did not dream of federal agents hunting down people because of the color of their skin. That's exactly what he fought against.

Dr. King did not dream of families living in fear of government raids in their own neighborhoods. That's exactly what he fought against. Dr. King did not dream of a President saying that the Civil Rights Act legislation that he fought for, that he bled for, and ultimately gave his life for, resulted in white people being treated, and I quote, very badly. That statement is not just wrong, it's dangerous.

It rewrites history and dishonors the sacrifice of those who forced this nation to live up to its Constitution. We cannot honor his legacy while staying silent as civil rights protections are being dismantled in real time. We cannot praise his words while condoning attacks on the very communities that he fought to protect.

We cannot invoke his dream while policies are being passed that are rooted in fear and exclusion. Dr. King's dream was not passive, it was not polite, and it was not safe. It was active. It was disruptive. It was fearless, and it was a demand for transformation. Yes, we celebrate the progress he made because of his sacrifice.

We cannot ignore what he has done for this country because many of us are sitting in this chamber on both sides because of his sacrifice and the sacrifices of countless others. We must recognize that. We must honor that. But we also must tell the truth that the fight is not over.

So today, as we recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, let this resolution not just be a symbolic one, Let it be a reminder that justice requires courage, not comfort. And if we are to honor Dr. King, we must challenge those in power not to protect. I'm sorry. To protect them. His dream only lives if we are brave enough to fight for it. Anything less is not remembrance it's erasure. And with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote on SCR 107. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Senator McNerney, you are recognized.

Mr. President and colleagues, I rise today in support of SCR 107 and to celebrate the life and extraordinary wisdom of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King would be disappointed with the backtracking this country over the past decade. For example, our government is engaged in racial profiling and law enforcement brutality.

The seen in Minneapolis and Santa Ana threatening to use force against nations such as Greenland, Cuba and Iran, overthrowing other governments such as in Venezuela. So with that in mind, I thought we should revisit some of the wise words of Dr. King. That ring as true today as ever. Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere.

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and to sacrifice for it.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools. And finally, the time is always right to do what is right. Colleagues, I ask for your vote on SCR 107. I yield back.

Thank you. Senator Wiener, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise today as co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus in support of SCR 107. The Reverend King fought for a better world for all of us and particularly for black people who have been treated so horribly throughout American history.

He fought for a world that cherished fundamental rights for everyone. He was seen as a radical in his time because he fought for justice. And ultimately he was murdered for that. His assassination, his murder marked one of the many violent acts that wrongfully suppressed a righteous movement.

We remember that Dr. King always held a place in the movement that he helped build for Jews. He refused to ignore the suffering and hardships of our people or any others. He knew that we were all in this together. Civil rights activists such as Dr. King and Jewish thinkers such as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel found solidarity.

The Jewish community continues to proudly teach the lesson of Rabbi Heschel, who marched with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery. The two frequently spoke alongside each other and regularly participated in each other's movements and events.

We remember Dr. Heschel for his commitment to Jewish values and how that led him to participation in the civil rights movement and the fight for black liberation. Dr. King, a Christian reverend, also worked closely with Rabbi Joachim Prince.

Rabbi Prince was a founding chairman and speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, notably connecting our communities as partners in the fight against bigotry. Recent rises in discriminatory rhetoric and violence shows that we are still far from the liberation that Dr. King imagined. We are seeing a political climate today that seeks to create division among our communities.

And we must not forget the indispensable lessons of Dr. King and finding strength in the fight against justice and the need for solidarity among communities. Our nation lost Dr. King when he was only 39 years old.

You can only imagine what would have happened if he had been able to live and lead for additional decades what that would have meant for our world. It was just a profound, profound loss to the lose him so young.

In his honor, we remember the lessons that he taught us and his righteous mission that we must carry on. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Reyes. You're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Members. I rise in strong support of SCR 107, which recognizes the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

Many important words have already been shared about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, a truly historic figure who stood up to power for the sake of justice and prioritized the plight of those in the most need.

As the center of his life's work and ministry, I'd like to call attention to one of his most famous works, his Letter from Birmingham jail, where Dr. King, among several items, brings up the topic of tension. Dr. King was often criticized for the timing and nature of his direct actions and direct action campaigns. Why here? Why now?

Isn't there another way? Was often the refrain. The response always should have been, if not me, then who? If not now, then when, as was mentioned by my colleague, the time is always right to do what is right. He explained his quote and said, but I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension.

I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive tension that is necessary for growth. This morning I was listening to. I heard an early sermon, and it was talking about Jesus and what he did in his life.

And much of that I compare to what Dr. Martin Luther King did in his life. There wasn't a neutrality. There was a position taken. Oftentimes we say, well, I can see both sides. I can see how this works and how that works.

But when we talked about what Jesus life was, he was always on the side of those hurting. He was on the sides of those victimized. He was on the side of the most vulnerable, with those whose value and very existence was questioned. He was with the poor, the hungry, the homeless.

He was with a stranger, with the immigrant. When we see injustice, we see violence and the use of position for coverage and excuse. We must remember silence is not an option. Neutrality is not an option. Comfort is not an excuse. We are called to take a position.

Senators growth and the fight for justice are not won within the comforts of silence. And I encourage all of us to embrace the type of tension Dr. King speaks of for the betterment of all Californians. I respectfully ask for your aye vote and SCR 107. Thank you, Senator Cabaldon, and you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. Our nation honors by name only two or three Americans, two of whom have been Presidents of the United States. President Washington, President Lincoln. Dr. Martin Luther King is the only non President that we honor. But there is a danger at times in thinking only of the individual.

On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we often remind ourselves that those days are as much about reflection, mindful reflection ourselves. Are we supporting the men and women who stand up to serve our country? Are we worthy of the ultimate sacrifice that so many have made. So true, on Martin Luther King Day, do we have to.

It is equally important for us to ask ourselves, not just about the greatness of an individual, but about that moment in history when, as a country, in all of its messiness and contradictions, in all of its two steps forward, one steps back, what did we do then and what does that mean for what we do now?

I often think more about other quotes that weren't by Dr. Martin Luther King when we observed this day. The quotes by young people who said, I'm going to get on that Freedom Rider bus. And mom said, that's not going to be safe. And the young woman saying, I'm going anyway.

I'm not giving my space up on the bus. The church in Birmingham here was just blown up. There's going to be a rally tomorrow. It's unsafe. Our entire family will be there. Those are the quotes that remind us of what this day is about.

It isn't about each of us, whether any one of us could be Dr. Martin Luther King, today. We must all strive. But can we be the millions of other Americans who faced with similar circumstances as we face today. Can we be that courageous. Can we meet the moment ourselves in each of our own ways.

In today's world, so many folks around the country are saying, we've never seen this before. There are people being killed in broad daylight. There are protesters who are being hosed and attacked, their rights being taken away. People disappeared. What are we going to do as a country. We have been there before.

The Black community in this country more than any. But we have been there before. And the only reason why we made we got past that moment at that time, again, two steps forward, one steps back, was because so many of us, regular ordinary Americans heard the call and we answered the call.

That, my friends, is the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. It's why we observe this holiday, not simply to celebrate, not simply to idealize one individual, but to remember, to honor and to again be the America that is worthy of this holiday. I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Rubio. You are recognized.

Wait one second. That's what happens when we do technology. Excuse me. Thank you, Madam President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. Today I rise in strong support of SCR 107, to honor the legacy of Dr. King. Dr. King was a man whose courage did not come from comfort. It was something that came from his conviction.

A man who did not simply dream, but he demanded for all Americans to stand up so that America lives up to its promise. Dr. King reminded us that freedom is not a gift that's just simply handed down. It is something that we must continue to protect, defend, and also continue to pass down to the next generation.

They have to carry the torch. And as we celebrate his legacy, we must also be honest about this moment. And what we see. It is not just history. It is our present that we're seeing.

Because even today, in ways that are so disturbing, in ways that are loud and sometimes quiet, we see that it's happening all over our country where people's rights are being violated and human dignity is being diminished.

Just yesterday, I saw a six month old baby in the hospital because tear gas was thrown into a car of a father trying to keep his children safe. If our babies are not safe in this country, what chance do we have. Dr. King called on this nation to choose the difficult path. The path of moral courage.

Not the kind that makes headlines, but the kind that leads to change. So today, let us honor him not only with our words, but with our actions. By protecting the rights of every person, by defending those that cannot defend themselves, and by refusing to accept injustice as normal. That is a moral failure today.

And perhaps the most dangerous part is not only the abuse itself, but the silence around it. The silence that has become permission for everyone to accept that as normal. We are teaching the country that it can happen to anyone. To every family, every woman, every senior and every child. And that it is okay.

We must stand together in unity to defend constitutional rights or none of us are safe. Dr. King understood that very well as he worked together with everyone, regardless of their immigration status. We know he worked very closely with farm workers as they struggled for their rights, including the late Cesar Chavez.

Dr. King was a symbol of love for respect and humanity. So we must learn from his teachings and his actions and we must speak up. Thank you. Thank you.

Senator Alvarado-Gil, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise on behalf of the Hispanic Legislative Caucus in support of Senate resolution, Senate concurrent Resolution 107. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Is remembered for his steadfast belief in equal opportunity, personal responsibility and the dignity of every individual.

His commitment to nonviolence and faith and the principles of the Constitution continue to resonate within the Hispanic community, which has long valued family, hard work and respect for the rule of law.

Dr. King's call for judging individuals by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin affirms a shared belief in unity, moral responsibility and peaceful progress. His legacy encourages all Americans, including Hispanic families, to pursue opportunity through perseverance, service and civil participation.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fights for Americans, his fight for Americans, where it profoundly influenced the Hispanic community by inspiring unity, nonviolent resistance and advocacy for equality. His vision continues to guide Hispanic communities in the pursuit of dignity, opportunity and justice for all. May his memory and life purpose live on in our hearts.

Decisions that we make and prayers to dismantle hate and uplift love and unity. I ask for support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 107.

Thank you. Seeing no further discussion or debate. Thank you.

Senator Richardson, would you like to close?

Thank you, Madam President. First of all, I want to say thank you to all of you that you came here this morning. You didn't leave early, you're not out on the phone, you actually came here, you sat here for the purpose of respecting and honoring an incredible man. So thank you.

It means a lot to many of us to see you here. I want to start off with a little story some of you guys are beginning to see. I kind of like to talk about stories because I think sometimes pictures paint better pictures than words.

You know, when Martin Luther King, when he started, was a very young man and his father was a minister, many of you know that he went to Morehouse long before most young people go to college, graduated. He went on to theological school. There were 100 classmates that he had and there were only six African Americans.

But he was voted to be President of his class. And so when he went to become this minister and serve under his father, who was a great man himself, and imagine Trying to fill your father's shoes. He became this minister and began to speak. And other people noticed, like people notice us.

And they called upon him and said, we're at this time, people are concerned, they're speaking up. We need a leader, we need someone to help us. And some of you may know or not know, he was first asked to lead the civil rights movement and he said no. He didn't feel he was ready.

He was too young, he wasn't famous like his father. A lot of people didn't know him nationwide, but they pushed and they urged him and he stepped forward. And then when he first started talking about civil rights, he talked about what he first saw in his own hometown, Atlanta.

He talked about jobs, he talked about transportation, he talked about voting. But when did things start going awry? When did he begin to be considered a threat? Well, what happened was when he started talking about that we had to change laws, that we needed a civil Rights act, that we needed a voting rights act.

Do you know President Kennedy and Attorney General Bobby Kennedy urged him, no, don't do the march on Washington. No, we don't want a lot of people to come out and see that, you know, there are some things we need to do here. But despite that, he said no. And he said a nonelected official, no.

We're going to organize, we're going to stand and we're going to educate. And then where did things begin to go awry? President Johnson, when President Kennedy was killed and this country was torn apart, and then Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, who had stepped forward and said he was going to run for President, he was killed.

It was then by their deaths of two other prominent people that President Johnson then didn't stop the fight to move forward with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. It was only then after those two men were killed that he said we must pass this, why? Because this country needed peace.

Because if we continued on the road of fighting and not respecting one another, that this country was going to continue turmoil, assassinations and really not progress. And so when Martin Luther King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Reverend Martin Luther King. I'm so excited to hear my colleagues talk about the letter from the Birmingham jail.

Usually on days like this people talk about the I have a dream speech. But actually one of the most famous speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King was the handwritten note of the letter from the Birmingham jail. And why was he in jail? He was in jail because he was protesting in a nonviolent manner.

Doesn't that sound familiar today? And when he was in jail. Imagine all of us, we're elected officials. If I went to the march on Washington and thousands, millions of people, you can give the speech of I have a dream. But what about when you're in jail?

What about when no one's there, no one's listening, no family, and you have only your thoughts. The horror to think about of is this. Your life has resorted to now being in jail, to not receiving food, many people being beaten. All the things that happened then when people were taken to jail.

And in that moment when he sat, why did he write the letter from the Birmingham jail? He wrote it because eight clergymen from the south sent him a letter criticizing his work. That's why that famous letter was written. It was written in response to who he viewed were colleagues, people he respected. And I request permission to read.

Permission granted.

In that beginning of the letter, he said, I came across your recent statement calling our President activities unwise and untimely. But since I feel you are men of genuine goodwill, your criticisms are sincerely set forth.

I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms as we begin to go out into our districts. And I thought about this. My staff wrote a speech for me and I'm probably in trouble now because I didn't read any of it.

But when I thought about this weekend, I thought, what can I do? The Senator here from West Sacramento, he talked about, what can we do? What can I do? I can win men and women of goodwill, bring forward criticisms and really disregarding what we see with our own eyes. Can I respond with patience and reasonable terms?

That's what I'm going to challenge myself today, and I hope that you would join me. Another important thing he said, I'm cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and all states. How I'd like to rephrase that today.

I'm aware there might be some people on one side of the aisle and another, we might have different parties, we might come from different families, but we're all watching television. We're all seeing what's happening in California and across this nation.

And so as I close with my comments to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, you know, I think about this letter and I think about as he was taking his last trip and he went to Memphis and he was fighting for worker rights, a little story before he got on that plane, there was a bomb threat.

And that's why actually the strike was delayed. And people said, don't go. There's a bomb threat. They're probably going to kill you. People want to kill you. And that's why that subsequent speech of before he went to the spike to the strike of I've been to the mountaintop was because he was facing these threats.

And with those threats he still went. He knew we know, but he still did his job. I urge you for an aye vote on SCR 107.

Thank you. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Secretary, please call the absent Members.

[Roll Call]

Ayes. 33. No. 0. The resolution is adopted. Members, we are now going to return to motions and resolutions. This is our time for adjourn and memory. Senator Perez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, I rise to ask that we adjourn in memory of Alhambra Police Department Officer Alex Sanders. Officer Sanders passed away at the young age of 28 in November of last year. He tragically lost his life in a car pursuit accident while on duty.

As the eldest brother, Officer Sanders learned from an early age what it meant to be in service of others, helping provide for his family from a very young age.

He was raised in Simi Valley and attended Simi Valley High School, where he played as the receiver for the Pioneer football team and was also a Member of the school school's track and field team. Officer Sanders went on to join the Simi Valley Police Department Explorer Program while attending Moore Park College.

After college, he joined the private sector before beginning his law enforcement career, serving just over a year with the Long Beach Police Department. Prior to joining the Alhambra Police Department, Officer Sanders was with the Alhambra Police Department for just eight months until the accident on November 202025.

The night of the accident, Officer Sanders had gone to work to cover someone else's shift, highlighting his unwavering commitment to service among his colleagues and community that knew him. He was described as a reliable and dedicated public servant, someone who went above and beyond.

Apart from his professional accomplishments and contributions, Officer Sanders was a beacon of light in his community who loved fitness, traveling and country music. He was a passionate fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Through all his efforts, he embodied what it meant to be a driven, kind and committed public servant, protecting the community of Alhambra.

Officer Sanders was also a devoted fiance, engaged to be married, and a family man. Although he is no longer with us, his light and legacy live on as we seek to honor him through continuing our service back to the community we love. Officer Sanders is survived by his parents, two younger sisters, a younger brother and his fiance.

Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Condolences to the family. Please bring the name forth. Sen. That he may be properly memorialized. Senator McGuire, you are recognized for your adjourn in memory.

Thank you so much, Madam President. Colleagues, I rise today to request the Senate adjourn in memory of a California icon and American institution, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and the Dead and Company.

Bob Weir was born in San Francisco, raised on the Peninsula, lived in the North Bay, and went on to become one of California's most famous native sons. He was an artist, a musician, a poet, entertainer, and most of all, an incredibly generous and kind human being.

His voice and guitar or the soundtrack for the greatest Dead songs, including Truckin, which is now an indispensable part of American music lexicon. Now, let's be clear. The Grateful Dead that Bob helped found was more than just a rock and roll band. You can ask the good Senator from Santa Cruz. It's an entire civilization.

A civilization of community, peace and kindness, tolerance and joy, with its own singular blend of folk, bluegrass and rock. Especially right now. We need more Dead and company. And Bob and the Dead were so much more than just musicians. They constantly rallied and performed benefit shows to lift up people and help critical causes across this country.

Their foundation and charity work donated tens of millions of dollars to improve communities, protect the environment, help cure aids, promote social justice, and support the arts. I saw their good work firsthand after the Tubbs and Nuns fire in Sonoma county back in 2017.

The dead were among the first to hold a benefit concert for the survivors, raising tens of millions of dollars to help those who were impacted by these devastating blazes. They sought no credit or reward. Their only goal was to help others.

Bob and his band, those members, they've been awarded virtually every music honor imaginable, including the prestigious Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award for their profound and positive impact on American culture. Members, the entire state mourns Bob Weir's death. The Senate sends his deepest condolences and good wishes to his family and loved ones.

And I gotta say we thank them, thank them for sharing Bob and his music with California and this planet for over a half century. Thank you so much, Madam President.

Thank you. Senator Becker, you are recognized.

Thank you. I want to thank our pro temeritus. For those words and educating us about. The good deeds of Bob Weir and his bandmates. I went to Wikipedia and the first part about his life.

Bob Weir says, on New Year's Eve 1963, an underage 16 year old Weir and his friend were wandering the back alleys of Palo Alto looking for a club that would admit them when they. Heard some banjo music. They followed the music to its source, Dana Morgan's music store. There they encountered a 21 year old Jerry Garcia.

So Weir and Garcia spent the night. Playing music and decided to form a band. And what a band it was. Bob Weir's work helped define the sound, the creativity and openness of the Bay Area where experimentation is encouraged, individuality is celebrated and people come together through shared experience.

And I just think of the many friends I have who have seen this band so many times. You think about the impact it has continued to have in our area. The first performance of the Dead at that time called the Warlocks was at Magoo's Pizza in Menlo Park.

And there's now a new place there called Bar Loretta, opened by my friend Ali. And he honors the band at that location. And they have an annual event to honor the band there. But together they created something rare. Music that invited people to listen deeply to one another, to wander, to belong.

And Bob Weir's creativity reminds us that culture isn't static. It's something that is made night after night together. The Bay Area is more curious, more. Connected, and I'd say, yeah, it's just better off for his creativity, for his guitar, for his voice, for his work. And I'm glad to join in this adjourned memory tonight. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Laird, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am speaking and overriding the advice of my staff in speaking on this item, but I do not think I could return to Santa Cruz and survive politically if I did not speak to this point. And there's only so many times you can come out. But here's another one.

I did not miss a Grateful Dead concert in Northern California. One in a set from 1974 to 1984. And in that time, as was said in the adjourn in memory, it was as much a cultural phenomenon as it was a music phenomenon. I had some of the concerts I attended at the Oakland Coliseum, July 4, 1974.

It was a joint concert of the Grateful Dead and the Beach Boys. And Herb Kane alleged that Marijuana plants were found in the outfield after that concert. And it's because of who turned out and how they celebrated and how wonderful it is.

One of the greatest experiences of my life was attending the closing of winterland concert on January 1st. Somewhere around 1978, it was the New Riders opened. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd performed as the Blues Brothers.

At midnight, Bill Graham wrote a 15 foot joint on a guide wire across the top of the auditorium and the Grateful Dead played 32 hour sets. And if you were still there at 8am Bill Graham fed you breakfast. And that is the way it was when they played in Santa Cruz. The police went nuts.

The town just grew by people that camped that were everywhere and it was just like a roving show. And Bob Weir was at the center of it from the first day to the last day. And he, as was said, was a community Member that returned to the community in amazing ways.

And I think that the humanity that was shown is something that is missed in the whole cultural phenomenon that is the Grateful Dead. And so this is a true loss. And I ask that we adjourn in his memory.

Thank you Senators for your words. Our condolences to the family. Senator Mcguire, please make sure that you bring his name up so that he may be properly memorialized. Senator McNerney, you are recognized for your adjourned memory.

Madam President and Members, I rise today with deep sadness to ask that we adjourn the Senate in memory of the victims of one of the worst acts of gun violence in Stockton's history. On November 294 young people were murdered, including three children and 13 others were wounded in a horrible mass shooting.

The killing occurred at a two year old's birthday party just as the guests in attendance were gathering to cut the cake. Four young people whose lives were taken that day included 28 year old cousins who were inseparable, a 14 year old basketball star and a 21 year old hero who lost his life while protecting others.

One of the eight year olds killed was Journey Rose Guerrero of Stockton. Jurnee Rose was a giggly third grader whose family said would bring light to your day. A student at Commodore Stockton Skill School, Journey Rose loved to bake and go shopping and loved the arts and craftsman readings and school activities.

Juanie Rose was a budding gymnast who dreamed of becoming a high school cheerleader and aspired to someday become a doctor, a physician doctor, a family Member said. Jurnee Rose was so bubbly that she would bring smiles to your faces. She loved everything, an aunt added.

Young Journey Rose was survived by her parents, an 18 year old sister, two brothers ages 10 and 15. Journey Rose died alongside her close cousin Maya Lupien. Eight year old Maya was a happy and active girl who loved karate and had recently earned a purple belt.

Maya was a third grader at Aspire Apex Academy in Stockton who also loved to sing, dance and draw. Maya was a light in everyone's life, the sweet in the soul, her sister said. Little Maya is survived by her parents, her sister and two brothers.

Also killed in the shooting was 14 year old Amari Peterson of Modesto, a basketball prodigy and an outstanding student, one of Amari's coaches said, I've been coaching for over 39 years and this is the kind of kid we wait for. He had so much talent, so much to offer the world.

In addition to basketball, Amari loved football, football, track and was a top student with a 3.8 grade point average. Amari especially was shooting three pointers, but he also was a complete player. Amarri was so good at basketball that he moved up in the division, playing against older kids and high school kids, always smiling and down to earth.

Amari was a natural talent without being selfish on the court or a showboat. Omari was a gifted leader who rallied his teammates to come from behind victories, one of Omari's coaches said. He was a fantastic kid, always well mannered, never in Trouble. Although just 14, Omari was already thinking about college.

I wasn't supposed to be he wasn't supposed to be at the Birthday Party that day. He planned to practice hoops but instead decided to attend at the last moment. Amari's family described him as a sweet boy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

A fourth person who was killed at the birthday party was 21 year old Susanna Archuleta of Stockton. Susanna died while protecting others, according to witnesses. When the shots rang out at the banquet hall, Susanna rushed to protect several children and his girlfriend. He was ushering them into a closet for safety when he was shot dead.

His girlfriend was also injured by the gunfire. Susanna's stepmother said she wanted her son to be remembered as a good kid, loving and funny and as a hero. Madam President and Members, these four young people, these children died in yet another act of senseless gun violence. We can never allow ourselves to become accustomed to such awful events.

They harm everyone in the community, the victims, the Witnesses, the families and the community at large. We must find a way to come together for the greater good and end this violence in our communities.

Thank you, Senator Alvarado-Gil, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam President. Today we gather with heavy hearts to remember and honor the life of Amari Peterson. Son of Patrick and Kimberly Peterson, brother of five from the city of Modesto. Amari was 14 years old when his life was stolen.

And the pain of that loss is felt deeply by family and friends, his football family, his basketball family, and by the community that knew and loved him. There are no words that can fully express or explain to ease the loss like this.

But today we can choose to speak Amari's name, to remember his spirit, and to hold onto the impact that he made while he was with us here on Earth. Amari was more than a headline. He was more than a moment of tragedy. Amari was a person with a story, with dreams, with laughter, and with presence that mattered.

He was someone who left impressions on people he encountered through kindness and strength and humor, simply by being who he was. Last night, I spoke with Mr. Peterson, Amari's grieving father, to ask his permission to share on the Senate floor today. And he told me that Amari was a golden child.

He was smart and intelligent and handsome and a good friend and teammate to many. And at such a young age, he was empathetic. He was loving, strong, confident and brave. Revered by his siblings and down to earth. He had a caring heart and a caring soul.

He attended Prescott Junior High School in Modesto and was in eighth grade. He had a 3.8 grade point average and wanted to play in the NBA, but his backup plan was to be a lawyer. He loved to play sports and to cut hair, just like his father.

Mr. Peterson told me a story that when Amari was in third grade, he made a new friend at school. And his new friend was deaf. So Amari learned sign language so he could communicate with his new friend. He cared deeply about others and he was a naturally born leader.

His father said to me, I couldn't have asked for a better son. He was definitely going to be something. Amari was going to change my family's future. Because what you see is this is a family that, as Mr. Peterson has said, he has made choices in his life.

But as a father, he has single handedly fought to take care of his children, to put a roof over their head, to put healthy food on the table. And this tragedy has shattered their family. Those who knew Omari best carry the memories that no one can take away.

And as we work to put the pieces back as best as we can to this family, we must remember that in moments like this we're reminded just how precious and fragile that life is. And we grieve not only for who Amari was, but for who he was to become and all the moments that should have been.

The future feels so confusing without him. But God tells us that legacy lives on and. And the love that he gave unconditionally and the lives that he touched every day and in everything that he accomplished. To Amari's family and loved ones.

We adjourn in the memory of Amari and the other victims of this tragic shooting and share in the morning of loss of children. May you find comfort in one another. Strengthen the memories and peace in knowing that Amari's life had meaning and value beyond measure.

Let us remember Omari Peterson for not the way that he died, but but for the way that he lived. And let us carry his name with respect. His memory with love and his spirit with us always. And let us never forget.

Thank you, Senators. Our condolences to the families of those four victims. Senator, can you please bring the name. The names forward so that they may be properly memorialized? If there is no other business. Pro Tem Limon, the desk is clear.

Thank you Members. I want to thank everyone for their comments today. This has been a session of reflection. From beginning to end about the ideals. That make our communities and our country great. But those that we also have to reflect on, on the realities that fall. Short from that as well. And the moments in life that are.

Lost that are important for us to. Reflect on and also to consider as we move forward. I want to thank you all for your comments, for being on this floor. And for going into a weekend with thoughts, with reflection about what we all. Can do and the role that we.

Play both in speech, speaking out and staying silent on all the issues that impact our community. With that, our next session will be. On Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 2:00pm. May we go and lead with reflection and confidence and commitment to our communities.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. The Senate will be in recess until 3:30pm at which time adjournment motion will be made made. We will reconvene Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 2 pm.