Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. Assembly Member Wallace notices an absence of a quorum. The sergeant at arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent members. Clerk will call the roll.

[ROLL CALL]

Members, please come to the floor. I thought you were going to welcome me back to the dais by being nice and prompt.

Members, as I said, a quorum is present. That was my welcome back. Members, a quorum is present.

We asked our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the prayer. Today's prayer will be offered by our very own Assembly Member Elhawary

Bismillah Rahman Rahim. In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful. God of love and justice as we gather on this day honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said that life's most persistent question is, what are you doing for others?

He taught us that progress is made not through rhetoric, but through action, through the real work of serving others. We pray today for our communities, for the poor and the unprotected, for the sick and the suffering, and for those incarcerated and forgotten.

May we labor toward what Dr. King called the beloved community, where the dignity of every child of God is honored and where nonviolence is not weakness, but the redemptive power of love made visible in public life.

Help us to know the right path, have the courage to walk it, and the humility to serve others with compassion so that justice becomes real in our communities today. Just as Dr. King said, justice at its best is power, correcting everything that stands against love. [Spanish]. May your love and peace guide us always. In the name of God, Amen and ashe.

Thank you, Assembly Member Elhawary. We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing and join us in the flag salute. Assembly Member Sharp-Collins will lead us in the pledge.

Please face the flag. Right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag.

Thank you, Members, you may be seated. To our guests and visitors today, state law prohibits persons in the gallery from interfering with legislative proceedings or disrupting the order the conduct of our official business. Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal remedies. Reading of the previous day's journal.

Assembly Chamber Sacramento Friday, September 12, 2025. The Assembly Member

Aguiar-Curry and Mr. Garcia moves and Mr. Sanchez seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal will be dispensed with. Presentation and petitions, there are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be deferred. Referring reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor, there are none. Messages from the Senate, there are none.

Moving to motions and resolutions. The absences of the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Mr. Garcia, you are recognized for your motions.

Thank you. Madam Speaker, I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118A to allow Assembly Member Gallagher to have guests in the rear of the chamber today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

At the request of the author, please move file item 87 AB 362 Ramos to the inactive file.

The Clerk will note.

I request unanimous consent to suspend joint rule 62A, the file notice requirement to allow the Natural Resources Committee to hear AB 34 Patterson on Friday, January 16th upon a German obsession in Capital Room 437.

Without objections, that shall be the order. We will move to guest introductions. Assembly Member Lee, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Please join me in welcoming my district's first ever cohort of young legislators to State capital. Our new young legislative program launched last year with the aim to cultivate the the next generation of leaders and provide opportunity for high school students to gain a deeper understanding of state government.

Our cohort of young legislators includes high schoolers Evangeline Rose Blom, Sophia Lau, Ziana Ortiz, Ni Nguyen, Li Bang, Zhi Han Zhang, Gaurav Kohli, Michelle Lin, Marie Devere, Jonathan Cho, Kavia Dut, Abhinav Deshpande. Throughout the program, these young legislators have shown an incredible dedication to broadening their civic education by enthusiastically engaging with local leaders, volunteering within our district, and thoroughly impressing me with their innovative legislative ideas.

And I also thank some of the member offices who will be meeting with some of my young legislators later today as we wrap up our first ever Young Legislator Program.

I applaud these young change makers who may one day take over my seat in the Assembly as well. So congratulations on completing your program and colleagues, please join me in giving a warm Assembly welcome to these exceptional young legislators thank you.

Welcome and thank you for being a part of our process. Assembly Member McKinnor, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Good morning, Madam Speaker. Today in the gallery, I'm pleased to welcome Team McKinnon to the California State Assembly.

My district office team has been in Sacramento for the past few days having legislative meetings with my capital team, building our legislative package for 2026, and building strong professional connections needed to successfully constitute for our constituents and of the 61st Assembly District.

Yesterday, our team and I were able to visit the CHP Training Academy, learn the history of the CHP, and see firsthand the incredible work being done to recruit and train the next generation of public safety partners, many of whom that now protect us in the State Capitol. We also were able to visit the CHP shooting range.

And in case anyone was wondering, yes, Team McKinnor proved that they are indeed a good shot. Please join me in welcoming Team McKinnor to the State Capitol.

Welcome and thank you for your service to the people of California and Los Angeles. We will move to Assembly Member Gallagher, you are recognized for your guest introduction and we will invite guests.

Thank you, Madam speaker and Members.

Mr. Gallagher, hold on. Your guest is going to come to the rear of the chamber, so. One second. There we are. Go ahead, Mr. Gallagher.

Thank you, Madam speaker and Members. We are losing another important part of our institution here today. Some amazing individuals who have, as you know, served us so well. I today rise to recognize Darrell Thomas, who is retiring from the California State Assembly, as the chief consultant for the Assembly Republican Caucus after many years of dedicated service.

Well regarded for his insight, Darrell has served as a policy consultant for our caucus since May of 2002. And in this role, he has prepared bill analyses and policy recommendations for several committees of this Assembly.

I have had the honor of working directly with Darrell in his capacity when he helped advise me on the elections and the Judiciary Committee. And I remember well, as Vice Chair of Judiciary, I could always count on Darrell, a constitutional Reagan conservative. He would always provide me with invaluable insight, helped our members ask the right questions.

Yes, that's why we got those tough questions, guys. Zero on complex policy issues. And he was consistently responsive and thorough in all of his analyses. I know from my own part, I always appreciated the legal analysis that he would bring with his, his knowledge.

And it was really helpful to me in thinking through a lot of those issues that would come up in Judiciary Committee. Prior to serving with the Assembly Republican Caucus, Darrell began his career in the Legislature, actually as a principal consultant for the Assembly Committee on Insurance in March of 1996.

Afterwards, he began serving as a policy analyst for the Senate Minority Whip in March of 1997, where he staffed and managed bills through the legislative process, prepared policy analyses in the area of judiciary, insurance, health, industrial relations, public employment, and natural resources.

You know, one of the great things about, I think our consultants in the Republican caucuses, they really know a lot about many different issues and they have to kind of shift from one thing to the next. And Darrell was definitely one of those multi talented consultants for us.

Darrell's a proud graduate of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where he earned his JD with distinction in 1991 and went on to serve as an attorney with the Methany, Podmore, and Sears firm from December 1991 to March 1996.

During that time, he handled all aspects of civil litigation in the fields of personal injury and wrongful termination law. Darrell has an unwavering commitment to the California State Legislature and public service more broadly.

He compiled an impressive record of career and civic achievements that has earned him the sincere admiration and respect of his colleagues and Members he's worked with. And in fact, we have the policy. Many of the policy consultants for the Republican Caucus are here with us in a gallery to celebrate Darrell.

And also here to celebrate with him is his amazing family, his wife, Julie, his sons, Christopher and Jonathan, and his sister in law, Elena. Thank you, Darrell, for your exceptional service to our Members and the people of California. Congratulations on your retirement. Well deserved. May it be filled with joy, love and satisfaction of a job well done.

Members. Mr. Thomas, Mr. Gallagher is not the only one who wants to recognize you, so we will turn to Ms. Dixon. You are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Leader Gallagher said beautiful words on behalf of Darrell Thomas, but I just want to say I said some words yesterday at the conclusion of his last Judiciary Committee. I know it was sad for all of us.

I don't know if it was sad for him. But I just want to say serving as Vice Chair, Judiciary for the last three years, it's been an honor to work with him.

What I will miss most, Darrell is your Saturday night and Sunday night emails with the packet of bills that come in for our analysis that will be heard on the next Tuesday. So I would always be printing off all these bills, 25 bills and analysis hundred pages every weekend when the Committee meets.

And while I'm waiting and knowing that my hours on Saturday night and Sunday night are going to be spent reviewing all this, I knew that you'd been spending the last 94 hours, 96 hours preparing all the analysis and the deep analysis and your knowledge of the law, the California law, all forms of law, business, all forms of business law and civil law, some criminal law.

You have really you're really going to be missed and I'm grateful for your support as I learn the ropes and I will continue to learn the ropes to be thinking of you but thank you for your your total dedication to the Republican caucus and to the people of the state of California. So best wishes to you and your family. Thank you. Job well done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I will take a point of personal privilege and say that I have been grateful because as will surprise nobody, I ask all the consultants questions, including Republican consultants. And he's always been more than willing and helpful to me in my time on the Judiciary Committee as well. So thank you.

You will be greatly missed. Moving to Business on the daily file second reading file, item 1 through 6.

The Clerk will read Assembly Bills 11841265 with amendments 634 with amendments 1159 with amendments 1382 and Assembly Bill 870 with amendments.

The bills will be deemed read and all amendments deemed adopted will pass on retain on file items 7 through 82 and items 80 through 385 and reconsideration shall be continued. Moving to the third reading file, we will pass entertain on file items 86 and 87.

And before we move to business on the daily file, I just want to say thank you to the speaker for giving me the opportunity to come back up to the dais and preside.

It was a privilege to do it at the beginning of my career, and it is an honor to be back and fill in for Assemblymember Rodriguez while she is out on maternity leave.

And I want to thank all of you in advance, my amazing colleagues, for what we do here in California, which is to allow for robust, complicated, sometimes messy debate, but in a way that allows us to listen to each other, be heard and do so always in a respectful manner.

The country could take a lesson from all of us. So with that, we will move to the third reading item, which is next file item 88, ACR 116.

The Clerk will read Assembly Concurrent Resolution. 116 by Assembly Member Jackson and others relative to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

Jr. Mr. Jackson, you are recognized.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus in commemoration of the contributions and the ultimate sacrifice of civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today we honor a moral force for for the fight for civil and human rights who sparked a movement due to his leadership and sacrifice and advancing civil and human rights.

Thank you.

He left a blueprint for future generations to follow and yes, for us to follow. He called on everyone to recognize our inseparable connection to one another and strongly affirm that the fight for freedom and civil rights by one community is a fight for us all.

And due to Dr. King's inspiring US to stand tall in the force and hateful rhetoric, he challenges us to also challenge those who oppose equity and equality at every turn. He told us to be Brave even when the goals may seem unachievable.

But unfortunately, over the years, this day has been diluted by calls to just participate in beautification projects in our communities, rather than completing his work through non violent direct action.

It has been lost on many of us that Dr. King called the civil rights movement only the first phase of the freedom movement, which culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that continues to be under assault today.

But these gains merely secured citizenship rights for black and brown people and women that should have already been theirs to begin with. So the next phase of the freedom movement that King was unable to finish is what he called a radical revolution of values and a reordering of priorities to defeat what he called the triple evils.

As early as 1958, King wrote that the inseparable twin of racial injustice was economic injustice. In 1962, he put more strongly, There are three major social evils. The evil of war, the evil of economic injustice, and the evil of racial injustice.

So in what will surely be another year that will test our humanity as hate, war and poverty engulfs the state, country and throughout the world, it is important to meditate on his words and most importantly, to put them into action.

So Madam speaker and Members, the Black Caucus urges all of us to redouble our efforts to continue this sacred work as we respectfully and lovingly ask for your support on Acr116.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson. Assemblymember Lee, you are recognized.

Thank you. Madam Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus in support of ACR116. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. S work reminds us that justice is not passive, but must be pursued boldly and collectively. Dr. King lit a path for millions of us to follow.

Beginning in the 1950s, he led the civil rights movement through non violent resistance, moral clarity and mass mobilization, confronting segregation, state sanctioned violence and systemic racism head on.

He inspired us to stand tall in the face of hate, fear and backlash, and to challenge systems that deny dignity and equality, even when doing so is uncomfortable or politically inconvenient, and urge us to be courageous when justice feels out of reach. He also understood that civil rights cannot be separated from economic justice.

Dr. King spoke powerfully about poverty, labor rights and exploitation, calling for fair wages, the right to organize, and policies such as guaranteed income so every person could live with dignity. Dr. King was a fierce advocate for peace. He condemned wars raged abroad and at home. And he condemned wars against poor people, against black and brown communities.

And against those deemed disposable by unjust systems of power. Dr. King's work laid the foundation for movements that continue to fight for justice today. Movements for women's rights, immigrants rights, disability justice, Labor, corrections, environmental justice, and full equality for all LGBTQ people. Dr. King believed that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

His legacy calls on us to defend democracy, protect voting rights while confronting white supremacy, and stand in solidarity with communities targeted by hate and discrimination. And as we invoke Dr. King's name today, we're reminded that his dream is, of course, unfinished. The revolution is unfinished.

And it is our responsibility to carry his spirit forward through policies rooted in equity and compassion.

And Members, I want to thank the Black Caucus for leading on this resolution as they do time and time again, and for also part being allowing me to be part of a pilgrimage to the very site in Alabama where we learned firsthand where the beginning of a revolution that is yet unfinished has begun.

And I Members, on behalf of the LGBT Caucus, I respectfully urge your aye vote on ACR116.

Thank you, Assemblymember Lee. Assemblymember Ransom, you are recognized on the matter. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Colleagues, I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Women's Caucus in strong support of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 116. I want to begin by thanking the Member from Moreno Valley for authoring this important resolution.

Today we stand to honor the extraordinary legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Whose leadership in the civil rights movement advanced desegregation in the south through courageous nonviolent activism. It is easy for us to move forward without recognizing injustice everywhere. But it is important to remember what we were told by Dr. King.

That injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And as we commemorate Dr. King's life and work, it is important to highlight and honor the women who aided him in his fight for civil rights and helped shape the greater movement. This includes women like coretta Scott King, Dr. King's wife, who organized, advocated and preserved the movement's legacy.

Dorothy Cotton, who trained thousands of activists for nonviolent action. Ella Baker, the mother of the civil rights movement, who helped form Dr. King's organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. These are just a few of the many women who helped elevate the civil rights movement on alongside Dr. King.

And as we continue our fight towards racial and social justice, the Women's Caucus stands in strong solidarity with the values that Dr. King fought for and continues to symbolize.

We ask that you stand with us as we reaffirm our commitment through ACR116 to carrying forward Dr. King's legacy not only but by honoring his memory, but by striving to uphold those principles of justice, equity and dignity for which he stood. I say thank you. And I respectfully ask for your.

I vote on behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ransom. Assemblymember Ramos, you are recognized on the matter.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I rise as chair of the California Native American Legislative Caucus to join in our commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. ACR 116. Dr. King's courageous and historic leadership serves as an example that continues today to inspire us in 2026.

In today's climate, of all things that are around us, we must never, never forget the fight. And we must stay vigilant for the fight for equity and social justice. We must not be complacent, but stay vigil of what is going on in our communities, in our state and in our nation.

We have come a long way since the early 60s when his voice and his writings called us to judge one another by our character and not the color of our skin. We must ask ourselves, is this happening today?

We cannot turn our backs on the work of establishing an America, a California neighborhoods in our state where we live. This is a just place for all. Dr. King's dream is one so many share and who believe that it is worth sacrifices, worth struggle.

And it is a dream that calls us to be the best we can for ourselves, our children and our neighbors, enabling those with guidance, with guidance of hope through our belief in God, that if we come together in his name, that we will be justice. There will be justice for all who who believe.

We must stand in unity with our brothers and sisters to ensure that that dream continues to move forward here in the state of California. I support Acr116 and the hope that has come out of all those riotings and those teachings that's in front of us today.

And we need to move forward in 2026 with unity to ensure that everyone has a voice in the state of California.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ramos. Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, you are recognized on this matter.

Thank you. Madam speaker, colleagues, guests and fellow Californians, I stand before you today not just as the Assemblyman of the 36th District, but as a student of a dream that refused to die in a Memphis hotel or in an Alabama jail. We gather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But let us be clear.

We do not honor him by merely reciting words. We honor him by inhabiting his courage. Dr. King often spoke of the fierce urgency of now. He warned against a tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

As we sit in this chamber, the heart of the most influential state in the greatest nation on Earth, we must ask ourselves, are we here to maintain the status quo? Or are we here to be the architects of the beloved community he envisioned?

Dr. King was a man of the cloth, but he was also a man of the law. He understood that while you cannot legislate a man's heart, you can certainly restrain the heartless. He knew that the law must serve as a shield for the vulnerable and a ladder for the aspiring.

In California, we often pride ourselves of being the first or the most. But the greatness is not measured by our GDP. It is measured by the depth of our compassion.

It is measured by whether a child in the Coachella Valley, in Imperial County, in San Bernardino county, in Southwest Riverside, has the same horizon of the opportunity as a child in Silicon Valley. Dr. King taught us that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

As my colleagues have stated, those words were written in 1963, yet they echo in our classrooms today. They echo in our housing markets. They echo in the lives of our veterans and our working families who. Who feel like they are living on a lonely island.

On a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. Today, I'm calling for a divine dissatisfaction. Let us be dissatisfied until every Californian can afford a roof over their head. Let us be dissatisfied until our streets are safe and our justice is blind.

Let us be dissatisfied until the content of one's character is the only currency that matters in our economy. We are often told that we live in a divided time. But Dr. King didn't look for a middle ground. He looked for a higher ground. He didn't seek to to defeat his enemies.

He sought to win their understanding and transform them into brothers and sisters. As your colleague, I believe our work here is a sacred trust. When we vote, we're not just pushing buttons. We are moving the needle of history. We know the road has been long. We know the nights have been dark.

But we are sustained by the ancient promise of the psalmist. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Dr. King lived for that morning. He marched for that morning. And today California's must be the dawn. Let us leave this floor today committed more than a holiday. Let us commit to a day of service.

Let us move forward with the faith, the arc that the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. But let us also remember it does not bend on its own. It bends because we put our hands on it and pull it. It bends because we refuse to be silent.

It bends because we choose love over hate and action over empathy. Thank you. And may God bless the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King and the future of the great state of California.

Thank you, Assemblymember Gonzalez. Assemblymember Fong, you are recognized on this matter.

Good morning, Madam Speaker. Members, on behalf of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I rise in strong support of ACR116 to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The AAPI Legislative Caucus honors the life and legacy of Dr. King and the civil rights movement, where leaders protested and put their lives on the line for justice in the fight for justice for all communities of color.

Dr. King's movement helped inspire a powerful AAPI activist tradition, including leaders such as Grace Lee Boggs, Yuri Kochiyama, Larry Itliong, Fred Korematsu and many others who carried forward the fight for equality and dignity.

His work emboldened AAPI communities to stand up in the face of adversity, from organizing alongside California's farm workers to demanding integrated and inclusive ethnic studies. Today, many in the Asian American Pacific Islander communities are experiencing renewed fear and discrimination are treated by government actions that threaten their safety and sense of belonging to.

These challenges are not new, but they remind us that the struggle for civil rights is ongoing and that progress must be protected and defended. Today, as we reflect on Dr. King's legacy, we must recognize that this is our moment to continue to fight for civil rights, to protect voting rights, and to strengthen our democracy.

On behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR116 as we honor the life of and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Assemblymember Fong. Assemblymember Ahrens, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and to honor the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Jewish Caucus is honored to stand alongside so many other communities in recognizing Dr. King as one of the greatest Americans of any generation.

For American Jews, Dr. King's leadership has always carried special meaning. His unwavering commitment to justice, human dignity and freedom reflected values deeply rooted in the Jewish history and tradition.

One of the most enduring symbols of that bond is the iconic image of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the most revered rabbi of his generation, marching alongside Dr. King across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Reflecting on that moment, the Rabbi said that in marching for civil rights, he felt his legs were praying.

That same year, Dr. King was awarded the American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Committee, recognizing his extraordinary leadership in the struggle for civil rights and social justice. Dr. King also stood with the Jewish community in moments of our own vulnerability.

He spoke with moral urgency against anti Semitism, in defense of the state of Israel, and for the human rights of Jews persecuted in the Soviet Union. The Jewish people's respect and admiration for Dr. King can go far beyond our borders. In fact, in Jerusalem, thousands walk each day along a boulevard that bears his name.

A remarkable honor in a city whose streets commemorate the prophets of ancient Israel. And affirming Dr. King's place in history among the great voices for justice. This weekend, Jewish communities throughout California will mark Dr. King's legacy with special services and observances.

We will teach our children about the courage and his conscience and reflect on his achievements and acknowledge the unfinished work that remains. We honor Dr. King not only by remembering him, but by recommitting ourselves to his dream and joining with the people of every faith and every background in advance of justice and equality.

And in that spirit and on behalf of the Jewish Caucus, I humbly respect your aye vote for ACR116.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ahrens. Assemblymember Ortega, you are recognized on the matter.

Good afternoon, speakers and colleagues. On behalf of the Latino Caucus, I rise in strong support of ACR116, recognizing the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today we stand on the mantle of the work of Dr. King that started many years ago, one that dared to envision a society free of racial discrimination and injustice.

Through the diligence and dedication of Dr. King and others in the civil rights movement, we witnessed a time in the United States where significant progress was made towards closing the racial gap. We got a landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

And beyond these accomplishments, Dr. King and the civil rights movement directly inspired others like Cesar Chavez and the farm worker movement. Today, though, we are faced with a new civil rights crisis, one brought to us by the Trump Administration, seeking to undo the legacy and the work of Dr. King and the civil rights movement.

People who look like me, my mother, my brother, my uncle and my friends are being targeted and stripped of due process. Families torn apart, communities terrorized, and just last week, a mother murdered by a federal agent. So to that we say, enough. Today, we honor Dr. King's legacy, not just in words, but with action.

Standing up and fighting back against this administration's attacks. On our communities, our rights, and our democracy. I am proud to stand in support of ACR116 to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King. I'd like to thank my colleague for bringing forward this resolution. I ask for your support of ACR116.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ortega. Assemblymember Elhawari, you are recognized. That was an accident. Never mind. Assemblymember Bryan, you are recognized on the matter.

Thank you, Madam speaker and colleagues. On behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus and the Assembly Member from Reno Valley, I want to thank all of our colleagues who spoke today, including Jeffrey Luther King from the Imperial Valley. Today is a really. Today's an important day.

I live off of MLK Boulevard in Los Angeles, and when I walk the street just outside my house, I often think about the road that he walked and how that gets distorted every single year. And this is now my fifth time on this floor celebrating this tradition. And I remember the first year I spoke on this resolution.

It was about telling the truth about mlk. And I thought I had done the job that year and wouldn't have to do it again. And then I realized it's a truth we have to tell every single year. We are in a constant battle to reclaim the legacy of Martin Luther King.

Because today we like to pretend like Dr. King was beloved in this country. He was not. In fact, at the time of his death, the most recent poll showed him to be one of the most disliked figures in America, especially in certain segments of the population. He was surveilled and tailed by the FBI.

That Administration of that day kept an active filing case on Dr. King. He wasn't assassinated because he was loved. And the reason folks didn't like him in his day is because he was radical. Dr. King believed in a universal basic income. He believed everybody should earn a living. He fought with union workers.

In fact, he was in Memphis with sanitation workers at the time of. Of his death. Dr. King believed in reparations. He called it a cruel jest to ask a bootless man to pick himself up by his bootstraps and referred to black folks across this country as bootless people.

That this country had given us the freedom to starve and famine. Dr. King believed in justice always and at all times. We talked today about where would Dr. King be today. That is not a complicated question. Dr. King would be in the same place he was in 2020, and that is Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dr. King would swing through Los Angeles and console the mother of Keith Porter on his way to Minneapolis. Dr. King believed in dignity and Respect for all people.

That's why he wrote letters to Cesar Chavez, encouraging him, reminding him that the plight for your people and ours is so grave that in this moment, we require effective leadership and examples. That is the Dr. King that I think about.

I actually haven't listened to the I have a Dream speech in probably 10 years, but I read a letter from a Birmingham jail every single year and encourage all of you to do the same. He was a prolific figure in American history, an inspiring figure in American history. So much more depth than many of us know.

I recently learned a new story about Dr. King, and that is that he was a Hooper. And if you didn't know, Dr. King used to go to the basketball courts and recruit brothers to the movement in a suit, playing basketball. Him and Andrew Young. There's a new documentary about it called Hoops, Hopes and Dreams on Hulu today.

There's so much more to this man than the simplification that we put him in. And so I ask that when we do this every single year, we reflect on his complexity, we reflect on his depth, and we remember that he didn't just give speeches.

He got out in the streets and he put his life on the line for change, and it ultimately cost him his life. And that's why he is a hero to so many of us. I respectfully ask for your aye vote today.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bryan. Assemblymember Lackey, you are recognized on the matter.

Well, thank you, colleagues. I sit here thinking about something very powerful. I don't have any prepared remarks, but I want to say something very, very important. I have not stood one time in this past opportunity to serve the state of California. And the reason why is because I'm white.

That may sound awkward, but I think one thing that Dr. King taught us that ascends and it transcends political considerations is he believed in identity. And he believed that what you identify is not by some of the things that our society judges, people's identity.

Today, I really believe this, and I have learned this through many, many years of study and consideration. You may not think so, but I am a very deep thinker. And I will tell you that I have learned so much from people like Dr. King, who he was ahead of his time.

I believe he was a godly man, and I believe in spirituality and the power of spirituality. But really what I believe in most is genuine, sincere action.

And I think that that identity piece was something that Dr. King has taught even people like me who had a different life experience than many people who have suffered circumstances I never suffered through. But I will tell you that his impact continues to have an influence on people like me.

And I think he deserves to be acknowledged by a white Republican. And I'm very, very thankful for his influence. And thank you for indulging me.

Thank you. Assemblymember Lackey. Seeing no further discussion. Zero, yes. Seeing no further discussion or debate. Mr. Jackson, you may close.

We want to thank all the Members and all the caucuses who have spoken. I think this year we should really dedicate ourselves to ensuring that we're trying to fulfill the fullness of Dr. King's dream. But to do that is also recognized that we must have courage and we must be willing to sacrifice for it.

That means sacrificing our own politics for it.

Will we have, when we have opportunities, will we speak up and act to denounce all war and violence wherever we see it? Will we speak up and will we act when we address the gross economic inequality that exists here in the state of California?

When we know how to eliminate childhood poverty, but we're choosing not to do so. When we know we could do more to make sure that people have the human dignity of quality and healthy housing, but we're choosing not to do so.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it could have only been passed with Democrats and Republicans voting for it. And when they voted for it, they knew for some of them that that would be the last term in office. But the moral imperative was more important. President Johnson at the time said that because of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, we know...

We know that it will put our party in the political basement for generations because of it. But it was the right thing to do. So every day as bills are coming before us, are we going to make a moral decision or a political decision?

Because to achieve the three evils, to eradicate the three evils of war, economic injustice, and racial injustice, we're going to have to sacrifice our own self so the next generation can be better off. Again, the Black Caucus respectfully and, in the tradition of King, lovingly ask us to vote in favor of ACR 116.

Thank you, Assembly Member Jackson. Would you like the first roll to be open for co-authors? Assembly Member Jackson, would you like... Thank you. Okay. Clerk will open the roll for co-authors on the measure. All Members vote who desire to vote. This is for co-authors on ACR 116. All Members vote who desire to vote.

This is for co-authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the vote. There are 67 co-authors on the resolution. Without objection, we will take a voice vote on the resolution. All in favor say aye. All opposed say no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

And I will say that this past fall, I had the privilege of traveling with our Black Caucus colleagues to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr and see his legacy, but also the lasting legacy of the Jim Crow South. And it was life altering and makes this even more meaningful today.

So thank you to our colleagues for their constant partnership in helping us grow. And I think this is the perfect time, except maybe he's not in the room. Oh, no, he is. To celebrate and recognize Assembly Member Bryan's birthday that is coming up. Happy Birthday, Assembly Member Bryan.

And with that, we will move to the next item on the daily file, file item 89, ACR 118. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 118 by Assembly Member Mark González and others, relative to Korean American Day.

Assembly Member Mark González, you are recognized on the matter.

Thank you, Madam Speaker and Members. I rise today to present ACR 118, recognizing January 13, 2026 as Korean American Day. This day marks 123 years since the first large wave of Korean immigrants crossed the Pacific, not just in search of opportunity, but carrying language, labor, faith, and hope in their hands.

It also marks 122 years since the emergence of Koreatown in Los Angeles, now the largest concentration of Koreans in the United States and the largest Korean community outside of the Korean Peninsula. A place where roots took hold, where culture stayed strong, and where generations learned how to belong without forgetting who they truly are.

From LA's Koreatown to communities across California, Korean Americans have built pillars that still stand. Churches that uplift, restaurants that nourish, and small businesses that anchor entire neighborhoods. These are not just institutions. They are living testaments to resilience, sacrifice, and of care. One of those early builders was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, a legendary freedom fighter, a founder of Koreatown, and a champion of democracy who once called Assembly District 54 home.

In October of 2024, I had the deep honor of rededicating the 110 and the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles as the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Interchange alongside members of the Korean American community. It was more than a name, it was a promise that history will be remembered and values will be carried forward.

Dosan Ahn and so many Korean American activists like him believed that democracy is not inherited, it is practiced, it is protected, it is passed on. And that belief still lives today. This recognition comes during the same week we honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, whose call for justice, dignity, and equality reminds us that the fight for civil rights is shared, that our struggles are the strongest when we are united.

This past year, Koreans once again set an example for the world through peaceful courage, civic engagement, and unshakable commitment to civil rights and democratic resilience. The Republic of Korea also stands as one of California's closest partners economically, culturally, and morally. A relationship built not only on trade, but on shared values.

I'm immensely proud to represent the largest Korean population outside of Seoul, South Korea, in the United States, a community that has given California its strength, its spirit, and its soul. Across an ocean, through generations, and into the heart of our state. Korean American Day is history, it's California's history. And at the appropriate time, I respectfully request an aye vote and ask that the floor, the first roll be open for co-authors. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member. Assembly Member Harabedian, you are recognized on the matter.

Thank you, Madam Chair. You're doing a great job up there. It's my honor to rise in support of this. Thank you to the Member of Los Angeles on behalf of the API Caucus. And most of you know, this is personal for me. I first fell in love with Korean culture through the food. I think a lot of us do. We all have our own food, and I think we can all make claim to the best food here. But I think Korean food is probably up there. It's probably my favorite.

And I'm not sure where it is in the, you know, the objective scheme of things, but the food really was my first introduction to Korean culture. But many years later, I actually fell in love with my wife. And my wife actually immigrated from Korea when she was 12.

And we have built a life here with our three sons who proudly carry on the Korean traditions today. And as many of you know, if you have kids and teenagers, that involves a lot of listening to K-pop. It is consuming Korean culture on a daily basis.

And I couldn't be more proud of the Korean American legacy that has been built here in the United States. And there is no stronger presence than California. And I think that we are a diverse API Caucus here, and it shouldn't be lost on anyone that there is not a Korean here, Korean American here in the Assembly.

There is one in the Senate. But it is a strong community internationally that remains proud for a lot of reasons. And I think many of us have strong Korean American communities in our district, and I do as well.

And so for all the Korean Americans throughout the state of California who have built a strong legacy here, we honor them, we thank them, and as they would say, gamsahabnida, for their perseverance, the resilience, and for blessing us with their culture and their traditions here in this state. So I would urge an aye vote on behalf of the API Caucus for ACR 118.

Thank you, Assembly Member Harabedian. Assembly Member Ransom, you are recognized on the matter.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you to the Member from Los Angeles. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus in strong support of ACR 118.

The Korean and Black American story in America is interwoven with resilience, struggle, and an unwavering pursuit of belonging in a nation that that did not always make space for us and them. Today, we honor not only Korean American contributions to this country, but the vital bonds of solidarity that connect our communities.

Korean Americans arrived on these shores carrying dreams across an ocean, building businesses with their hands, preserving culture through generations, and enriching America's fabric with traditions, innovation, and determination. From the early migrants of Hawaii to those who rebuilt lives after war, Korean entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and community leaders have helped write the American story.

Korean Americans and Black Americans have been neighbors in the same struggling communities and allies in the same fights against discrimination. When hatred has targeted one community, it threatens all communities. Some of the most beautiful moments in our communities have emerged when we've chosen connection over conflict. Black and Korean youth learning each other's histories.

Business owners and residents working together to revitalize neighborhoods. Families sharing meals and stories across cultural lines. We honor Korean Americans today by recognizing that our liberation is bound together. We stand united against injustice. When we learn each other's languages and cultures, when we build bridges instead of walls, we create stronger solidarity than either community could do alone.

For this Korean American Day, let this be our commitment. Listen with open hearts, acknowledge past wounds while building future hope, and raise the next generation knowing that Korean American dreams are not competing visions, but complementary threads in the same tapestry of justice and opportunity. Together, we are stronger. Together we rise. Thank you, Members. On behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus, I urge your aye vote on ACR 118.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ransom. Seeing and hearing no further debate on the matter, Assembly Member Mark González, would you like to close?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you to my colleagues who spoke today. And again, it's a week of unity to celebrate both this week. I want to thank you all so much. And I asked for an aye vote and request that the first roll be open for co-authors.

Thank you, Assembly Member. The Clerk will open the roll for co-authors on the matter. This is for co-authors on ACR 118. All Members vote who desire to vote. This is for co-authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll and tally the vote.

There are 67 co-authors on the measure. And without objection, we will take a voice vote on this measure. All in favor say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

We will pass and retain on file items 90 through 92 and items 93 through 95 moving to a vote on the consent calendar. Although prior to moving to the consent calendar because I know what that signals.

Our adjournment in memory today is for a former Member of the Legislature, so we will be holding quorum call for the adjournment memory. Moving to a vote on the consent calendar. File items 96 through 97. Does any Member wish to remove an item from the consent calendar? Seeing and hearing none. The Clerk will read the second day consent calendar.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 115 by Assembly Member Bennett and others relative to national blood donor muffins.

Clerk will open the roll on the consent calendar. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the vote. There are 64 ayes and zero no's on the consent calendar. The consent calendar is adopted. Clerk will read the remaining items.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 117.

Ayes 64. Noes 0. Members, we will now move to that adjournment memory. The quorum call is still in place. Please give your respectful attention to Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez, who was granted prior permission to speak on this adjournment in memory. Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez, you are recognized on this adjournment memory.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Members, today I rise in solemn remembrance of a former colleague, a constituent, and a distinguished Californian, Assembly Man David Kelly. David Kelly was born on October 11, 1928 in Riverside, California.

He graduated from the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad in 1947 and went on to study citrus production at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, an education that would shape both his livelihood and his lifelong commitment to California agriculture.

He answered our nation's call to service as a captain in the United States Air Force, where he piloted a C82 and a C119 transport aircraft during the Berlin airlift and the post war reconstruction of Europe. Stationed in Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Germany, His service helped sustain freedom at a pivotal moment in world history.

For more than four decades, David was a dedicated citrus rancher in Hemet and a respected leader in agricultural policy. He served as President of the Riverside County Farm Bureau and as a Member of the Hemet San Jacinto Basin Resource Conservation District Board, always advocating for responsible stewardship of our land and water.

In 1978, he brought the same dedication to public service into this very chamber, later continuing his work in the state Senate. Over more than 20 years in the Legislature, David Kelly was a steadfast champion for water conservation, environmental protection, and sustainable agriculture.

In recognition of his impact, a stretch of Route 86 proudly bears the name Senator David G. Kelly Highway. David married his beloved wife Bridget in 1953 and and together they raised four children.

He is survived by Sharon Haupt, Bridget Kelly, Margaret Valine and her husband, Rod and Kenneth Kelly and his wife Susie, along with nine grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Bridget and his grandson Sammy. Even in retirement, David never stopped serving.

He remained active on his farm and gave back as an emeritus trustee of the Army and Navy Academy. His life reflected an enduring commitment to service grounded in family, faith, and the land he so deeply loved.

Members, I thank former legislator David Kelly for a lifetime of service to California and to our nation, and I respectfully ask you to join me in honoring his memory.

Thank you, Assembly Member Gonzalez. May his memory be a blessing. And thank you, members, please bring the names to the desk we printed in the Journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the Journal. Moving to Announcements. Members, Natural Resources Committee meets today upon adjournment here in the capitol in room 437.

The session schedule is as follows. Monday, January 19th, we will observe Martin Luther King Day, no session, but Tuesday, January 20th we will reconvene for floor session at 1pm. Seeing and hearing no further business, I am ready to entertain a motion to adjourn.

Mr. Garcia moves and Ms. Sanchez seconds that this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, January 20th at 1pm. Quorum call is lifted and we are adjourned.