Assembly Floor

Good morning, California. Happy Valentine's Day. Love is in the air. On the topic of love being in the air, Assemblymember Hadwick. Assemblymember Hadwick, I understand that you make the world's best lasagna. Is that true? Assemblymember Hadwick, do you provide that lasagna to Assemblymember Wallis?

Because we need to keep him fed so he can notice the absence of a Quorum. Assemblymember Wallis notices the absence of a Quorum. The sergeant arms will prepare the chamber. Bring in the absent Members. Clerk will call the roll.

Addis. Aguiar-Curry. Ahrens. Alanis. Alvarez. Arambula. Avila Farias. Bains. Bauer-Kahan. Bennett. Berman. Boerner. Bonta. Bryan. Calderon. Caloza. Carrillo. Castillo. Chen. Connolly. Davies. Demaio. Dixon. Elhawary. Ellis. Flora. Fong. Gabriel. Gallagher. Garcia. Gipson. Jeff Gonzalez. Mark Gonzalez. Hadwick. Haney. Harabedian. Hart. Hoover. Irwin. Jackson. Johnson. Kalra. Krell. Lackey. Lee. Lowenthal. Macedo. McKinnor. Muratsuchi. Quinn. Ortega. Pacheco. Papan. Patel.

Patterson. Pellerin. Petrie Norris. Quirk-Silva. Ramos. Ransom. Celeste Rodriguez. Michelle Rodriguez. Rogers. Rubio. Sanchez. Schiavo. Schultz. Sharp-Collins. Solache. Soria. Stefani. Ta. Tangipa. Valencia. Wallis. Ward. Wicks. Wilson. Zbur. Mr. Speaker.

Members the Quorum is present. We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for today's prayer. Reverend Noshta will offer today's prayer. Reverend Noshta.

Tomorrow being Valentine's Day, I'd like to ask you to please join me in a moment of valentine reflection. When I was first dating Bob in Los Angeles over 40 years ago, I worked for an aerospace company called TRW. On one of our early dates, he picked me up right after work.

We went to a theater in the Crenshaw area that was showing Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman. Fans of Zatoichi know that in each of his many movies, he would eat like his meals were few and far between. It might be a bowl of rice, and often it was a huge rice ball, what we call onigiri.

He ate with such enthusiasm. Rice was collected all over his face. It always looked so delicious. I recall we went to the early showing because it was right after work. I was getting really hungry. But it was early in our dating, and I was looking forward to the movie.

I remember well that in the first eating scene, Zatoichi was gobbling down this huge onigiri ball. It was then that Bob leaned over and said to me, boy, that sure looks good. I agreed. Then he said, do you want an onigiri? I said, oh yeah.

Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two onigiri and handed one to me. It was even more delicious watching Zatoichi eating his onigiri as we devoured ours. It was a memorable day because that evening I said those three little words to Bob for the very first time.

When he handed me the onigiri, I looked at him and said, you're so weird. I think that may have been one of the first moments I thought would be interesting to be with a strange man. After four decades later, I'm still grateful for the laughter we continue to share. For laughter is essential to love now.

Now let us live with kindness and gratitude beyond words.

We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing to join us in the flag salute. Assemblymember Haney will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag.

May be seated. To our guests and visitors today, state law prohibits persons in the gallery from interfering with legislative proceedings or disrupting the orderly conduct of 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 Tuesday, January 20, 2026 the Assembly met at 1pm The Honorable Josh Lowenthal the all speaker perks in-

Assembly Leader Aguiar-Curry moves and Mr. Alanis seconds. The reading of the previous day's Journal be dispensed with presentations and petitions. There are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be deferred. 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. Thank you, Members. Thank you, Members. Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you, Members. Thank you. On procedural motions. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning. I respectfully request this body recognize a special birthday coming up over the weekend. Members, let us wish Speaker Lowenthal a happy early birthday.

I didn't understand I was getting decorum for that.

Thank you for gaveling. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Boerner, Gipson, and Rubio to speak on an adjournment of memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order. Believe youth and government's in the house. Welcome. Okay, we have several guest introductions. Members, can I have attention please? We have some very important guests in the gallery today. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized for Your guest introduction.

Good morning. I'm honored to speak this morning about the California YMCA Youth and Government Programs Leadership team and board Members.

In the gallery today, a special hello to Violet Chin, Youth Governor Kayla Ring, Youth Chief Justice, Molly Stout, Youth Secretary of State, Luca Ramos, Board of Managers, Emily Lara Fernandez, Board of Managers, and Renu Dumeti, Chief of Staff, Board of Members. They're all here in Sacramento for their annual conference.

Many California political leaders have come from programs like the YMCA's Youth and Government program. So please say hello to our future legislative leaders.

Okay, we're going to continue on. Members, I have a very important question to ask. Members, can you please raise your hand? Members, if you were once a delegate in California YMCA Youth and Government program, please raise your hand.

Okay, delegates, as we continue on with these introductions, I want you to know the Members down below are counting on you to be the legislators of tomorrow. We welcome you here this weekend. We want to hear your ideas, your thoughts, your vision for tomorrow for the State of California. Welcome, Assemblymember Rubio, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, please join me in welcoming students from Glendora High School who are here and participating in the YMCA statewide youth and Government program. My amazing young legislators to be. Welcome.

Welcome, Glendora.

Bryan or Gibson.

Assemblymember Bryan, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Joining us are Ashley, Esther, Aaron, Eduardo, and so many others. I can't go through all your names, but under the leadership of Executive Director Brittany Daniels, the Crenshaw YMCA Youth and Government cohort is here joining us. Please give it up for them.

Let's go, Crenshaw. Welcome. Assemblymember Gibson. You are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members, I am pleased to ask Wilmington to please stand. And as you know, I'm a former Member of Youth in Government. It gives me great pleasure to welcome the Wilmington YMCA Youth and Government in the gallery for. Put your hands together, Members, and give Wilmington YMCA a round of applause.

Welcome here. Welcome, Wilmington.

Welcome to the California Assembly. Last but not least, Assemblymember Gabriel. Excuse me, Members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it will surprise no one in this room that I am a proud alum of YM State Youth in Government had an amazing experience my senior year. It was part of what helped me decide to become a political science major in college.

And I am really delighted to welcome some amazing folks from the Mid Valley YMCA here. So please welcome our Mid Valley YMCA delegation to Sacramento.

Welcome. Welcome. Okay, we are going to move on to business on the Daily File Concurrence File item number one will pass and retain. Reconsideration File items 23 through four. All items shall be continued. Assembly Third Reading File items five through seven pass and retain. Senate Third Reading File items eight and nine pass and retain.

Now moving on to a vote on the consent calendar. That is file item number 10. 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.

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

Clerk will open up the roll in the content calendar. All Members vote who desire vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 63, no zero. Consent calendar is adopted. Members, we're now moving on to adjournments in memory.

Quorum call is still in place. Let's give our respectful attention to those who are granted prior permission to speak on their adjournment in memory. Please take conversations off the floor. Assemblymember Gipson, you are recognized for your adjournment of memory.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members. Members, I rise today to honor the life, the legacy of James Armstrong, a devoted husband, father, veteran and a pillar of his community, the Carson community. In 1946, the Armstrong family moved to Los Angeles, California and made the Watts community their home.

Mr. Armstrong's life reflected a deep faith, service and a love for community. After graduating from David Starr Jordan High School in Watts, he proudly served his country in the United States army and later built an enduring career in the printing industry where he served his church, local business and individuals throughout the Los Angeles area.

James was a tireless servant of the Lord. For decades he faithfully served the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church as a Member and leader of the Senior Usher Board, quietly supporting the work of the church and both the President and the trustee.

James was known as and will be remembered for his generosity, his sense of humor and his dedication to his community where he was always willing to help those in need. On August 18, 2025 James Douglas Armstrong departed from this life. He proceeded in death his he preceded death his beloved wife of 53 years, Olafay Armstrong.

He leave behind and cherish his memory daughter and a whole host of friends and family Members.

I asked his body to adjourn in his memory and let me simply say he was also a pillar of the Carson community where he resided for many many years and there is a family connection to my family and he always greeted me and he always remembered reminded me of when I was on the Carter City Council.

I always voted for you. Always voted for you because you was the right person for the job. May his memory be a blessing to all of us. Thank you Members.

Thank you, Assembly Member Gipson, Assemblymember Rubio. You are recognized for your adjournment of.

Memory and thank you Mr. Speaker and Members. Today I rise to adjourn in the memory of Thomas Kent Carter, who was known as TK. TK was a veteran comedian actor who had memorable roles in the Thing, Runaway Train and Punky Brewster.

He grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and started doing standup routines by the time he was 12. In the 1990s, Carter started as Iceman and Ski Patrol and earned a voice role as not in 1996 spade, chicken, space Jam.

He also was featured in several TV shows at the time including Moesha, the Steve Harvey show, the Nanny and NYPD Blue. While TK was best known for his comedic work and described himself in his Instagram Bio as a writer and performer born to act and make you laugh, he also took one more serious role.

His memorial service this past Thursday was filled with people whose lives he touched, reflecting the deep impact he had on his community in television and in cinema. Attendees shared fond memories of TK and laughed at the delightful stories from his childhood. Several actors he had worked alongside came to pay their respects.

He is survived by his mother, my very good friend, his children, grandchildren, three brothers, family and countless friends and fans. Members, I ask that we adjourn in memory of T.K. Carter.

Thank you Assembly Member Rubio, Assembly Member Boerner, you are recognized for your adjournment of memory.

Thank you Mr. Speaker and Members. Today I rise to adjourn in the memory of Dave Hodges who passed away on February 4th in 1974. Against the advice of friends who thought the concept was on seajo's Avenue and sleepy little Solana beach would surely go Belly up.

Dave Hodges built a 600 person capacity club into a world famous venue, the Belly Up Tavern, recognized as one of the best small music venues in America.

Dave's vision to position a music venue in the heart of what at the time was a material goods district was decades ahead of his time and nothing short of transformative to the city of Solano Beach and not all of North County San Diego.

Through Dave, the Belly up brought national and international artists to the area, building community and celebrating the creative spirit while also lifting up local artists and giving people like me an opportunity to work opportunities like people like me to enjoy music, work on their craft and bring joy to the people of San Diego.

He used his position to support countless causes and nonprofits over the years as well, hosting concerts or charitable causes and providing a space for others to share their messages. His legacy stands the test of time. The culture of creativity and community he fostered and the lives he touched will continue to shape the community for generations to come.

So please join me in adjourning in the memory of Dave Hodges. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Boerner. Members, please bring the name to the desk to be printed in the Journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the Journal. Moving on to announcements, session schedules as follows. Monday, February 16th President's Day is observed. There is no session.

Tuesday, February 17th floor session at 1pm seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Majority Leader Aguirre Curry moves and Mr. Alanis seconds that this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 17th. At 1pm the quorum call is lifted and we are adjourned. Happy Valentine's Day.