Assembly Floor

Morning, California. Happy lunar new year. Happy black history month. The Assembly is now in session. Yes. Assembly Member Gonzalez, you are recognized. However, Assembly Member Wallis has already noticed the absence of a quorum. So we thank you for your time. Assembly Member Wallace notices the absence of a quorum. Sergeant arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent Members. Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

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. Assemblymember Wilson will offer today's prayer. Assemblymember Wilson.

Gracious God, we thank you for your many blessings and for the countless ways you show yourself strong in our lives and in the lives of those we are called to serve. We acknowledge that you alone are the keeper of this great state. You who watch over every community and creed, are the shade at our right hand.

You preserve us from all evil and guard our very souls. We ask for your grace over our session today. Let your peace dwell in our hearts and guide us all in every coming and every going. May our decisions be shaped by your wisdom, and may your grace and mercy be poured upon us abundantly.

We trust you for a future marked by faithfulness and hope. From this time forth and forevermore continue to grant us favor in your sight. And let us remain a beacon, not only to this nation, but to the world in your strength and under your guidance. Amen.

Members, we're so saddened to learn of the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson this morning. Protege of Dr. Martin Luther King, Reverend Jackson dedicated his life to service and was one of our country's most prominent civil rights leaders.

Let us all keep hope alive as we observe a moment of silence to remember and honor the life of Reverend Jesse Jackson. We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing to join us in the flag salute. Assemblymember Arambula will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please place your right hand over your heart.

I pledge allegiance, the United States of America and to the Republic, which stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

You may be seated. To our guests and visitors. Today, state law prohibits persons in the chamber 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

[Daily Jorunal]

Leader Aguiar Curry moves and Mr. ... seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with presentations and petitions. There are none. Introduction. 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.

Now moving on to motions and resolutions. The offices of the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Now on to procedural motions. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Elhawary and Rogers 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 Members Bonta and Rogers to have guests in the rear of the chamber. To allow Assembly Members Patel and Patterson to have guests seated at their desks today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

Pursuant to Assembly Rule 96, I request unanimous consent to withdraw SP 107 and SB 117, Senate Budget and Fiscal Review, from the Budget Committee and order to the third reading.

Thank you. Madam Majority Leader. Mr. Alanis is withholding unanimous consent. Members, there's an objection. Majority Leader's motion is seconded by Assemblymember Garcia. This motion is not debatable. Requires 41 votes. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Majority Leader is asking for an aye vote. Mr. Alanis is asking for a no vote.

All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes. 41. noes 13. The motion carries. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized.

I request unanimous consent to order. AJR27 Harabedian to the second reading file.

Without objection. Such shall be the order. Members, while we're waiting to begin our guest introductions, I spy out of the corner of my eye, somebody quite familiar. It looks like retired Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal is sitting in the rear of the chamber. Hi, Mom. I love you, Mom.

I thought my mom was going to be excited to see me here working. It turns out she's more excited to see our reading Clerk, David Bowman. David Bowman. Okay, onto guest introductions. Assemblymember Soria, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, today I'd like to welcome to the Assembly the Youth Leadership Institute. They are to my left on the gallery.

And so, for those of you that don't know, the Youth Leadership Institute builds communities where young people and their adult allies come together to create changes which promote families social justice and racial equity within their own communities.

The Institute has branches in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Long Beach, East Coachella Valley, and yes, in the Central Valley, Merced, Madera and Fresno counties. Their campaign trains youth leaders across the state of California to advocate for equitable access to mental health services under the Behavioral Health Services Act. These youth participants in.

Participants in their program conduct community based research and learning exploring how the Behavioral Health Services act is implemented locally and statewide.

Our guests here with us today are preparing for the next phase of their campaign which will engage youth representatives with policymakers that are committed to improve access to behavioral health care young people need in the most underserved regions of our state. I do want to introduce with us today is Dr. Yamilet Rodriguez.

She is the chief government relations officer with Youth Leadership Institute. A dear friend of mine, someone that we worked together with the youth in the city of Fresno when I was on the council there and we created the first youth commission for the city of Fresno.

And so super excited to welcome all these young people, the future leaders of the state of California, to the State Assembly. Welcome to your house and congratulations on the work that you guys are doing.

Welcome to Youth Leadership Institute. Welcome, welcome. Okay, Assemblymember Patel, it looks like you have a very special guest introduction to make.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, today I am very pleased to have with me my husband, Jagdish Naik, and and my youngest daughter, Kaushika Nayak in the chamber.

A little bit about Kaushika I'd like to share is that she is a budding future astrophysicist as well as a journalist on her high school newspaper and doing a lot of really important investigative journalism, especially on grade inflation currently. Please welcome them to the chamber today.

Welcome Patel family and yet another very special guest introduction. Assemblymember Patterson, you're recognized.

Great. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Members, I have with me my daughters, which represent 50% of my kids, but a majority of the intelligence in my household. My daughter Andy is 10 years old. She's a math Olympian.

She's a just found out the other day she's going to be in gate and she was captain of her cheer team, so she's pretty awesome. And then my daughter Blake, who's. How old are you going to be on Friday? 5.

She turns 5 on Friday and so we just thought we'd bring her here for her birthday, which is of course every kid's dream to be on the Assembly chambers for their birthday. So please welcome my daughters Andy and Blake to the Assembly. Thank you very much.

Go andy and blake. Welcome. Okay, we have another guest intro that we will do a little bit later. We're going to move on to business on the daily file. For concurrence, that's file item number one. We will pass and retain on reconsideration file items two through four. All items shall be continued. Assembly third reading file.

That's file items five through seven. Going to pass and retain on file items five and file item six. That brings us to file item number seven. That is HR 80 by Assemblymember Fong. The Clerk will read

House Resolution 80 by Assembly Member Fong and others relative to the Lunar New Year.

Assemblymember Fong, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker and Members. As Chair of the California Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I rise to present HR80 and wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year.

"Shin Nian Kuai Le" "Gong Hei Fat Choy" this year, Lunar New Year falls On today's date, February 17, with family and community celebrations taking place over the next two weeks.

Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival Seollal or Tet, is one of the most important holidays of the year for many East Asians and Southeast Asians, during which we practice long standing cultural traditions and welcome luck and prosperity.

The State of California was the first in the nation to recognize Lunar New Year as an official state holiday. The lunar calendar rotates through 12 year cycles, with each year representing an Animal and through 60 year cycles with each animal associated with one of the five elements.

And 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse, which symbolizes vitality, momentum and courage.

Some notable individuals born in the Year of the Horse include Jackie Chan, former President Joe Biden and Neil Armstrong, as well as a number of our colleagues, the Member from Winters, the Member from Modesto, the Member from Orinda, the Member from Yorba Linda, the Member from Carson, and a Member from palm desert.

Over 7 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders reside in California. By recognizing Lunar New Year, we reaffirm our commitment to celebrating cultural diversity, which is the strength of our great state. I respectfully ask for an aye vote on HR80 and wish everyone a prosperous, healthy, joyous Year of the Horse.

Thank you, Assembly Member Fong. Do you wish for the first roll to be open for co authors?

Yes.

Thank you, Assembly Member Fong. Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the LGBT Caucus, it is my honor and my joy to rise in support of HR80, recognizing Tuesday, February 17, 26 as the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebration.

As the renewing energy of the Wood snake comes to its close, we step boldly into the Year of the Fire Horse, a year that symbolizes passion, innovation, clarity and unapologetic assertiveness. The Fire Horse calls on us to move with courage to lead with heart, to claim our space with pride.

This is a year to love boldly and to live authentically without fear and without apology. It is also time to honor our neighbors, to celebrate our shared humanity, and to recommit ourselves to our community. California is home to more than 6 million residents of AAPI descent.

And Assembly District 54 is proud to be one of the most vibrant and culturally rich districts in the great state. Home to historic Chinatown, Korea Town, Little Tokyo, historic Filipino town in Little Bangladesh. These communities are not just neighborhoods on a map. They are the heartbeat of our district and the soul of our state.

As a resident of Chinatown myself, Lunar New Year is deeply personal. I look forward to each year to the Chinatown Firecracker Run and the Golden Dragon Parade, celebrations that fill our streets with color, tradition, resilience, and with joy.

For more than 3,500 years, Lunar New Year has brought families together around tables filled with symbolic meals, surrounded by traditions meant to usher in prosperity, protection, and good fortune. It is a celebration of renewal, a fresh start, and hopeful futures.

The LGBTQ Caucus recognizes that family is both the one we are born into and the one we build. During this season of reunion reflection, we send love and solidarity to our queer Asian community Members who continue to lead with strength, creativity, and with courage.

I want to thank my colleague from Alhambra and the AAPI Legislative Caucus for bringing this meaningful resolution forward. May the Year of the Fire Horse ignite in all of us the passion to serve boldly, to clarity, to lead wisely, and the courage to stand together, especially here in California. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Gonzalez, Assemblymember Ransom, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus to wish everyone a Gong Hei Fat Choy. In strong support of HR80 in honor of our Lunar New Year. At its core, Lunar New Year is about family. It is about community.

It is about prosperity and wishes, of wealth, health and love for loved ones. It is about uplifting our communities, our elders, our ancestors, and carrying forward the wisdom of those who came before us. It is about honor, and it is about renewal. And as we bring in the Lunar New Year, we must remember those who created a path for us to be here and to carry on doing good in their name.

We must strive to be better and to do better and to create a world that is worthy of the next generation, the generation after that, and the generation after that. In my community, approximately 21% of the population in San Joaquin county identifies as Asian, and many celebrate Lunar New year.

They've had a major role in shaping our state, especially in agriculture, labor rights, business, education and civic leadership. So let us honor Lunar New Year the diversity of our state, not as observers but also as neighbors. Let us receive its lessons about renewal, about gratitude, about community, about prosperity.

And let us carry those things forward, side by side. Thank you, Members. I respectfully ask for your aye vote on HR 80.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ransom. Assembly Member Berman, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus in proud support of HR 80 celebrating the lunar New Year. We are honored to join our Asian American and Pacific Islander colleagues in diverse communities across California in recognizing this tradition of renewal, connection and hope.

Lunar New Year is a time when family and friends come together, often traveling great distances to share meals, uphold cherished customs and and welcome good fortune in the year ahead. These traditions resonate deeply with our Jewish community as well, celebrating new beginnings with gatherings centered on family, gratitude and shared joy.

This year we welcome the Year of the Horse, a symbol of energy, courage and forward momentum. Its spirit of strength and optimism reflects the way our communities continue to honor tradition while confidently embracing the future.

As we celebrate the Lunar New Year, we are reminded of the power of cultural traditions to inspire connection and possibility, values that strengthen not only our own communities, but all of California. In that spirit and on behalf of the Jewish Caucus, I respectfully urge your support for H.R. 80.

Thank you, Assemblymember Berman. Assemblymember Carrillo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, fellow Assemblyman, on behalf of the Latino Legislative Caucus, I rise today in support of House Resolution 80, celebrating the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Celebrated across California by over 7.3 million people and billions more around the world.

The Lunar New Year represents a time for renewal and a clean slate, with festivities symbolizing luck and well wishes for prosperity in the year ahead. 2026 is a young Fire Horse Year. The horse represents freedom, energy and the drive to move forward, a symbol for getting things moving.

While the fire in this year's Yang Fire symbolizes a bright light like our sun, in contrast to last year's Yin Fire, which shines like the candlelight in the dark during the 2025 Year of the Snake. Taken together, we anticipate the Lunar year ahead will be fast paced, energetic, a time of action and progress.

The Lunar New Year celebration across the world by so many cultures mirrors the diversity of cultures here in California that celebrate the Lunar New Year. And it is why I ask that you join the Latino Caucus in Supporting House Resolution 80 as we welcome the Lunar New Year. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Carrillo. Assemblymember Ramos, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise as Chair of the California Native American Legislative Caucus in recognition of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse. I want to thank my colleague from Alhambra and the API Caucus for continuing to show your culture here on this floor and in the State of California.

When we celebrate cultural traditions, we also celebrate the diversity of our state and its people and their contributions. These areas foster the great global contributions to our state and inclusive nature of those that represent the State of California within our population. In that spirit, please join me in honoring our Asian Pacific Islander communities and the Caucus.

And may the Lunar New Year bring us all peace and prosperity and and celebrating and honoring the Year of the Fire Horse.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ramos. Assembly Member Nguyen, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, as we close out 2025, the year of the Snake, and the snake shed its last set of skin for the year.

Many of us who celebrate Tet or Lunar New Year did many things to prepare our house for this once in a year time that we see as one of the most important time of the year. I can tell you that I spent hours and days cleaning my house to ensure that I got ready for midnight.

And I just wanted to share some of the things with you all. And feel free to also take any of this and say that you're celebrating Lunar New Year, which is why you're not sweeping your house today because you don't want to sweep out the luck.

You're not washing any dishes or washing anything because you don't want to wash away the good fortune. No wearing black or white because those are colors associated with funerals. Also, no breaking of anything because you don't want to break all of the fortune that you will have for the year. Okay?

Don't borrow or lend money because your wealth will then continue to leak. We welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, which we won't see for another 60 years. And this horse comes in galloping with fire and energy and passion, which is what we all need more of this year.

So as I stand here and I welcome the Lunar New Year, I'd like to say in my own language, Happy New Year and I respectfully ask for your aye vote on HR80

Thank you, Assemblymember Nguyen. Seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Fong, do you wish to close?

Thank you so much to all my colleagues from the Diversity caucuses for your remarks. And I respectfully asked for an aye vote on HR80 and wish everyone a joyous and prosperous Year of the horse. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Fong. Okay, all debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll. This is for co authors, Members. All Members vote who desire to vote. This is for co authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll, tally the votes. There are 62 co authors added without objection.

We'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Assemblymember Fong, you are recognized. Sir.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, you have on your desk a prosperity cookie box from a local bakery here in Sacramento. We kindly ask that you enjoy the refreshments once you have exited the floor and to keep the box sealed. Happy Lunar New Year, everyone. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Assembly Member Fong. Members, we are moving on to Adjournments in Memory. The quorum call is still in place. Let's give our respectful attention to those who are granted prior permission to speak on their Adjournments in Memory. Please take conversations off the floor. Thank you, members. Assembly Member Elhawary, you are recognized for your Adjournment in Memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and members. Babatunde Akinloye, affectionately known as Tunde, was born on August 9th, 1986 in Los Angeles, California. The youngest of five children, he brought laughter, his creativity, and immense joy to everyone around him.

If he wasn't immersed in learning something new, he could be found playing with his older siblings, watching, absorbing, and growing from their triumphs and missteps. He spent his early education across Los Angeles receiving numerous academic and citizenship awards.

Before he completed high school, he shared with his father that he wanted to make movies, a dream he pursued with passion. He was a UCLA graduate, where I first met him, and received a UCLA Black Alumni Association Scholarship, a Blue and Gold Scholarship, and his greatest academic honor, being selected as a Jackie Robinson Scholar.

Tunde culminated his educational journey by earning a Master of Fine Arts from the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts and completing the highly competitive Peter Stark Producing Program.

His passion for film continued during his tenure as a film professor, and he continued to spread his passion through his work with Magic Johnson Enterprises, MACRO, Center of Hope, UCLA, and Walt Disney Studios.

As he began his career at Disney, he began his faith journey, met his wife, April, at the Center of Hope Church, and they later had two sons. He was a present, intentional father, overflowing with pride and joy in his boys. He attended field trips, coached sports teams, and nurtured their curiosity and creativity.

He contributed significantly to the Oscar-winning film, Encanto, and made a cameo appearance in Disney's 2023 Emmy-winning short film, Once Upon a Studio, and recently held a supervisory role on Disney Animation's record-breaking film, Zootopia 2.

When I first met Tunde, I remember the excitement and the inspiration that he held when it came to making films. At UCLA, through the African Student Union, through the connections that we had on campus, Tunde always led with such a beautiful heart and spirit, and to know that he continued on with his dreams and made them a reality means everything.

His life and legacy will forever be celebrated by his devoted wife, April, his beloved sons, Taj and Tayden, his father, Alabi, his mother, Laie, his sister, Dayo, and a host of relatives, colleagues, and friends. He has contributed to the creativity and the representation of marginalized people in the creative arts. His presence and energy touched and inspired so many. Members, can you join me in adjourning in the memory of Babatunde Akinloye? Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Elhawary. Members, let us observe a moment of silence to honor the life of this historic Californian. Assembly Member Rogers, you are recognized for your Adjournment in Memory.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker and members. I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Harold Tripp, affectionately known as Littleman. Harold was a devoted leader of the Karuk Tribe and a pillar of his community, a proud tribal member, and he was the first tribe's tribal chairman.

He helped guide his people through the restoration of federal recognition and played a key role in establishing the tribal constitution. He was a skilled traditional fisherman, a respected forester--I hear he could fell trees like nobody--and he was the founder of the first Karuk Tribe fire crew called K1.

Harold dedicated his life to protecting his people, his land, and his culture, and he worked for the Department of Natural Resources until he retired in 2016. Above all, he was a beloved father, a husband, a grandfather--his grandchildren call him Grandpa Littleman--brother, mentor, and friend whose legacy of leadership and generosity will endure for generations.

Joining us in the back of the chamber is Harold's daughter, Molly, his son, Bill, his son-in-law, Frankie, their four beautiful grandchildren, and Council Member Eli Hensher-Aubrey on behalf of the Chairman Attebery. I respectfully ask that we adjourn in his memory, and may his legacy live on for all who fight for equity and justice for their people.

Thank you, Assembly Member Rogers. Members, let us now observe a moment of silence to honor the life of this truly historic Californian, Herald Tripp. Members, please bring the names 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, following committees meet today: Budget Committee will meet right now upon adjournment in Capitol Room 437, Joint Hearing of the Joint Legislative Audit and Business and Professions Committees will meet upon adjournment of both the Assembly and Senate sessions, Swing Space Room 1100. Our session schedule is as follows.

Wednesday, February 18th is a check-in session; Thursday, February 19th, a floor session at 9:00 a.m. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry moves and Mr. Lackey seconds that this House stands adjourned till Thursday, February 19th at 9:00 a.m. The quorum call is lifted, and we are adjourned.