Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. I'm not sure which Assemblymember notices an absence of a quorum. Okay. Assemblymember Wallace notices the absence of a quorum. Sergeant-at-Arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent members. The clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]. Mr. Speaker.

Well, I want to thank the members who are here on the floor. I would say on time, but, well, it's already 9:05, so if you could join us, that would be great. I want to thank Assemblymember Harbedian for being on time this morning. Thank you, Assemblymember Harbedian. The Senate has commenced their business because they've reached a quorum.

Perhaps we could reach a quorum and commence our business on this beautiful Thursday? If one more member would join us on the floor, we can get you back to work in your district.

I don't know who that Member was but thank you. We have a quorum. We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the prayer. Reverend Oshida will offer today's prayer. Reverend Oshida.

Please join me in a moment of reflection. Our nation lost an iconic champion for civil rights last Tuesday, February 17th. Reverend Jesse Jackson dedicated his life to human rights and representing the marginalized. I admired his courage and respected his commitment, but when I read about the health adversity that took his life, I dropped tears.

At the age of 84, he died of a rare neurological disease called PSP, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. I lost my mother when she was 84, also from the same rare neurological disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. This disease has no definitive cause, and in the 21 years since my mother's passing, there continues to be no cure.

Once diagnosed, all attempts to treatment stop, and we watch helplessly as the devastating stages develop. Knowing this disease well, I know that Reverend Jackson went from cane to walker to wheelchair in a relatively short period of time. Balance was an issue, and falling was a major risk.

As the neuromuscular functions deteriorated, one of the last things to go was the following—swallowing—reflex. Even a sip of thickened water would cause aspiration. My tears were from knowing too well what Reverend Jackson and his family endured, and I held them all suddenly close to my heart.

Although we have never met, we are a unique family of those who know this rare disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. There are historic people we may admire and respect, but it is when we truly feel that "I know your journey" that we connect with our shared humanity.

Even greater than our deepest empathy is to know, without doubt, that we are all truly one. I know your pain, for it has been my pain. I know your joy, for it has been my joy. Your hopes and fears have also been mine. When we embrace the humanity of others as family, our hearts become one.

And kindness and caring flow effortless from our hearts to theirs. Let us try to live with kindness and gratitude beyond words.

Thank you, Reverend. We ask our guests and visitors in the gallery to please rise. We will join in the flag salute. Assemblymember Rubio will lead us in the pledge.

Thank you. Members, please put your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance. [Pledge of Allegiance]

Thank you. 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 these proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal remedies. Reading of the previous day's journal.

Assembly Chamber Sacramento Tuesday, January 20th.

Assistant Majority Leader Mr. Garcia moves and Ms. Sanchez seconds that 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 for the day for maternity leave, Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, for illness, Assembly Members McKinnor and Valencia and for personal business, Assemblymember Ramos. Assistant Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Gipson and Krell 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 Hadwick, Carillo, Gipson, and Schultz to have guests in the rear of the chamber and for Assembly Members Bauer-Kahan, Berman, and Rubio to have guests seated at their desks.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

Pursuant to Assembly Rule 96, I request unanimous consent to re-refer AB 1564 errands from the Business and Professions Committee to the Public Employment and Retirement Committee.

Without objection, that shall be the order. Yesterday, Members, was Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez's birthday. So, please join me in wishing her a very happy birthday. Assemblymember Fong might have thought he was off the hook, but his birthday is this weekend. So happy birthday, Assemblymember Fong. Assemblymember Carillo, you are recognized for your guest introductions.

Chair and colleagues, thank you for your attention. I'm rising today to recognize the incredible contributions to both the Legislature and the state of California made by Assembly Local Government Committee Secretary, Marisa Lanchester.

While all work in an extraordinary place with extraordinary people, not many can say that they work for an institution for 20 years, 30 years, or 40 years. Today, we celebrate the retirement of Marisa Lanchester, who has been an amazing presence in both the Senate and the Assembly for a combined 45 years. 45 years.

Starting her career in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee in 1981, Marisa's lasting impact, too, on this constitution and the many people she worked with is unquestionable. Marisa has been a constant source of positivity and has been an unwavering support to state staff and the public alike.

Marisa has been a constant source of possibility and has been an unwavering support to staff and the public alike. She has brought humor and light into the office. Her storytelling abilities are unmatched and trust me, she has 45 years worth of stories.

Marisa is a pioneer for women and people of color in entering and finding a home in this institution. Her strength of character and unshakable spirit helped from Senate to the Assembly into what it is today. I became Chair of Local Government Committee late into my freshman year and Marisa is the only Committee Secretary that I had.

She helped me guide me through the initial Committee hearings my first year in office, making sure that I did not kill anyone's bill by accident. The Assembly Local Government Committee staff want to make sure I say that they love you.

While it is sad for them not to see their friends almost every day, they celebrate your career and want you to enjoy retirement to the fullest. Today on the floor with her are her three sons, Larry, Jude, and Sam. Thank you for sharing your mother with us for this institution and she's going to be greatly missed.

Marisa's daughter-in-law, Sarah, and grandchildren, Orion and Erin, are here too. And I hope you two bring her as much joy and laugh as she brought to us. And believe me that Marisa really cares a lot about her grandkids.

She always talks about how she looks forward to Tuesdays when she cooks for them, spending time with the grandkids, and I really wish you the best. Thank you again. Thank your family for letting her be here with us, not for 20, or 30, or 40 years, but for 45 years. Please join me in wishing her great retirement.

Members, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, Majority Leader, you are recognized.

It's an honor just to be here. It's an honor to be here today to celebrate Marisa. In 2016, when I came to the Assembly, I was honored by giving—getting the Local Government Committee as my first chair as a freshman.

And I walked in the door, and I got to see this lovely face that welcomed me with open arms, and I always knew when we went to Local Government Committee, we'd have a good laugh.

I got to see the beautiful pictures of her family, knowing about what she's going to cook this week, but more than anything, what you contributed to local government and to our colleagues. So, thank you very much. We'll miss you, but I know you'll be back.

Thank you, Ms. Lanchester, for 45 years of service. Everybody on this floor knows this place does not run without the incredible staff that serves for much longer than any of us. So, thank you. We will move To Assemblymember Rubio. You are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Members. Please join me, I would like to introduce to you my mother, Estela Rubio, and my dad, Sabino Rubio. They've been here this week because Mama Rubio celebrated her 80th birthday on Friday. Members, it is makes me incredibly proud to have them here today.

If it wasn't for their sacrifice and their strength, my sister and I would not be here. So, today, I introduce to you the only parents in the history of California to have two daughters in the Legislature. Thank you.

Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Rubio. Next, we will turn to Assemblymember Boerner for her guest introduction.

Good morning, Madam speaker and Members. Thank you so much. I'd like to introduce Pacific Ridge School from Carlsbad. Please stand in the gallery. They're one of my high schools that come up every year. It's a long trek from San Diego. They have to get up very early.

They're here to see the legislative process and tour our historic building. So, please give them a warm Sacramento welcome. Welcome, Pacific Ridge.

Welcome. The gallery is filled with young people today. What a privilege. Assemblymember Schultz, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Well, thank you. Madam Speaker and Members, I rise this morning to recognize the outstanding work and the 75th anniversary of one of my local agencies, the Crescenta Valley Water District. If you'll indulge me. The Crescenta Valley Water District was originally formed in 1950 by a vote of local residents.

The agency provides water distribution and wastewater collection to the unincorporated communities of La Crescenta, Montrose, and Verdugo City, as well as a portion of the City of La Canada Flintridge, accounting for approximately 36,000 customers within its service area.

The Crescenta Valley Water District has modeled a small but mighty ethos in providing leadership throughout the regional and statewide water community to develop timely and forward thinking initiatives, such as regional stormwater capture and management programs, implementation of budget-based rates and advanced metering capabilities, development of an in-house pipeline replacement program, development of the latest water treatment technologies for PFAS, and implementation of work workforce development programs within with our local institutions of higher education.

Their work reflects the efforts of the broader water, wastewater, energy, fire, law enforcement, and other public service communities to maintain and advance a future of sustainable resources and security for all Californians.

Representatives from the Crescenta Valley Water District, including Board Members Jeff Johnson and General Manager James Lee are in the rear of chambers this morning and I ask all of you to join me in offering our congratulations on the 75th anniversary of this agency. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Assemblymember Schultz, and I would also like to recognize former Assemblymember Devin Mathis, who is in the front of chamber, who is joining us today. Moving to business on the daily file, concurrence items, files 1 and 2, we will pass and retain. File items on reconsideration, 3 through 5, shall be continued.

Moving to Assembly third reading. We'll pass and retain on file item 6 and we will move to file item 7, HAR 27. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Joint Resolution 27 by Assemblymember Harabedian and others, relative to Federal Disaster Aid.

Mr. Harabedian, you are recognized from the Majority Leader's desk.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Colleagues, Thursdays are often a day when we are racing back to our districts and going back and taking care of business. A few of us are going back to districts that are still very much impacted by the fires from 14 months ago, where thousands of families lost everything, 31 lives were lost.

And still families there are reeling. And it has been almost a year to the date that Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal aid from President Trump. Federal aid that has come after every federally declared disaster in this country in the history of this country. And that has not come.

And it is still something that we wait for every day. And families are suffering because of it. Families continue to struggle every day trying to pay bills, trying to rebuild their lives. And they are facing the end of rental assistance, the end of mortgage forbearance. And these families are everyday Americans.

These are our friends, these are our families. These are our staff members. These are people who serve with us on the floor. And what they see is a President who stands up and says that he loves America, he loves Americans, and at the same time refuses to help them. There is a split screen.

These families trying to do everything they can to take care of their families after these fires and the sight of President Trump doing absolutely nothing to help them. Let's be clear, this is a pro forma government action. This is something that every President again in the history of this country has done, provide federal aid for disaster victims.

And this is something that should have happened a long time ago. And every California congressional representative, Democratic and Republican, has called for this for months. But we are left stranded by President Trump. And I do think that we want to call on the President in a bipartisan way today.

And it should be one of the easiest votes that we take to actually say, Mr. President, stop playing politics with people's lives, do your job and give us our damn money. And if you're not willing to do it, step aside and allow someone else to do it.

And if the President isn't willing to do it, then Congress must step up and provide Los Angeles with its money right away. Disaster recovery is a human issue. We all know this. Partisan politics should never get in the way of funding people's recovery. For our families and our communities back at home.

I know I speak for my colleague from Thousand Oaks. We will never stop fighting for you. We will never stop fighting for you on this floor, regardless of the dysfunction in Washington D.C. With that, I strongly urge an aye vote on AJR 27. And I ask for the first roll to be open for co-authors.

Thank you, Mr. Harabedian. Ms. Irwin, you are recognized for Ms. Ortega's desk.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires have suffered long enough, and it is time to deliver the kind of relief that has been afforded to others throughout our nation when natural disasters strike. The initial federal support provided by President Biden provided only a fraction of what is needed for our impacted communities.

We need to restore the lives of 192,000 displaced residents. Despite multiple requests made by Governor Newsom, the President has either attached unrelated conditions to any further aid or, most recently, just failed to respond to the request. This is unacceptable. As previously mentioned, but worth repeating, the full bipartisan California Congressional delegation has signed a letter of support for the aid being requested.

It is time for our federal government to step up and provide relief for California without delay or unrelated conditions. Taking punitive actions against those who have suffered life altering loss is unconscionable. And demands action from this body. I too urge an aye vote on AJR 27.

Thank you, Ms. Irwin. Mr. Patterson, you are recognized on the matter.

Well, thank you, Madam Speaker. I almost said Mr. Speaker. But... Yeah, it's a habit. You know, I wanted to first of all extend my condolences to, you know, the people of Los Angeles who lost a lot, their, you know, lives and property. It's devastating. And you know, I do think one of the roles of government is to provide a safety net for disasters.

And I know my colleagues from Pasadena and Thousand Oaks have worked on this quite a bit, on housing legislation and other things to help the people in Los Angeles recover. A couple things I want to mention is a thing that I've noticed is that we do have legitimate issues in which, whether it's the state or the federal government, the state subsidizing permit fees as people rebuild their lives.

So the local governments continue to charge, and this could be any local government where that has been inflicted by fires. Including in my own district, actually, this has happened as well. And I brought this up to a county that I represent, is that people are trying to rebuild their lives.

And the counties and local governments are continuing to charge, you know, really outrageous fees that are paid for by the taxpayers or the individuals trying to rebuild their lives. And I think that's wrong. I think it's wrong if we're not going to... We shouldn't be subsidizing the government.

We should be helping the people and the local government should be doing the same thing. But the other thing I wanted to mention is there are other places that continue to rebuild from fires that have already occurred in the state of California. Right outside my district, another one of my colleague's districts.

But in a county I represent, El Dorado County, in Grizzly Flats, the entire community burned down from the Caldor Fire. People continue to live in trailers, if they even have something to live in at all. All you have to do is drive to Tahoe and you can see the cleanup that continues to happen several years later.

And so I agree we need to act with a sense of urgency in Los Angeles, but we also need to act with a sense of urgency for the individuals that continue to rebuild throughout the state from these devastating fires.

You know, nothing's more sad than going up to Grizzly Flats and watching elderly individuals shovel snow in front of their trailer just so they can get into their home and have a place to sleep that night. So, but the reason why it's relevant to this particular measure is because the previous President of the United States abandoned them.

And I don't remember a resolution, or I brought this up many times about the federal government then needing to provide aid because they were one of the only communities with this kind of devastation that did not get individual assistance from FEMA dollars. That happens in a lot of other communities.

In most communities, it's been granted routinely, by the way, by President Trump in the previous administration and Joe Biden in other fires. But for some reason, this community in one of my counties was abandoned and continues to be abandoned several years later.

You know, so I'm glad my colleagues brought this resolution to the floor because we need to help the people of Los Angeles and we also need to help the people who continue to rebuild from fires throughout the state. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Rogers, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. What my colleague from Rocklin just said is a real problem, though perhaps a little bit misdiagnosed. The way that FEMA determines whether or not they're going to give assistance at the local level is based on a calculation for each state and the amount of damage that has occurred.

So when you do have a disaster in areas that are smaller, like Rio Dell in my district, they don't get the federal assistance, and it leaves entire communities feeling like that they don't matter because they're not worth enough to the federal government. That does need to be fixed.

And in fact, we're working on a bill this year with the California League of Cities to do just that. But other parts of my community, like Santa Rosa, did get that assistance in 2017. It was a bipartisan effort. It was President Donald Trump who approved that.

And nothing fundamentally has changed about the way that FEMA operates since then. It's the retribution coming out of the White House towards California that has changed. And I am so grateful for all of the assistance that the Legislature gave my community and that the federal government gave my community.

Not just because it helped us to rebuild faster, but psychologically there's something that happens in a disaster area when all of the resources are marshaled that gives people the hope that they're going to be able to come back.

And in those first months to years trying to rebuild your lives after you've lost everything, that hope keeps you rooted in a community. We've seen studies show that the longer it takes for people to rebuild, the more likely their flight is from that area. That means a hit to the economics of that community.

It's a hit to the property values of that community. It actually is a cycle that makes it harder for communities to rebuild the longer that they have to go before people can start to repopulate that area. It is shameful that the President is playing politics with people's lives and with communities' economic goals.

And it is up to us to stand up as a unified body and say that everybody, regardless of how wealthy your community is, regardless of whether you live in a blue state or a red state, is an American in the United States of America. And that we are going to be with you at your darkest time to make sure that you feel supported and that we are going to help communities rebuild. It doesn't matter which community it is. I urge an aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers. Ms. Zbur, you are recognized.