Assembly Standing Committee on Governmental Organization

Good afternoon. We'll go ahead and get the hearing started. We don't have any authors, so, Sergeants, can you please call the authors? It will be quick if we have authors and members. I promise.

My apologies. We're still waiting for members of the committee. We need four more people and we need authors. If anybody is out there, please come. We will try to dispense with the items quickly.

Thank you, mister Rogers. Well, good afternoon again. We have, almost a quorum, but, we have an author here. Thank you to Assemblymember Rogers for getting down here. Let's see.

If you are ready, you may begin. And we are looking at we're and at the moment, we're starting as a subcommittee. As soon as we have a quorum, we'll call for we'll call the role and establish quorum. Thank you. Assemblymember Rogers, you may begin.

Alright. Thank you so much, madam chair and committee. AB 2663 is actually a really simple bill, and I know everybody says that. But during the pandemic, we saw emergency regulations promulgated to assist restaurants that were struggling with the indoor restrictions. We then had sub subsequent legislation from Senator Dodd to create the cocktails to go program.

That program is set to expire, this year on December 31. This bill would simply extend that sunset to our restaurants that are still struggling, and especially in this moment. With me to talk about the bill is Matt Sutton. He's the senior vice president for of for government affairs for the California Restaurant Association.

Thank you, madam chair and members, and thank you Assemblymember Rogers for shepherding this bill and this important effort. I think this committee is somewhat familiar with the underlying policy here. This is extending current law. And in short, as you heard, during the pandemic, there were emergency regulations that allowed alcohol beverages to, be taken out taken away from restaurants with tight, public safety protocols and packaging requirements and things of that nature.

So what you have before you is an extension, and I would argue that this has been renewed a number of times since that emergency regulations.

We had a few different bills, including Senator Dodd. And, in effect, this has been a pilot project that's been in place for quite a while. We've worked with ABC to tighten up any areas that needed to be tightened up early in the program back in sort of the pandemic days. And since then, this has been a wild a wildly popular and successful program.

And the last thing I would add is what we saw coming out of the co COVID pandemic was a lot of changed consumer demands.

And so our guests now expect to be able to take alcohol away with meals, and that is a condition of the bill. So with that, we'd ask for your support. This is an extension of a successful program and something that we would argue has basically been a pilot project. So thank you.

Thank you. Before we continue, I wanna establish quorum. Madam secretary, can you call the roll?

On the quorum, Rubio?

Here.

Rubio here. Davies?

Here.

Davies here. Alvarez? Berman? Brian? Brian here.

Carrillo? Dixon? Dixon here. Fong?

Here.

Fong here. Gabriel? Gallagher? Gibson? Macedo?

Macedo here. Mckinner? Wynn Wynn here. Pacheco?

Here.

Pacheco here. Ramos? Rodriguez? Rodriguez here. Solace?

Soria? Here. Soria here. Ta? Here.

Ta here. Valencia? Wallace? Here.

K. We have a quorum. Let me continue. K. I have a a motion and a second, but do we have any other any members of the audience, in support of the bill?

You may come up.

Good afternoon, chair and members. Naomi Padron on behalf of the Distilled Spirits Council in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Any others in support? K. Are there any witnesses in opposition? K.

Any members of the public in opposition? Okay. Any, questions or comments from the committee? Assembly member Dixon.

Thank you, madam chair. I support the bill. Of course, I always support our restaurants and small business. I do have a question because I represent a beach community. And have you wait.

There's no comment from law enforcement. I'm I don't know the answer, so it's not a trick question. I just wonder if what we're experiencing in our beach communities because there are many restaurants right along the beach within walking distance, and they could leave a restaurant. Is there education or special packaging or how you close-up an open drink? And what what do we do to make sure they're not I'm sure they're going those consumers are going right to the beach and having a good day.

So what do we do to educate people about being careful with their alcohol in public places?

Thank you, assembly woman. I appreciate the question, and it's a great question. I I would say, in short, that if people are taking alcohol to the beach and those kinds of things, then they're subject to, open container laws as it is in many beach areas in San Diego and other areas are pretty strict and have zero tolerance. So, that is a related issue, but I do think separate.

This is this is for folks that are leaving restaurants and transporting by vehicle or going to other places where alcohol is permitted to be consumed.

But you raise a good point, and I I think that, that, again, is governed by existing open container laws.

And and that's true. And and thank you for that because that's what law enforcement would be and lifeguards would be enforcing and protecting on the beaches. I so I haven't heard anything. So maybe it's doing all well in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach. Yeah.

And I'll say as a proud gaucho, drinking on the beach was something that existed prior to this bill. I imagine it'll exist after this bill, but your point is well taken.

But I just wanted to raise that if there was a concern. But if if they are enforcing the laws, that's in good. But I I do want our restaurants to get back on their feet.

Okay. Well, thank you. Alright. Wouldn't wanna get in the way of that. Alright.

Thanks.

Thank you. Any other questions or comments from the committee? K. Hearing none, I just wanted to, add to that that, the safeguards that were put into the bill in 2020 still exist today. So to make sure that we deal with, you know, any unintended consequences that's still in place.

I also, could see that the author will offer, committee amendments adding the urgency clause to the measure, citing the need to provide stability for designated on sale licensees during the New Year's Eve holiday. The amendment is intended to ensure these licensees can continue selling their products without disruption and to prevent economic harm or consumer confusion resulting from the current statutory sunset date of 12/31/2026.

Yeah. And I and I wanna thank, your staff for flagging that, and working with our our retailers on that one. We did not want this law to lapse literally on New Year's, Eve, which is a huge, economic opportunity for our restaurants, just to have it restart on January 1. So we made it very clear with an urgency statute.

Thank you. K. Let's see. See no other comments. Ma'am, we have a motion and a second.

Can you call the roll, please?

AB 2663 Rogers, the motion is do passed as amended to the Committee on Labor and Employment. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye. Davies?

Aye. Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman? Brian?

Aye. Brian, aye. Carrillo? Dixon, Dixon I Fong, Fong, I Gabriel, Gallagher, Gallagher, I Gibson, Macedo, Macedo, I McKinner, Wynn Wynn, Aye. Pacheco?

Aye. Pacheco, Aye. Ramos? Rodriguez? Aye.

Rodriguez, Aye. Solace? Soria? Aye. Soria, Aye.

Ta? Aye. Ta, Aye. Valencia? Wallace?

Aye. Wallace, Aye.

The bill has the votes. We'll leave the roll open for members to add on. Thank you. Thank you. They're on consent.

Yes. Yes. So we'll go ahead and move on to consent calendar. I need a motion.

Motion.

K. I have a motion by Assembly member Dixon. I'm sorry. Assembly member Davies, Second by Assembly member Fong. Can you call the roll, please?

[Roll Call]

The consent calendar has enough votes. We'll leave the roll open for absent members. Thank you. While we're still waiting, I have an announcement. Assemblymember Ta has requested to pull item eight, AB 2294 from today's agenda. Thank you. Thank you.

So I understand that assembly member Haney and assembly member, Mark Gonzalez are on their way. So hopefully, just a few more minutes. Thank you. Welcome, Assemblymember Gonzales.

Welcome, Assemblymember Carillo. Assemblymember Gonzales, as soon as you're ready, we're ready for you.

Thank you, madam chair and members. I am pleased to present AB 2099, which will clarify and codify the term customary maintenance for all outdoor advertising displays. This definition of customary maintenance would include the replacement of structural components such as post or bracings and reinforcement of improvement of existing structures while keeping or reducing the number of post. The term customary maintenance has never been defined in law before, which leaves room for regulatory agencies to give varying interpretations.

A B 2099 will ensure there is consistency in the industry and in the enforcement.

This is a reintroduction of a version of AB 770, which I authored last year and receiving as support in this committee. And I'm also working on amendments to clarify this bill would apply to state permitting process and does not affect or impact the ability of local governments to have their own permits and environmental reviews. This afternoon, priority witnesses in support here to testify on this bill are mister Steve Cruz on behalf of California State Advoor Outdoor Advertising Association and Sean Marcinick for technical questions.

Take it away.

Thank you, Assemblymember. Steve Cruz on behalf of the California State Outdoor Advertising Association in support of AV 2099. Our association represents about 90% of the billboards in our state. As the assembly member stated, the measure provides a clear and reasonable definition of customary maintenance under the Outdoor Advertising Act. Currently, that term is not defined in statute, which has led to inconsistent interpretation and regulatory uncertainty for both the industry and state agencies.

The bill clarifies that routine activities such as replacing structural components or using stronger materials are permissible so long as the display remains in an existing configuration. Importantly, this measure applies only to state law and does not alter or preempt local ordinances. As an assembly overstated, we're gonna work on further amendments to clarify, those that purpose. These maintenance activities are critical to ensuring that structural integrity of of advertising displays, particularly in the face of extreme weather, and help protect both workers and the public.

A b 29 promotes safety, consistency, and clarity without expanding the footprint or changing the the nature of existing displays.

For these reasons, we respectfully ask for your eye vote. And with me here today is Sean Morcinick with Hans and Bridget to answer any technical questions.

Thank you. K. Any witnesses in opposition? Thank you. You'll each have two minutes.

Howdy. Chair and members, my name is Mike Wilson. I'm a Humboldt County supervisor and a licensed professional civil engineer, and I'm here in opposition of two zero nine nine. In Humboldt County, we have about 100 Outdoor Advertising Act permitted billboards, and most are in appropriate locations. Some are in wetlands and culturally sensitive areas.

Every time we try and enforce our building code on these structures, the billboard companies threaten legal action under ODA, and we have to ask Caltrans for their interpretation. We did exactly that just months before the committee analysis referenced a newsletter, and we'd that just before that newsletter came out. That bill letter billboard currently has a pending ODA violation and awaiting a judge's ruling. For us, the newsletter was not new guidance. It confirmed what we already knew.

CCR section two seven zero seven, excuse me, zero, has defined customary maintenance since 1976. Courts have applied it and upheld it. The law did not change. AB 2099 is a response to a potential enforcement signal, not any new change policy. AB 299 effectively removes the permit trigger for new structural work on existing billboards statewide.

Any city, county, or state agency that requires a building permit to work for work beyond the currently permitted structure may incur eminent domain level compensation claims under BBC section five four one two, Caltrans, Fish and Wildlife, your local building department, just for doing their jobs. When permit enforcement becomes a financial and litigation liability, worker safety, public safety, and environmental protection suffer. And I've looked at the potential amendments, and I can tell you, they don't address what we're trying to get to because of that section.

When nonconforming structures structures are constructed using new materials, their replacement value increases substantially without tax assessment. And when jurisdiction later needs to remove that structure for road realignment or new development, eminent domain compensation will be exponentially higher for new for that new structure and then than it is for depreciated wood one to get replaced.

I urge you to hold this bill in committee until these issues are addressed. Thank you.

Thank you. Go ahead.

Good afternoon, chair and members. I'm Alex Loomer on behalf of the Environmental Protection Information Center. We work to protect old growth forests, wetlands, and wild places along the North Coast, and I'm here today in respectful opposition to AB 2099. The Outdoor Advertising Act or OAA was enacted in response to the Federal Highway Beautification Act of 1965, and its explicit purpose was to bring California into compliance with federal standards designed to protect natural landscapes and viewsheds.

The OAA established regulatory standards for the placement of billboards and a framework under which existing nonconforming displays in sensitive areas would be eventually be removed as their useful life ended.

Essentially, pre OAA billboards were temporarily grandfathered in. The law was not designed to make all their billboards permanent. It was designed to manage their gradual reduction. AB 299 inverts that framework by allowing unlimited structural reconstruction under the definition of maintenance and removing the normal lifespan limitation. The bill would make nonconforming billboards in sensitive areas effectively permanent.

Displays in sensitive areas like a wetland could now be structurally fortified without a permit, without environmental review, and without end of life limitation that was supposed to trigger an eventual removal. This is not a minor issue. Of the more than 6,300 billboards along California highways, more than 500 are in or near wetlands and bays, and more than 600 are adjacent to cultural tribal cultural sites and historic resources. These are structures the OA was meant to manage towards eventual removal.

AB 299 instead grants them structural immortality.

The bill also retroactively protects unpermitted structured structural elements and additions made without environmental review by defining maintenance around whatever is physically on the structure today rather than what is the permit originally authorized. For these reasons, we urge the committee to vote no on AB 2999.

Thank you. Thank you. Any members of the public in support of the bill, you may step to the microphone. Okay. Seeing none. Any members of the public in opposition? Please approach the mic.

Good afternoon, madam chair. Karen Lang, off of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in opposition. Thank you.

Motion.

Any other members in opposition? K. Bringing it back up to the committee. Any questions or comments from the committee members?

K. I have a motion by Assemblymember Soria and a second by Assemblymember Wynne. Okay. Assemblymember, you may close.

Thank you so much. We will work together on this. I just wanna keep in mind that this is related to making sure that we cleaned up a lot of these billboards that are often get locally permitted, that are often abandoned, that are not maintained. And our goal here is to be able to create that definition so that it gives the ability for the folks who are utilizing those billboards, not new billboards. This is not creating new billboards.

This is just simply making to make sure that the community looks good, it's clean, and that it's maintained, and that the folks who are advertising in it are the ones who are maintaining it as well. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Alright. Madam, you may call the roll, please.

AB 2099, Mark Gonzalez. The motion is do passed to the committee on appropriations. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye.

Davies? Aye. Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman?

Brian? Brian, Aye, Carrillo. Carrillo, Aye, Dixon. Dixon, Aye, Fong. Fong, Aye, Gabriel.

Gibson, Macedo, Macedo, Aye, McKinner. Win. Win, Aye, Pacheco. Aye. Pacheco, Aye, Ramos.

Aye. Ramos, Aye. Rodriguez, Aye. Solace. Soria.

Aye.

Soria, Aye. Ta.

Aye.

Ta, Aye. Valencia. Wallace? Aye.

Wallace, aye. K. K. The measure has the votes to get out, but we will leave the role open for, APTAC members. Thank you.

K. We're opening the roll for the consent calendar for members that just arrived.

[Roll Call]

Thank you, Assemblymember Haney. You may begin when you're ready.

Alright. Thank you, Madam chair and members. I'm proud to present, AB 2017, the California Eid State Holiday Act, which recognizes Eid Al Fitr and Eid al Adha in California and ensures students observing Eid receive excused absences. California is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the country with well over 500,000 Muslim residents, yet our state calendar does not reflect these deeply significant observances.

Eid is the the most holy days in in Islam marked by prayer, reflection, charity, and community, and are observed by over 1.9 bill billion Muslims worldwide.

Despite this, Muslim students across California are often forced to choose between attending school or fully observing their holidays. Even when absences are excused, students miss instructional time and can feel isolated from their peers. Employees face similar challenges when workplaces do not formally recognize Eid. California prides itself on being one of the most diverse and inclusive states in the nation, but our laws have not yet caught up.

Other jurisdictions, including Washington State, New York City, and say several major school districts have already taken steps to formally recognize Eid.

AB 2017 will bring California in line with these efforts by adding Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha to the state holiday calendar while maintaining flexibility for courts and local educational agencies. This approach mirrors how California recognizes observances such as Lunar, New Year, and Diwali. Here to testify with me today is commissioner Tara Goraya on behalf of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and Usama Muqaddam, legislative and government affairs director for the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Thank you. You'll each have two minutes. Excellent.

Well, good afternoon. Madam Chair, Rubio and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today in a strong support of AB 2017. This is exactly the type of bill that reflects the values of California to that strives to ensure that every community is seen, respected, and included. I wanna thank Assemblymember Haney for championing this bill and making sure that all communities are in fact included.

My name is Tara Groya, and I serve as a commissioner on the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs.

Yes. It's a a mouthful, or we affectionately call CAPIA. The commission is one of the proud sponsor of AB 2017. The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs represents more than 7,000,000 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across California. We serve as a bridge between the governor, the legislature, and the diverse communities we represent, helping ensure the voices, cultures, and needs of our communities are heard and respected.

Muslim Californias are an integral part of the fabric of this state. For me, this bill is deeply personal. I am Muslim American, Asian American, and a Californian that was born actually right here in Sacramento. And I know what it means when the state acknowledges your community's traditions as part of California story. AB 2017 is more than adding another date to the calendar.

It is about recognition. It is about belonging. It is about telling approximately 1,000,000 Californians who celebrate Eid that we see. Eid is a meaningful and cultural and religious moment. I still remember celebrating Eid as a student.

Like many families, my parents needed to get creative to make sure that holiday was excused and, in fact, that we were able to also get credit for our schoolwork. And for a mom now of two who are in fourth grade and sixth grade, I want children to feel proud of who they are, proud of their culture, proud of their faith, and never be afraid to share it. Recognizing Eid as a state holiday would allow families celebrate openly and without penalty.

At the commission, we have learned that understanding each other's cultures strengthens our community and strengthens California. Eid deserves that recognition.

AB 2017 will help ensure Muslim Californians and many families who celebrate Eid are seen, understood, and reflected in the story of California. For these reasons and many, many more, I respectfully urge your aye vote on AB 2017, and I thank you for your time today.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, madam chair and members of the committee. My name is Usama Muqaddim, and I currently serve as the legislative and government affairs director for the Council on American Islamic Relations California chapter, the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties organization and a proud cosponsor of AB 2017. As the committee that oversees the organization of our state agencies, you know that these holidays are more than just administrative scheduling. They're a reflection of our state's values.

AB 2017 formally includes Eid al Fitr and Eid al Abha, the two primary holidays for Muslims worldwide as a part of our state's law.

It gives Muslim state employees the equitable option to use their earned holiday credit without friction and grants public schools the authorization to observe these days. But beyond government organization, this bill is a critical intervention for the well-being of our Muslim youth in California. Care California recently released our 2025 bullying report, and the findings are sobering. Fifty percent of Muslim students in California report experiencing bullying based on their religious identity. Half of our Muslim students feel a fundamental lack of safety and belonging in their schools.

And most alarmingly, forty three percent of these students have missed school entirely as a result of this hostility. I know that these realities are very intimate to someone like me who grew up in a most a post 09/11 America as a Muslim with the name, Osama. And I experienced firsthand the weight of being treated as an outsider. And tragically, this isn't just a relic of the past.

Today, we're seeing a resurgence in anti Muslim hostility and rhetoric being spewed at the highest levels of our nation's government.

When elected officials rely on rhetoric and policies that scapegoat communities and divide us by religion, that hostility trickles down into our local classrooms. It emboldens bullies, it erodes our sense of safety, and it forces our children to carry a burden they do not deserve. And in the face of this national climate, California has a responsibility to chart a different path here. Islam teaches that with difficulty comes ease.

So for California's over 1,000,000 Muslims, many of whom are state workers, parents, and children, AB 2017 represents this ease.

And publicly recognizing Eid through our state apparatus is a powerful way for this legislature to declare that Muslim tradition traditions and presence are deeply valued and institutionally protected here in California. And for those reasons, I respectfully respectfully request your eye vote on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Any, witnesses in opposition? Okay. Seeing none, any members of the public I can support? You can step up to the mic.

And that be your name, organization, and your position.

Hello. My name is Mohammed Abu Zaid. I'm the son and grandson of SEIU Local 87, a union rooted in diversity and equality. I stand here not only as a Muslim student representing members of the Local 87 and the Yemeni Student Club, but as an Arab American high schooler who studies the same curriculum and follows the same rules and contributes to the same community as everyone else.

Excuse me. So thank you. Your name, position, and organization, where you need to move it along. The primary witness has already did their two minutes. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you.

Good afternoon, assembly members. My name is Abdo Hadwan. I'm the vice president of SEIU Local 87 in San Francisco, and I'm here to support AB 2017. Thank you, Mar.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, chair and members. Omar Al Tamimi here in my capacity as the vice chair of SALAM, the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims in support. Thank you. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Manushi. I'm a small business owner here in Sacramento, and I'm in support of this bill. Thank you. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Fosia Farooq. I'm the policy and advocacy coordinator for CARE Sacramento Valley Central California. And on behalf of CARE SBCC in Chirilla, we are proud to express our support.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Kasarimi. I'm, with CHIRLA. I'm here to support of the bill. Thank you

Thank you.

Hello, everyone. I'm Hasina Bahram, program coordinator at Salam Islamic Center, and I'm here to support AB 2017.

Thank you.

Chair and members, Hala Hejazi, founder of Muslim Impact Council and a twenty five year public servant. I'm here in support of AB 2017.

Thank you. K. Any other members in support.

My name is Ahmed Abou-zaid. I am with the Yemeni Association and I support the bill. Please vote for it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

K. Any other members in support? K. Any members of the audience in opposition? K.

Seeing none, I'll bring it back up to the DIAAS. Assemblymember Nguyen.

Thank you, madam chair. I wanna thank the member for bringing this forward. I have a huge, huge community of Muslim Americans in my district. And when I saw this come across, it just made my heart smile because it is about time that we bring this forward and that we recognize this and share it.

Share it with all of us to be able to offer this opportunity for other children to understand it, to celebrate it, to know it, to love it, and to just make sure that we wanna say that we accept all of you and we accept this and that we're so happy and proud to be able to celebrate this with all of you and that, it just opens up an opportunity to learn more about everybody's culture.

And so I wanna thank you for coming out here to testify, and I wanna thank all of you for coming out here to speak out and show your support for this as well too. I know that, we could have had this whole entire capital filled with community members to talk about how this is so needed. So thank you, assembly member Haney, for bringing this forward. This is such a great and wonderful opportunity. I am proud to move this bill if I can, madam chair.

Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments? Yes. Assemblymember Brian and then assemblymember, Gabriel.

I just wanna thank our colleague from San Francisco. This is long overdue. We're behind other states, and it's important that we affirm and we see our Muslim community, and give folks the flexibility to make this a state holiday. I'd be happy to join you as a co author, and I second the motion to move the bill.

Thank you. Assemblymember Gabriel?

Yeah. Thank you very much, madam chair. And I I also wanna thank my colleague from San Francisco. I wanna thank all the witnesses and everyone who came to speak in support of this, and really just associate myself with the comments of our colleague from the Sacramento area. You know, this really struck a chord with me as a as a little kid, you know, and being a religious minority and being Jewish.

There are so many times when school would start around Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. We would have graduations on Jewish holidays, And it puts young people and their families in a really challenging position. And acceptance and actually, more than acceptance, celebration of diversity, celebration of religious minority, celebration of the fact that we are so fortunate to live in a a state that is blessed with people of many different faiths and backgrounds and cultures, is really important.

And so I think this is a really, a a beautiful bill. I appreciate you bringing it forward.

And I'll also just associate myself with what the assembly member said. It it provides a beautiful opportunity to teach our kids. You know, I I have three little boys and they've come home from school, you know, asking me about Diwali. My son got really angry at me the other day that we don't celebrate Lunar New Year. And so he's asking me all these questions about why we don't you know, where's his red envelope?

So but it is. It's a beautiful opportunity. You know, we have Armenian genocide day off in in LAUSD. And I think that they become really powerful teaching tools for our kids both about the diversity of the state, and this will be a a beautiful way to teach our kids about Islam and about the contributions of the Muslim community to California, into the world, but also, to help them to think as as global citizens.

So just wanna thank you, and I too look forward to supporting the bill.

Thank you. Any other comments? Assemblymember Mckinnor?

Yes. I would just like to thank the author for the bill. Thank you guys for coming up and speaking with us, and I would just like to be added as a co author.

Of course.

I love a Haney bill.

Thank you. Thank you. It's It's mutual.

Assemblymember Gipson.

Well, thank you very much. I wanna thank the author for his bold leadership. And, let me just align my comments with the those who've already spoken. I think that with everything that's going on in our country today, California yet another time shows great leadership, shows unite shows a united front in solidarity.

Certainly, the rest of the country can learn from California as being a leader, showing a a united front, showing that every time that racism and discrimination ridges ugly head, that California can continue to shine and shine bright for as an example, as a state, being united, and certainly for our children, can one when this bill passes, hopefully, it it certainly gets to the governor's desk.

It could be another feather in our hat to one display that, during this time, we could all stand in in unity together, and celebrate, for all of our children this holiday, standing unity like all the other holidays. So, one, I would ask the author if he would also add my name as a coauthor on this bill. And thank you very much to the witnesses for articulating this point. I'm surprised that we haven't done this sooner.

So maybe just needed you to be elected for you to bring this bill forward.

So thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments? No. With that, I want to also thank you for that. I know that we celebrate many, many cultures and communities and know that this is just another addition to the many, the diversity that we have in our state.

So thank you very much for bringing forward. And assembly member, you may close.

Thank Thank you so much, madam chair, and thank you to to all of the members for your for your comments. I could not agree more. We are a country that is founded on religious freedom. It is in our first amendment. We are the most diverse state in the country.

Every single one of us has Muslim residents, Muslim Californians, Muslim workers, Muslim students who are contributing so much to our state. And this is the way that we can recognize their most holy of days, and provide them with the opportunity to celebrate, with their families, with their communities. And even more, as you all have said, make sure that they feel fully included included and seen, in in their in their in their full identity, across our state, and this will help to do that.

I just, lastly, really wanna thank the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, CARE California, and the Muslim Impact Council, and and Hala Hejazi who's here, without whom this would not have happened. And and the folks from SEIU eighty seven who came up today, there is huge support for this across the state.

And with that, respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you very much. I have a motion by Assemblymember Nguyen and a second by Assemblymember Pacheco. Secretary, can you please call the roll?

File item five AB 2017 by Assembly member Haney. The motion is do passed to the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye.

Davies? Aye. Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman?

Brian? Brian? Brian? Carrillo? Carrillo?

Carrillo, Aye. Dixon? Dixon, Aye. Fong? Fong?

Fong? Fong? Gabriel, Aye. Gallagher? Gipson?

Aye. Gipson, Aye. Macedo? Mckinner. Mckinner, I Nguyen.

Nguyen, aye. Pacheco? Pacheco, Aye. Ramos? Ramos, Iaye. Rodriguez? Rodriguez, aye. Solace? Solace, aye. Soria? Ta?

Aye. Ta, aye. Valencia? Valencia, aye. Wallace?

Aye. Wallace, aye.

Thank you. That bill has the votes to pass, but we'll leave the roll open for absent members. Thank you. We'll go next to assembly member, Addis.

Thank you, madam chair and members and staff. I'm gonna keep my, comments short and then, turn it over to our witnesses to tell you a little bit more about this. But the gist is that I'm here to present e b twenty seven thirty one that would authorize 12 additional alcohol licenses for Santa Cruz County, six of which would be reserved for the city of Watsonville and the other six for Southern San Santa Cruz County.

I'm happy to tell you all about it if you have questions, but I'm gonna pass it on to my two witnesses to tell you a little bit more about this. And then if members have questions, I can go into detail.

Yep. Thank you. You all you each have two minutes. You may continue.

Thank you. Hi, everybody. Kim DeSerpa. I'm a second district supervisor in the county of Santa Cruz. Thank you for hearing our pleas today regarding this issue.

And thank you to assembly member Dawn Addis. The measure would authorize, like she said, the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control to issue an additional 12 licenses to entities within the county of Santa Cruz. Specifically, six licenses would be issued to entities within the city of Watsonville, and the remaining six would be issued to entities within the communities of Aptos, Capitola, Live Oak, and Soquel.

The board supports the board of supervisors supports this effort to assist small businesses seeking to locate in these parts of the county, as well as to advance equitable economic development opportunities for these communities. Currently, the city of Santa Cruz proper, which has a very similar population to the city of Watsonville, holds over 60 type 47 licenses.

The city of Watsonville, by contrast, who has a similar population, like I said, holds six licenses. This is a matter of equity. The area that I represent, which has about a population a little bit less, has 12 licenses. As a result, no new businesses can apply or obtain any licenses locally because we've reached our cap as of 06/30/2025. So as as a result, no new businesses can apply for, locally under the current law. Businesses seeking to serve spirits must therefore purchase an existing license on the secondary market where inflated costs create significant barriers for small and locally owned establishments.

So we're talking about type 47. These are restaurant liquor licenses. In our county, they can cost upwards of $300,000 on the secondary market. Tourism in the Santa Cruz County is tourism is the leading industry in Santa Cruz County.

I you're too Oh, I'm so sorry.

Okay. Thank you very much.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon. My name is Tamara Vides. I'm the city manager for the city of Watsonville, and I am here today in strong support of AB 2731. As you heard, this is a significant challenges for our communities because of the statutory cap that our county has reached. So small businesses, business that want to expand and grow really have a challenge in obtaining these type of licenses.

I wanna touch on the for the last seven years, the city of Watsonville has carefully prepared to ensure the responsible expansion of alcohol service establishments in our community. We have a local ordinance that really established a strong safety net and prioritizes responsible operations, prevents misuse, and really ensures accountability. We, have a very strong local oversight and enforcement tools available, that really supports this time of, expansion of of this type of businesses. At the same time, our policies are supporting supporting balanced economic growth.

And these efforts will support a vibrant and mixed use downtown and thriving economy in our community, one that both the county supervisors and our city council strongly support. So like many counties before us, AB 2731 really provides a measure and limited expansion of licenses, creating the availability and really taking advantage of building an equitable economic development, supporting local entrepreneurship, and allowing cities like Watsonville to fully implement the safeguards we have put in place. We respectfully urge you to support, and thank you.

Thank you. Any witnesses in opposition? K. Seeing none, members of the public in support of the bill, please come up to the microphone. K.

Any members of the public in opposition? K. Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the committee. Any questions, comments from committee members? K.

I have a motion by Assemblymember Pacheco and a second by Assemblymember Solace. I just wanted to add that the current distribution of type 47 licenses in Santa Cruz County is not aligned with population patterns.

And the author's amendments are to maintain consistency with prior legislative exemptions for new original neighborhood restricted special on sale general license issued to bona fide public eating places in designated counties or census checks, the bill should be amended to provide that the ABC shall not issue more than five such licenses per year under the specified provisions. With that, Assemblymember, you may close.

Thank you so much, madam chair. The the, one detail that I will add is that, the bill does prevent, like, these new licenses from being sold on the secondary market, which I think is very important given the cost of license original licenses and licenses on the secondary market. And, with that, I'll respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Okay. I have a motion. Yes.

Yes.

Yes. And you just were accepting all the amendments. Correct?

Yes. Okay. Thank you. With that, I have a motion by Assemblymember that was Pacheco en solace, Ian Gibson, everybody.

That's right.

Madam Secretary, can you please call the roll?

File item 16, AB 272731 by Assemblymember Addis. The motion is do passed as amended to the Committee on Appropriations. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, I Davies?

Aye. Davies, Aye. Alvarez? Yes. Berman.

Brian? Brian? Brian, I Carrillo? Aye. Carrillo, I Dixon?

Aye. Dixon, I Fong? Aye. Fong Aye. Gabriel Aye.

Gallagher. Gibson. Aye. Gibson Aye. Macedo.

McKinner. McKinner Aye. Win. Win Aye. Pacheco.

Aye. Pacheco Aye. Ramos. Ramos, Aye, Rodriguez. Rodriguez, Aye, Solace.

Aye. Solace, Aye, Soria. Ta? Aye. Ta, Aye, Valencia.

Wallace? Aye. Wallace, Aye.

Thank you. The bill has votes and we'll leave the roll open for additional members. Thank you. Thank you. K.

And last but not least, Assemblymember Jackson.

Assembly member Jackson, you might you may okay. Begin.

Play play. Don't start, please. Do not start.

Thank you very much, madam chair, members. This is AB 1823 which would require state agencies and departments to develop or update all strategic plans to incorporate practices that advance equity and require a racial equity analysis before implementing any budgets, or regulations. In 2022, Governor Newsom announced executive order n sixteen twenty two, which tasked departments and agencies with embedding equity into their strategic plans from 2023 through 2026.

We should commend the governor's leadership with his executive order and the steps taken by the state to provide support for these efforts. Resources such as the Racial Equity Framework and the Racial Equity Commission are a great start, but we must do more to achieve equity on a systemic level for this administration and future administrations to come.

California thrives when all communities thrive. AB 1823 lays the foundation for equity to be embedded in government policies and programs to better meet the needs of such a diverse population as California, so that no one falls through the cracks. With me today is Holly Nicoll, a program officer leading the Capital Collaborative on Race and Equity at the Public Health Institute.

Thank you. And good afternoon, madam chair and members. I'm Holly Nickel, Ken from the State of Equity and the co cofounder of the Capital Collaborative on Race and Equity, where since 2017, we have worked with over 60 state government entities to provide connection, learning support, and coaching on how they

racial equity in all government operations. We've also worked with the possibility lab at UC Berkeley to complete a racial equity assessment across the state apparatus where we surveyed a 145 state entities and conducted interviews with employees responsible for moving equity forward in their organizations.

From both our decade of work and from the racial equity assessment that informed the California Racial Equity Commission's racial equity framework in the past year, we have found that there is a strong mass of state employees who have self coordinated their own equity efforts. The most common types of created infrastructure put in place to support racial equity work include dedicated staff, equity work groups, and web pages with equity focused information.

But these efforts often lack clarity and authority, are understaffed, are not standardized, have little transparency transparency, excuse me, and lack accountability.

In interviews I conducted, participants suggested that the success of future racial equity efforts in part will depend on tools, guidance, and templates to support equity in strategic planning and budgeting. So it's clear that what is needed is durable and lasting codified infrastructure and guidance that will help employees and state entities year after year be accountable for racial equity both in their strategic plans and with their budgets proactively instead of retroactively.

AB 1823 is a critical piece of legislation that provides a clear actionable framework to ensure state agencies deliver out equitable outcomes, not just intentions. So I respectfully ask for your a vote.

Thank you. K. Any other witnesses in support? K. Any witnesses in opposition?

K. Seeing none, members of the public in support, you may come up to the microphone. Name organization and position.

Good afternoon members. My name is Elena Santamaria. On behalf of NextGen California and Public Health Advocates we're in support. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. Maria Barakat with the Greenlining Institute in support.

Thank you. Any other members of the public in support. Okay. Any members of the public in opposition. Okay.

Seeing none I'll bring you back up to the dais. Any comments questions from the committee. K. Seeing none, Assemblymember Jackson, you may close. Oh, I'm sorry.

Assemblymember Mckinnor. Apologies.

Thank you, madam chair. First, I wanna thank Assemblymember Jackson for his leadership and commitment to advancing equity. Your effort in the past to provide direction to ensure that the state understands what it actually means to operate government policies and programs through an equity lens has not gone unnoticed. Oftentimes in my district, I see communities being left out of the policy making process and systemic inequities continuously harming my constituents they are meant to support.

Redlining was a discriminatory nineteen thirties era practice where the government and leaders systematically denied mortgages and financial services to residents in specific neighborhoods, primarily targeting black communities.

It is no surprise that the redlining maps of the nineteen thirties mirror the air quality maps of today that shows that communities I represent like Hawthorne and Englewood have some of the poor the poorest air quality in the state. That was ninety years ago. I'd like government played a role in creating disparities back then, but must be a part of the solution making process today to right these wrongs.

And I believe 1823 is a step in the right direction in making in taking care of California's first. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments from or questions from committee members? K. Thank you. Hearing none, Assemblymember Jackson, you may close.

Thank you very much, madam chair. You know, equity has actually been an enduring principle, of civilizations for thousands of years. You can read in the book of Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah that talks about God saying you need to rule with justice, equality, and equity. You can see that in Thomas Jefferson's writings, understanding that, yes, we need justice, yes, we need equality, But sometimes, there are special circumstances, where what we're doing for the entire society still doesn't meet the needs of people, smaller groups of people.

So we need equity to ensure that their needs are being met as well.

And it's the same thing as a trained social worker where you create these huge programs to try to capture as many people as possible. But understanding that no matter how wide of a net you cast, there's always gonna be people who are falling through the cracks. And we can't just say, sorry. We missed you. We have to then say, okay, what are your specific needs?

What are your specific circumstances? And what can we do to making sure that you are gonna be your needs are being met as well? So all this says is that California is diverse and will continue to be diverse with multiple needs, and we need to make sure that we, make it a priority to look for people who have fallen through the cracks so that they can be served as well. So with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Okay. We have a motion and a second. Gibson? Does somebody remember Gibson?

And We have Kirill Solace. Yeah. We have, assembly member Kirillen Solace earlier. So Thank you.

And Gibson.

I think Carillo was the third, but okay.

Yes. Thank you. Madam secretary, can you please call the roll?

[Roll Call]

We'll open the roll for the absent members.

[Roll Call]

Thank you. We'll go ahead and adjourn at 03:28PM. Thank you.