April 8, 2026 · Governmental Organization · 8,548 words · 24 speakers · 202 segments
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. 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. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you 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. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Mr 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 see If you are ready you may begin And we are looking at And at the moment, we're starting as a subcommittee. As soon as we have a quorum, we'll call the roll and establish quorum. Thank you. Assemblymember Rogers, you may begin.
All right. 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 subsequent legislation from Senator Dodd to create the Cocktails to Go program. That program is set to expire this year on December 31st. 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 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 wildly popular and successful program. And the last thing I would add is what we saw coming out of the 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 want to 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. Fong here. Gabriel. Gallagher. Gibson. Mesito. Mesito here. McKinner. Wynn. Wynn here. Pacheco. Pacheco here. Ramos. Rodriguez. Rodriguez here. Solache. Soria. Soria here. Ta here, Valencia, Wallace.
Okay, we have a quorum.
You may continue.
Okay, I have a motion in 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
Okay, are there any witnesses in opposition? Okay. Any members of the public in opposition? Okay. Any questions or comments from the committee? Assemblymember 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 there's no comment from law enforcement. 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 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, Stephanie. I appreciate the question, and it's a great question. 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 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 think that that, again, is governed by existing open container laws. And that's true. And thank you for that, because that's what law enforcement would be, and lifeguards would be enforcing and protecting on the beaches. So I haven't heard anything.
So maybe it's doing all well in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach. But I just wanted to raise that if there was a concern. But if they are enforcing the laws, that's good. But I do want our restaurants to get back on their feet. I'll say as a proud gaucho, drinking on the beach was something that existed prior to this bill. I imagine it will exist after this bill. But your point is well taken.
Okay.
Well, thank you.
All right. Wouldn't want to get in the way of that. All right. Thanks. Thank you. Any other questions or comments from the committee? Okay. 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 see that the author will offer committee amendments adding the urgency clause to the measure, citing the need to provide stability for designated on-sell 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 December 31, 2026. Yeah, and I want to thank your staff for flagging that and working with 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 1st. So we made it very clear with an urgency statute. Thank you. Okay, let's see. See no other comments?
Madam, we have a motion in a second.
Can you call the roll, please?
AB 2663 Rogers The motion is due pass as amended to the Committee on Labor and Employment Rubio Aye Rubio aye Davies Aye Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman? Brian? Brian, aye. Carrio? Dixon? Dixon, aye. Fong? Fong, aye. Gabriel? Gallagher? Gallagher, aye. Gibson? Masito? Masito, aye. McKinner? Wynne. Wynne, aye. Pacheco? Aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos? Rodriguez? Aye. Rodriguez, aye. Solache? 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. They're on consent. Yes. Yes. So we'll go ahead and move on to consent calendar. I need a motion. Motion. Okay. I have a motion by Assemblymember Dixon. I'm sorry, Assemblymember Davies, a second by Assemblymember Fong. Can you call the roll, please? For the consent calendar. And yes. Second.
See, the measures on consent are AB 1947, Ta, AB 1991, Aguirre-Curry, AB 2006, Michelle Rodriguez, AB 2173 Wallace, AB 2360 Arambula, AB 2375 Rubio, AB 2455 Haney, AB 2536 Rubio, AB 2539 Ramos, and AB 2644 Rubio.
Madam Secretary, can you call the roll, please?
The motions on the consent calendar are as follows. 1947, do pass to appropriations, recommend consent. 1991, do pass to appropriations, recommend consent. uruwegia £2006,rone bissar do pass to appropriations recommend consentwerk marriedCA giants staff do pass to appropriations recommend consent 2375 due pass recommend consent 25th but 599 due pass recommend consent Assistance flexencer. observers recommends consent confederate Rubio, aye. Rubio, aye. Davies, aye. Davies, aye. Alvarez, Berman, Brian. Brian, aye. Carrillo, Dixon, Dixon, aye. Fong, aye. Fong, aye. Gabriel, Gallagher, Gallagher, aye. Gibson, Mesito, aye. Mesito, aye. McKinner, Nguyen, Nguyen, aye. Pacheco, aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos, Rodriguez Aye Solache Soria Aye Soria Aye Ta Aye Ta Aye Valencia Wallace Wallace Aye
Okay, the consent calendar has enough votes. We'll leave the roll open for absent members. Thank you Thank you. While we're still waiting, I have an announcement. has requested to pull item 8, AB 2294 from today's agenda. Thank you. Thank you. are on their way. So hopefully just a few more minutes. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Welcome Assemblymember Gonzalez. Welcome Assemblymember Carrillo. Assemblymember Gonzalez, 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 posts or bracings in the reinforcement of improvement of existing structures while keeping or reducing the number of posts. The term customary maintenance has never been defined in law before, which leaves room for regulatory agencies to give varying interpretations. AB 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. I am 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, primary witnesses in support here to testify on this bill are Mr. Steve Cruz on behalf of California State 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 AB 2099. Our association represents about 90% of the billboards in our state. As the Assemblymember 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 member stated, we're going to work on further amendments to clarify that purpose. These maintenance activities are critical to ensuring that structural integrity of advertising displays particularly in the face of extreme weather help protect both workers and the public AB 29 promotes safety consistency and clarity without expanding the footprint or changing the nature of existing displays For these reasons, we respectfully ask for your I vote. And with me here today is Sean Morcinek with Hanson Bridget to answer any technical questions. Thank you.
Okay. Any witnesses in opposition? Thank you, Yoli. We 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 2099. 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 did that just before that newsletter came out. That 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 270 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 for work beyond the currently permitted structure may incur eminent domain-level compensation claims under BBC Section 5412, 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 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 that new structure than it is for a depreciated wood one it 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 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 non-conforming 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 tribal cultural sites and historic resources. These are structures the OAA was meant to manage towards eventual removal. AB 299 instead grants them structural immortality. The bill also retroactively protects unpermitted 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 on behalf of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in opposition. Thank you.
Any other members in opposition? Okay, bringing it back up to the committee. Any questions or comments from the committee members? Okay, 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 want to keep in mind that this is related to making sure that we cleaned up a lot of these billboards that 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. which 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 it are the ones who are maintaining it as well. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.
All right. Madam, you may call the roll, please.
AB2099, Mark Gonzalez, the motion is due passed to the Committee on Appropriations. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye. Davies? Aye. Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman. Brian? Brian, aye. Carrillo, aye. Dixon, aye. Fong, aye. Fong, aye. Gabriel, Gallagher, Gibson, Macedo, Macedo, aye. McKinner, Nguyen, Nguyen, aye. Pacheco, aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos, Ramos, aye. Rodriguez, Rodriguez, aye. Solache, Soria, aye. Soria, aye. Ta, aye. Ta, aye. Valencia? Wallace? Wallace, aye.
Okay, the measure has the votes to get out, but we will leave the roll open for absent members. Thank you. Okay, we're opening the roll for the consent calendar for members that just arrived. On the consent calendar, Alvarez, Berman, Gabriel Gibson, McKinner, Ramos, Ramos I, Carrillo, Carrillo I, Solache, Valencia. Thank you. Ramos I. Solache, Valencia. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we'll go ahead and open the roll for our member that just arrived. On the consent calendar, Solache?
Aye. Solache, aye.
File item 6, AB 2099, Gonzalez. Solache?
Aye.
I file items 15 AB 2663. Solache I so Lachia I Gibson Gibson I AB 2099, Gibson.
Gibson, aye.
On the consent calendar, Gibson.
Gibson, aye.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Opening the roll for assembly member Valencia on the consent calendar.
Valencia, aye.
File item 6, AB 2099, Valencia.
Valencia, aye.
File item 15, AB 2663, Valencia.
Valencia, aye.
Thank you. Still waiting for Assemblymember Jackson, Assemblymember Haney and Assemblymember Addis. Welcome Assemblymember Haney. Thank you Assemblymember Haney You may begin when you ready All right.
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. 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 most holy days in Islam, marked by prayer, reflection, charity, and community, and are observed by over 1.9 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 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-Ada 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 Gauraya on behalf of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and Usama Mukadame, 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, that strives to ensure that every community is seen, respected, and included. I want to thank Assemblymember Haney for championing this bill and making sure that all communities are, in fact, included. My name is Tara Grya, and I serve as a commissioner on the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs. Yes, it's a mouthful, or we affectionately call CAPIA. The commission is one of the proud sponsors of AB 2017. The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs represents more than 7 million 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 that voices, cultures, and needs of our communities are heard and respected. Muslim Californians 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's 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 one million Californians who celebrate Eid that we see you. 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 all. to 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 ETH as a state holiday would allow families to celebrate openly and without penalty. At the commission, we have learned that understanding each other's cultures strengthens our community and strengthens California. ETH deserves that recognition. AB 2017 will help ensure Muslim Californians and the 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 Osama 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 co-sponsor 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. 50% 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 a belonging in their schools. And most alarmingly, 43% 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 post-9-11 America as a Muslim with the name Usama. 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 one million 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 traditions and presence are deeply valued and institutionally protected here in California. And for those reasons, I respectfully request your aye vote on this bill. Thank you.
Thank you. Any witnesses in opposition? Casey, any members of the public in 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 is already there. 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, Matt. Thank you.
Good afternoon, chair and members. Omar Al-Tamimi here in my capacity as the vice chair of Salaam, the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims, in support. Thank you.
Thank you.
Good afternoon. My name is Manoushi. 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 Farouk. I'm the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for CARE Sacramento Valley, Central California. And on behalf of CARE SVCC in Chirala, we are proud to express our support.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Kassar Amini. I'm with Chirala. 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. Thank you.
Sharon, members, Hala Hijazi, founder of Muslim Impact Council, and a 25-year public servant. I'm here in support of AB 2017.
Thank you. Okay. Any other members in support?
My name is Ahmed Abu Zaid. I am with the Yemen Association, and I support the bill. Please vote for it.
Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Any other members in support? Okay, any members of the audience in opposition? Okay, seeing none, I'll bring you back up to the dais, Assemblymember Nguyen.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to 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 want to 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 want to thank you for coming out here to testify. And I want to 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 Capitol filled with community members to talk about how this is so needed. So thank you, Assemblymember Haney, for bringing this board. 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 So yes Assemblymember Brian and then Assemblymember Gabriel I just want to thank our colleague from San Francisco This is long overdue We behind other states and it 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 also want to thank my colleague from San Francisco. I want to 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 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 minorities, celebration of the fact that we are so fortunate to live in 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 beautiful bill. I appreciate you bringing it forward. And I'll also just associate myself with what the assembly member said. It provides a beautiful opportunity to teach our kids. You know, I have three little boys and they've come home from school 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? But it is. It's a beautiful opportunity. You know, we have Armenian Genocide Day off 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 beautiful way to teach our kids about Islam and about the contributions of the Muslim community to California and to the world, but also to help them to think as global citizens. So I just want to thank you, and I, too, look forward to supporting the bill. Thank you.
Any other comments? Assemblymember McKenna?
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. I love a Haney bill. Thank you.
Thank you.
It's mutual.
Assemblymember Gibson?
Well, thank you very much. I want to thank the author for his bold leadership. And let me just align my comments with those who have already spoken. I think that with everything that's going on in our country today, California yet another time shows great leadership, shows a united front in solidarity. Certainly the rest of the country can learn from California as being a leader, showing a united front, showing that every time that racism and discrimination rids its ugly head, that California can continue to shine and shine bright as an example, as a state being united. And certainly for our children, when this bill passes, hopefully it certainly gets to the governor's desk. It can be another feather in our hat to one display that during this time we can all stand in unity together and celebrate for all of our children this holiday, standing in unity like all the other holidays. So one, I would ask the author if he would also add my name as a co-author on this bill. And thank you very much to the witnesses for articulating this point. I'm surprised we haven't done this sooner. So maybe this 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 diversity that we have in our state So thank you very much for bringing it forward And Assemblymember you may close Thank you so much Madam Chair And thank you to all of the members 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 and seen in their full identity across our state. And this will help to do that. I just lastly really want to thank the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, CARE California, and the Muslim Impact Council, and Hala Hijazi, who's here, without whom this would not have happened, and the folks from SEIU 87 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 Wynn and a second by Assemblymember Pacheco. Secretary, can you please call the roll?
File Item 5, AB 2017 by Assemblymember Haney. The motion is due passed to the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. Rubio?
Aye.
Rubio, aye. Davies?
Aye.
Davies, aye. Alvarez? Berman? Brian?
Brian, aye.
Carrillo?
Carrillo, aye.
Dixon?
Dixon, aye.
Fong?
Fong, aye.
Gabriel?
Gabriel, aye.
Gallagher? I'm a CTO McKenna McKenna I win when I Pacheco Pacheco I Ramos Ramos I Rodriguez Rodriguez I Solache Solache I Soria top top I Valencia Valencia I Wallace Wallace I 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, Assemblymember Addis.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and members and staff. I'm going to 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 AB 2731 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 Santa Cruz County. I'm happy to tell you all about it if you have questions But I'm going to 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
Thank you, 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 Don 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 June 30, 2025. So 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 three hundred thousand dollars on the secondary market tourism in the santa cruz county is tourism is the leading industry in Santa Cruz County.
You're too many.
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 challenge for our communities because of the statutory cap that our county has reached. So small businesses, businesses that want to expand and grow, really have a challenge in obtaining these type of licenses. I want to touch on that for the last seven years, the city of Guadalajara has carefully prepared to ensure the responsible expansion of alcohol service establishments in our community. We have a local ordinance that really establish 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 these type of businesses. At the same time, our policies are 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? Okay seeing none members of the public in support of the bill please come up to the microphone Okay any members of the public in opposition Okay seeing none I bring it back to the committee Any questions, comments from committee members? Okay. I have a motion by Assemblymember Pacheco and a second by Assemblymember Solache. 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 bonafide public eating places in designated counties or census tracts. 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 one detail that I will add is that the bill does prevent 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. And you just were accepting all the amendments, correct?
Yes.
Okay, thank you. With that, I have a motion by Assemblymember Darwis Pacheco and Solache, Ian Gibson, everybody. That's right. Madam Secretary, can you please call the roll?
File item 16, AB 2731 by Assemblymember Addis. The motion is due pass as amended to the Committee on Appropriations. Rubio? Aye.
Rubio, aye.
Davies. Davies, aye. Alvarez. Berman.
Brian. Brian, aye.
Carrillo. Carrillo, aye.
Dixon. Dixon, aye.
Fong. Fong, aye.
Gabriel. Gabriel, aye. Gallagher.
Gibson.
Gibson, aye.
Macito. McKinner.
McKinner, aye.
Winn. Winn, aye. Pacheco.
Pacheco, aye. Ramos.
Ramos, aye. Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, aye. Solache.
Solache, aye. Soria.
Ta?
Ta, aye.
Valencia?
Wallace?
Wallace, aye.
Thank you.
The bill has votes, and we'll leave the roll open for additional members. Thank you. Okay. And last but not least, Assemblymember Jackson. That's embarrassing. I play. Okay. Okay. Don't start, please. Do not start. Assemblymember Jackson, you may begin.
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-1622, which tasked departments and agencies with embedding equity into their strategic plans from 2023 through 2026 We should commend the governor 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 Nickel, 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-founder 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 will institute 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 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 equitable outcomes, not just intentions. So I respectfully ask for your A vote. Thank you.
Thank you. Okay, any other witnesses in support? Okay, any witnesses in opposition? Okay, 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? Okay. Seeing none, Assemblymember Jackson, you may close. I'm sorry, Assemblymember McKenner. Apologies.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I want to 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 policymaking process and systemic inequities continuously harming my constituents they are meant to support. Redlining was a discriminatory 1930s-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 1930s mirror the air quality maps of today that shows that communities I represent, like Hartthorne and Inglewood, have some of the poorest air quality in the state. That was 90 years ago. So, 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? Okay. 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 going to 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 going to 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 in a second. Gibson? Assemblymember Gibson? We have Carrillo Salache. Yeah, we had Assemblymember Carrillo and Salache earlier. Thank you. And Gibson. I think Carrillo was the third, but okay. Yes, thank you.
Madam Secretary, can you please call the roll? File item 1, AB 1823 by Assemblymember Jackson. The motion is due passed to the Committee on Appropriations. Rubio, aye.
Rubio, aye.
Davies?
And Davies, no.
Alvarez? Berman?
Berman, aye.
Brian?
Brian, aye.
Carrillo?
Carrillo, aye.
Dixon, Dixon no, Fong, Fong aye, Gabriel, Gabriel aye, Gallagher, Gibson, Gibson aye, Macedo, McKinner, McKinner aye, Winn, Winn aye, Pacheco, Pacheco aye, Ramos, Ramos aye,
Rodriguez, aye.
Solache, aye.
Soria, Ta, no.
Valencia, Wallace, no.
Okay, the measure has votes. We'll leave it open for absent members. Thank you. And we'll open the roll for the absent members.
Opening the roll on the consent calendar, Alvarez. Berman. Aye.
Berman, aye.
McKenner. McKenner, aye. File item 5, AB 2017, Haney Alvarez. Berman. Aye.
Aye.
Gabriel for consent.
Yeah, he voted.
Gabriel on the consent calendar?
Aye.
Gabriel, aye. File item 5, AB 2017, Haney Alvarez. Berman. Aye.
Berman, aye.
Gallagher. Macedo. Soria. File item 6, AB 2099, Mark Gonzalez. Alvarez? Berman? Aye.
Berman, aye.
Gabriel?
Aye.
Gabriel, aye. Gallagher? McKinner?
McKinner, aye.
AB 2731, Addis. Alvarez? Berman. Aye.
Berman, aye.
Gallagher. Macedo. Soria. Valencia. AB2663, Rogers. Alvarez. Berman.
Aye.
Berman, aye. Gabriel.
Aye.
Gabriel, aye. McKenner.
McKenner, aye.
Thank you. We are done with the members that are present. We'll leave the roll open for those absent members for about five more minutes. Bye. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Thank you.
Opening the roll for Assemblymember Macedo. File item 1, AB 1823, Jackson. Macedo, no. File item 5, AB 2017, Haney. Macedo, not voting. File item 6 I already have you on that File item 16, AB 2731, Assemblymember Addis, Macedo. Macedo, aye.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you
We're opening up the roll for somebody member Alvarez. On the consent calendar, Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. File item 1, AB 1823, Jackson. Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. Item number five, 2017, Haney, Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. AB 2099, Gonzalez, Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. AB 2663 Rogers Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. AB 2731 Addis. Alvarez. Aye. Alvarez, aye. On the consent calendar we have 22 aye votes On Assemblymember 1823 Jackson we have 14 aye votes 5 no votes AB 2017, Haney, 19 aye votes, 1 not voting. AB 2099, we have 21 aye votes. AB 2663, we have 22 aye votes. AB 2731, we have 19 aye votes.
Thank you. Thank you. We'll go ahead and adjourn at 3.28 p.m. Thank you. Yep. If we wouldn't have had that aggressive, we'd still be here until 5. Thank you. Thank you.