August 17, 2026 · 22,572 words · 12 speakers · 256 segments
The Secretary will call the roll. Allen, Avrador Gil, Archuleta, Aragon, Ashby, Becker, Blasebeer, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cervantes, Choi, Cortese, Daly, Durazo, Gonzalez, Grayson, Grove, Hurtado, Jones, Laird, Limon, McGuire, McNerney, Menjivar, Nilo, Ochoa Bog, Padilla, Perez, Reyes, Richardson, Rubio, Ceyarto, Smallwood Cuevas Stern, Strickland Umberg, Valadares Wahab, Weber Pearson, Wiener A quorum is present Would the members and the guests beyond the rail and in the gallery please rise? We will be led in prayer this afternoon by our guest chaplain, Reverend Jason Benzie after which please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to the flag
Reverend Jason Benzie Let us pray. Sustainer of life, who abundantly nourishes all that breathes, teach us to honor the land, air, and water as the mother she is, trusting the harvest to come. Let our labor regenerate and not exploit. May care for one another be our worship and service our prayer. Strengthen all who are suffering and protect this planet, our home. Send forth your spirit and renew the face of the earth. As we honor, respect, and care for rivers, plants, animals, and one another, may our lives promote liberty and justice for all. Namaste. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Without objection, Senate Rule 55 will be suspended to allow a videographer and photographer on the floor today. Thank you Members under privileges of the floor today we are going to acknowledge some of our outgoing members who have chosen two speakers to speak for them or at them or with them and today we are going to excuse me Members, if we can give respect to these outgoing members and their family and guests, many of them have brought guests with them, both here in the chamber as well as up in the gallery. We want to first turn our attention to Senator Allen, guest sitting with Senator Allen, Melanie Lutheran Allen, his wife Ezra Allen and Ina Allen children, as well as up in the guest, William Nicholas, Susan Shannon, William Nicholas' brother, Susan Shannon friend, Melba Mascarellas, friend, and Leah Mendelson, friend. And we have some folks that Senator Allen has chosen to speak. And that would be beginning with Senator Stern. Senator Stern will get up and deliver a couple of minutes of comments.
Thank you, Mr. President. I will be intentionally brief here. As it says in the Talmud, but only some of a person's praise should be said in his presence. The reason we have this prohibition on overly praising is not just to be careful of inflating someone else's ego or from false flattery, but also for risk of being corrected. So I don't want to overly praise my dear friend, should some of you have a countering opinion here. You get no opportunity to bring that debate. Debate. This is a non-debatable item. Ben's father, Michael Allen, whose memory is a blessing, when he taught, when he was still walking among us, he taught some of the great classics. And some of his studies focused on the writings of Chaucer. Those of you who have not read your Canterbury tales as of late, I'll give you a quick refresher. There is someone called the clerk. There are many other characters in this story. The clerk actually comes before the sergeant of the law, and the sergeant of the law is someone, I don't know, maybe some of you may know someone like this, but an extraordinarily successful lawyer, someone wealthy, professionally prominent, knowledgeable, aware that they're knowledgeable about every statute and precedent. that sergeant is somebody who seemed, quote, busier than he was. The clerk, on the other hand. The clerk is almost the opposite. They have no conspicuous status, no concern about appearing important. What Chaucer says of the clerk is, and gladly he would learn and gladly teach. There's something about my friend from Santa Monica, where that gladness is in his day all day. He doesn't seem busier than he is. In fact, he's busier than he seems, which is kind of hard to imagine because the man has so many plates spinning at once. And the two biggest plates of all are sitting right on the floor here, that he and his wife somehow, you're spinning them just with such beauty, despite everything happening. I like to say I was there before it all began out in the woods in Northeast Ohio I think it the only Jewish wedding they seen in that part of Northeast Ohio in the middle of the sticks I gave a good shot at the ceremony I think I botched one of the prayers, but slept in a plastic cot in the woods with no air conditioning and woke up at three o'clock in the morning to get back to something. And out of all this chaos and all this beauty, Melanie came into his life and he made the smartest decision any any person can make which is to choose the right spouse to choose the right partner and I think everything else from there is just a beautiful destiny and and so when it comes to these kinds of people you might say how does the clerk behave how does this this person who doesn't draw attention themselves get work done aren't they last in line or don't things sort of pass them by. The gladness is not necessarily an asset in our line of work. You have to be tough. You have to be ornery. You have to stake out your position. Ben listens. Ben deliberates live in front of you. If you're in a hearing and you've ever presented a bill or ever heard him present a bill, he is actually processing that in front of you. And while that may be frustrating for some, I think it takes enormous bravery to make up your mind in front of people while they're watching. And I think things Things are complicated, and I think there is value in thinking things through, and even when that has to happen live, gladly he will learn. And gladly he teaches too, and I have learned so much from him, not just in how to be a senator because everyone's got their own way, but just how to be a good man, and how to put your ego where it belongs, and how to speak kindly, and what leading really looks like. And I'm grateful for that, and I think this whole town benefits from somebody like you succeeding, because it shows that a different model is possible. And so I would just say, you know, whether it's the Voter's Choice Act and letting people get to a drop box, to how they get, what they get their lunch in, and whether you get something that's going to make your kids' lives worse or actually make your planet better,
whatever that box is or that cup of disposable something or the straw you get, you think of Ben Allen. When you get your lunch, when you make your vote, and when you walk through this great state, he's everywhere, and yet you won't see him because he's not going to announce because he's the clerk, and that's how he goes about his business. And so I hope you keep gladly teaching and gladly learning, and I'm grateful to have had a chance to work alongside with you and I don't know what I'm going to do here without you. Maybe we'll just set up a Memorial Ben Allen corner there and I can just sit in it and talk to myself for another two years. But in the absence of that, I will just say thank you. Thank you, Senator. We'll provide therapy for you next year.
Senator Blakespear, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. and the good senator from Los Angeles gave a great speech right there, and I'm grateful to be able to add my voice to that as well right now. It's a true honor to rise to honor the greatness and the wonderfulness of my good friend, our good friend, Ben Allen, the senator from Santa Monica, who will sadly be leaving us this year after a full and impactful 12 years as a California state senator. In so many ways, Ben epitomizes the absolute best of the Senate. it He very smart He thoughtful He collegial and he kind He committed to good policy for the benefit of all and he strategic He cares deeply about the state of California and I particularly love that he's committed to protecting both the people and the majestic beauty and bounty of our incredible environment for future generations to enjoy. Over his years, Ben has built a truly impressive legacy of accomplishment. He's been a leading voice on climate and environmental policy in the entire legislature, with legislation tackling plastic pollution, electric vehicle battery recycling, recycling claims, clean transportation, and protection of California's waterways, among many others. In 2024, voters approved the $10 billion climate bond that he authored, Prop 4. In 2022, the legislature passed his SB 54, absolutely groundbreaking legislation that, when implemented, will dramatically reduce wasteful single-use packaging. And Ben has done so much more than environmental work. He's fought to make our democracy more accessible by expanding vote centers. He's championed arts education. He strengthened California's creative economy, and he's deeply involved in California's policies around energy and wildfire. As I'm the person who took the baton from Ben as the chair of the Environmental Quality Committee after his eventful six years, I am truly in awe and admire what Ben has been able to accomplish as a senator. I've also been a keen observer over my four years here about how he approaches things. He always has so many balls in the air at the same time. And his interruptions will interrupt his previous interruptions. And what that means is that no matter what he's working on, he'll always make time for you. Because he'll interrupt what he's doing to make time for you. And I would say he is far above the average in his interest and willingness to engage with people who disagree with him. He's quick to say, let's just go talk to that person. Let's understand what they're thinking about and why. And it's not uncommon for him to be delayed in getting to the next thing that he has on his schedule because he was deep in conversation with a critic. Ben is an intellectual. He is a problem solver. And importantly, he's fun to be around. He's genuinely someone that everybody likes. California is better because Ben Allen chose to devote his talents to public service. Ben, it has been an honor to serve alongside you. to watch you, to learn from you. Your next chapter will be just as impactful, and we wish you every success. And please know that your warmth, your intelligence, and your camaraderie will be deeply missed by me and so many of us. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Allen, this is your opportunity to bask in the praises of two colleagues. You have some time for some closing remarks.
Well, thank you, Mr. President. And it's a real special poignant moment for me to stand before you. It's been the honor of my life to get this opportunity to serve in this extraordinary institution. I grew up in this institution in many respects. When I first walked, my very first time ever setting foot on this floor was the day that I was sworn in. And I was here with my mom and dad. And today, 12 years later, I'm here with my wife and two wonderful children. and this has been a period of growth, of change, of incredible successes, disappointments, but deep, deep friendships, and I just appreciate everyone here so deeply. I've had the chance to speak with you a couple days ago at our farewell dinner, so I'm not going to address my wonderful colleagues who I just appreciate so deeply, all the work that we've done together over many, many years. But I will say this job is unlike any other. It's so eclectic. It's so meaningful. It's impactful. I noticed this from the very beginning when we had a situation in my district where we had an HIV-positive person who needed a transplant for an organ. And it was illegal to transplant, to donate an organ if you were HIV-positive. That was on the books. And yet here was someone who was also HIV-positive who needed an organ. There was someone who was willing to donate, but it was illegal. And this was someone in my district. So we were able to quickly get a bill through. on urgency. I spoke to the Republican leadership, and we pulled this thing together within just even a matter of a week, and we were able to save this person's life. The power associated with that, the opportunity to change a moment for somebody, to change their life, to be able to save them, just shook me when I first got here. And yet, we also know that this job is full of disappointments and years and years of work. So many of the bills that have been mentioned were many, many years in the making. Many, many failed votes on the last day in the assembly where we were down by three and we just couldn't get it above 41. And yet we kept going and we kept going. We finally got these things across the finish line. Let me start by just thanking my wonderful district, the people of the 24th, the formerly 26th district of Los Angeles, special district full of creative people, innovators, dreamers, people who come from all over the world to contribute to what makes California so special. Three of them are here, actually a number of people are here from the district, but Susie and Leah and my brother Will. Just appreciate you guys so much and all the folks who helped to make this career possible for me. Of course, what makes our district hum from our office side is the extraordinary staff. And we've literally taken over half of the audience up here. They can't even see me right now, unfortunately, because of the angle. But there they are waving. This is dozens of staffers who've worked with me, who've had the great honor of my life to get to work with throughout 12 years of service to our community, both in the Capitol and down in Los Angeles. And they work so hard to make sure that we're responsive, that we get back to every single constituent who calls, that we're there for our community. And I just want to – this is going to – I'm going to show incredible restraint here by not naming everybody just because there's so many people here today. But I just want to say how much I deeply appreciate my wonderful team, and I look forward to getting a chance to thank you all personally at our reception later today. our incredible capital staff that has been at the heart of all of our great legislative successes and all of the work that we've done together over the years, big bills, small bills, the painstaking, the way you've adopted my perhaps overly thoughtful approach to things and incorporated it and embraced it and let it guide the way you did your work. And I know that many times you probably didn want to have that extra conversation with that extra stakeholder one more time just to see if we could land this issue or this challenge or this other thing And yet you did it because you knew that what we wanted to do and you made better legislation as a result And I just appreciate that so deeply I also want to, of course, thank our, you know, my incredible parents, my mom and dad. My father, when he first sat here, was translating the Latin, you know, when we first were sworn in. He's been a light in my life. someone who instilled in me a deep love of environmentalism, but also of the academy, of the deliberative process of discussion, of conversation. And so much of the light that shines in me comes from him, as it does from my mother, who is so full of love, a real firecracker herself. And she sends all of her regards to everyone here. She's been a proud part of our Senate family as well. And of course, my family is represented by my wonderful brother, Will, who is a deeply devoted public servant in his own right, a wonderful soul, and a very sharp person who is helping to improve public health down in Los Angeles County. My two wonderful kids, who were just a little sparkle in our eyes when I first started here. Hi there, sweetie. And they have been wonderful, wonderful additions to my life. But I will say we know that it's really not easy being in a political family. And, you know, that takes a toll. And every time I meet a former politician's child, especially an older person, I always want to ask him, how do I do this? How do I make sure that I can raise a kid who's going to feel loved and that you give them your time, that you're balanced, that you're there for them? Because we know how much this job takes away from our families. And that's one of the reasons why I want to just take a couple final moments to speak to my wife, who has really borne the biggest brunt, quite frankly, of the challenge of serving in this office. Her substantial contribution to my time here, the incredible emotional and physical labor that goes into raising a family with a husband who's gone half the time during the legislative session. The little things that don't get fixed quite as quickly. The constant conversations about Southwest logistical flights and we're going to move the car here and get it over there. Things that normal folks don't have to deal with, all while we've been living in a wonderful 1,200-square-foot condo with our little roommate here, Ezra, as the baby has struggled to sleep. So it's been a wild ride. I want to just thank Melanie, who's been such a wonderful advisor to me. She has substantial political experience herself. We actually first met, we first got together. Our first date was at the Hollywood Bowl when a donor had invited me with a plus one. And I said, I'm going to invite Melanie. And we ended up going during the campaign. She was running an independent expenditure for a council race at the time. And I think we just bonded over the miseries and exhilaration of campaigning. because we were so deep in the experience, deep into my time before I was elected. And so we've made it through, and I just wanted to give a little twist on a very special Jewish prayer that we say on Friday nights, which a husband says to his wife, which is all about an Eshachael, who's a woman of valor, whose value is far beyond rubies. Her husband's heart trusts in her, and he shall lack no fortune. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She stretches out her hand to those in need Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the future She opens her mouth with wisdom The teachings of justice are on her tongue Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain. And this is my little twist. But a woman who knows how to organize and can tolerate a life of politics, she shall be praised. I love you, sweetie. Thank you to my dear Senate colleagues. This has been the honor of my life. I appreciate you so much. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Senator Allen, for those touching comments. Before moving to the next outgoing member, we do want to welcome two very special guests, former Senators Steve Glazer and his wife Melva. Glad to have you with us today in the back of the chamber. And then we also have with us former Senator Susan Eggman. There she is right there in the middle. Thank you for being with us. Moving on to our next outgoing senator, Senator Caballero. You are very much valued here. Guests sitting with you at your desk, Marina Downs' granddaughter and Zoe Downs' granddaughter. and then guests in the chamber, your husband Juan Urenga and Maddie Downs, your daughter, and then the numerous guests that you have with us up in the gallery. You have two chosen members to speak on your behalf, and that is beginning with Senator Ashby. You are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Presiding Officer. words like trailblazer, pioneer, champion, and fierce advocate are splashed across the life of Senator Ana Caballero. It's easy to see why her career inspires such description. Born in Arizona to a family of minors, Ana learned the value of hard work, never to waste nor to delay, and early on chose to aggressively pursue a life of service. At the time that Senator Caballero attended law school at the prestigious University of California in Los Angeles, fewer than 3% of lawyers in this nation were women. And of that number, the percentage who were Latina was so small that it was essentially unquantifiable. Her law school experience was full of ridicule and unfair expectations to somehow rectify generations of sexism and racism by being undeniably and impossibly flawless. Like so many of us, there was one teacher, a professor of law and communications, who really saw her. And he suggested a coveted internship in Washington, D.C., where she would learn about the application of law in federal communications regulations relative to protecting our youth. not only did that semester in Washington D.C. show that future senator what was possible it lit a fire in the woman who would become the founding partner of a law firm and of a non the first woman to be elected mayor of Salinas in its 126 history as well as the first Latina elected to Assembly District 28 in the Hard Valley of our state. And after serving in Governor Jerry Brown's cabinet as Secretary of Business and Consumer services, she would also become the first Latina to be elected to the Valley State Senate seat, a seat which she has held since 2018. In the legislature, her legacy is clearly centered on four areas in which she has fearlessly led. Number one, undeniably, rural hospitals. not just in the valley, not just in her district, but across the great golden state. Number two, farm workers, the truest of her life's passions, from working as legal counsel in the California Rural Legal Assistance Program to using her beautiful and perfect Spanish to explain to a room, overflowing with families who work to feed us, but we're all implicated by a bill and traveled to Sacramento to advocate. Luckily, they found a friend and an ally waiting for them as the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee. Number three, water, all things water, one of California's toughest and most complicated areas of law. And lastly, higher education. Because Senator Caballero never forgot what it felt like to be alone in law school with the weight of an entire population on her shoulders. Senator Caballero has accomplished so much in her storied career so far. But we all know she is most proud of her marriage to Juan, the three children they raised together, and the six grandchildren that are the absolute light of her life. The compassion and fight she brings to this floor in this chamber every day is built on a lifetime of not just incredible accomplishments, but also on experience unique to her journey. like explaining to a court bailiff that she's the lawyer, not the interpreter, and therefore does belong at the counsel table in front of the judge. The journey that began in a humble community surrounded by hardworking minors led to the rise of a titan in the California state legislature, one whom I know we are all honored to know and call our colleague. Senator Caballero, thank you for the battles you fought to get here. Thank you for being an example to us all. Thank you for choosing this life and allowing all of us to see you in full stride, advocating for people who too often do not see themselves in rooms like this one, and yet here you are.
Thank you, Senator. Senator McGuire, you are recognized.
Try not to cry. Mr. President, colleagues, I rise today with great respect on behalf of our dear friend and colleague, Senator Caballero. Cab has also been a trusted partner in so many policy issues, pieces of legislation and politics. And I say partner specifically because sitting in front of us today, right here, right now, is Senator Caballero. and she is one of the most tenacious, loyal, honest as the day is long and dedicated elected leaders than anyone could ever hope for. There are a million pieces moving all the time here in the state senate. You don't always know which way things are going to go and who's going to go where, right? But as a senator and as a leader, one thing that we could always count on is Senator Cabrera. Cab's word is her bond. She's the type of person you want by your side in the darkest times in life. Cab is so good at her job and it's because she cares about all of us, the people sitting in the room. She cares about making good policy that is good for people and the future of the Golden State. And she cares about delivering delivering for those that she works for in the Valley. I was honored to work with her when she was appropriations chair, one of the toughest jobs in the building. And Cab handled it with firmness and fairness, efficiency and style. And I believe that this description would go out on our A roll call vote today from all of us. But what makes her so special is she brings that same determination to everything that she does in life. And when she tells you she's going to get something done, she means it. You know who else can count on Senator Caballero? The people who proudly call Madera and Fresno to Larry and Merced County's home. You mess with them, you mess with Senator Caballero. She never backs down. She never backs down on delivering for rural California and their unique needs. And she's proven it time and time again, as we've heard from the majority leader, on issues of water, on connecting communities to high-speed broadband, never backing down and always standing strong for farm workers, delivering on the energy needs that this state needs, housing and rural health care. She's been a tireless champion for the Central Valley, bringing her tenacity and her passion for rural California to everything that she does. When she sees a problem, she gets to work. She follows through, and she fixes it. We need more of that in government today. you know she she started out as an attorney who fought for farm worker rights with California Rural Legal Assistance and she's never forgotten her roots she's had a trailblazing career and she has never taken no for an answer she blazed the road for Latinas in the Valley being the first mayor female mayor in the city latest history As we heard from the majority leader the first female assembly member from her district a cabinet member and now finishing up her service in the state senate with the emphasis on service. Constantly pushing for more housing, keeping rural hospitals afloat, helping small businesses keep their doors open, boosting California's top agricultural economy. This is who Ana Cabrera is. She has spent her career fighting for the most vulnerable, fighting for working families and small communities, for people who too often have to fight twice as hard to be heard. And she's never forgotten where she came from or who she's fighting for. That's the legacy that Cab leaves behind. Not just her incredible career and the positions that she has held, but most importantly, the people she has lifted up and the lives that she has changed. I am so honored, Senator Caballero, to have the privilege of working with you over these past 10 years. I am forever grateful that you have been part of my life, family's life. Not only are you a friend, I love you very much and I love Juan. Thank you for your partnership, your dedication to the people of California. It's been one heck of a ride and I'm glad to have been on it with you. I know the best days are still ahead. Can we please give a round of applause for the one, the only, Senator Caballero.
Senator Caballero, you may make some closing remarks. although you already got your standing ovation. So that's it. That's it. Go ahead.
Thank you very much, President. First, and I have some notes, because otherwise I'd be flubbering and I'd stay up here way too long. So first let me say thank you to our majority leader for those wonderful words. I appreciate you so much and I've been very honored to serve with you here in the Senate, as well as Mr. Pro Tem Emeritus. Thank you so much for your words as well. It has been an absolute pleasure to be on your leadership team and it means the world to me that I can consider you a friend and I love you back just as much because I think you go through tough times when you have to make tough decisions on behalf of the state of California. I'm really honored to have you both speak today. Thank you for agreeing to do that, and thank you for your kind words. I want to start by introducing my guests, both here and in the rear of the chamber. You heard—it's actually my two granddaughters that are here with me today. They are both University of Utah students, both Zoe and Madison. and I'm really happy to have them here because they live in Utah, so we don't always have a chance to get together. Also, I have my daughter here in the back, Marina Downs, who's sitting next to Juan Udanga Jr. back there, if you could just wave. And all three of them, my daughter just got her master's from the University of Utah, so I'm real proud of her. She's a master's of the law. And as parents, you know how your kids say, I don't want to be anything like you, and then she goes and gets a master in the law So I so proud of her I particularly proud of her but she done a great job Let me just say that I wouldn be here without my incredible husband Juanananga Jr. Juan, you want to stand up and wave? I'm going to make you stand up and wave. Juan is the absolute love of my life. He loves politics. and has been an active partner in everything I do in politics, and that's a rare gem. But he's also the first Vato of the 14th Senate District, which he puts on all his salutations. And he's also one of the original founders of the Plus One Club. And you have to understand that the Plus One Club are the spouses. and when the calendar says plus one can attend something, that means he gets to come with me. So they started a club and they were about to go around to the lobbying community to lobby for funds for themselves. So I said, okay, that's it. Yeah, it would be a lot of fun. Anyway, thank you for being here and I'm really happy to have family with me. So I also have a number of guests in the viewing gallery who are my friends and family and who have been with me on this lifelong journey. My first boss from California Rural Legal Assistance, I know he gets embarrassed when I say that, which is why I say it. Thank you so much for being here. It's been a great ride. And you bringing me to Salinas is what started all of this. So I have a very special place in my heart. I also have individuals that have worked on almost every campaign I ever did, some that were active union members and really contributed to organizing and making sure I did a grassroots campaign.
My godchildren are here as well. They grew up with my kids, and they're doing great things, and I expect really good things. They had the opportunity to all grow up together like cousins. And I say this because I didn't have any family. with, Juan and I had no family there in our community, and it was really wonderful to have people who really cared about us and looked out after our children. My law partners are here. They worked with me to represent farm workers and blue-collar workers, and we had a law practice for 25 years, and so they're still good friends, and their kids are my godchildren, so I'm really happy to have them here. And the reason that they're all here is that you all are my family here in the Senate. There's no question that I consider you all family because family is not really the people who you agree with or who always do. As you say, that's the people that you work with, that you get to know really well, that you share things with, and that you work alongside. And to me, it's important that I say to you how important I think you are and how much I want to continue to be in contact with you because the work that we do is not easy. And the more that we can make sure we're still responding to each other, it's important. And I also want to thank you for your patience, your good questions. For those of you who voted on my bills, I want to thank you as well. And also the courtesy. We have a real courtesy in this House. And I really appreciate it because we not always going to agree but being able to talk about things and do it courteously is really important So now I want to do some thank yous I want to thank the floor unit for helping me to learn how to run the Senate even though I really didn't want to do it. You remember I came in and said, don't make me do this. I don't feel comfortable with this. Thank you so much because you taught me how to do something different when I didn't really want to do it. And I think we have all been in that position before. I want to thank the sergeants and the special services for transportation, for always maintaining a safe work environment, even when we have to cross the street and walk between hostile groups of people, some people that are not hostile but some hostile, or that deal with people who show up and throw blood on us, because many of us were here when that happened. It was a scary time, and it was dealt with stellar. And so thank you so much. I want to thank the California Highway Patrol for always being available to keep us safe. And I want to thank the leadership team as well for working with our staff to work out schedules, meetings, and bills. I also want to thank the Department of General Services for the janitorial services, the elevator maintenance, the parking services, the security services, and everything else that keeps this place running. I know that they work hard, and I appreciate their cheerful attitudes, the conversations we've been able to share with each other, and most importantly, the work that they do. It's really important that we acknowledge that we wouldn't be here and things wouldn't work all that great unless we had all of these people that surround us and that really make it a place that's pleasant to show up to every day. And I want to thank Miguel and his crew who make sure that the lunch money that we collectively contribute provides the healthy snacks we all love and appreciate. Come on, you've got to have those lunch snacks. And for preparing the delicious ceviche on Monday mornings. I mean, who can forget that? And finally, I want to thank the staff who has worked with me for so many years, who works shoulder to shoulder with me every day. words can't express how important you have been to my life and what each of you means to me. The work is not just a job, it's a calling. We're blessed to be able to provide for the people in our communities and I appreciate the teamwork that you do with me to make it all possible. Thank you for your hours of service, for working hard, for your commitment to the residents that we serve for your advice, opinions, and your passion for your work. And we haven't always agreed on where to go and how to do it, but the fact that we can work together and you support the work that I do is really, really important. And I couldn't do the good work without you. And I constantly hear good comments and compliments about you all the time about the work that you do and how important you are in the district. So thank you. Together we've done some really great things. You've heard some of them, but we brought millions of dollars to small communities that lack state investments. Money that supported new police stations, ambulance, fire machinery apparatus, wastewater treatment facilities, money for flood victims, and of course bringing back the Madeira Hospital was a great accomplishment and we couldn't have done it without you working with me and also the assembly member to make sure that that that we could get this the hospital started and it was a poster child for 15 of hospitals that were at risk of closing and also got money. So we did good for our community, but it ended up helping other communities as well. So thank you for your friendship. Thank you for always having my back. My passion for service, as you all heard, started with my family roots in a copper mining community in Arizona. My family had a good life because of the work they did to create and support a union. And as a result, I understood at a very young age the power of collective action. And I grew up during the tumultuous 60s and the 70s with visions of what was possible. And I mention this very quickly because when I think back, and, you know, leaving makes you reflective. You think back and you say, you know, why did I, why have I committed myself to a career of service that I can't seem to stop, quite frankly? And the answer is really simple. California was on the move. Housing construction was booming. Our schools were new. I went to brand new schools when I was a kid. New technologies brought us televisions and telephones. Right? Black and white televisions, but they were televisions. And a race to space created a new industry filled with excitement and anticipation, culminating in the United States landing on the moon. So there was great optimism in the air. But at the same time, At the same time, I saw our much beloved President Kennedy shot and killed on national TV. I was his age when I saw that. His brother, a vibrant young candidate for president, was also assassinated. I saw the brutality and the anguish of the civil rights marches, young black children as targets of violence, with dogs and fire hose used as weapons against protesters demanding justice. justice, and I saw the senseless murder of a pastor, a man of God, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated for justice, peace, and a dream. All this as we watched the news on TV. A blessing to have TV and then to see it all on the screen right in front of you. It was a lot for a child to see, to digest, and to understand, and it stayed seared in my brain and in my psyche. What I came to understand is that we live in a country built on the highest ideals of equality, opportunity, and love of country. And it was that, the optimism, hope, and passion for these ideals that led me to law school, even though I hated it, and eventually to elected office. I believe in our country and our state, and I know you all do too. Our histories may be different. Our memories and our experiences make conflict, but our commitment to service guides our work. And I am certain that you all have the will and the knowledge to work together and solve the issues that Californians want action on. We have a lot more to do. I am leaving the Senate, but I am not done yet. Count on me as an ally. I will be cheering you all on from afar, and you can call me at any time. I've been honored to serve with all of you. It's been the experience of a lifetime and one that I will treasure forever. I want to thank you all. May your higher power guide all of our work. And I want to wish you good health and good whiskey. Thank you Our next outgoing senator is Senator Durazo guest sitting with Senator Durazo Mario Salazar
son and Michael Contreras' son, as well as Camilla Contreras' granddaughter, who's taking a break somewhere. And then a guest in the chamber, Serena Castillo, niece and Liz Durazo, sister.
Today we have speaking on behalf of Senator Durazo, Senator Smallwood Cuevas, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, this morning I rise to honor a true visionary. A fierce champion for working people and a trailblazer whose leadership has forever changed our state. Senator Maria Elena DeRosso, my sister, my friend, my mentor. Now, I understand Senator DeRosso is leaving the Senate for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. So I am doing this under duress against all term limits. And also I want to point out that apparently the senator's idea of a retirement is more people, more problems, and an even challenging budget. Only Senator Maria Leonard DeRosso would step up to the plate and swing hard to that. And for more than two decades, I have watched her lead. and she's always taught me and so many others that when you lead you lead with courage you lead knowing the cost and standing up anyway she is a skilled believer practitioner of non-violence and non-violence means it's not about the physical force it's about the soul force the moral force, and the mountains that it can move, and the injustice that it can defeat. And we have seen her do that time and time again when she became the first woman, the first Latina to lead a major union in Southern California, and again to become the first woman to lead the mighty Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. However, she has stood up for all workers, but particularly for the most vulnerable undocumented workers, when too many people, both in politics and outside, including some in our own labor movement, who were even afraid to say the word undocumented. She taught us a worker without papers is still a worker. A mother without papers is still a mother. And a human being without papers is somebody. And that courage became law because of her work. With SB 62, the Garment Worker Protection Act, Senator DeRosso took on a powerful fashion industry and held brands accountable for workers who make their clothes. Through SB 639, she fought to end subminimum wages for workers. She pushed historic protections for domestic workers and protected immigrant street vendors through SB 635. And with SB 29 and SB 56 her health care for all bills she made California listen she made California stand up She made California the first state in the nation to open Medi to every Californian regardless of immigration status That is the transformational leadership she demonstrates time and time again. not simply changing the laws, but changing lives, because that's what this work is about, changing lives for the better for generations. Senator DeRosso is a social engineer, and I call her a social engineer because she's always so ahead of her time. She can see the society we need to become before so many of her peers can see it. And she is consistently on the right side of justice. What makes this so personal is that Senator Rosso has been a mentor to so many, including a young black girl from South LA. She showed me that women like us don't have to choose between being strong and being loving, between fighting hard and keeping our humanity. And she also loves a good Motown hour, playlist, dance card. And there's nothing like watching her throw her head back to sing I Am Every Woman by Chaka Khan. It is quite a sight. She always arrives early in this building whenever we have an 8 a.m. Zoom, the lights come on, and there she is sitting in her office. I don't know how she does it, even when she's on those 6 a.m. flights. But she doesn't just arrive early for the work and leave late for the work. She doesn't just do that in the times of battle. She also does it when it's time to break bread, when it's time to fellowship. She puts a premium on building community because when you know each other deeply, you stand up more fiercely. And that is a testament that she has taught so many of us in this chamber. She has reliable integrity that we can never forget. Now Senator Razo takes that same courage to this board of supervisors to govern nearly 10 million people with a budget exceeding $50 billion, the size of Portugal, a whole country, and a county as wide as the state of Pennsylvania in mileage. Senator DeRosso, you came from the fields of California and you helped change the halls of power in California. You organized when organizing was hard. You stood when standing was lonely. You spoke when silence would have been safer. the building changes the titles may change too but you always understand the assignment and that is to lift working families to defend our democracy to stand up for immigrants to protect the vulnerable and to leave the door wider for women coming behind you I love you Germana and La Lucha Thank you for welcoming me to this chamber. Thank you for mentoring me and always showing us what courage looks like day in and day out, year after year the 12 years that you have been in this chamber Si se puede And because of Senator Maria Elena DeRosso si se puede
Senator Gonzalez, you are recognized.
Well, this is going to be hard. I think the very first time I met her, she was very unimpressed with me. I remember meeting her. I have to say, I was a Long Beach City Council candidate at the time, and literally my consultant's like, go up to her, shake her hand, tell her who you are. And I said, I'm Lena. I'm running for Long Beach City Council. My dad's a teamster. She was like, sorry for you. And I'm like, sorry for me because of my name, like because I'm running. My dad's a teamster. Why are you sorry? But it made me realize like she does not get impressed easily. It's not about the title or what you say to her, it's your actions. And that's what I've really appreciated about her. So how do I do justice in this few minutes for her life's work? I'm not sure, but I'm going to try. You know, when President Obama describes you and describes her as one of the most profound labor leaders in America, you listen. And you know, when you're from the largest county in the state, like Los Angeles, Marilena Durazo is a household name. So when I came up here, I was really confused as to why people didn't really understand the magnitude of her work. The daughter of farm workers, after going to law school in LA, leading the nation's largest labor federation after her beloved husband, Miguel, another icon in labor, shaking down elected officials in the entertainment capital of the world to do the right thing. Simply put people first, put them first in multi-million and billion-dollar industries, raise up for the janitors for better wages, a hotel worker for improved working conditions, a truck driver or public sector employee for the ability to unionize and beyond. And it didn't change when she got to the state senate, as we know. You all know this very, very well. She's probably shaken many of us down, myself included, here in this senate chamber with landmark legislation, as my colleague from Los Angeles mentioned, for workers in the fourth largest economy, a $25 minimum wage for health care workers, her favorite moment, I just asked her at lunch, her favorite moment, health care for all, regardless of immigration status, better wages and working conditions for women in the garment industry, oversight and transparency on detention centers, and an unwavering commitment to immigrant families, especially during her tenure as Latino Caucus Chair during a pandemic, and much, much more. And while I'm missing some of my colleagues get a little squirmy with her policies, or watching some of you run to your computers and frantically scroll when you see a Durazo bill pop up on the floor, more importantly, I'll miss my friend, her integrity and her determination for her community and our state, my Senate bestie. she's a true friend that will literally call out the injustice the minute she sees it a loyal friend who you never have to worry about whether she does the right thing or not a really fun friend who yes does a great rendition of janice joplin's peace of my heart one night and will button it up the next day to go chair a meeting in local government that's really really hard and a genuine friend who loves the Dodgers who loves her hard-working team who is equally impressive and her amazing sons Michael and Mario and of course her grandkids Seneca Sydney and little Camila who's running around here Maria Elena is what I call a Latina for good, who will continue shaking down those around her so through her, hopefully someday everyone can realize the value and dignity of the worker, the immigrant, the hardworking parent, and those who have historically felt unseen. Sacramento's loss will be L.A. County's gain, so L.A. County Board of Supervisors, put your seatbelts on, you're getting a real one in Senator Maria Elena Durazo. We love you, Senadora. Senator Durazo.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you so much. Senator Gonzalez and Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. and everyone here, farewell. But I want to say first to my family, in particular to those that traveled here today, as was introduced my sister Liz and her daughter, my two sons, Mario and Michael, my granddaughter Camila, and her mother Veronica. Thank you for your inspiration. The way you each live your lives, meet your challenges, laugh at your flaws, but embrace your family, you are a constant reminder that I, too, must do what you do. My appreciation for the hard work of my dedicated staff. You took stories of courage and you turned them into laws that make a difference. and, of course, to the entire capital staff for taking care of us, feeding us, and driving us whenever we needed to go somewhere. Popelio recently warned all so-called powerful people to avoid the delusion of omnipotence and warned successful people to avoid the idolatry of self. Our personal brand should never be more important than the values our parents instilled in us. I leave here as I came here. Grateful for the privilege of seeing the unseen people. The gardeners, the laborers, the garment workers and farm workers. The men and women struggling to overcome their lack of status. or reclaiming their personhood after serving time or rebuilding their bodies after an injury or illness or restoring their bonds with children or parents. Senators, my dear co-workers, we are imperfect people who meet here in this place to do more for other imperfect people but who have far less. We must balance the certainty of our own convictions with the humility required to hear what we don't agree with. Next year and the years that follow, I will make liberal use of my privileges of this floor as I continue stubbornly to pursue this work. This is a small gift I leave to you. It a plastic zip tie like those that I wore each of the 13 times that my stubbornness landed me in jail But also, they come in handy to keep your tomato plants growing straight. Thank you. Be well and do good.
Next, outgoing Senator, Senator Jones. And today speaking, we will turn first to Senator Grove. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate the opportunity that my colleague, my friend of 16 years, has allowed me to say a few words. He did definitely put parameters on what I was allowed to say and not say. And this one time in my life, I have chosen to honor his request. 16 years together, six in the Assembly and eight in the Senate, and two years campaigning to get here. that's a long time to have a work colleague and be my younger brother. I'm just a few months older than him, but he always insists that I'm his honorary older sister. So that's where that comes from. Like I said, I had a lot of funny stories, but he told me to stick to the facts and nothing but the facts. So I'm going to share a few things that you may or may not know about Brian. He's a proud Air Force brat. He was born in Texas, and he followed his dad's. illustrious military career, most of his young life moving from place to place, and finally settling down in California in Santee, where they moved from a mobile home or a trailer into their dream home in San Diego, California. And after that, he started working very, very young. His dad had a construction and a carpentry company and Brian was required or he volunteered or was told or voluntold, I'm assuming from a military officer, that he had to go to work every day at the construction site. They did door framing and hinges and door frames. And he was 12 years old and if his father was here today, I would tell him that he violated California's labor laws, making his son get up at 4.30 in the morning to go work and make door frames. but I think that instilled the hard work that Brian has always put in everything that he's done. He left the construction site and he went to the restaurant business. He became an expert pizza maker for Domino's and he worked up the chain ladder and he became manager of one of the Domino's and apparently, according to his beautiful wife, he was very successful at pizza making. That's what she said. You were. At 12 years old, like I said, he started working for his dad. And then the pizza manager, he started his own carpet cleaning company, so he knows how to clean carpets and make pizza. And that made him qualified to come to the California State Legislature. I'm just saying. He also is just an incredible human being. And like I said, it's just really been an honor. And I'm trying to skip around so I don't start crying because I said I wasn't going to cry. he's even been a pastor and I think that's one of the most important jobs he had because pastors tend to have empathy for people when people are hurting and his empathy that he has for people that are hurting in the state of California when Brian goes to bat for them he leaves everything on the table including his heart And even the battles that he loses, he is, we're going to do it again, we're going to fight, and we're going to protect people. He is the father of three amazing children. He has two boys and a girl. He has Christopher, and Christopher is married and has his wife, Sierra. He has Matthew, and he has Melina. And Melina is the middle daughter. She's in the middle, and the boys are on the bookends. I know being a father to those kids is probably one of the things that he cherished most until they gave him grandchildren. And now they're kind of second shelf because being a papa is probably one of the greatest jobs that he has. I do want to tell you that he does have two dogs that he says he hates which I don't think that's true but he does say he hates his two dogs Brian and I were both elected in 2010 and we came in in the Tea Party movement we came in rabble rousers starting fights with John Perez making hay on the assembly floor and so if you think we're bad now you should have known us in 2010 because we came in with the Tim Donnellys and many others like I said, in the Tea Party movement. He had government experience on the city council. I did not. That's probably evident in most cases. And I know that's probably showed. We had this small group of really tight-knit legislators in the assembly that banded together, mostly over our faith, right? Because believe me, operating in a super minority in this building, you have to have a lot of faith in Christ to be able to come to this building every single day to fight for the people that you love. It's a very diverse state, and our districts are very different than some of our colleagues, different than the majority party. And to win just a small battle is a huge victory, and you win many of those battles. He organized the prayer breakfast. We had a sold-out crowd at the Hyatt. He's just really been involved, and everything that he does every day is something that I think he wakes up in the morning and says, okay, God, what do you have for me today? because I'm going to do it, no matter how hard it seems. He came here to address affordability, homeless, to fight for people like in the foster youth system because he really, truly cares about foster youth. He cares about people that are trafficked. He cares about homeless students. Some kids have even sofa surfed on his couch. He has a huge heart. But I want to spend a lot of time, before I go into the close, about his time as a Republican leader. Being a Republican leader, I've done that, and it's probably one of the hardest jobs you'll ever have in your life. But he has really done some changes, made changes that I think are significant that will help all of us in the future and help Californians. It took boldness to do what you did on that separation with the CRP. It took courage, and you really, you had to convince all of us it was the right thing to do. I told you what was going on out there, and you actually pulled the trigger and made it happen. And so I'm really proud of the changes that you've made. I'm proud of your leadership and what you've done to help our caucus be successful in picking up a seat and the things that you've done to help magnify our voice in the state of California. Your comms team is incredible. They always do right by us. And you just have really been a very, very strong leader. And you brought unity to our caucus, which we didn't have before you took over. And I want to thank you for that. You've done an excellent job. Now I know he sitting over there and he like she forgot my wife She forgot my wife and he dying to tell me something And I was hoping that he would act or say something and I could just put my hand up in his face like I always do But he didn He didn take the bait In 1992, he made the best decision of his life. He asked Heather out on a date. And she has been standing by his side for 34 years. And she is one of the most amazing women that I've ever met. And the beautiful thing about Heather is that when Brian tries to tell me what to do or any of us what to do and we disagree with him, we pick up the phone and call Heather and instantly Heather's calling Brian and we get our way. So she's been an asset to all of us in the California state legislature as well. going back to what I started out with a poor kid from Texas a really poor kid for Texas pursuing the California dream is evident there really is a God because you are now one of 40 million people like all of us in the state of California and we don't know what the future holds we don't know what's happening most people know what they're doing when they leave but we know that God has a plan for us and so the scripture I leave with you is that it's obviously Jeremiah 29 11 for I know the plans he has for you it's to give you, to prosper you, not to harm you, but plans to give you a hope and a future I'll miss you my friend, it's been a great 16 years, it's been a fun ride it's been a hard ride, but it's been fun and it's been my honor
to serve with you applause applause
Senator McGuire, you are recognized.
Thank you so much, Mr. President. Members, I am deeply honored to be able to speak on behalf of my dear friend and partner across the aisle and someone who I have to say I'm really grateful to have worked with, Mr. Leader, Senator Brian Jones. So I want to welcome everyone. Welcome to the life of Brian. And what can I tell you about Leader Jones here today? First of all, I can tell you, and I think I can speak on behalf of Matt Pro Tem, Pro Tem Emeritus Atkins, and myself. We're all fortunate to have been able to work with this decent, dedicated leader who never stops fighting for the people of San Diego County. I can tell you that Brian Jones is a person of his word. You can always trust Brian. He says what he means. He does what he says, and he always has your back. Well, most of the time, maybe not on bills and budget. But in all seriousness, what I appreciate most about Senator Jones, he's a person of his word. and if he gives you his commitment, he'll stand by it and he'll stand by it even if it costs him politically within his own party. Over the last several years, Senator Jones and I have been through a lot together. Civil unrest that has gripped our society and came into the Capitol. Security challenges with members here at the Capitol and their home. Internal challenges with the running of the institution. legal threats, and of course the occasional dust-up between members and the two houses. And every damn time, every damn time, working with Senator Jones, we've been able to work through the rough stuff, with respect and coming through together on the other side. And I'm incredibly grateful. I can also say that he's been a forceful advocate for his caucus and a strong defender of this institution and making sure the Senate delivers for the people of California. In fact, the vast majority of the people of California actually live between Senator Jones' home in San Diego County and where I live in Sonoma County. But as far apart as we may be geographically across the state, and maybe as far apart politically, we've been able to find common ground. And I think that says something about Brian Jones. Because in these hyper-partisan times, you hear people say that Democrats and Republicans can't work together, let alone be friends. And I've got to say, that could not be further from the truth, especially when it comes to Senator Jones. Long before either of us were ever serving in leadership, we had a friendship built on mutual respect, a shared commitment to serving our communities, and a willingness to work together even when we didn't agree. And over the years, and there were some tough times, we stood shoulder to shoulder on issues that affect communities across our state. Coming out hard against political violence, standing up for veterans, and together putting more firefighters on the front lines and the communities that are most threatened by mega fires. During his time in this legislature, he's been a tireless advocate for homeless kids. No one has stood stronger. he's gone to the mat for foster kids and for veterans and California's small businesses who are the heart of our nation leading economy but what I remember most about Senator Jones is the way he treated people he listens and he listens with compassion he always makes room for common ground he believes that this world revolves around strong relationships and trust. And that is no small thing. And I want to say how grateful I am. I've heard that being minority leader is not an easy job. But Brian has carried that responsibility with dignity because he understood that leadership is more than just winning arguments. It's about finding a path forward. It's about delivering progress for the communities that Republican leaders in this legislature proudly represent in the issues that they believe in. And like Brian, I think many of us grew up in challenge households. He doesn't talk about this much. But Brian's family had some tough times growing up. They had to work hard to put food on the table. And when you grow up facing challenges, you want to be able to make life better for others as an adult. And that's what Brian Jones has done. That spirit of service has been the heart of Senator Jones' career, working hard every day to make life better for the people in the communities he represents. He's a public servant who delivers. He has a big heart. And through it all, as we heard from the good senator, his wife Heather and his kids have been his North Star. Senator Jones, I want to tell you, you have been a friend and a trusted partner to people on both sides of the aisle. I am grateful to have been through tough times with you together because I think those tough times bring you closer You proven that we can always disagree without being disagreeable And you have always led with people over politics I want to say thank you for always standing up for your principles and always making room to listen to someone else's. We've had some time where we've been able to hear each other, even though it may have been heated. And I want to thank you, Brian, for more than two decades of public service. for faithfully serving the people of your district, the people of California, and the colleagues who will put their trust in you as leader. Thank you for being a minority leader with a big heart. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for leader Brian Jones. Thank you.
Senator Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President and members. What a blessing. This is the second time I've had the opportunity to be termed out. I was just realizing the last time was 10 years ago when we were termed out of the assembly. I've left city council. and there's a saying that we're all warned by I think when we show up on our first day or our first week that some of the cynical people that have served on this floor or work across the street say the friends that you have while you're in the legislature are just friends that you have while you're in the legislature. Well, I can tell you that having left one office twice and now the second time leaving the legislature, that sometimes that's true. Sometimes that statement's true. But oftentimes, if you're determined, because relationships are two ways, that you're going to maintain those relationships, those friendships are real. And I'll tell you the example today is Shannon and myself. We've been friends for 16 years. but friend doesn't really describe what we are. And I know that Mike McGuire and I are going to be friends for a long time. And if he makes it to D.C., I'll come see him there. And if he doesn't make it to D.C., I'll come console him on the day after the election. That's a promise. but I do have to start by thanking my family who have put up with this as all of us have shared now for 16 years it's hard to believe that 16 years ago when I started in the assembly my kids were in junior high and high school and now I have two grandkids and my daughter announced the other day a third one on the way thank you Roger's always told me that version 2 is better than version 1 and I appreciate that because it is true actually the best thing that Roger ever told me about grandkids is the reason grandkids are so special to you is because you have a common enemy and I like that that wasn't in my notes and my kids are watching so my son Christopher and his wife Sierra and their daughter Georgia thank you To my daughter Melina and her husband Justin and their son Vincent and whatever number two is going to be thank you To my son, Matthew, who's working hard to become a paramedic and a firefighter, thank you. And to my wife, Heather, who did not sign up for this, I promise you, 34 years ago when I tricked her into marrying me. this is a surprise to a lot of spouses when you come home one day. Oh, by the way, I'm going to run for city council. Shouldn't we talk about that first? Well, I thought we did. I mentioned it a while back. No, we never really came to a conclusion that that was what you were going to do. That's a real conversation, by the way, between her and me. my mom and my dad as Shannon mentioned have been rocks solid rock and foundation in my life despite the challenges that they had to overcome and my dad passed away one month after I became minority leader and so he didn't get to enjoy this right but I know that he really would have thought it was cool that I got to do this and they were married 56 years when he passed away. And I just want to say, Mom, I love you and thank you. I told myself I was not going to cry today, but sometimes I can't help it. You know, one of the bummers of being trimmed out for me is my staff and having to break that up. You know, after working on this for eight years, I've been blessed that I have three staff members that have been with me all eight years. My chief of staff, Craig, the caucus staff director, Jim, and Lori, my constituent services director in the district. backed up by the rest of my capital team Jake, Robert, Isabella, Rochelle and two honorable mentions our fellow James and Chris who I borrowed from Senator Ochoa Bogue for a couple of months and then gave him back but he's an honorary Team Jones member and then in the district my district director Nick supported by Juliet, Mark, Kyle and Tristan who are here today in the audience with this. They came up special for today and our two newest people, Valeria and Jind. I have to thank the people that helped me get here. The financial supporters, the voters but even more importantly is the emotional supporters that are in our corner every time when we go back to the district. I hear it all the time. The best compliment I get from people in the district is, I could never do what you do. And I'm sure you all get that as well. And you know, how do you do that? How do you go up there every Monday and come back on Thursday? I don't really have an answer other than my faith. really is what guides and directs me and causes me to put my head down and get the job done. I want to thank everybody on this floor who I consider friend and that all of you and especially Senator McGuire and Senator Grove who agreed to share today Thank you. I appreciate you guys. And a lot of the other friendships that I'm going to take away from this place. I'm blessed in that I don't have too many regrets in my service here, and eight years in the Senate and six years in the Assembly and the two years in between. And if I have one regret, it's a simple regret. Just maybe, and you heard I used to be a pastor, just maybe I didn't share my faith as much as my God would have liked me to share it. Because I know that we live in a lost and dying and dark world. and in my life Jesus is the answer and I would hope and pray that for you as well because there's no greater power on earth or in heaven than God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit and so I will leave you with this piece of scripture and I'm glad that others have set the precedent already for sharing scripture and I'll close with this probably the most famous verse of scripture in the world, or especially at American football games. John 3, 16 through 17. For this is how God loved the world. He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world, not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for the honor of serving with you. God bless you, and let's have a great last two weeks. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Senator Jones. and without doubt your light has shined before us all. With that, messages from the governor will be deemed read, messages from the assembly will be deemed read, reports of committees will be deemed read, and amendments adopted under motions, resolutions, and notices. Without objection, the Senate journals for August 10th, 2026, through August 13th, 2026, will be approved as corrected by the minute clerk. Senator Ettingham, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to request that file item 3, AB 2796, be removed from the consent calendar for the purposes of author's amendments.
The desk will note. Any other members wishing to be recognized? Senator Ashby, you are recognized.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise to move file item 477, which is AB 458, and file item 472, which is AB 65, to the inactive file at the request of the authors.
The desk will note. Any other members wishing to be recognized? Seeing none, moving to consideration of the daily file. Second reading file. Secretary, please read. Senate Concurrent Resolution 193, Assembly Bill 69, 2796, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 218, Assembly Bill 2542, 2121. Second reading file will be deemed read. And members, we are going to have the opportunity here in just a few minutes to establish unanimous roll call and as long as you stay on the floor we could get through business a lot quicker for items that do qualify for that right now we are moving to governor's appointments as we all gather at our seats we are going to move to governor's appointments items 171 172 173 177 179 181 182 183 starting with
171. Senator Grove, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, file item 171 is the confirmation of Megan Hurdle as the Director of Department of Fish and Wildlife. Prior to this role, she was serving as the Deputy Director of Biodiversity and Habitat at the Natural Resources Agency, and she also served 12 years as the National Audubon Society. I have to tell you that when we interviewed Megan, she is thoughtful. She's engaging. She goes where it's all easy for us to go places where we're welcome and wanted. She went up and took on a whole fight up there in the North State regarding wolves, ranchers, the environmentalists, the whole bit. And she really is a person who tries to find a yes solution for everybody. And so I'm really excited that she's going to be the next director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. She was approved by the Rules Committee on June 24th on a unanimous vote. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Senators.
Seeing no members to be recognized, Secretary, please call roll. Allen.
Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragin. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakesphere. Aye. Cobaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. Aye, McGuire. Aye, McNerney. Aye, Menjavar. Aye, Nilo. Aye, Ochoa Bogue. Aye, Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye, Rubio. Aye, Ciaro. Aye, Smallwood Cuevas. Aye, Stern. Aye, Strickland. Aye, Humbert? Aye. Volodaris? Aye. Wahab? Aye. Weber-Pearson? Aye. Wiener? Aye. Ayes 40, nos 0.
The appointment is confirmed. Item 172, Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, item 172 is the confirmation of Dr. Cedric Jamie Rutland for the appointment to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board. He is a pulmonary and critical care physician and serves on the board's position as an individual with experience and expertise in health effects on air pollution. He was approved by the Rules Committee on July 1st on a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Can we substitute the roll? In this case, we do have to call the roll on appointments, but we will do that later. With that, seeing no members to be recognized for speech, Secretary, please call roll.
Alan. Aye, Arquill. Aye, Archuleta. Aye, Arguin. Aye, Ashby. Aye, Becker. Aye, Blake Spear. Aye, Cobaldon. Caballero Aye Cervantes Aye Choi Aye Cortese Aye Daly Aye Durazo Aye Gonzalez Aye Grayson Aye Grove Aye Hurtado Aye Jones Aye Laird Limon. McGuire. Aye, McNerney. Aye, Menjabar. Nilo. Aye, Ochoa Bog. Aye, Padilla. Aye, Perez. Reyes, Richardson, Aye. Aye, Rubio, Aye. Aye, Ciarto, Aye. Aye, Smallwood Cuevas, Stern, Aye. Strickland, Aye. Aye, Umbert, Smallwood Cuevas, Aye. Umbert, Balladeros, Aye. Wahab, Aye. Weber Pearson, Aye. Aye, Wiener, Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members. Cobaldon, aye. Laird, aye. Limon, aye. Mandivar, aye. Perez, Reyes, aye. Humbert, aye. Ayes 39, nos 0. The appointment is confirmed. Moving to item 173. Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you. Mr. President, colleagues, you're going to want to come back to the floor. This appointee is a little sketchy. File item 173 is the confirmation of Michael Gunning, the Michael Gunning. No? Oh, stop it. He's wrong again. Okay, V. Michael Gunning for the reappointment to the Teachers Retirement Board where he's served since 2022. He's a Chief Strategy Officer for Lighthouse Public Affairs and he previously served as a Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the California Building Industry Association. Again, consider this appointment and what it means. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Aye. Aye, Ashby. Aye, Becker. Aye, Blasefier. Aye, Cobaldon. Aye, Caballero. Cervantes. Aye, Choi. Aye, Cortese. Aye, Daly. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Limon. McGuire. Aye, McNerney.
Aye, Menjabar. Aye, Nilo Aye, Ochoa Bog Aye, Padilla Aye, Perez Reyes Aye, Richardson Aye, Rubio Aye, Ciarto Aye, Smallwood Cuevas Aye, Stern Aye, Strickland Aye, Umber Aye, Valdez Aye, Wahab Aye, Weber Pearson Aye, Weiner Aye. Secretary, please call absent members.
Caballero, aye. Laird, aye. Limon, aye. Perez, aye.
Ayes 40, noes 0, the appointment is confirmed. Moving to item 177. Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, final item 177 is a confirmation of Omar Passions for the appointment to the Contractor State License Board. He is a principal consultant with Passons Consulting and he previously served as the City of San Jose Deputy City Manager for the Homeless My colleague from San Jose will not be speaking on this He was approved by the Rules Committee on July 1st on a 5 vote Seeing no microphones raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call the roll.
Allen. Aye. Aye. Aye, Alvarado Gil. Aye, Archuleta. Aye, Aragon. Aye, Ashby. Aye, Becker. Aye, Blasefear. Aye, Cabaldon. Aye, Caballero. Aye, Cervantes. Aye, Choi. Aye, Cortese. Aye, Daly. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. McGuire Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Limon.
Ayes 39, noes 0. The appointment is confirmed. Moving to item 179. Senator Grove, you are once again recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, file item 179 is a confirmation of David Silva for the appointment to the California Air Resources Board. He's the mayor of the city of Bulton and a member of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District Board. He also is a Senior Director of Development for Annual Giving Programs at UC Santa Barbara. He was approved by the Rules Committee on a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
Seeing no mics raised, for members to be recognized, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye, Becker, Blake Spear, Aye, Cobaldon, Aye, Caballero, Aye, Cervantes, Aye, Choi, Aye, Cortese, Aye, Daly, Aye, Durazo, Aye, Gonzalez, Aye, Grayson, Aye, Grove, Aye, Hurtado, Aye, Jones, Aye, Laird, Aye, Limon, Aye, McGuire, Aye, McNerney, Aye, Menjabar, Aye, Nilo, Aye, Ochoa Bogue, Aye, Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye. Aye, Rubio. Aye, Ciarto. Aye. Aye, Smallwood Cuevas. Aye, Stern. Aye. Aye, Strickland. Aye. Aye, Umber. Aye. Aye, Valadares. Aye, Wahab. Aye. Aye, Weber Pearson. Aye, Weiner. Aye. Aye.
Secretary of Police call absent member.
Becker. Aye.
Ayes 40, noes 0. The appointment is confirmed. Item 181, Senator Grove.
Thank you, Mr. President. Item 181 is a confirmation of Joseph Ito for a reappointment to the California Independent System Operator Governing Board. If you want the lights to stay on, you will vote aye on this confirmation. He's one of the smartest people you will ever meet. He was first appointed in 2023 and currently serves as the board's chair. He previously served over 40 years as staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He was approved by the Rules Committee on a 5 vote Respectfully ask for an aye vote Thank you Senator Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate Secretary please call roll Allen Aye Aye Alvarado Gil Aye Archuleta Aye
Arrigan. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blake Sphere. Aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choy. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye. Grove. Aye. Hurtado. Aye. Jones. Laird. Aye. Limon. McGuire. Aye. McNerney. Aye. Manjavar. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa Boat. Aye. Padilla. Perez. Aye. Reyes. Richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Ciarto. Aye. Smallwood Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Valadares. Aye. Aye. Wahab? Aye. Weber-Pearson? Aye. Wiener? Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Jones? Limon? Aye. Menjavar? Aye. Padilla? Aye. Padilla? Aye.
Ayes 39, noes 0. The appointment is confirmed. Moving to item 182, Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, again, a very smart individual that keeps California's lights on and makes sure our energy flows correctly through the ISO. Alice Reynolds for the appointment of the California Independent System Operator Governing Board. She previously served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission, and prior to that, she was a senior advisor for energy in the governor's office. She was approved by the Rules Committee on August 5th and if I vote, respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragin. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Cobaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Aye. I, Jason. I, Grove. I, Hurtado. I, Jones. Laird. I, Limon. I, McGuire. I, McNerney. I, Menjabar. I, Nilo. I, Ochoa Boak. I, Padilla. I, Perez. I, Reyes. I, Richardson. I, Rubio. I, Ciaro. I, Smallwood Cuevas. I, Stern. I, Strickland. I, Strickland. I, Reyes. I, Richardson. I, Rubio. I, Ciaro. I, Smallwood Cuevas. I, Stern. I, Strickland. Aye. Stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Voladares. Aye. Wahab. Weber-Pearson. Aye. Wiener. Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members. Jones. Wahab. Aye. Ayes 39, noes 0. The appointment is confirmed. File item 183. Senator Grove, Lashley, once again, you are right.
Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, last one. File item 183 is the confirmation of Charles Dugan for appointment to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. He was a city manager. He is the city manager, I apologize, for the city of Redlands, and serves as the Commission's position of chief administrative officer. He was approved by the Rules Committee on a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call the roll.
Allen. Aye. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archul. I are again I ask the aye Becker I play sphere I cobald in I cowboy all Chavon says I Joi I Cortese Dally I do Russell I consist is I Grayson our growth I Jones, Laird, I, Limon, McGuire, I, McNerney, I, Menjabar, I, Nilo, I, Ochoa Bog, I, Padilla, I, Perez, I, Reyes, Richardson, I, Rubio, I, Ziyarto, I, Smallwood Cuevas, I, Stern, I, Strickland, I, Umber, I, Aye, Voladeres? Aye, Wahab? Aye. Aye, Weber Pearson? Aye. Aye, Weiner? Aye. Say yes, aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Caballero? Cortese? Aye. Grove? Aye. Jones? Limon? Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Caballero. Aye. Jones.
Ayes 39, nos 0. The appointment is confirmed. Members, we are going to move to unfinished business. This is an opportunity for us to establish that unanimous roll call. It is established. Okay, we have it established. We are moving to item 210, SB 918, Sayarto. You are, or Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 918 by Senator Sayarto, an act relating to food facility.
Senator Sayarto, you are recognized.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm glad to be here to get this two-week party started off with a great bill, SB 918, which is back on concurrence. SB 918 simply modernizes California's code to reflect how drive-thru restaurants operate today. Specifically, the bill will allow more flexibility for restaurant drive-throughs while maintaining existing food safety standards. The bill took amends in the assembly, which were technical in nature. It has enjoyed unanimous support with no opposition. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, this is eligible for unanimous roll call. So without objection, seeing no objection, we will apply unanimous roll call. Ayes 40, nos 0. The amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 212, SB 832. Senator Allen, you are recognized. Secretary, my apologies. Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 832 by Senator Allen, an act relating to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
Senator Allen, you are recognized.
Thank you so much, Mr. President. SB 832, which will update the status, sorry, will update the statute for the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group is back on concurrence. It has no opposition, no no votes, and I respect for your aye vote on SB 832.
Thank you, Senator, for your brevity, and this item as well is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, Noes, zero. Amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 213 SB 930 Reyes Senator Reyes secretary please read Senate Bill 930 by Senator Reyes an act relating to privacy Senator Reyes, you are recognized at your desk for SB 930.
Thank you, Mr. President and members. I rise to present SB 930, which requires proctoring companies who are providing services to a local education agency for a classroom or course-based exam to use end-to-end encryption. Amendments were taken in the Assembly to add a new implementation date. The bill is sponsored by the Riverside and San Bernardino County Offices of Education, has no opposition, and has received bipartisan support. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0, amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 214, SB 1082. Senator Nilo, or Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 1082 by Senator Nilo, an act relating to people attendance.
Senator Nilo, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. SB 1082, relating to streamlining inter-district transfer requests, is back on concurrence. Assembly amendments clarified the process for schools and parents as it relates to implementation dates and the 30-day deadline. This proposal does not change eligibility requirements or alter existing appeal rights. Instead, it streamlines existing procedures, reduces unnecessary administrative burden, and promotes timely, transparent, and predictable decision-making for families. I respectfully ask an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0. amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 215, SB 1129. Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 1129 by Senator Caballero, an act relating to attorneys.
Senator Caballero, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President and members. I rise to present SB 1129, which is back on concurrence. The assembly amendments delete the bill's former community justice worker study provision and instead require the State Bar to transmit to the legislature any recommended statutory changes to implement the Community Justice Worker Program. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0. Amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 216, SB 607.
Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 607 by Senator Weiner, in equity to transportation.
Senator Weiner, you are recognized. Thank you very much, Mr. President. and I rise to present Senate Bill 607, a bill that we amended in the Assembly. This bill makes important changes to modernize the Golden Gate Bridge District's long-term loan authority. The bill will help the district finance its critical seismic retrofit program, which will make the bridge operational in the wake of a major earthquake. Given greater uncertainty around federal funding and reduced post-COVID vehicle bridge crossings, The district needs modernized access to other financing tools for the final phase of this project. These charges will help ensure that the Golden Gate Bridge, an iconic symbol for our state and a critical link between San Francisco and the North Bay, remain safe, resilient, and operational for generations to come. The bill passed unanimously in the Assembly and in Senate Transportation Committee. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
This item is eligible for unanimous roll call with no objections. Seeing no objection. Ayes 40 nos 0 The amendments are concurred in Moving to item 219 SB 952 Secretary please read Senate Bill 952 by Senator Laird an act relating to energy Senator Laird, you are recognized for item 219, SB 952.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Senate Bill 952 is back for concurrence. Assembly amendments clarify the definition of excess procurement, ensuring it accurately affects the clean energy goals for the state water project. There's no opposition. The bill is bipartisan support. I ask for an aye vote on concurring in the amendments.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, noes 0. Amendments are concurred in. Item 221, SB 1005. Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 1005 by Senator Caballero, an act relating to local government and
declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately. Senator Caballero, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present SB 1005, which was amended in the assembly to include an urgency clause. Respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Without objection, this item does qualify for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0 on the urgency. Ayes 40, nos 0. Amendments are concurred in. We are moving to item 222, SB 1055.
Secretary, please read.
Senate Bill 1055 by Senator Laird, an act relating to public contracts.
Senator Laird, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Bill 1055 is back for concurrence. The bill authorizes the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency to use four additional construction labor procurement methods, amendments taken to the Assembly, add a project labor agreement requirement for the usage of job order contracting, as well as the reporting requirement. I respectfully ask for an aye vote on the amendments.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, we do.
Yes.
Seeing objection, we will go to roll call. Secretary, please call the roll.
Allen, Alvarado Gil, Archuleta, Arragan, Ashby, Becker, Blakespeare, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cervantes, Choi, Cortese, Aye, Daly. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. McGuire. Aye, McNerney. Aye, Menjabar. Aye, Nilo. Aye, Ochoa Bog. Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye, Rubio. Aye. Aye. C. Yarto. Aye.
Smallwood Cuevas. Stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Valadares. Aye. Wahab. Weber Pearson. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Wahab aye. Secretary, please call absent members. Limon. Ochoa Bog. Smallwood Cuevas. Thank you Smallwood Guevara aye Ayes 38, noes 0. amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 225, SB 1253. Secretary, please read. Senate Bill 1253 by Senator Laird, an act relating to reservoirs. Senator Laird, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. This bill is back for concurrence. Assembly amendments incorporate monitoring requirements to safely expand recreational access at Santa Margarita Lake. The bill has no registered opposition. Receive unanimous bipartisan support. I ask for an aye vote in concurring in the amendments. Members, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call without objection. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes 0. Amendments are concurred in. Moving to item 227, SB 1285. Secretary, please read. Senate Bill 1285 by Senator Durazo, an act relating to juveniles. Senator Durazo, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. SB-1285 is back on the Senate floor for a concurrence vote. This bipartisan bill has support, support. And we must uphold California's commitment to meaningful second chances by helping youth begin adulthood with opportunities for healing, rehabilitation, careers, and supportive connections. I thank you, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. seeing no objection. Ayes 39, nos 0. Amendments are concurred in. Members, we are moving to Assembly 3rd reading. Before we do that, Senator Becker has a friend in the gallery, Jonathan Parks. Welcome, Jonathan Parks, to the Senate gallery. Very good. All right. Thank you. Assembly members, or Assembly 3rd reading, we are moving to Item 250, AB 1657. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1657 by Assemblymember Rogers, an act relating to domestic violence. Senator Grove, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise to present AB 1657, which would prohibit courts from requiring notice be provided to the opposing party before filing a temporary restraining order for domestic violence victims. Think about that for just a minute. Requiring a notice would prohibit requiring a notice to be provided to the opposing party before filing a temporary restraining order for domestic violence. Current law does not require a pre-filing notice before requesting a temporary restraining order, yet some county courts still require victims to notify the opposing party before the judge reviews the application. This notice requirement can discourage survivors from moving forward because they're afraid of alerting their alleged abuser before the temporary restraining order can be considered. AB 1657 closes that county loophole by prohibiting those pre-filing notice requirements helping victims and survivors access faster more consistent protection colleagues this bill is keeps domestic violence victims safe it removes the danger of victims having to contact their abuser directly and takes away the stress of figuring out who will serve the notice for them. I'd like to thank Assemblymember Rogers for his hard work on this bill. This bill has received no no votes and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for a unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 254, AB 2503. Secretary, please read. Senate Bill 2503 by Senate Member Wallace, in acronym to Interscholastic Athletic Programs. Senator Padilla, you are recognized. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Colleagues rise to present. This AB 20503 would require the California Interscholastic Federation to annually review and, if necessary, update heat guidelines to ensure they accurately reflect regional climate conditions. As conditions continue to intensify across the state, a one-size-fits-all approach for heat threshold is no longer appropriate. This bill builds upon youth sports heat guidelines. This body successfully enacted a few years ago. The bill has bipartisan support. Receive no no votes. Respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 261, AB 1977. Secretary, please. Assembly Bill 1977 by Assemblymember Irwin, an act relating to notaries public. Senator Caballero, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present AB 1977 on behalf of Assemblymember Irwin. This bill, which is sponsored by the California Secretary of State, is a technical cleanup bill. It clarifies and corrects ambiguities and inconsistencies in the Online Notarization Act in order to ensure its implementation by 2030. The bill strengthens consumer protection and provides clarity for notaries, platforms, and users as it aligns statutory requirements with the online notarization. Respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll. Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. No. Archuleta. Aye. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Aye. Becker. aye Blake Spear aye Kabalden aye Caballero aye Cervantes aye Choi no Cortese aye Daly no Durazo aye Gonzales aye Grayson aye aye Grove no Hurtado aye Jones no Laird aye Aye, Simon, McGuire, Aye, McNerney, Aye, Menjavar, Aye, Nilo, No, Ochoa Pog, No, Padilla, Aye, Perez, Aye, Reyes, Aye, Aye, Richardson, Aye, Rubio, Aye, Cioto, No, Smallwood Cuevas, Aye, Stern, Aye, Strickland, No, Umber, Aye, Valadares? No. Wahab? Aye. Weber-Pearson? Aye. Wiener? Aye. Ayes 29, noes 10. The bill passes. Moving to item 265, AB 1551. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1551 by Assemblymember Crow, an act relating to the California Rights Commission. Senator McNerney, you are recognized. Well good afternoon President Pro Tem and distinguished members I rise today to present AB 1551 on behalf of Assemblymember Krell AB 1551 supports crucial conservation work by identifying the implementation of rice footprints as a priority for the Family of California Rice Commission. Roughly half a million acres of rice provide vital wetland habitat to a diverse array of native birds, reptiles, and fish. Climate change, water shortages, market shifts, and urban growth all pose challenge to maintaining enough rice acreage to guarantee a viable rice habitat for these species. In my district, rice farming is being proposed as a method to raise Delta Islands to above the sea level. Replacing this vital habitat will cost an estimated $2 billion if we fail to preserve it. This bill has no opposition and has received no, no votes. I want to thank Assemblywoman Krell for carrying this bill, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes zero, the bill passes. Moving to item 267, AB 1817. Secretary, please. Assemblymember Addis, an act relating to mobile home parks. Senator Reyes, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Members, I rise to present AB 1817, the Mobile Home Fair Process Act, on behalf of Assemblymember Addis. This bill will help ensure that mobile home park residents receive detailed seven-day notice with a fair delivery process that mirrors an existing method for 60-day notices. This will give mobile home tenants a fair chance to correct their violations and prevent evictions. This bill has received bipartisan support in both houses and has no opposition. I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 271, AB 1637. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1637 by Assemblymember Colosa, an act relating to Healing Arts. Senator Archuleta, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I proudly stand and present the Senate bill, AB 1637, the Just What the Doctor Ordered Act. On behalf of the Assemblyman, Jesse Caloza, trust in the foundation of patient care. Without it, diagnosis can be questioned, treatment decisions can be compromised, and ultimately lives can be at risk. AB 1637 protects patients from ensuring ensuring that primary care physicians are solely responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their medical records. Under current law, anyone, including administrative staff, contractors, or clinic supervisors who are not a licensed physician, can alter these records, potentially creating confusion in diagnosis and treatment plans. protecting the accuracy of physician notes leads to the protection of patient safety. We've seen the consequences by failing to protect medical records. A traveling physician in Kern County working with the associated children and their notes changed by a district supervisor not only threatening the physician. And so these edits were made out of concern for the clinic reputation compromising patient care and trust and never the patient Protection of patients starts with diagnostics and treatment plans from their primary physician not the editor I strongly request that your I vote be on AB 1637 to continue the safety of patients and the credibility of physicians. I urge an I vote. Members, this item without objection is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, no 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 276, AB 1894 for a support support. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1894 by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, an accolade to Fish and Wildlife. Senator Rubio, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. I rise today to present AB 1894 on behalf of Assemblymember Rubio. This bill is a San Diego Valley Caucus Priority Bill. This bill is in response to concerns from several water districts that prohibition of water imports to recharge groundwater supplies is detrimental to the communities and the water suppliers that we rely on. Amendments taken in committee narrowed the bill to ensure this bill retains its core purpose without unintended constraints on local entities. The County of Los Angeles submitted late opposition and did not take the thoughtful amendments that were presented earlier. With that, I ask for an aye vote. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. Members, this item without objection is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 277, AB 1910. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1910 by Assemblymember Berner, an act relating to paternal health. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, you're recognized on your support support bill. Thank you, Mr. President, for that reminder. I am pleased to present AB 1910 on behalf of Assemblymember Berner, her pelvic floor health bill. One in three people who have given birth will experience a pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime. There are people every day dealing with functional problems that could have been avoided with preventative postpartum pelvic floor care. AB 1910 addresses these gaps by adding information and advising individuals to discuss any pelvic floor concerns with their health care provider. AB 1910 will give the women of California access to safe, reliable information from a source they can trust. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you so much, Senator. Members, without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, no 0, the bill passes. Item 280, AB 2476. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 2476 by Assemblymember Ellis, an act relating to electricity. Senator Grove, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues and members, AB 2476 expands eligibility for pump storage hydro projects without mandating new procurement or weakening environmental standards or adding costs to rate payers. Pump storage hydro is proven efficient and long-lasting duration storage technology with the ability to provide critical grid stability. Under current law, pump storage hydro is only eligible for central procurement if the project is 500 megawatts or smaller and received estate funding before 2023. This bill simply removes the pre funding requirement while keeping the 500 megawatt cap which will make additional high projects eligible for consideration The bill encourages competition along qualified long storage projects and strengthens California energy reliability goals while supporting economic growth and job creation in communities across our state. I respectfully ask for an aye vote on behalf of Mr. Ellis. Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 39, no 0, the bill passes. We are moving to item 292, AB 2595. Secretary, please read. Assigning bill 2595 by Assigning member Papin, an act relating to vehicles. Senator Becker, you are recognized for AB 2595 at your desk. I thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present this bill on behalf of Assemblymember Pappin. It would allow San Mateo County and its local jurisdictions to adopt an ordinance prohibiting children under the age of 12 from riding e-bikes. This bill comes in response to two tragedies in San Mateo County, resulting in the deaths of two children. To say there's been an outcry in my county is an understatement. While existing law allows jurisdictions to regulate the use of e-bikes, it does not allow local governments to enact stronger age-based restrictions without specific authorizing legislation. AB 2595 grants that authorization. It gives San Mateo County and cities the ability to do the same, providing them with the power to address the rise in local e-bike incidents involving children and maybe continue to set a precedent for the rest of the state. Thank you. I respectfully ask your aye vote. Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll. Allen. Aye. Avraud Aguil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choy. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Durazo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Aye. Grove. Aye. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. Limon, aye. McGuire. Aye, McLearney. Aye, Menjabar. Nilo. Aye, Ochoa Bog. Aye, Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye, Rubio. Aye, Ciarto? Smallwood Cuevas? Aye, Stern? Aye, Strickland? Aye, Umber? Aye, Valadares? Aye, Wahab? Aye, Weber Pearson? Aye, Weiner? Secretary, please call absent members. Daly? Mangivore? Tiyarto? Weiner? No. Ayes 36, noes 1, the bill passes. Moving to item 293, AB 1647. Secretary, please read. Assigning bill 1647 by Assigning Member Bryant, in accordance with juveniles. Senator Cortese, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise to present AB 1647, which codifies the existing California case law to protect statements made by youth during transfer hearings. In Bryan v. Superior Court In that case, and Ramona R. v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court held that statements a young person makes during a transfer hearing or to the probation officer preparing for that hearing cannot be used against them to establish guilt in later prosecution. This protection allows the court to hear candid information about the young person's background, circumstances, and capacity for rehabilitation. AB 1647 places the court's longstanding rule into statute. So again, we're taking this case law from the High Court, putting it into statute. The bill preserves the use of these statements that sentencing expressly states that it does not alter or expand the Court's decision. This bill has bipartisan support. It has no, no votes. I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll. Allen. Alvarado Gil. Archuleta. Aye, Aragon. Aye, Ashby. Aye, Becker. Aye, Blake Spear. Aye, Cabaldon. Aye, Caballero. Aye, Cervantes. Aye, Choi. No, Cortese. Aye, Dally. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. Aye. McGuire. Aye. McNerny. Aye. Mendervar. Aye. Nilo. Ochoabog. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes. Aye. Richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Ciartho. Smallwood Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Strickland. Humber. Paladaris. Aye. Wahab? Aye. Aye. Weber Pearson? Aye. Aye. Weiner? Aye. Secretary, please call absent members. Allen? Aye. Avrata Gil? No. Grove? Nilo? Grove, no. Nilo? No. Ciarto? Stern? Aye. Strickland? No. Umber, aye. Voladeros? Ciardo, no. Ochoa Bog, aye to no. Voladeros, no. Ayes 32, noes 8. The bill passes. Moving to item 296, AB 1908. Secretary, please read. Assigning Bill 1908 by Assigning Member McKenner, an act relating to civil actions and declaring the urgency thereof to take effect immediately. Senator Durazzo, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. This bill authorizes local public agencies to establish victim compensation funds and finance legitimate civil claims against the public agency. Public entities are facing growing legal exposure and rising costs for civil claims. As a result of the increased dollars at stake, funding these claims has become increasingly difficult for city schools and counties. This bill will give local public agencies an option to pay legitimate civil claims while protecting essential public safety, health, and safety net programs that all residents rely on. I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you. This item is eligible without objection This item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0 on the urgency, ayes 40, nos 0 on the bill. It passes. Moving to item 299, AB 1112. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1112 by Assemblymember Wallace, an acronym to property taxation. Senator Ochoa, vote. You are recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate.
On behalf of Assemblymember Wallace, it is my honor to present AB 1112, which is a narrow fix to property tax law. The bill is a support support with no opposition. It repeals one provision that applies to a single city in California, the city of Rancho Mirage. Every no and low property tax city in California is guaranteed a floor of 7% of the property tax generated within its borders. Rancho Mirage is the only city held below that 7% floor. The reason can be traced back to a 1997 provision tied to redevelopment. When Rancho Mirage took over management of its fire and library services, that revenue was counted against the city's allocation. The redevelopment agencies behind the arrangement were dissolved in 2012, but the penalty on Rancho Mirage has stayed on the books. AB 1112 just removes the outdated provision and treats Rancho Mirage the same as every other qualifying city. It is a cleanup to the code, not a new benefit. Rancho Mirage and Riverside County have agreed to phase in the change over several years so that the county is not observing the full revenue shift in a single year. There is no cost to the state. The change involves only the local share property tax. It does not touch schools, Proposition 98, or the general fund. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Members, this item without objection is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, nos 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 305, AB 1712. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1712 by Assemblymember Pacheco and act relating to local government. Senator Archuleta, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. This is definitely a district bill. For a couple of my cities that I do represent, I'd like you to allow, thank you for allowing me to present Assembly Bill 1712 on behalf of Assemblywoman Pacheco. One of the cities I represent, Santa Fe Springs, owns a water system that faces groundwater contamination issues that require urgent infrastructural care and maintenance and upgrades. However, due to the system's small size, the city cannot afford to finance these upgrades without at least 300 percent increase to the customer's rate. It would be devastating. In contrast, the city sells its system to a larger water provider. The provider will have the capacity to spread the cost across a broader customer base and additionally more time, allowing the rates to remain steady for years to come. However, under the current law, a public entity must hold a municipal election before selling its water system to a PUC-regulated provider, adding cost and delay to the city and its residents. Instead AB 1712 allows the city to proceed through a protest process facilitating a smoother more affordable sale After the sale the water system will be regulated by the PUC which will help ensure reasonable and stable rates for the resident A similar bill approach was successful in the nearby city of Montebello, another one of my cities, under AB 850 in 2021, where rates remained stable after the sale. I thank you and respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. this item is eligible without a with a without objection this item is eligible for unanimous roll call seeing no objection eyes 40 noes 0 the bill passes moving to item 311 AB 2224 secretary please read Assembly Bill 2224 by Assemblymember Hadwick in equity to local government. Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I rise to present Assembly Bill 2224 from Assemblywoman Hadwick. The bill modernizes the county recording process by creating a more straightforward fee structure, eliminating outdated fees and helping counties. particularly rural counties, recover the true cost of providing recording services. Members, this bill has enjoyed unanimous support and has no opposition. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Seeing no microphones raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cobaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choy. Cortese. Aye, Daly. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. Aye, McGuire. Aye, McLerny. Aye, Menjabar. Aye, Nilo. Ochoa Bog. Aye, Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Ciarto. Aye. Smallwood Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye. Strickland. Humbert. Aye. Valadez. Wahab. Aye. Weber Pearson. Aye. Wiener. Aye. Nilo aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Choi. Cortese. Aye. Aye. Strickland. Valadez.
Ayes 38, noes 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 314, AB 2523. Secretary please read. Assembly Bill 2523 by Assemblymember Fong, an act relating to public post-secondary education. Senator Gonzalez, you are recognized.
Thank you Mr. President and members. I rise to present AB 2523 on behalf of Assemblymember Fong. It increases transparency in California's public higher education institutions by requiring the CSU and California community colleges and requesting the UC to post governing board members' contact information on their websites. This bill also encourages governing board members to consider public and stakeholder feedback on matters discussed at open meetings. We need to ensure that we're improving access to these board members as they are elected officials as well. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. This item is eligible without objection to unanimous roll call Seeing no objection ayes 40 nos 0 The bill passes Moving to item 357 AB 1957 Secretary please read Assembly Bill 1957 by Assemblymember Pacheco, an act relating to mortgages. Senator Gunn-Humberg, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues. I rise to present AB 1957, which protects homeowners from losing their hard-earned equity during the foreclosure process. Under current law, certain eligible bidders are allowed to submit bids after a foreclosure auction before the sale is finalized. This creates a loophole, and it creates an opportunity for some somewhat nefarious actors to be able to lower the purchase price and thus reduce the equity that might be due to the actual original homeowner. I urge an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. aye, Alvarado Gil, aye, Archuleta, aye, Araguin, aye, Ashby, aye, Becker, aye, Blake Spear, aye, Cabaldon, aye, Caballero, aye, Cervantes, aye, Choi, aye, Cortese, aye, Daly, aye, Durazo, aye, Gonzales, aye, Grayson, aye, Grove, aye, Hurtado, aye, Jones, aye, Laird, aye, Limon, aye, McGuire, I. McClerny. I. Menjabar. I. Nilo. I. Ochoa Boog. I. Padilla. I. Perez. I. Reyes. I. Richardson. I. Rubio. I. C. Harto. I. Smallwood Cuevas. I. Stern. I. Strickland. Aye. Umberg. Aye. Voladares. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Aye. Weber Pearson. Aye. Aye. Weiner.
Ayes 39, noes 0. The bill passes. Item 370, AB 2263. Secretary, please read. Assignment Bill 2263 by Senate Member Cara and I'm relating to housing. Senator Cortese, you are recognized.
Thank you again, Mr. President and colleagues. AB 2263 will give the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, otherwise known as VTA, the statutory authority, to set aside affordable housing for their employees. VTA is a transit agency that serves the entire geography of Santa Clara County. It's approximately 2,300 employees manage and operate the county's bus and light rail services, as well as paratransit, congestion management, and other services. while VTA workers may be making competitive middle-class wages they're living in one of the most expensive housing marks in the nation something we're trying to correct of course the high cost of housing has priced many of the VTA workers out of the area AB 2263 will give VTA the authority to build affordable housing for its employees ensuring the workers can live closer to work decrease their commutes and generally have happier lives the bill has enjoyed bipartisan support and no opposition. I respectfully request your aye vote. Thank you,
Senator. Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll. Allen.
Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cobaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Aye. Durazo. Aye, Gonzales. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. McGuire. Aye, McNerney. Aye. Aye. Menjivar. Aye. Aye. Nilo. Aye. Ochoabog. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes. Aye. Aye. Richardson. Aye. Aye. Rubio. Aye. Ciarto. Aye. Smallwood Cuevas. Aye. Stern. Aye. Strickland. Aye. Umber. Aye. Aye. Valadares. Aye. Wahab. Aye. Aye. Weber Pearson. Aye. Aye. Wiener. Aye.
Ayes 39, noes 0. The bill passes. Item 375, AB 2346. Secretary, please read. Assigned to Bill 2346 by Assemblymember Wilson, an act relating to vehicles. Senator Dr. Weber Pearson, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senators, as a proud co-author, I rise to present AB 2346 on behalf of Assemblymembers Wilson and Berman, a measure aimed at modernizing California's e-bike safety laws and protecting our communities while ensuring we preserve access to this growing mode of accessible transportation. Amendments taken in Senate Transportation Committee have removed opposition from California Bike Coalition, Streets for All and Streets Are for Everyone. As e-bike technology continues to rapidly grow, our laws must keep up with the pace to ensure that safety on our roads, bike paths, and sidewalks are for communities that utilize them. The statistics speak for themselves. There has been a 334% increase in traumatic e-bike injuries among children just at Rady Children's Hospital of Orange County alone between 2022 and 2025. AB 2346 is sponsored by the California Medical Association and implements targeted and practical solutions that focus on behavior to reduce dangerous speeds and improve users' awareness, not to restrict user access. AB 2346 is a balanced approach that improves public safety, empowers local communities, and supports the continued growth and access to sustainable transportation. I thank you and respectfully ask for your aye vote on AB 2346.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no, we do have objections, so Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cobaldon. Aye. Caballero. aye Cervantes aye Choi aye Cortesi aye Dallee aye Durazo Gonzalez Grayson aye Grove aye Hurtado aye Jones aye Laird aye Limon McGuire, aye, McNerney, aye, Menjavar, aye, Nilo, aye, Ochoa Boog, aye, Padilla, aye, Perez, aye, Reyes, aye, Richardson, aye, Rubio, aye, Cierto, aye, Smallwood Cuevas, aye, Stern, aye, Strickland, aye, Umberg, aye, Valadares, aye, Wahab, Aye. Weber-Pearson? Aye. Weiner?
Secretary, please call absent members.
Durazo? Aye. Gonzalez? Aye.
Limon Weiner Ayes 38 nos 0 The bill passes Moving to item 383 AB 2538 Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 2538 by Assemblymember Macedo, in accordance with Medi-Cal. Senator Grove, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present AB 2538 on behalf of Assemblymember Macedo, an important patient protection and program integrity bill dealing with Medi-Cal hospice services. AB 2538 codifies a common sense accountability measure that the Department of Health Care Services has already begun implementing administratively. The bill requires that before public dollars are paid out to hospice services, there should be a clear, timely, reviewable record that the patient has actually elected for hospice care, that informed consent was obtained, and that the provider is willing to test those facts. For these reasons, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection to unanimous roll call, ayes 40, noes 0, the bill passes. Moving to item 394, AB 1875. Secretary, please read. I'll send the bill 1875 by Senate Member Hart, an act relating to marriage. Senator Wahab, you are recognized.
Thank you. I rise today to present AB 1875 on behalf of Assemblymember Hart. AB 1875 will provide courts with the discretion to reduce or waive the six-month mandatory divorce waiting periods in cases where individuals are facing domestic violence or other urgent circumstances. Currently, California requires a six-month waiting period after a couple files for divorce, known as the cooling-off period, before divorce can be finalized. This results in California having one of the longest divorce waiting periods in the nation, like many other states such as Arizona and Texas, only require 60 days to finalize a divorce, while others do not impose a waiting period after filing. When it comes to survivors of domestic violence, this mandatory six-month waiting period can be stressful and may pose a threat to their safety. After having endured physical and mental abuse from a partner, it is understandable that a survivor would want to cut all legal ties to their abuser as soon as possible. AB 1875 helps provide an alternative to this unnecessary and stressful waiting period by giving judges authority to reduce or waive the waiting period when victims of domestic violence find themselves most in danger. This bill has no opposition, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Archuleta. Aye. Aye. Irigan. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Aye, Gonzales. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Laird. Aye, Limon. McGuire. Aye, McNerney. Aye, Menjabar. Aye, Nilo. Aye, Ochoa Bog. Padilla. Aye, Perez. Aye, Reyes. Aye, Richardson. Aye, Rubio. Aye, Cierto. Aye, Smallwood Cuevas. Aye Aye Voladeros Aye Wahab Aye Weber Pearson Aye Wiener Aye
Secretary, please call absent members.
Alvarado Gil? Joy? Grove? Jones? Limon? Ochoa Boak? Strickland? Strickland, aye.
Ayes 34, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 396, AB 1656. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1656 by Assemblymember Davies, an act relating to human trafficking. Senator Blakespeare, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present AB 1656 by Assemblywoman Davies. AB 1656 gives courts the discretion to consider a prosecutor's availability when determining a continuance in a human trafficking case, helping to maintain continuity for victims. Current law already provides this flexibility in cases involving murder, stalking, domestic violence and hate crimes. AB 1656 extends the same consideration to human trafficking cases. This is important because survivors of human trafficking often endure trauma and building trust with a prosecutor can be essential to helping them participate in the judicial process. This bill is backed by law enforcement, victim advocates, and tribal organizations, and it has strong bipartisan support, passing the assembly floor and public safety committees of each house without a single no vote. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. This item is eligible for unanimous roll call without objection. We have objection. Secretary, please call roll.
Allen. Aye. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Aye, Ashby. Aye, Becker. Aye, Blakespeare. Aye, Cabaldon. Caballero. Cervantes. Aye, Choi. Aye, Cortese. Aye, Daly. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. Aye, Jones. Aye, Laird. Aye, Limon. McGuire, aye, McNerney, aye, Menjivar, aye, Nilo, aye, Ochoa Bog, aye, Padilla, aye, Perez, aye, Reyes, aye, Richardson, aye, Rubio, aye, Cioto, aye, Smallwood Cuevas, Stern, aye, Strickland, aye, Umber, aye, Valadares, aye, Wahab, Aye. Weber Pearson? Aye. Wiener? Aye.
Secretary, please call absent members.
Cabaldon? Caballero? Limon? Smallwood Cuevas?
Ayes 36, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 397, AB 2052. Secretary, please read. Ascendant Bill 2052 by Ascendant Member Stephanie, an act relating to criminal procedure. Senator Rubio, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate.
Today I rise to present AB2052 on behalf of Assemblymember Stefani. AB2052 will protect the most vulnerable people in our communities. Throughout California, we see an increasing number of aging population, more of whom are becoming victims of crimes, as many elderly citizens suffer from cognitive challenges, dementia, and other serious challenges. They often rely heavily on caregivers to assist them when they go to court This bill simply offers the opportunity to keep their same prosecutor throughout the case They build trust with their prosecutors and changing prosecutors often diminishes their ability to speak freely and not be afraid With that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 398, AB 1660. Secretary, please read. Senate Bill 1660, by the Senate member Shalvo, an acronym to probate. Senator Nilo, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. President. Members, this bill is a good example of people working hard to get to yes. The sponsors of AB 1660, the author and the opposition, have spent countless hours of negotiations and have finally come to an agreement. There's no formal opposition. It's received bipartisan support. It is simply a straightforward measure that ensures the financial institutions are responsive to public guardians and public conservatives that California rely on. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call roll. Allen.
Aye.
Aye, Alvarado Gil.
Aye.
Aye, Archuleta.
Aye, Aragin.
Aye, Ashby.
Aye, Becker.
Aye, Blakespeare.
Aye.
Aye, Cabaldon.
Aye, Caballero.
Aye, Cervantes.
Aye, Choi.
Aye, Cortese.
Aye, Daly.
Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez.
Grayson.
Aye, Grove.
Aye, Hurtado.
Aye, Jones.
Laird.
Aye, Limon.
Aye, McGuire.
Aye, McNerney.
Aye, Menjabar.
Aye, Nilo.
Aye, Ochoa Bog.
Aye, Padilla.
Aye, Perez.
Aye, Reyes.
Aye, Richardson.
Aye, Rubio.
Aye, Ciarto.
Aye, Smallwood Cuevas.
Aye, Stern.
Aye, Strickland.
Aye, Umberg.
Aye.
Voladares?
Aye.
Wahab?
Weber-Pearson?
Aye.
Weiner?
Aye.
Wahab, aye. Secretary, please call absent members. Gonzalez?
Aye.
Jones?
Aye.
Aye. Ayes 40, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 400, AB 2001. Secretary, please read. Ascendant bill 2001 by Senate member Stephanie, in acronym to criminal procedure. Senator Wiener, you are recognized for AB-2001.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise today to present Assembly Bill 2001 on behalf of Assemblymember Stephanie. AB-2001 was recently amended to address chaptering issues and clarify definitions. The bill aligns specific public nuisance laws and red-light abatement enforcement with other areas of law so that civil prosecutors and only civil prosecutors have access to the same kind of information they already use in gang injunction and gun violence restraining order cases. AB 2001 ensures we're giving our local partners the tools they need to solve persistent public safety issues, not just respond to them. Across our communities, we continue to see properties and businesses tied to repeated illegal activity that are part of broader organized patterns that evade enforcement. to often city attorneys and county councils step into act without access to the full picture. This bill will help address that issue, and I ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. This item, without objection, is eligible for a unanimous roll call. We're hearing no objection. Ayes 40, noes 0. The bill passes. Item 401, AB 1892. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1892 by Assemblymember Davies in accordance to common interest developments. Senator Choi, you are recognized.
Thank you, President. On behalf of Assemblywoman Davies, I would like to present AB 1892. AB 1892 is a common sense measure to clarify a few provisions of the Davis-Sterling Act related to homeowner association. AB 1892 is essentially a technical cleanup measure that has had no opposition. It has passed unanimously out of the Senate Housing and Judiciary Committee. On behalf of Assemblywoman Davis, I ask for your aye vote.
Seeing no mics raised for discussion or debate, Secretary, please call Rawl. Allen.
Aye. Alvarado Gil.
Aye.
Archuleta.
Aye.
Aragon.
Aye.
Ashby.
Aye.
Becker.
Aye.
Blakespear.
Aye.
Cobaldin.
Aye.
Caballero.
Aye.
Cervantes.
Aye.
Choi.
Aye Cortese Aye Daly Aye Durazo Aye Gonzalez Aye Grayson Aye Grove Hurtado Aye Jones Aye Laird Aye Limon McGuire Aye McNerney Aye Menjavar
Aye. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa Bog. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Perez. Aye. Reyes.
Richardson
Aye, Rubio
Aye, Ciarto
Aye, Smallwood Cuevas
Aye, Stern
Aye, Strickland
Aye, Umberg
Aye, Valdez
Aye, Wahab
Aye, Weber Pearson
Wiener
Aye
Menjivar
Aye, Donau
Reyes, Aye
Grove, Aye
Weber, Pearson, aye. Ayes 38, noes 1. The bill passes. Moving to item 405, AB 1954. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 1954 by Assemblymember Ward, in acronym to business. Senator Ochoa Boguer, recognized for your support.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. On behalf of Assemblymember Ward, it is my honor to present AB 1954, the Protecting Access to Reservations or PAR Act This bill addresses an issue familiar to many of my constituents in the Coachella Valley individuals who book reservations for golf tee times and resell them online at inflated cost They go far as to set up websites that look like they are affiliated with California's most popular municipal golf courses without any type of agreement in place. AB 1954 fixes this problem by requiring operators of third-party golf reservation service platforms to have a written agreement with golf course operators. The bill is a support support with no opposition. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
This is eligible for unanimous roll call without objection. Seeing no objection, ayes 40, noes 0. The bill passes. Moving to item 419, AB 2107. Secretary, please read. Assembly Bill 2107 by Assemblymember Pellerin, an acronym to pupil instruction. Senator Perez, you are recognized for AB 2107.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to present AB 2107 on behalf of Assemblymember Pellerin. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program provides income-eligible families with access to no-cost or low-cost after-school and summer enrichment programming. The intent of the ELOP has always been to reach English learners foster youth and low pupils referred to as unduplicated students In order to ensure that the legislative intent is fulfilled AB 2107 statutorily requires Tier 1 local educational agencies to prioritize reaching out to unduplicated pupils. This bill has zero no votes and no opposition. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
Thank you, Senator. Without objection, this item is eligible for unanimous roll call. Seeing and hearing no objection, ayes 40, noes 0. The bill passes. If there is no other business, Senator Pro Tem, the desk is clear. Thank you members. The next floor session is scheduled for tomorrow morning, August 18th, 2026 at 9 a.m. The Senate is adjourned. We will reconvene Tuesday, August 18th, 2026 at 9 o'clock a.m. Thank you.