August 31, 2026 · 9,266 words · 8 speakers · 27 segments
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Please report to the floor. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Members, we're about to get started. Senate third reading, item 110, Senate Bill 931 by Senator Grove, presented by Assemblymember Krell. The clerk will read. Senate Bill 931 by Senator Grove and others, an act relating to Dolly Parton Day and declaring
I have the honor of rising to present Senate Bill 931 by Senator Grove. Let me first start by saying this is Senator Grove's last bill. Let me start by saying that this is Senator Grove's last bill. It's an honor to present it on her behalf and it's been such an honor and sometimes an adventure to work with her. So without further ado, I'd like to tell you about Senate Bill 931, which celebrates the great Dolly Parton. This designates September 25th, 9 to 5, 925 as Dolly Parton Day. From now on it has an urgency clause in it so that this will take effect in a few weeks when we get to September 25th As you all know Dolly Parton was a legend in every possible way. She's known for her amazing songs. She's a legendary songwriter and singer from 9 to 5 to Jolene to I Will Always Love You to Coat of Many Colors, many, many Grammy Awards, but she's also known as a philanthropist and a humanitarian that cared deeply about children and brought the gift of literacy across our country and across our world. Here in Sacramento, we had the honor to be part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. This was through a bill that actually Senator Grove co-authored with then Senate Pro Tem Tony Atkins, and it designated funds for California to join the Imagination Library. This means that children receive free books, regardless of income, in Spanish and English, in the mail, each month Sacramento's participated in this program and it's fantastic and it's a true testament to her legacy so it's not just about the music although her music is incredible it's also about who she was she turned kindness into action she was someone that brought everyone together and her legacy will be forever loved in California and across the world Dolly Parton California will always love you. I urge your support of Senate Bill 931, Dolly Parton Day.
Thank you, Assemblymember. Assemblymember Rubio, you're recognized.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of SB 931. I can tell you firsthand I'm a teacher, and my classrooms benefited from Dolly Parton's generosity. I was always a fan of her songs, and even as a young child being Mexican and not really understanding the words, I always listen, but when I grew up and became a teacher, to hear what she had to say and the inspiration and the motivation that she had to help kids was amazing. And I want to just tell her, too, that we will always love her, and I hope that we can keep her legacy alive by continuing her philanthropic endeavors and giving books to millions and millions of more kids now that she's left us. So thank you, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Assemblymember. Assemblymember Clerk Silva, you're recognized.
Thank you, Madam Speaker and members. I also rise in strong support of SB 931. As the other teacher on the floor, certainly her focus on literacy and opening up the world to reading for our young children leaves an immense mark. I know many families throughout the country that actually sign up to have these books delivered, and as I've heard, this will continue. One of our former colleagues, Assemblymember, or I should say a former speaker, Toni Atkins, is actually on her board. Some of you may not know that she was also from Tennessee. but it's her work to say that she had made it with Grammys, with award-winning songs, with movies, and what she chose to do with her wealth was to give back, to give back, and that says so much about her. What also says so much is on all sides, Republican, Democrat, Independent, I don think there any person that I know of that not to say there isn that doesn love Dolly Parton And it because of her aura and her essence She stayed very focused on being available to her community, giving back, and that's what we should all strive to be. But for me, it's giving the beauty of reading to children that means so much, and to young children and to families that can't always go to a bookstore and to have those mailed and delivered right to the doorsteps I can't think of a better thing that somebody could do with the dollars they have so please join me in
supporting SB 931. Thank You Assemblymember. Assemblymember Zabir you are
recognized. Madam Speaker, members I rise also in strong support of SB 931. One, what a lot of people may not understand is that Dolly Parton was widely regarded as a key ally of the LGBTQ community, and her allyship spanned decades. She supported LGBTQ rights, embraced queer culture, defended LGBTQ people publicly, and used her platform to promote acceptance, even when it was risky in the conservative country music world. She consistently supported LGBTQ equality, including marriage equality, transgender rights, queer inclusion, rejected religious judgment of LGBTQ people. She publicly stated that judging queer people is itself unchristian. And then during the AIDS crisis, she was a major ally, really fighting for the community, uplifting what the government was not doing to address the crisis that our community faced. So I just wanted to lift that up. That was another part of what made Dolly Parton so special and why so many people in the LGBTQ community loved her. With that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Assembly Member. Assembly Member Aguirre-Curray, you're recognized. Thank you. It was quite a shock to hear that our dear friend Dolly Parton passed. But I think what we should all remember is that how many times have we all in this room told our story about we started with nothing and where we went to and how we made our lives successful. And Dolly Parton by far was one of the best. She never forgot about anyone. And she lived her life much more simple than you all know. My children live in Nashville, Tennessee. And they said, Mom, see that little place as we drove by in downtown? Nashville. It was just a strip mall and a small little studio that she went in the evenings to go record. She was a very humble woman. Despite everything that you saw and the glamour that she had, she was a humble human being who cared about people, who wanted to make sure that people's lives were successful. And she was so humble that you never heard about her life much. and there's all many stories that we all could tell about Dolly Parton but I want to remind us that she had a really loving husband and she put him as her number one. Never put him in the spotlight but she knew that he was a spotlight in her heart and that made him successful as well. To have somebody in your life that makes you happy. I want to thank the assembly member who brought this forward for Senator Grove. I know Senator Grove has that beautiful poster of Dolly that was hanging outside the office yesterday. And I also wanna just recognize is our good friend, Toni Atkins, because she was madly in love with Dolly. And whenever I would go to Nashville or any of us went places, we would find somebody that had Dolly on it and give it to Senator Atkins. But may she rest in peace. May we never forget about what a lovely, humble woman that we all got to spend some time with. I think as someone said, my children said, you know that song, Jolene? I finally understood what it all meant. So here's to Jolene who kept her eye on her man. Thank you, Madam Majority Leader. Assemblymember Bonta, you are recognized. Thank you. I am very thankful to our colleagues for introducing SB 931 on behalf of recognizing the beautiful Dolly Parton. I'm a kid who spent a lot of time in front of the TV. And when I was growing up, because I was a latchkey kid, and Dolly Parton was one of the people who was able to keep me happy because her music transcended everything. I grew up a kid in the Bronx, a girl from Tennessee, was able to break through with her beautiful song and music. And I held that. And then later on, as I was doing work in early literacy in California, I had the opportunity to work with her foundation, her national program of delivering books to kids in their homes through the mail. and she touched so many lives in Stockton, in Oakland, in every part of the state of California. She made sure that children had the very simple gift of being able to read and of being able to have song in their life. And for that, I will always, I will always love you. Dolly Parton, thank you. There you go. Assemblymember Wilson, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker and members. I rise today in support of SB 931, reflecting on the life and legacy of Dolly Parton. And she is one that is beloved, not just for her music, not just for her acting skills or even dancing skills. She did a good two-step every once in a while. But just because of her kindness and the way she expressed herself in the world. And she had two sayings that always brought me joy. One, if you don't see someone with a smile, give them yours. right and just reflecting on the fact that sometimes that's all people need to brighten their day is is your smile and the other one that i loved um that i heard when i was a young girl um that brought perspective to me was um that if you if you want a rainbow that means you're gonna have to deal with some rain and sometimes in our lives we have challenges we have um obstacles we have all these things that you know try to get in our way but at the end of the day those things lead to better and brighter things and just like a rainbow is something that is beloved by every single person No one can say anything bad thing about a rainbow, but we do only see it when water is a mist And it could be water just like you know The morning dew kind of water or it could be raging waters But at the end of the day we get to see the rainbow And so I encourage everyone on this floor today especially as we end this session and go back to our districts before hopefully most of us come back in December is that remember when you're in your community to bring that smile. because you don't know how many people in your district might need that. And also remember that there may be some rainy times in the fall, right? We may go through some challenges, some obstacles, but with those comes the rainbow, the promise of a new day, the promise of a good day. And with that, I respectfully ask for a strong eye on SB 31 and thank Dolly Parton for gracing us with her presence, with her love, with her joy, and her kindness. Thank you, Assemblymember. Seeing no further debate, Assemblymember Krell, would you like to close? Just want to thank my colleagues for their wonderful comments about the great Dolly Parton. Also been informed that this is a women's caucus priority. Respectfully ask for your aye vote. All those who desire to vote. All those who desire to vote. the clerk will close the roll and tally the vote i 63 no zero on the urgency i 63 no zero on the bill the measure passes Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized. Good morning, Madam Speaker. There is a letter of legislative intent at the desk. I request unanimous consent to print a letter relative to AB 2717, Colosa in the journal pursuant to the assembly rule 42 C without objections. That shall be the order. Assembly members Burrow, you are recognized for your announcement. Members, there will be a democratic caucus in the members lounge in 15 minutes. Thank you, assembly member. Members, the Democratic caucus will meet in the members lounge recess under call in 15 minutes. Thank you. Thank you. Can all freshmen please report to the front of the chamber for a photo? All freshmen come to the front of the chamber for a photo. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you members we are back in session without reference to file assembly bill 113 by assembly member Gabriel for concurrence. The clerk will read. Assembly Bill 113 by Assemblymember Gabriel an app relating to the state budget making an appropriation therefore and declaring the urgency thereof to effect immediately budget bill. Assemblymember Gabriel you are recognized. Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I rise to present AB 113 which is our final step in the 2026-2027 budget process. Colleagues, after 65 hearings, we are nearing the end of our journey, and I know that all of us are exhausted, but I did want to take a few moments to acknowledge some important folks and also to highlight some of the important investments in this final bill. As I think many of you have heard me say, the budget is the ultimate group project, and I am very proud of the work that the Assembly did this year to really drive the budget process in so many different ways and I want to thank and I just want to take one more moment to thank our incredible sub chairs who are the heart and soul of this process whose fingerprints are on every piece of this budget and so to the member from Morro Bay and Moreno Valley and San Diego and Ventura and Fullerton San Bernardino and Santa Barbara I just wanted to extend my most sincere appreciation on behalf of all of our communities for the work that they have done I also want to thank the members of the committee who showed up to all of those 65 hearings, who did the work, who put in the time, who asked the difficult questions and I particularly want to thank, I don't see them here, but our departing colleagues from San Rafal, our amazing sub chair from Fullerton and also the member from Palmdale. It's been an honor to have you on the committee and we're very very grateful for the work that you have done so thank you for so ably serving our state. I did thank some of the staff last night and in my exhaustion I neglected to mention a few people. So I just wanted to, as we thanked all of the budget staff, I wanted to thank our chief consultant Christian Griffith who has just done extraordinary work, really around the clock. And I also want to thank his Republican counterpart Joe Shinstock. Joe, thank you for all of the exceptional work that you have done. And also wanted to thank my chief of staff, Abram Diaz, and Alicia Isaacs Lee, chief consultant, who have just poured their heart out, especially in this last part of the process. We could not have done it without the two of you. And finally of course we are grateful for our partners and I wanted to if Joe or Erica and DOF are watching online thank you for your partnership I know we didn always agree on everything but I really appreciate the way that we were able to have the right kind of conversations, and to Christine and the Governor's office, thank you for your partnership as well. And then also very grateful to Gabe Petek and the whole crew at the LAO and Legislative Council who worked to process this really big bill on such short notice. Colleagues, we are serving in the legislature at a very interesting moment in history. We are trying to navigate through very turbulent waters and no more, and that has been true certainly in our budget process. And we have all faced very significant challenges, considerable headwinds, events at the national and the international level that have really challenged us. And I am really grateful for the work that we did this year. And I'm really proud of the work that we did this year to be able to meet the moment, to be able to lean in to protect health care, to protect safety net services for our most vulnerable communities, to deliver record per-pupil funding for public education in the state, to make really meaningful investments in housing and wildfire prevention and so many of the other issues that are at the top of the list for us. And at the same time, to also understand that we have to be fiscally responsible and fiscally prudent and make sure that we are making decisions that are sustainable. And we really made progress this year. we balanced the budget not for one year but for two years. We did a lot of work to start to address the structural challenges we face and we put before the voters a constitutional amendment to strengthen our rainy day fund. So I think those are things that we should all be proud of. This last step of the process, we always said that we were going to come back at the end to make some important investments and we're lucky to be able to end on a high note. And I want to just highlight a few of the things that we're going to do today in this bill. The first is we're going to put out close to $2.7 billion in voter-approved proposition for climate bond funds. And I want to thank our sub chair from Ventura for so ably leading that process. These are investments in red and blue districts across the state in storm preparation and recovery, in parks and coastal preservation and conservation, in the stewardship of the incredible natural resources in the state of California. And I want to thank the voters and their wisdom for passing that bond. And I want to thank the members of this legislature who have worked hard to put those investments out. We have $450 million in GGRF funds that's going to fund transit. I know that that was a big priority. We have funds for climate innovation. I want to thank the members from Thousand Oaks and Irvine for that work, and clean air and clean water for our disadvantaged communities, funding to support our agricultural communities. I want to thank the member for Fresno for never letting us forget for a second about folks in the Central Valley and our agricultural communities and in land conservation. And we also have targeted investments across the state. And what do we fight for? We fought for fire mitigation, for our fire departments, for food banks, for health care, for legal service providers, for safety net programs for our most vulnerable. And I think these are investments, again, from the border with Mexico all the way to the border with Oregon, for red and blue districts, investments that I think are going to make a really big difference for the people that we are so fortunate to work for and that we are so fortunate to represent. Because this budget invests in communities across California, I respectfully request your aye vote on AB 113. Thank you, Assemblymember. Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker and members. I rise in opposition of AB 113. This bill, this big bill, includes $20 million for CHP protection for families of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris. Madam Speaker at a time when public safety should be one of our top priorities I have a hard time I really have a hard time explaining that to my constituents in my district We desperately need more CHP resources to patrol Highway 74, Highway 371, and our entire mountain communities to help address reckless driving that has already resulted in many accidents and even deaths. The Imperial County Sheriff's Department could use a fraction of this funding for a new coroner's office. And I know $20 million could go far in any one of my colleagues' districts. Members, the point I'm trying to make is that this body continues to show that its priorities are out of touch with the realities facing many Californians. My constituents in Assembly District 36, they matter. Their safety matters. and I respectfully ask for a no vote. Assemblymember Tangipo, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I do want to echo some of the sentiments that the budget chair shared. I want to make sure that I'm sharing to everybody, all of the staff here, all of our capital staff, everybody that was here into the late nights, we appreciate you. We thank you for all of your efforts. I know all of us are tired this day, So I just want to make sure that I'm telling to everybody in the back, to everybody watching in their offices, we're grateful for all of your efforts and we're grateful for all of you. So thank you. We rise in opposition to this bill. And I know as the chair had shared many statements talking about headwinds at the state of California, I know this is a drum that I have beaten this entire year. The state of California has never had more money available to it. The state of California has a record budget. The state of California has a budget that is twice the size of most other states. And when we talk about cuts, those usually materialize as loss in funding, and we've never had more available to us. How does that make sense? How does that make sense that we're claiming that this is such a hard time to be in when it's never been better? So by looking at areas we should be prioritizing, working with our federal partners, and looking at our budget to truly reflect the values. And we rise in opposition today because this budget falls under the assumption that the stock market will continue to perform indefinitely in a positive way. And we know that a meaningful correction will happen sooner than later. This budget is neither realistic nor responsible budgeting. Although this bill contains many notable and important line items, we cannot and should not prioritize state funds for non-citizens to receive services that many Americans do not receive. Furthermore, this bill reduces oversight of state funding, which, given the level of mismanagement we have already seen, is deeply concerning. I would ask everybody during this next off period to truly take a look at our budget, hear the warnings from the LAO when they are telling us that this budget is very convoluted, that we can't track everything as clear as they used to. That is not a Republican point. That is not a Democrat point. That is the budget. Math doesn't play partisan games. And we are asking everyone, before the stock market corrects itself, before the AI bubble bursts, that we, as a legislative body with the power of the purse, find a meaningful way to responsibly budget. For those reasons, I respectfully ask for a no vote. Assemblymember DeMio, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker. What might be our last bill of this legislative session ends on a low note. Eighteen months ago, the Speaker stood at that dais. We sat here, and the Speaker promised us one thing, that this legislative session would be about reducing the cost of living for California's families that are struggling. I took him at his word. I was optimistic. I was hopeful. Because I felt, okay, maybe he's hearing the pain and suffering, the struggles of working families who cannot afford to live here because every single time they turn around, someone is taking money out of their pocket, and that someone is a state or local politician. Taxes, fees, costly mandates. But in the last 18 months, not only have we not provided meaningful relief, the affordability crisis has gotten worse. Bill after bill after bill has added burdens to these working families. When is enough enough? And this bill, SB 113, continues that terrible practice of forcing Californians to pay more and get less from their government. This budget increases the cost of living through taxes and fees that are unnecessary. This budget allows wasteful spending at a rampant pace. This budget does not crack down on the epic levels of fraud, and we are not going to make California more affordable until we crack down on the multibillion-dollar problem in the state of California of the fraud of taxpayer funds. And in fact, worse, we see outrageously wasteful spending added into this budget for political purposes. $20 million, as my colleague from Imperial County noted. $20 million? So two politicians can be treated like celebrities with an entourage to carry their bags, open their doors, drive their cars, all in the name of providing security. We already have ample statutes on the books to provide protection for current and former legislative officials and executive branch officials. the governor had a threat even out of office. There are ample protections for him. But you know who doesn't get protected? Californians who voted for Prop 36, who said that they wanted to fund a Get Serious on Crime initiative. This legislature has not funded that properly. But $20 million goes to provide just two politicians. We all know who's hotwired for this money. Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. million so that after they leave office they can be treated like celebrities They get security They get personal assistance But the rest of Californians, they don't get the Prop 36 make crime illegal again funding that they voted overwhelmingly for on a bipartisan basis. And then let's talk about the various groups. I mean, Las Vegas-style buffets are a thing of the past, but not in this budget bill. Oh, we got a big one here. Pork. Political funding for left wing NGOs. My office pulled up some of the recipients of monies. And by the way, these monies in the budget are not competitively bid. They are literally hot wired for these well connected. One minute left. Misteko, $10 million. The Anti-Recipitism Coalition, $2.9 million. CHURLA, oh boy, we know a lot about them. Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, $2 million. More violent protest in L.A. 17 organizations that engage in ballot harvesting are being funded in this budget. And I can tell you they're not ballot harvesting in an equitable way. Lobbying, voter registration, issue advocacy, organizing political protests, recruiting and training candidates using our taxpayer money at a time when working families can't pay their electricity bill? Oh, and I'm hearing we're not going to make insurance, homeowners insurance more affordable. We're not going to make utility bills more affordable. Looks like we're going to take that off the docket today. Just go home. Stick the cost with working families. A bad budget, a very bad ending to a bad legislative session. That's your time. I ask for a no vote on AB 113. Assemblymember Rogers, you're recognized. Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. You know, I don't want to have to put $20 million into security either. And I think it might be because we're on our bonus day and things are a little bit more tense. But I think it's worth discussing why we have to put more into security for politicians and for other folks. And I would hope that some of my colleagues across the aisle would look at their own social media, the way that they have used that to weaponize against us, people on this floor, who have needed more security because they have grown their following at the expense of people's safety. the way that they have misrepresented bills, talked about people's intentions, and used social media in a way that is harmful, not informational. We know what they are doing. I don't want to have to spend $20 million on security for people, but I also have seen the comments, the threats. We have heard from their families about the way that it is impacting them. So if you're going to stand up and lambaste this legislature for taking care of people, you also have to own why we have to do that. Senator Patterson, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker. You know, I was listening to those last comments and, you know, I was hoping, actually I wasn't even planning on showing up today. I was planning on staying home in my nice comfy bed because what is happening right now is it going to continue to escalate I think the decorum of this institution But the comments that were just made taking things out of context and making social media and saying that we are causing danger amongst our colleagues is complete and utter bullcrap. July 13th, 2024, an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. September 2024, another assassination attempt on Donald Trump. April 2026, another one. That doesn't stop people in these chambers from day after day, bill after bill, bill after bill, talking about how evil Donald Trump is. So if you want to talk about that, if you want to talk about threats that are occurring as a result of our actions, maybe you should reflect on yourself. With that, I respectfully ask for a no vote. Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker and members. I want to talk about the budget and the budget process, as this is our last budget bill, which certainly focuses on many of the issues that are important to California.
But more than that is how do we craft the California budget? Most often we start in January, and we start with many hearings almost weekly from January through May. We hear from many, many advocates. I had the privilege of chairing Budget Sub-5, which is really all state administration. So I want to thank the members of the committee who came and engaged. Certainly want to thank the consultants for Budget Sub-5 committee, Genevieve Morales, Bernie Orozco, Guy Strahl, and also all of the budget chairs that we engage with often through the budget process to meet, to confer, to talk about what are the important elements in each area of the budget. This is work that culminates with 65 hearings with experts from the Department of Finance where we have to make hard choices. And we know that there is much to appreciate in this budget and also much to dislike, depending on where you are, where you come. But we all represent individuals across the state of California, and our job is to deliver a budget on time, doing the best we can. For those who oppose this budget, I'd tell you, get involved in the budget. Go to hearings. You're always invited to go to these hearings to participate, and there's more work to do. The California budget is not perfect, as our budget's at our own home. But when we talk about affordability, I'll just end with this. We were told on the first day of the new administration, the federal administration, that eggs were on the ballot. And what do we see as being one of the most costly items? Gas prices. Why? Because we entered a war that nobody wanted So when we talking about affordability from rent to grocery prices let make sure we look at federal government state local We're all responsible for our budgets. But who is counting their pennies at home? Many, many of our constituents. And our constituents are solely concerned on paying the rent. they're solely concerned on can they make their money for groceries go a little farther can they pay for their child to sign up for soccer this year or will they have to put that aside so we all have work to do together my friends and if we can't come to the table and work together we'll continue to fall short but with that I'm so proud of the budget team, my colleagues, and I ask for your support on AB 113. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
And I want to thank our colleague from Fullerton because I think she is bringing us back to where this conversation needs to be centered. And just for our vice chair and for the member from San Diego who I think brought up important issues, when we talk about the headwinds we're facing, we're facing a truly unprecedented situation where we have a federal administration that is seeking to defund healthcare, that is openly seeking to defund our safety net, that is putting hospitals at risk of closure, and they're proud of it. It's the whole point of the one big, beautiful bill, of H.R. 1. That is what they are trying to do. And so we are, in this moment, trying to think, how do we stand up and protect our communities? How do we protect people's healthcare? How do we make sure the kids don't go to bed hungry at night? How are we leaning in? And the same thing is true when it comes to disaster assistance. For years and years and years, there was a fundamental American tenant that when people, when our fellow citizens, when the fellow residents of this country, when there was a hurricane or an earthquake or a flood or a wildfire, that Washington, D.C. would be there. And they wouldn't say, was it a Republican state? Is it a Democratic state? How did that congressional district vote? We would show up for each other because we're all in this together. And we now face a federal administration that has withdrawn from that. They said, we're going to withhold money from California, notwithstanding the fact that California is the largest donor state. And by the way, it's a lot of constituents in red areas that are going to suffer as a result of Washington's decision to politicize disaster funding. So these are the very real challenges we're facing. These are not made up things. Everybody understands them. And they understand them because Republicans in Washington, D.C. are bragging about it. They are doing this intentionally. And the same thing is true of cost of living. We have worked on this issue because we know it's real. We hear from our constituents. We understand it. We feel it. And that is why we work to put 25,000 new child care slots in this budget, because we know that child care is a huge driver of affordability. It's why we work so hard to make rescued investments in affordable housing, because we know housing is a big cost of a driver of affordability. It's why we work so hard to make sure that there are subsidies in there so people can get the health care that they need and deserve. But we can't compete with what's going on at the national and international level. And the reason you know that this is true is because affordability is not a California issue. It's something that's happening across this country. People in New York and Florida and Texas and Iowa are all struggling with the same thing. And it's exactly because of what our member from Fullerton said. It's because we have a leader in the White House who's declared a trade war on Canada. Because every minute there's either a tariff or there's not a tariff or this or that. Tariffs are taxes. They are taxes on the goods and services that the American people need. And I think, I'm not sure at this moment in time, we're kind of at war in the Middle East. Maybe, but the Strait of Hormuz is closed or it's open or it's not. And we know exactly what's happening. That is what is driving costs in this country. And you all know it. know it because it's not just hitting California, it's hitting other states. So we have doubled down, we have stepped onto the plate, we have looked to do as much as we can do to help our constituents with health care and child care and housing and all of the things that we know people are struggling with. But it is the leadership in the White House and Washington, D.C. that is making that harder. But because this budget pushes back on that, because this budget invests in communities, and by the way, red and blue communities, because we think every California deserves to be helped. Because this budget invests in all of our communities, I respectfully request an aye vote on AB 113. All debate having ceased, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll and tally the vote. Ayes, 60, noes, 0. Pardon me. I-60 knows 11 on the urgency. I-60 knows 11 on the bill. Senate amendments are concurred in. As a procedural step, we're going to lift the call on item 22, AB 1128. The clerk will open the roll. The clerk will close the roll. Ayes 29, noes 17. The measure fails. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Members, if you're requesting a vote change, please do it from your desk. Assemblymember Dixon, you are recognized for your vote change.
Hello. Thank you.
Assemblymember Dixon, AB 28 from not voting to yes, please.
Thank you. This is Diane Dixon Vote change Assembly Bill 28 from aye to not voting
Thank you. Vote change, Assemblymember Dixon, Assembly Bill 28, aye to not voting. Thank you. Thank you. Members, please take your seats. Assemblyman Macedo, you are recognized.
Thank you, Madam Speaker and colleagues. I know that we are all anxious to get home and to our loved ones, and if you're like me, at least a few minutes of sleep. So thank you for indulging me for a few minutes as I thank a few people. But I want to start by saying, you know, when I got elected, I used to measure things in wins and losses, and that's how I measured success. And then I got elected, and I realized that the way all of us measure wins and losses is unique and different. And so throughout this year, the last two years, I hope that you've all had the wins that you hoped for. And do not take your losses as a tragedy. They are learning lessons. They are building blocks for the foundation that we continue to move forward. And for those of us that aren't, for those of you that are not coming back next year, thank you for your service up here, and you've left your mark up here. And for those of us that are hopefully coming back, we have a lot of work to do. And I think we all acknowledge that and are looking forward to that. And ultimately the wins and losses, I guess, come in November when our constituents get to decide how we did. And ultimately we all care about California, we care about our constituents, and we may differ on what that looks like, but at the end of the day, there's a very core part of this job that sometimes I think we forget and that is the humanity aspect of it We are all human we all have loved ones this is hard on our loved ones this is hard on us And so realizing that we have a job to do when we in these chambers but we are all still people and we should love and respect each other So with that, I want to thank our dedicated professionals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the assembly work for the people of California. Daniel Ballin, your dedication to our caucus and to the integrity of this house sets the standard. so thank you for stepping into this new role and doing such an amazing job at the end of session and to Paul, George, Alex and every Republican consultant for your work we do have a couple of consultants retiring that I want to say thank you to and that is Bill Lewis thank you and also to Julia King we will miss you and thank you for your service to the assembly I also want to extend my appreciation to Ms. Leah Lopez and to the entire rules team Ms. Sue Parker and our desk staff and the legislative council. And a special word of thanks to Chief Cheryl Craft, our sergeants, special services, and CHP officers for keeping us safe and making the logistics look easy. To the unsung heroes like Steve O'Meara and John Ferreira who work behind the scenes to balance the competing demands and foster collaboration, we say thank you. To our personal staff, both here at the Capitol and in the district, we simply could not do the people's work without you. And to Nia, my chief of staff, I want to send a special thank you for all of her sage advice and words of advice through this very challenging time. And to the outgoing members, you have selflessly served your constituents with grace, dedication, and devotion. May every one of us strive to serve our communities honorably as you have served yours. Families are being pushed to the financial breaking point because of so many issues here in the state of California. and at the start of the two-year session, we promised them that the cost would be lower. Today we must ask ourselves, did we deliver and where do we go from here? As I stepped into the role of Assembly Republican leader, I am truly honored to serve alongside each of you. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and every one of our colleagues to build a brighter future for the people of our state. Thank you for your service to California and have a wonderful rest of your day. There is power in his name, and God bless every single one of you. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, you are recognized.
Thank you, Madam Speaker Pro Tem, and to your right, our Speaker Pro Tem. I appreciate all the work and colleagues, those of us who are here and not here. The great Dolly Parton had a quote that I love. She had a lot of great quotes, but this is the one that stood out for me. It's, find out who you are and do it on purpose. I'm sure that when Ms. Parton said that, she was thinking of our California State Assembly. Because for the past two years, we have known who we are, and we have done it on purpose. We take on the hard fights. We believe that government can, should deliver public services that make people's lives better. And we refuse to settle for half measures when Californians expect action and real results. As we wrap up this two-year session here today, it's clear that for two straight years, this assembly has governed with unity, we've governed with urgency, and with purpose. Two years of taking on hard problems, two years of refusing to settle for the easy answer, Two years of producing results, results that have made a real difference in people's lives. And through it all, we have kept the same North Star, affordability. Nowhere have we pushed harder or accomplished more than housing. This year, our work continued because last year we enacted the largest expansion of housing opportunity in decades. We rebuilt how California finances affordable housing from the ground up this year by cutting an estimated $60,000 to $70,000 from the cost of every unit that we built. We invested $900 million in emergency housing funding to fight street homelessness. We created a disaster rebuilding fund for families still trying to put their lives back together after devastating fires. We capped security deposits at one month's rent because working people should not need a small fortune to get the keys to an apartment. We fast-tracked townhomes and accelerated construction near transit. And in June, working with the governor, working with our partners in the Senate, we put an $11 billion housing bond before California voters. If approved, it will be one of the largest investments in affordable housing in California's history. This is what it looks like when you treat the housing crisis like a crisis. And we did all of this. We did all of this in a year during which we saw unprecedented attacks from Washington. When the Trump administration targeted our hospitals, our doctors, and our patients who depend on them, we fought back. From Oakland to Los Angeles, members of this body stood up to protect health care. We rejected cuts to Medi-Cal programs and services, and when Washington took health care subsidies away, California stepped in. because affordability is not only about lowering costs, it is about stopping Washington from raising them. When ICE agents brought fear and chaos into American communities, starting in Los Angeles and spreading across this country, we did more than condemn it. We acted. We passed more than two dozen bills to hold ICE accountable, and to protect our schools and hospitals and our voting centers and daycares. When a Republican shutdown in Washington cut off CalFresh food assistance for millions of Californian families and seniors, we stepped in to backfill those cuts. When Trump and congressional Republicans tried to strip women of access to reproductive health care, we stepped in yet again. investing tens of millions of dollars to keep clinics open and care available We have never seen a White House so willing to take California tax dollars while simultaneously attacking California people And I especially proud of something that will never generate the biggest headline. We became the first legislature in the country to build an outcomes review program to hold our own laws accountable. Fourteen members this year spent time examining their own legislation. Bills related to housing, energy, health care, wildfire recovery, foster care. And they did this to answer one basic question. Are laws that we have passed actually working? because our responsibility, it doesn't end when the governor signs a bill. Passing the law is not the finish line, as we have all learned. Changing people's lives is. And so when this legislature passes a law, are we going to make sure that it's implemented as intended? It's not going to be watered down, not weakened or rewritten after it leaves this chamber. This is not glamorous work by any stretch, but it is responsible government and is how we earn the public's trust. And still, this body, the work of our body didn't stop there. We guaranteed workers paid sick days. We protected Californians from unfair banking fees. We passed restrictions on teen use of social media. And we will continue to tackle the difficult but critically important issue of wildfire reform. The wildfire survivors, they did not lose their homes so Sacramento could settle for half measures. Over the past two weeks, we have spent hundreds of hours at the table, members of this assembly, appreciate their work, the investment of time they made, hundreds of hours with Californians from every side of this fight. And the verdict was clear that the proposal before us from our governor, it did not deliver the support, the accountability, or the meaningful reform that wildfire victims deserve and that Californians deserve. And so we made this decision that we're going to go back to work this fall. We're not going to stop until we have done everything possible for those who have lost everything. And so again, I want to thank every assembly member, every state senator who has engaged in good faith on the governor's proposal. Our work is not done, but certainly we have the responsibility to make hard some decisions and deliver real results. We have to finish this job. I'm excited to do that alongside you all. And before we adjourn today, I want to recognize every member of this body. Those of you who are here and those of you who aren't here. I want to recognize all of our members because California's, our residents, Californians, they see us casting votes. They see the debates. They see the arguments. What they don't always see is that every member, what every member carries into this chamber. The children waiting at home. The spouses and partners carrying more than their fair share. The parents that we worry about. The birthdays we miss the family dinners that we don make and the constituents back home who call us when they have nowhere else to turn We ask for the privilege of serving We do not ask for sympathy, but public service. It asks something of every person in this room, and it asks something of the families who make our service possible. So whatever our disagreements, I have witnessed your commitment up close, and I'm deeply, deeply proud to serve alongside every single one of you. And then finally, this assembly, we are a family, and none of what we have accomplished this year or in previous years happens without our extraordinary teams that we have behind us. And so as we do every last day of session, I want to recognize the people who make our work possible. And so I want to thank our floor and leadership staff, led by my Deputy Chief of Staff, Rita Durgin. Where's Rita? Our floor director, Jackie D. Light, and to our Chief Clerk, Sue Parker, and her talented staff. I want to thank our Chief Sergeant, Cheryl Craft. I want to thank all of the sergeants who serve the public and keep this Capitol safe and secure, along with our California Highway Patrol officers and Capitol security staff. And to my personal staff, starting with Dylan Lamonto. We were here late, and he called in sick this morning, so we'll give him a pass on that one. Dylan Lamonto, he literally goes everywhere with me. Dylan, Julian, and Lance are Ardito, who have been with me every step of the way these past years. And this talking point, I guess, is right. As Tupac said, from Sacktown, the Bay Area, and back down, I appreciate you guys so much. And of course to our speaker, assistant speaker pro tem, and our speaker pro tem, the member from Long Beach who has skillfully guided us throughout the year. Thank you to both of them and their teams. To our majority leader, the member from Winters and her team. Thank you for keeping the rhythm of our chamber. To the Capitol Press Corps, the hard-working journalists who keep Californians informed. To Nick Miller and our entire Assembly comms team who work with them. Thank you all. To our DCO media and communications team led by Joel Wolfork who make sure that Californians have the information they need to navigate their lives. Obviously, the laws we pass don't move forward without the incredible minds of our legal counsel and staff led by Kara Jenkins. Thank you to our rules team led by Leah Lopez. We rely so deeply on our policy experts, our legislative staff, their knowledge, their dedication never cease to amaze me, our chiefs of staff, everybody. Let's give them a big round of applause. And you know certainly you know my endless appreciation to my policy director Monica Henistrosa, and budget director, Jason Sisney. And then, obviously, all of the support staff we have. Our schedulers, you know, mine in particular, Kyle Lane, Wendy Bryan, our administrators, staff, including Jenny Murphy, Callie Roberts, Alvia Diaz, to all of our support staff. Thank you. Thank you so much. I certainly want to recognize, you know, my chief of staff, Steve O'Meara. Spencer Jones, my Deputy Chief of Staff. And again, it is a deep honor to undertake this responsibility as your speaker. And it's such a privilege to serve this state, this incredible state. I always enjoy the work with all of you and look forward to ensuring that we get out of here and we come back refreshed but ready for more. So thank you all.
We're going to lift the call on the motion for letters to the journal. The clerk will post. We're going to close the roll and tally the vote. Ayes 59. We're going to open the roll. I'm going to close the roll. Ayes 73, nos 0. The measure passes. The motion carries. Madam Majority Leader, you're recognized for your motion.
Members, pursuant to Joint Rule 51, I move that the Assembly adjourn for the final recess of the 25-26 regular session until the adjournment sine die on November 30, 2026. Have a wonderful rest of the year.
Madam Majority Leader moves Assembly Mayor Macedo second that this House stands adjourned for final recess. To adjourn Signing I, pursuant to the Constitution on November 30, 2026, the motion carries. The Assembly is adjourned. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Yes.
Chiavo, vote change AB 1128, aye to not voting.
Vote change, Assemblymember Chiavo, Assemblymember 1128, aye to not voting.
Vote change AB 1128.
I did not voting. Vote change.
Assemblymember Schiavo, Assemblymember 1128.
I did not voting. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you.