Floor — 2026-06-08 (partial)

Allen, Alvarado Gil, Archuleta, Aragon, Ashby, Becker, Blake Spear, Cobaldon, Caballero, Cervantes, Choi, Cortese, Daly, Durazo, Gonzales, Grayson, Grove, Hurtado, Jones, Laird, Limon, McGuire, McNerney, Mangivar, Nilo, Ochoa Bog, Padilla, Perez, Reyes, Richardson, Rubio, Cillarto, Smallwood Cuevas, Stern, Strickland, Humbert, Valadares, Wahab, Weber Pearson, Wiener.

Let us pray. God of all nations and peoples, remind us of goodness and generosity. Bless us with honesty, truth, and honor. Save us from the privilege of forgetting those who are struggling today. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion. Save us from pride and arrogance. Save us from cynicism and despair. In our moments of prosperity, give us grateful hearts. In our moments of hurt and pain, turn us to trust and deeper faith. Kendall hope in our words and thoughts for the goodness that is in us and others. Namaste. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Assembly Bill 2726, 2067, 2107, 1829, 2233, 2571, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 194-2178 and Assembly Bill 1457.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, file item number 11 is the confirmation of Tanya Pacheco-Werner for the reappointment of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Board. She first joined the board in 2021 and is the executive director for the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State University. She was approved by the Rules Committee on June 3rd on a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Allen. Alvarado Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cabaldon. Aye. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Aye. Choi. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Dally. Aye. Durazo. Aye. Gonzalez. Aye. Grayson. Grove. Aye. Hurtado. Jones. Aye. Laird. Aye. Limon. McGuire. Aye. Aye. McNerney. Aye. Menjavar. Aye. Nilo. Aye. Ochoa Bogue. Aye. Padilla. Aye. Pérez. Aye. Rayes. Aye. Richardson. Rubio. Ciarto. Aye. Aye. Umberg? Aye. Valadares? Aye. Wahab? Weber-Pearson? Aye. Wiener? Aye. Call the absent members. Allen? Aye. Grayson? Aye. Hurtado? Limon? Richardson? Aye. Rubio? Smallwood Cuevas? Stern? Wahab? Ayes 34, Nos 0. The appointment is confirmed.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, file item number 7 is the confirmation of Dr. Paulette Brown-Hines for the appointment to the California Transportation Commission. She is the publisher of Black Voice News and the founder of Voice Media Ventures. She is also adjunct professor at UC Riverside. Her appointment was approved by the Rules Committee on June 3rd on a 5-0 vote. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Allen. Aye. Avroir Gil. Aye. Archuleta. Aye. Aragon. Aye. Ashby. Aye. Becker. Aye. Aye. Blakespeare. Aye. Cobaldon. Caballero. Aye. Cervantes. Choi. Aye. Cortese. Aye. Daly. Aye. Aye, Durazo. Aye, Gonzalez. Aye, Grayson. Aye, Grove. Aye, Hurtado. 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. Ciarto. Aye, Smallwood Cuevas. Stern, Strickland, aye. Umbert, aye. Valdeiros, aye. Wahab, Weber-Pearson, aye. Weiner, aye. Call the absent members. Cobaldon, aye. Cervantes, aye. Hurtado, Limon, aye. Rubio, aye. Smallwood Cuevas, Stern, Wahab. Ayes 36, noes 0, the appointment is confirmed.

Thank you, Mr. President. I request that file item 69, SR 104, be removed from the consent calendar and request to take it up at this time.

Senator Becker at the Majority Leader's desk.

Senator Dr. Weber Pearson. Thank you Mr. President. Good afternoon Senators. I rise today in strong support of SR 104 which uplifts the aging community recognizes the profound impact aging has on chronic disease and highlights the importance of investing in research that helps Californians live healthier longer lives aging is a significant yet often misunderstood issue in medicine it is inevitable if we are gifted the opportunity to grow old nonetheless Nonetheless, aging is the greatest risk factor for many of the leading causes of chronic disease and death in the United States. We are living longer, but we are also spending more years in poor health, navigating serious health conditions, and a complex health care system. And let's not forget that not everyone ages equally. The average life expectancy for a black Californian is six years shorter than the state average. underserved communities and communities of color experience decades of discrimination in accessing high-quality health care, transportation, education, and jobs that all ultimately impact the outcomes as they age. These inequities directly contribute to a slew of risk of age-related diseases, and once diagnosed, they can have stronger symptoms, poorer health outcomes, and shorter life and health spans. This makes healthy aging a public health and equity issue. We also need greater diversity in aging and chronic research. Communities that have been historically underrepresented in clinical research must be included. Reflecting the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity is essential to developing therapies that work for all Californians and to reduce disparities outcomes. But there is reason for great hope, especially here in California. As a global leader in biotechnology and academic research, and renowned healthcare institutions, the potential is unmatched. We are best suited to advance real results that address aging at a systemic level through groundbreaking medical discoveries. Researchers and clinicians increasingly share a common goal, moving beyond treating chronic disease one at a time towards a holistic approach that targets the underlying drivers of multiple conditions, improving health across disciplines and populations. Every investment in preventing, delaying, and treating age-related diseases comes back tenfold with cost savings, improved quality of health and life, and invaluable time to stay healthy and independent. SR 104 encourages us to support the research, innovation, and partnerships needed to improve health span and build a healthier California for everyone. I respectfully ask for your eye support on SR 104. Thank you.

Yes, I want to thank my co-author, the chair of our health committee, my colleague from San Diego, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, Retro Biosciences, California Chronic Care Coalition, Leading Age California, and AgingBio.info. On the floor here, I am joined by Sonia Aronson, Chair of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, Dr. Sean Curran, the Executive Vice President at USC's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Remy Gross, Executive Vice President of the Buck Institute, And for those of you who don't know, which I was not familiar, the Buck Institute is the world's first independent biomedical research institute devoted solely to aging research and founded here in California. And finally, Dr. Jun Yoon, creator and sponsor of the Palo Alto Longevity Prize, which was kind of my intro to this whole space, a global competition that incentivized breakthroughs in aging research, attracted international media attention, and fostered a dynamic community of longevity researchers, investors, and media leaders. We grateful for their dedication to advancing scientific discovery improving health outcomes and helping Californians live longer and healthier lives Please join me in welcoming our guests Thank you. All right, if members wish to join Senator Becker and Senator Weber Pearson for the photo. I'm told it will add ten years to your life and zero years to your term limits. Thank you. All right, thank you to our guests. We'll next proceed to committee announcements. Senator Allen.

Senator Artur-Letta. Mr. President, immediately after the meeting, the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs will begin their meeting in room 2200.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to request that AB 1377 be taken off the enacted file.

Members, it's with a very heavy heart that I ask that we adjourn in the memory of a local hero of the Pacific Palisades, the latest victim of the fires, Larry Vane, who took his own life at the end of April a few days after his 61st birthday. As you all know, the Palisades community has overcome deep loss, hardship over the last year and a half, and throughout this season of flux and rebuilding, there have been very few constants for survivors to lean on. Larry Vane, however, was somehow everywhere. His unceasing smile, his trademark green Pally Strong gear could be seen at every community meeting, any volunteer opportunity, in his video updates from the burn areas that he shared on social media. Larry wasn't thrust into leadership because he was a first responder or elected official. He was simply a neighbor who couldn't sit idly by while his community was suffering. Larry graduated from UCLA in the 80s. He founded a marketing and consulting firm called World One International. And in the years since, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to run a produce company, an art gallery, and most recently toward residential real estate. When the flames erupted, instead of waiting for someone to tell him where to start, Larry began by doing whatever he could to provide what Palisadeans really needed in that moment, accurate information and hope. He texted family and friends. He put together community group messages. He started posting on-the-ground updates from the Palisades, giving many fire survivors their first look at their homes and neighborhoods. Larry's videos, which started during the evacuation with flames still raging along the highway, evolved with the rebuild process, providing the community with updates on the flames and snapshots of the damage and information about which areas were being cleared and when they'd be accessible to residents, explanations of the debris removal process, details of events for fire survivors. As the days went on and as the embers cooled, Larry's efforts crystallized around the motto Pally Strong, highlighting his optimism and unshakable belief in the people of the Palisades that became the foundation for that movement. And while Pally Strong lacked organization and resources during those early days, Larry's organic approach to service and messaging allowed him to respond to the true needs of his neighbors and to lift up the stories of selflessness and solidarity. selflessness and solidarity as Palestinians supported one another through the tragedy. Larry was an inspirational example of what public service is meant to be, working on an individual scale to solve problems and bring healing while also shining a light on all the great work being done by those around him. The Palestinians didn't need someone to highlight all that had been lost or how hard it would be to move forward. Folks needed someone who would show up and listen to what they were going through and help them navigate the next steps and provide them with timely, real, usable information. We should have guessed how meaningful a figure Larry and his son Sammy, for that matter, were going to be at our very first community meeting after the fire. Before the council member even knew Larry yet, she was somehow already wearing a Pally Strong hoodie matching his in the front row. And I'll never forget him at that meeting. There was so much anger and frustration, people yelling, people raising their voices. and Larry stood up and took a lot of the incoming without any need to and worked so hard to try to calm people down and get folks to focus on constructive dialogue. And in the days to come, Larry built relationships with everyone involved in the rebuilding efforts, my office, Assemblymember Irwin, Councilmember Park, the mayor's office, leaders from the Army Corps, LAPD, FEMA, CAL FIRE captains, all with a toddler in tow. He brought everywhere with him. his little son. And we both had little babies and bonded over that. Thanks to his tireless efforts and his deep dive into the process, condominiums and townhomes were included in the Army Corps debris removal program after initially being excluded. Brush clearance at a local school was fast-tracked with his advocacy. The National Guard extended their presence, helping in the house aides for a lot longer than I think had initially been planned. In the weeks since his death, there's been an outpouring of love and appreciation for Larry on social media with members of the community sharing stories of how he helped them personally after the fire. When a neighbor told Larry that her tortoise was missing, he messaged community groups to organize search parties to scour the hills They found it When a firefighter was trying unsuccessfully to call his family to check in Larry got him connected to his home Wi so he could FaceTime with his wife and kids somewhere else in the state. When there wasn't a community event or a CAL FIRE briefing to attend, Larry donned hazmat gear himself and sifted through the rubble, searching for the things his neighbors had told him they lost or just items that might bring him a little bit of joy, a little bit of sense of normalcy. Folks didn't just remember seeing Larry and his Pally Strong Green at community events on social media or around town. They remembered his smile, his beautiful little son, and the love and light that he exuded amid such a dark and difficult time. The reliability of his presence and his positivity left a mark on other leaders in the community who said he was a true buoy in the aftermath. He was always there. It was like seeing a tree in the same place. A few months after the fire, he put together a celebration for the community where they could come to be together and even paint a tile to commemorate something that they may have lost in the fire, which they wanted to remember. And he said on the news that evening, come here smiling, come here to give a hug, leave all your worries behind. It's been a long four months. He knew that we could never rebuild the Palisades if the soul and the values of the community were left in trouble. Sorry, left in the rubble. You know, Larry clearly was suffering a lot, and behind the smile was a lot of pain. massive financial challenges as he took on all of this community service work and was essentially volunteering for a long time. There was so much negativity online involving anybody who tried to help, and he took some of the criticisms that he received, I think, a little too much to heart. And he's our latest victim. as we continue to, in the long process of rebuilding and work through the discord and disagreement that comes with it, I certainly look to Larry's example of selflessness and steadfast belief in all that the Palisades can be. He was a friend of mine. He was always free with a hug and advice and positivity and rude advice about how we could help. I just want to say to everybody, if you're struggling with mental health, wildfire survivor, or otherwise, please consider calling or texting the 988 lifeline or reaching out to a friend or a neighbor. We can't control the timeline of loss and grief, but we can offer one another the same grace and support that Larry gave to each of us. Larry is survived by his two wonderful children, Amelie and little baby Sammy, his mother Sylvia, his brother Steve, his brother John, who is generous enough to travel to the capital today to help us remember him. John, there you are. Nice to see you, John. Your brother was a really special man. His joyful, contagious optimism was a profound source of hope for so many of us over the last year and a half. The love that he had for our community and the service, commitment, and camaraderie that he invested in our home will forever be a part of the Palisades and its history and its story of revitalization. and I just want to thank you for being here and thank you for his legacy. Colleagues, I just want to ask you in joining me in honoring a true example of what it means to be Pally Strong, a wonderful, special Californian, as we adjourn in the memory of Larry Vane.

Thank you, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. I'll rise today with a heavy heart to adjourn in the memory of David Sandell. David grew up in Los Angeles and at a young age appeared in several movies, an experience that reflected his confidence and enthusiasm throughout his life. He would go on to develop a lifelong love for sports, playing baseball and football, two great passions of his at both the high school and college level. David proudly served nine years in the Air National Guard, and that experience reflected his strong sense of duty and commitment to service. Building on his passion for leadership and mentorship, David served as a teacher and baseball and football coach, instilling in his students a commitment and love for learning, teamwork, and integrity. In his educational career, he went on to pursue administrative roles, serving as principal for the El Monte High School and later superintendent of the El Monte Union High School District. Following his retirement, David continued to serve the school district as the dedicated ambassador, through which he spearheaded Measure Y, the district's first general obligation bond measure, which passed and advanced long-term improvements for his beloved school districts. David's life contributed to the growth and success of his students and reminds us of the importance of mentorship and building the next generation of community leaders and public servants. I also want to recognize David's family. Family was the most important part of his life. David loved his family. He was a devoted husband, a proud and loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who treasured the time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Janet, daughters Colleen, Michelle, and Stephanie, and his eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved son Richard Sandell. Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, please join me in adjourning in his memory.

Thank you. First, thank you, my colleague from Baldwin Park, for bringing forward this adjournment in memory. I want to recognize David Sandell, who passed away in November of last year as a fellow educator whose life embodied service, leadership, and mentorship. He made a lasting impact in the Almonte community through his work as a teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent, and was also deeply connected to family, friends, and Irvine community. He called home after retirement until he passed away. His commitment to education, his service in the National Guard, and his devotion to family leave a legacy that will endure for generations. My thoughts and prayers are with Janet, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. May he last in peace.

Thank you, members. Our next floor session is Thursday, June 11th at 9 a.m. The Senate will be in recess until 3.30 p.m., at which time the adjournment motion will be made. The Senate will reconvene Thursday, June 11th, 2026 at 9 o'clock a.m. Thank you.