Pub. 2 2020-2021 Issue 3

12 W hen the California legislature reconvened Jan. 6, 2020, they had no idea that just a few short months later, they would be faced with a wholly different set of priori- ties and responding to a directive from both Senate and Assembly leadership to drop all bills unrelated to address- ing the COVID-19 pandemic. For many legislators, this was the last session of their ca- reers as an Assembly member or as a Senator due to term limits or the pursuit of other political positions; for others, it was an unconventional introduction to the second half of the 2019-20 session. For all legislators, the coronavirus and its effect on California residents required them to undertake an unprecedented shifting of priorities and commitments — and to get it all done before midnight Monday, August 31st. In addition to a total shift of direction, the 2019-20 legisla- tive session brought a larger-than-usual amount of drama that came to a fever pitch with only hours left to pass hundreds of measures on to the Governor’s desk. On the Assembly side, many legislators were upset that Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), elected in 2018, was denied the ability to vote on bills remotely — despite having a one-month-old baby and being hesitant to travel with her infant in a pandemic. Assemblywoman Wicks became an unexpected internet sensation due to her presence in the Assembly chamber, making speeches about bills while holding her newborn baby. The drama in the Assembly came to a head because of SB 1383 by Senator Hannah Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), a bill discussed in more detail below that will significantly expand California’s family and medical leave laws. When this bill came up for a vote, moderate Assembly Democrats held their unified position against the bill until literally the last few minutes before midnight, when the cards started to fall, and op- position votes were picked off one by one. In the Senate, an early evening motion by Senator Bob Hertzberg to limit discussion on bills to two support positions, two oppose positions, and impose a time limit on comments was met with impassioned opposi- tion by Senate Republicans, who had seen all but one of their caucus relegated to debating on bills and voting on measures from their Sacramento residences due to interactions with Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee), who tested positive for COVID-19 just before the last day of the session. Senator Hertzberg’s motion was an effort to fast-track the passage of bills off the Senate floor so the Democrat supermajority could have as many measures as possible reach the Governor’s desk. Legislative Recap Alisa Reinhardt Director of Government Affairs