SINCE WE WERE
ALL READY TO GO. UM OUR SENATE
COMMITTEE ON RULES WILL COME TO
ORDER. LET ME SAY GOOD AFTERNOON
, EVERYONE. WE'RE HOLDING OUR
COMMITTEE HEARING IN THE STREET
BUILDING IN ROOM 2200. AS WE
CONTINUE TO TAKE SOME
PRECAUTIONS TO MANAGE ONGOING
COVID 19 RISK. THE SENATE
CONTINUES TO WELCOME THE PUBLIC
AND HAS PROVIDED ACCESS TO BOTH
IN PERSON AND TELECONFERENCE
PARTICIPATION FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT. FOR INDIVIDUALS WISHING
TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT VIA
THE TELECONFERENCE SERVICE. THE
PARTICIPANT. TOLL FREE NUMBER
AND ACCESS CODE IS POSTED ON OUR
COMMITTEE WEBSITE, AND IT'S
GOING TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE
SCREEN RIGHT NOW THAT
PARTICIPANT NUMBER IS 87722681.
THE ACCESS CODE IS 5338635. WILL
BE UP THERE A NUMBER OF TIMES
DURING AND THROUGHOUT THE
HEARING. I WILL MAINTAIN DECORUM
DURING THE HEARING AS HIS
CUSTOMARY AND ANY INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE DISRUPTIVE MAY BE
REMOVED FROM THE REMOTE MEETING
SERVICE OR HAVE THEIR
CONNECTIONS MUTED. ALSO FOR OUR
COURT REPORTER. I'M GOING TO ASK
ALL SPEAKERS, COLLEAGUES AND
WITNESSES ALIKE TO SPEAK SLOWLY
AND CLEARLY. AND IF I INTERRUPT
ANY OF THOSE CALLING
TELECONFERENCE, IT'S BECAUSE WE
DIDN'T HEAR SOMETHING CLEARLY.
WE NEED TO GET CLARIFICATION SO
I MAY STOP. YOU ASK YOU TO SLOW
DOWN OR REPEAT SOMETHING JUST SO
THAT WE CAN BE SURE AND GET THE
TESTIMONY ON RECORD. BEFORE WE
BEGIN TODAY'S AGENDA. WE NEED TO
ESTABLISH A QUORUM. AS A
REMINDER TO MY COLLEAGUES WILL
NEED TO TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONES
FOR THE ROLL CALL, AND EVERY
TIME THAT WE VOTE, AND WITH
THAT, MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? GROWTH.
KIM LAGER. KAMLAGER HERE. LAIRD
LAIRD HERE. BATES ATKINS. HERE.
ATKINS HERE. THANK YOU. AS
EVIDENCE THERE IS TO OTHER
COMMITTEES GOING ON AT THE SAME
TIME. JUDICIARY WHO KEEPS TRYING
TO TAKE OVER OUR COMMITTEE ROOM.
BUT THEY WILL NOT AND THE HEALTH
COMMITTEE AND AS IT RELATES TO
THAT I HAVE SENATOR LAIRD IS ON
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AS WELL
AS RULES. SENATOR GROVE, MAYBE
AT HEALTH. SHE'S ON HEALTH AND
RULES AT THE SAME TIME, SO
FORGIVE US. IF PEOPLE COME AND
GO, IT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE
MULTITASKING AND MADAM CHAIR. I
THINK THAT I SHOULD OFFER THE
OBSERVATION THAT ALL THE
JUDICIARY, PEOPLE WALKING AND
SEE ME AND THINK THEY'RE IN THE
RIGHT ROOM AND THEN OR CONFUSED
WHEN THEY GET OVER TO YOU, SO
THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
VERY TRUE. UH YOU KNOW, WE TRY
TO KEEP PEOPLE ON THEIR TOES,
INCLUDING SENATORS, UM SO MOVING
FORWARD IF THERE ARE NO
OBJECTIONS. I WANNA TAKE UP. UM
SOME ITEMS BEFORE WE TAKE OUR
FIRST REQUIRED TO APPEAR
APPOINTEE. AND WITH THAT, I'M
GOING TO ASK. EXCUSE ME FOR A
MOTION ON APPOINTEES NOT
REQUIRED TO APPEAR, BUT I DO
NEED TO SEPARATE OUT, SO I'M
GONNA ASK FOR A MOTION ON ITEM
NUMBER THREE. ITEMS E THROUGH
Ó. WOULD BE THE FIRST MOTION.
THANK YOU, SENATOR LAIRD, SO WE
WILL CALL THE ROLL ON GOVERNOR'S
APPOINTEE IS NOT REQUIRED TO
APPEAR ITEMS. THREE EAT THROUGH
Ó. GROVE. KAMLAGER KAMLAGER I
LAYERED I BATES ATKINS ATKINS I
ON CALL ON CALL. I WILL TAKE A
MOTION FOR ITEM THREE D
GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES NOT
REQUIRED TO APPEAR. THREE D.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO MOVE.
THREE D THREE D MOVED THROUGH.
SENATOR KAMLAGER. YOU LOST OUT
ON THAT ONE? UH SO THE MOTION BY
SENATOR LAIRD, MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. GROVE
KAMLAGER KAMLAGER I LAYERED I
FATES ATKINS SIDE ON CALL IS ON
CALL. I WILL TAKE A MOTION ON
ITEM FOUR THAT IS REFERENCE OF
BILLS TO COMMITTEE. THANK YOU.
CALL THE ROLL. GROVE KAMLAGER
KAMLAGER. I CARED I BATES ATKINS
ATKINS. I CALL ON CALL. I HAVE
TO SEPARATE OUT THE TWO FLOOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SO I WOULD
ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM FIVE
FLOOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. THANK
YOU, SENATOR LAIRD. MADAM
SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
GROVE KAMLAGER. KAMLAGER AYE,
LAIRD BATES ATKINS ATKINS I
ON CALL ON CALL. I WOULD
ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON FLOOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ITEM SIX. THANK
YOU, SENATOR KAMLAGER CALL THE
ROLL. GROVE KAMLAGER. KAMLAGER
AYE, LAIRD. I BEAT THIS IS ON.
WILL COME BACK AND PICK PEOPLE
UP ON CALL. NO, NO WORRIES.
ATKINS I CALL CALL. OKAY WITH
THAT, UH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND
MOVE AND MADAM VICE CHAIR WILL
CIRCLE BACK ON ALL THE ON CALL
SO YOU CAN GET YOUR SEA LEGS
BEFORE WE BEFORE WE DO THAT. UM
WE WILL TAKE UP OUR FIRST ITEM
GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES TO APPEAR
THAT WOULD BE ITEM ONE A. AND
THAT IS THE REAPPOINTMENT. OF
PAMELA HAYNES AS THE MEMBER AS A
MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
OF THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. LET ME WELCOME YOU
BACK TO US PRESIDENT HAINES. UM
AND AS YOU'RE GETTING SITUATED,
YOU HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. SO AS
YOU START, I WILL SAY
ACKNOWLEDGE ANYONE YOU WOULD
LIKE, MAKE OPENING COMMENTS AND
THEN WE'LL GO RIGHT TO MEMBERS
FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO SAY
WELCOME. LET'S SEE. I APOLOGIZE
. I THOUGHT THE RED I SAW THE
RED SIGN, AND I THOUGHT IT
NEEDED TO STOP REDS. YEAH
UNFORTUNATELY, RED, I THINK
MEANS GO FOR US. OKAY SOUNDS
LIKE A PLAN. I WANT TO THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BRINGING ME BACK FOR
pPLEASED TO BE IN PERSON TO BE
REALLY HONEST. UM SO LET ME
START BY SAYING MADAM PRO TIM
AND MEMBERS. PAM HAYNES HERE
BEFORE YOU FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO
FOR CONFIRMATION OF MY REAL
APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS, UM LET ME ALSO THANK
GOVERNOR NEWSOM FOR THIS
REAPPOINTMENT, AND WE CAN SAY
GOVERNOR NEWSOM. UM. I ALSO WANT
YOU TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY, UM
AND MY COMMITTED TO THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS. BUT I'VE SERVED FOR
23 YEARS AS A TRUSTEE FOR LOS
RIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT.
GOVERNING BOARD, AND, UM. THEY
HAVE SHARED AND THEY HAVE TAUGHT
ME AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH
FROM THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS AND
CONTINUE TO DO SO. THAT
EXPERIENCE OF BEING A TRUSTEE.
BRINGS WITH IT SOME
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WHAT MY ROLE
SHOULD BE IN NEEDS TO BE ON THE
BOARD OF GOVERNORS. IT IS SORT
OF FIELDWORK RELATIVE TO THE
OVERSIGHT THAT THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS HAS RELATIVE TO THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM. UM SOMETIMES I
HAVE TO REMIND MY COLLEAGUES
THAT, UM WHEN THEY SAY WELL, WHY
CAN'T WHY CAN'T THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS DO X Y AND Z THE
REMINDER IS WE CAN THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS CAN DO CERTAINLY A LOT
WITH, UM, WITH, UH, SETTING OUT
A FRAMEWORK, UM, WORKING WITH
WITH, UM COLLEGES AND DISTRICTS
TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, REALLY GOOD
POLICY. BUT AT THE END OF THE
DAY WE ARE CONFEDERATION. WE
HAVE 73 DISTRICTS. WE HAVE 116
COLLEGES AND WE HAVE 73 ELECTED
BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. AND SO THAT
MEANS REALLY WORKING IN TANDEM
WITH EACH OTHER, LISTENING TO
WHICH EACH OTHER AND
COLLABORATING ON HOW WE MOVE
FORWARD. AND SO WHAT? I WANT YOU
TO WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS
RELATIVE TO THAT THAT THAT'S
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. I ALSO
COME TO THIS WORK AS SOMEONE WHO
WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
IN LOS ANGELES. I'M IN L. A
GIRL. I'VE SPENT 33 YEARS HERE
IN SACRAMENTO. UM MUCH OF THAT
TIME IN THIS BUILDING. UM BUT MY
EDUCATION WAS AT A COMMUNITY
COLLEGE. IT WAS ALSO, UM, A
EXPERIENCE I STARTED IN HIGH
SCHOOL. BUT BUT STOPPED OUT THAT
MARRIED, WENT BACK TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE. STOP THAT AND HAD TWO
BABIES. I WENT BACK TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, AND BY THE TIME MY
CHILDREN WERE ABOUT SEVEN OR
EIGHT, I WAS ABLE NOT EIGHT, UM
I WAS ABLE TO TRANSFER TO U C L.
A AND I'VE HAD AND I HAD TO WORK
DURING THAT PERIOD TO SELL. I
HAVE FOR ME. IT'S AN AFFINITY TO
THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE
ACROSS THIS STATE WHO HAVE
PATHWAYS JUST LIKE MINE. AND SO
I COME WITH THAT PERSPECTIVE,
THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT
PERSPECTIVE IS I COME WITH A
SENSE OF URGENCY THAT THEY HAVE.
UM AND THAT THEY IN TERMS OF
WHAT THEY ARE. TRYING TO ACHIEVE
IN WORKING AND HAVING FAMILIES
IN ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT
TRYING TO GET THROUGH SCHOOL. I
BRING THAT LENDS WITH ME. AND
WHEN I AM IN THE SEATS OF
DECISION MAKING I TAKE IT
SERIOUSLY AND I TRY TO PUT THEIR
THOUGHTS, THEIR, UM THEIR ISSUES
FIRST AND FOREMOST AS I'M TRYING
TO MAKE DECISIONS. I WANT YOU TO
KNOW THAT BECAUSE, UM WE ARE IN
A TIME OF REFORM. AND OUR
SYSTEMS ARE KIND OF STICKY
SOMETIMES. AND SOME AND SO PART
OF THIS CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE
IS HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD?
PROVIDING A SYSTEM THAT WORKS ON
BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ARE THE
USERS OF THAT SYSTEM. UM, I'LL
CLOSE BY JUST SAYING THIS. UM. I
AM LIVING MY BEST LIFE RIGHT
NOW. I MADE A DECISION WHEN I
RETIRED FROM FROM HERE. I WAS A
TRUSTEE THAT I WANT TO DO THAT
OR DID I WANT TO DO SOME OTHER
THINGS? BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF
A LOT OF THINGS I COULD DO. AND
I MADE A DECISION TO GO FULL
FORCE RELATIVE TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. IT'S MY PASSION. IT'S
WHAT I CARE ABOUT, AND IT'S
WHERE I'D LIKE TO LEAVE MY
LITTLE MARK. UM AS I AS I MOVED
AS I MOVE FORWARD, AND SO I'M
DOING MY BEST WORK. I BELIEVE
I'M LIVING MY BEST LIFE, AND I'M
HOPING IT'S IN SERVICE OF A
SYSTEM AND STUDENTS 1.8 MILLION
STUDENTS. WHO ARE ALSO TRYING TO
LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. WELL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. PRESIDENT HAYNES
APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS AND
I'M GOING TO START MY COLLEAGUES
UP HERE ARE ALWAYS SO GRACIOUS
FOR THOSE OF THEM WHO ARE HAVING
TO MULTITASK BETWEEN COMMITTEES.
SO, WITH RESPECT TO OUR VICE
CHAIR, I'M GOING TO START WITH
THE ONES WHO HAVE TO LEAVE. UM
SO, SENATOR LAIRD LET YOU KICK
US OFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IN
ABOUT MISS HINES. THANK YOU FOR
MEETING. IT WAS ANIMATED AND I
REALLY ENJOYED IT. AND I
COULDN'T EVEN BELIEVE I HAVEN'T
BEEN ON A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD FOR 20 YEARS AND WE
OVERLAPPED SO IT'S A TRIBUTE TO
THE LENGTH OF YOUR SERVICE, AND
WE TALKED ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT
FORMULA AND OTHER THINGS. I
THOUGHT I'D FOLLOW UP ON TWO
SPECIFIC ITEMS ARE ONE PLAYS OFF
OF YOUR OPENING STATEMENT
BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE
DECENTRALIZATION AND AS THE
CHAIR OF THE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
ON EDUCATION, I EXPRESSED THE
FRUSTRATION. THAT WE HAD OUR
HEARINGS THIS YEAR, AND 20
COLLEGES HADN'T TURNED IN THEIR
ENROLLMENT NUMBERS YET, EVEN
THOUGH IT WAS PAST THE DEADLINE,
AND WE COULDN'T ASCERTAIN AH,
SORT OF WHERE PEOPLE WERE IN
TERMS OF FUNDING IF WE WANTED TO
START TO MAKE THE DECISIONS AND
OR YOU MADE THE POINT OF HOW
IT'S A DECENTRALIZED GROUP OF
THE OF THE 73 DISTRICTS IN 116
COLLEGES, IF WE WERE TO HELP YOU
THE BOARD AND THE CHANCELLOR. SO
THAT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS
DIDN'T HAPPEN. WHAT HELP COULD
YOU GET FROM THE LEGISLATURE?
THAT MIGHT BE A HAMMER TO MAKE
SURE THAT MY GOODNESS THE HAMMER
I'M SORRY. THAT'S THAT THESE
DAYS. THAT'S NONVIOLENT. OKAY
BUT IT BUT IT'S LIKE, UM WHAT
COULD BE THE HOOK TO HELP YOU?
TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE RESPOND
IN A WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE
THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS AND
ACTUALLY HAVE THE FACTS IN FRONT
OF US THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
THERE BY THE DEADLINES, AND I
THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A FEAR
REQUEST. AND IT IS NOT THAT THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE ISN'T
WORKING HARD TO DO THAT, UM BUT
LET ME ALSO SAY ON BEHALF OF MY
COLLEAGUES IN OTHER COLLEGES.
AND SOME OF THOSE COLLEGES IN
THOSE DISTRICTS ARE UNDER
RESOURCED. AND SO THE CHALLENGE
REALLY BECOMES IF YOU'VE GOT
SEVEN REPORTS TO DO, WHICH WHICH
ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO
RUN A COLLEGE AND SO WITHOUT
WITHOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A
SOLUTION. UM IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE
ISSUES ARE WITH THOSE THOSE WHO
ARE DELAYED, UM, BECAUSE I
BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE
COLLEGES HAVE GOODWILL. IT'S
JUST THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF
BALLS IN THE AIR AND THE
QUESTION BECOMES, AND I AM I
SHOULD I BE ABOUT WORKING WITH
STUDENTS GETTING YOU KNOW ON HOW
STUDENTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE
OR FOOD INSECURITY. SO SOMETIMES
IT MAY BE THAT CHOICE. AND SO
WITH THAT AND SO WHAT I WOULD
SAY IS THE. I'D LOVE TO WORK
WITH YOU ON THAT. I JUST DON'T
WANT IT TO WHAT? I DON'T
UNDERSTAND, BUT I HATE TO
INTERRUPT, BUT THE THING ABOUT
IT IS THAT IF WE HAD THAT WE CAN
GET THEM MORE MONEY, WHICH WAS
OKAY. WELL, WE NEED TO SAY THAT
FACT AND WE CAN'T FIGURE THAT
OUT. AND SO IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO
HEAR THAT THEY MIGHT BE UNDER
RESOURCED. WHEN THIS WAS A YEAR
THAT WE HAD THE ABILITY TO GET
RESOURCES THERE, AND WE COULDN'T
DO IT BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GETTING
REPORTS ON ENROLLMENT FROM
KNOWLEDGE. FAIR ENOUGH. UM WE
WERE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF A
PANDEMIC ALSO SO THAT PART THAT
THAT PART OF THE CHALLENGE, BUT
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, I'M HAPPY
TO MAKE AND I DID MAKE NOTE OF
THAT. AND I THINK THAT THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE WE WERE
ABSOLUTELY WILLING TO WORK WITH
YOU ON IT. WELL I APPRECIATE
THAT. AND THEN THE SECOND
SUBJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT
BACK AND FORTH. AND IT'S IT IS
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT
THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT
ENROLLMENT DROP, AND IT HAS ONLY
COME BACK PART WAY. AND THERE
WAS A CHANCE IN K THROUGH 12.
THERE WAS AN ENROLLMENT DROP
THAT PREDATED THE PANDEMIC AND
WAS ACCENTUATED BY A WHAT
HAPPENED AND I KNOW IN MY HOME
DISTRICT. THEY TELL ME THAT THE
FIRST NUMBERS FOR THE FALL SHOW
THAT THEY'RE COMING BACK. 40 OR
50% OF WHAT THE DROP OF
ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN, BUT IT'S
STILL A CHUNK AND WE BASE A LOT
OF FUNDING BASED ON ENROLLMENT.
WHAT'S YOUR OWN VIEW AS A BOARD
MEMBER OF HOW WE SHOULD LOOK AT
ENROLLMENT AND WHAT WE NEED TO
DO IN THAT REGARD AS WE MOVE OUT
OF THE PANDEMIC. SO I THINK
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS
RELATIVE TO THE ENROLLMENT
DECLINE. UM AND I THINK PART OF
OUR CONVERSATION WAS A WRECK FOR
AT LEAST FOR ME, IS, UM A
RECOGNITION THAT IN 2000 AND 9
2010. THERE WAS A REAL
ENROLLMENT DECLINE AS WELL. BY
CLOSE TO ABOUT 400,000. WE CAME
BACK ABOUT 200,000, BUT WE NEVER
CAME BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINT.
THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T ASK
QUESTIONS. WHY BACK THEN? I
THINK THAT THE WHAT WE ARE NOW
DOING ASKING REALLY KEY
QUESTIONS ON WHY ARE STUDENTS
AND IN MANY CASES, STUDENTS OF
COLOR AND MALE STUDENTS ARE NOT
COMING BACK? UM. AND I THINK
THAT IT'S A MULTIFACETED
CHALLENGE. IT'S A IT'S A
MULTIFACETED CHALLENGE. UM. ONE
WE MAY NOT BE OFFERING WHAT OUR
STUDENTS NEED. UM CAMPUS CLIMATE
IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE
STUDENTS CONTINUE TO TELL US
ABOUT. UM FLEXIBILITY IN
SCHEDULING IS ANOTHER ISSUE, UM
, GETTING THE COURSES THAT THEY
NEED WHEN THEY NEED THEM. AH SO
I THINK THAT WE REALLY DO HAVE
TO GRAPPLE WITH AND WHAT WE
DIDN'T DO 10 YEARS AGO, 12 YEARS
AGO, WHATEVER THAT TIME FRAME
WAS WHAT? WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO
OUT AND GET THEM BACK. WHAT
WE'RE DOING ON OUR CAMPUSES, AND
I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING ABOUT LOS
RIOS. BUT I REALLY SPEAKING
ABOUT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF OUR
DISTRICTS REALIZED THAT THEY
CAN'T JUST MARKET TO STUDENTS.
THEY HAVE TO OUTREACH TO THEM,
AND THEY HAVE TO. THEY HAVE TO
OUTREACH TO THEM IN MULTI
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS. IT
CAN'T BE JUST EMAIL. IT CAN'T BE
JUST TIKTOK. AND IT CAN'T BE
JUST, UM, UH, JUST SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO PICK UP THE
PHONE SOMETIMES AND CALL THEM.
IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO LEAVE TEXT
MESSAGES. IT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE
TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH
STUDENTS IN ORDER TO GET THEM
BACK. BECAUSE THERE ARE STUDENTS
WHO FEEL LIKE, WELL, I CAN COME
BACK TO THIS ANYTIME, AND THAT
JUST ISN'T ALWAYS THE CASE IN AN
EXCUSE ME AGAIN FOR
INTERRUPTING. I WAS GONNA, UH
END, BUT I WANT TO FOLLOW UP
WITH THAT BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE
WHEN I WAS IN THE ASSEMBLY, AND
I WAS BUDGET CHAIR AND I WAS
WORKING WITH THIS IS WHEN WE
WOULD HAVE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT
WOULD GO UP BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD
BE DISPLACED FROM THE WORKFORCE
, AND THAT'S THE PLACE THAT THEY
COULD GO FOR RETRAINING, AND IT
WAS COUNTERCYCLICAL AND SO
COMMUNITY COLLEGES WOULD COME TO
US IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ECONOMIC
DOWNTURN WHEN THE STATE REVENUES
WOULD PLUNGE AND SAY WE NEED
MORE TO HANDLE THIS AND THE WAY
THEY DID. IT WAS WHEN PEOPLE
WERE DISPLACED COMMUNITY
COLLEGES WOULD HAVE THE TRAINING
THAT WOULD MOVE WITH THE CHANGES
IN THE WORKFORCE SO PEOPLE COULD
BE RETRAINED MORE. TO WHERE THEY
ARE NOW AND WHERE THEY MIGHT
HAVE STARTED IN THE WORKFORCE,
AND YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THE
PROCESS OF REACHING OUT. BUT DO
YOU BELIEVE THAT COMMUNITY
COLLEGES ARE MOVING WITH? WHAT
PEOPLE NEED TO SURVIVE IN THE
WORKFORCE THESE DAYS BECAUSE THE
PANDEMIC DID THIS MAJOR
DISLOCATION AND PEOPLE DECIDING
THEY WANTED TO MOVE, BUT ALSO
THEY'RE BEING INCREASED NEEDS OR
DIFFERENT NEEDS IN THE WORKFORCE
. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT FROM YOUR
TOP LEVEL ON THE BOARD? THAT
COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAVE MOVED TO
BE RELEVANT IN THE TRAINING FOR
PEOPLE THAT NEED TO COME BACK IN
THE WORLD, SO RELEVANT AND
TRAINING. ALSO INCLUDE HAS TO
HAS TO BE TIME IT TAKES TO TRAIN
AS WELL. AND I'LL GIVE YOU MY
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE. AND THAT
IS, UM I GOT A JOB WHILE IT WAS
RIGHT. AS I GOT MARRIED, I GOT
THAT JOB BECAUSE NOT BECAUSE I
WAS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT
BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB.
I NEEDED ONE PRETTY QUICKLY. I
WENT TO A TRAINING PROGRAM IN L.
A AND I ASKED. MY MOTHER
BORROWED MONEY MONEY FROM MY
MOTHER. IT WAS SPONSORED BY
EMPLOYERS THAT NEED A SET A SET
OF SKILLS THAT ONLY TOOK ABOUT
TWO MONTHS. THEY WOULD INTERVIEW
YOU IF YOU PASS THAT REQUIREMENT
, AND THERE WAS A JOB. I GOT
THAT JOB. I WAS IN THAT JOB FOR
20 YEARS. BENEFITS UM, A CAREER
LADDER. UM IT WAS WESTERN
AIRLINES NO LONGER WESTERN
AIRLINES, BUT IT WAS WESTERN
AIRLINES. I WAS ABLE TO GO TO
SCHOOL BECAUSE OF IT. 24 7.
OPERATION. BUT IT WAS IT WAS
QUICK AND MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS
ARE NOT DESIGNED THAT WAY. WHAT
I WOULD SAY. AND UM YOU OPEN
THIS DOOR, SO I'M GOING TO WALK
THROUGH IT. THAT'S WHY WE NEED
TO. WE NEED TO COLLEGE LIKE
HELP, RIGHT? CALIBRATE HAS, UH,
HAS PROGRAMS TRAINING PROGRAMS
THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED WITH WITH
AND ARE SET OF CERTIFIED BY
EMPLOYERS. SEVEN MONTHS 9.5
MONTHS, 14 MONTHS DEPENDING ON
WHAT YOUR INTERESTS ARE THAT'S
WHY WE NEED WE NEED TO BE
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND
WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IN
THE REGIONS WHERE THERE ARE JOBS
, WE NEED TO BE TALKING TO
EMPLOYEES. AND I'M NOT
SUGGESTING THAT OUR COLLEGES
AREN'T DOING THAT. BUT THEY ARE
MOVING MUCH SLOWER RELATIVE TO
THAT. IT'S AND IT'S ABOUT TIME
AND SEATS. CALVERT'S A
COMPETENCY BASED MODEL, WHICH IS
WHICH IS DIFFERENT, AND SO I'M
ANSWERING. YES TO YOUR QUESTION
, BUT YOU NEED ALL KINDS. I'M
NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE DO AWAY%
WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR WE
DO AWAY WITH APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAMS. THERE'S A PLACE FOR
ALL OF THEM. BUT WE DO NEED TO
BE TRAINING IN INCREMENTS THAT
ARE MUCH MORE EASIER. A NINE
WEEK IF AN EMPLOYER NEEDS
SOMEBODY IN NINE WEEKS OR HAS
OPENINGS FOR A PARTICULAR SET OF
SKILLS, WE NEED TO BE ADAPTIVE.
AND FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO BE
OFFERING THAT AND NOT JUST TO
TELL BRIGHT BUT ACROSS THE
SYSTEM. UM I COULD EASILY KEEP
GOING, BUT WE'VE ALREADY RUN
LONGER THAN ONE PERSON SHOULD
DO. SO LET ME JUST SAY I
APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSES, BUT I
CONSIDER THIS AN ONGOING
CONVERSATION. ABSOLUTELY I THINK
WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO
TALK ABOUT ENROLLMENT. WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
RELEVANT AND CHANGE AND HOW IT
IS PART OF PEOPLE COMING BACK
ECONOMICALLY, AND I'M STILL
STUCK ON THE ENROLLMENT FORMULA
BECAUSE IT DISADVANTAGES
EVERYBODY IN MY DISTRICT AS
OPPOSED TO SOME OTHERS THAT ARE
ALREADY HIGH COST DISTRICTS, AND
THAT IS NOT A FACTOR THAT IS
TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THERE SO I
JUST LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
TO WORK ON THIS AND APPRECIATE
ANSWERS AND APOLOGIZE FOR
STEPPING OUT. DON'T WORRY. I
WILL BE HERE FOR A VOTE AT SOME
POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
SENATOR LAIRD. THANK YOU SO MUCH
. I'M GOING TO GO NEXT TO OUR
COLLEAGUE WHO'S ALSO IN HEALTH
TODAY. SO SENATOR GROVE. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM. PREPPED
HIM AND THANK YOU, UH, PRESIDENT
HAYNES. UH I LOVE YOUR HEART AND
YOUR PASSION I REALLY DO AND
DIGITAL HERE YOU TALK ABOUT ALL
OF THE ABOVE SOLUTIONS THAT, UM
, THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
. AND THE REASON WHY I BRING
THAT UP IS IN THE REAL WORLD.
I'M A JOB CREATOR. AND IT'S THE
GREATEST SOLUTION TO POVERTY IS
A JOB AND THE WHAT YOU TALKED
ABOUT CAL BRIGHT PROGRAM IS A
WONDERFUL IDEA THAT SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED. IN OUR UNIVERSITY
COLLEGES ACROSS THE BOARD,
RIGHT? YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO
TO SOME PLACE FOR 6 TO 12 WEEKS
AND GET A CERTIFICATE AND BE
ABLE TO GO OUT TO WORK AND GET A
JOB AND AH, WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME
OF THAT IN IN CURRENT COUNTY
ROAD I REPRESENT FOR AH. I WOULD
SAY IT'S NOT THROUGH THE COLLEGE
PROGRAM, BUT IT'S THROUGH
ORGANIZATIONS TRAINING PROGRAMS
THAT DEVELOP THESE TRAIN CLASSES
. MOST OF IT IS IN THE OIL
INDUSTRY, BUT THEY CAN GET A
CERTIFICATION FOR WILDERS HELPER
OR THEY CAN GO AND IT GIVES IT
SOMEBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE
A JOB THAT IS NOT GOING TO GO TO
COLLEGE FOR FOUR YEARS OR THREE
YEARS. SO I LOVE THAT. I DO
HAVE, UM, YOU SAID SOMETHING
THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
EARLIER ABOUT STUDENTS LEFT WHAT
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS LEFT? DO
YOU KNOW SO I CAN SPEAK TO, UM,
LOSS REALIST? AT LEAST 10.
REALLY, UM AND SO OUR STRATEGY
AT LOS RIOS SAYS, WE'RE GOING TO
GO AFTER EVERY ONE OF THOSE
STUDENTS. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE
THEM FEEL LIKE WE KNOW WHO THEY
ARE. UM, THAT WE WANT THEM BACK.
AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET THEM BACK. UM AND I
THINK YOU KNOW THERE ARE THOSE
WHO MAY FEEL THAT THAT ARE
COLLEGES ACROSS THE SYSTEM ARE
NOT DOING THAT. EVERYONE IS
KEENLY AWARE OF THE DROP IN
ENROLLMENT. UM HOW COULD YOU NOT
BE, UH SO. SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC
ARE GONNA THEY'RE GONNA STICK
WITH US. SO IT WAS ONLINE
COUNSELING. 24 7 IN MANY CASES,
UM, BUT IT INCLUDED AT LEAST
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. WHERE YOU
COULD CALL AND GET AN ANSWER
ABOUT FINANCIAL AID. UM IF YOU
HAD A CHALLENGE WITH, UM I T
DIDN'T DIDN'T BECAUSE WHAT WE
WHAT WE KNEW ALL ALONG, BUT WHAT
BECAME VERY APPARENT WHEN YOU
MOVE TO ONLINE THAT MANY OF OUR
STUDENTS WERE DOING SOME OF
THEIR WORK ON THEIR CELL PHONES.
SO HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT,
THE RIGHT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY
IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT HAVING A
HOT SPOT. BECAUSE THEY WERE
DOING IT OUTSIDE OF DENNY'S OR
OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. WE'VE GOT TO
MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHAT WE'RE
DOING IS LOOKING AT THE STUDENTS
WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT IT IS
THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF
THE THAT THAT THAT THE WAYS IN
WHICH, UM WE ARE MOVING IN THE
DIRECTION OF TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT? WHAT? WHAT WE'RE
STUDENTS ARE AND WHAT IT IS.
THEY NEED. WE ARE. THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS APPROVED A PASS NO
PASS REGULATION. UM THAT WOULD
THEN AND THAT WAS THAT OUR
COLLEGES COULD THEN AND OUR
DISTRICTS COULD THEN USE THAT'S
BEEN MADE PERMANENT. THERE
SHOULD BE THAT PARTICULAR KIND
OF OPTION TO, UM UM FOR OUR
STUDENTS. IF THEY FIND THAT THEY
CANNOT COMPLETE A COURSE AND SO
OR THEY COULD COMPLETE THE
COURSE AND BUT NOT HAVE TO GET A
LETTER GRADE FOR IT. SO THERE
ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED AS
A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. THAT
ARE NOW BEING INCORPORATED INTO
HOW OUR COLLEGES ARE DOING
BUSINESS AND HOW THEY BELIEVE
STRATEGY WISE. THEY CAN. ONE UM,
KEEP STUDENTS AND KEEP THEM
INVESTED. THE OTHER IS WE'VE GOT
TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHAT
FLEXIBILITY LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR
STUDENTS, NOT SO MUCH FOR
OURSELVES BUT FOR OUR STUDENTS
. THEY NEED A LOT MORE
FLEXIBILITY THEY ARE JUGGLING.
FAMILY WORK. UM. UH RENT HOUSING
ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO
WE'VE GOT A WE'VE GOT TO MAKE
CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT UM, AN
OBSTACLE, BUT BUT BUT BUT A
PARTNER AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE
THEY ARE, I THINK IT'S A LIKE A
CLIENT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP.
RIGHT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING THAT
YOUR CLIENT AND YOU NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU MEET THEIR NEEDS
SO THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE. SO I
THINK THAT BEFORE COVID. WE WERE
, UH AND WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA
AND ALL THAT STUFF. AH! I THINK
WE WERE SOCIALLY DISCONNECTED
EVEN BEFORE COVID. BUT THEN
COVID BROUGHT US TO A SOCIAL AND
SPIRITUAL DISCONNECT THAT IT'S I
THINK WE'RE JUST BARELY REAPING
THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT. SO
EVEN BEFORE COVID KEMP CAMPUSES
WERE STRUGGLING TO MEET THE
GROWING STUDENT DEMAND FOR
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND NOW
THEY'VE BEEN BASICALLY LOCKED
OUT OF THEIR EDUCATION SYSTEM
FOR A LITTLE YOU KNOW, ALMOST
TWO YEARS, EITHER ONLINE AND
YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE'D
WALK INTO TACO BELL, AND THEY
COULDN'T GO BUT THEY
WERE ALL HUDDLED AROUND A TACO
BELL TABLE USING THAT TACO BELL
HOTSPOT OR A STARBUCKS HOTSPOT.
UM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT
AT HOME, ESPECIALLY IN A
COMMUNITY. MY COMMUNITY IS VERY
DIVERSE. I HAVE SOME OF THE
WEALTHIEST CALIFORNIANS IN IN
THE STATE AND THEN I HAVE SOME
OF THE POOREST CALIFORNIANS IN
THE STATE, BUT IT JUST THEY'RE
ALL IN THE SAME TOWN CITY. SO MY
QUESTION TO YOU IS IN YOUR VIEW.
WHAT CHALLENGES CAN WE DO TO
ADDRESS? WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU
HAVING ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
IN STUDENTS, INCLUDING OUR
VETERANS STUDENTS THAT ARE
STRUGGLING UM, WITH THAT BREAK
THAT I THINK EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN
THAT WE'VE THAT'S INCREASED OUR
MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION. SO WHAT
ARE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT YOU
MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING FOR THESE
STUDENTS TO ADDRESS MORE OF THE
MENTAL HEALTH SITUATIONS THAT WE
FIND OURSELVES IN THOUGHT? I'LL
TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WHAT WE
HAVE DONE, UM WITH WITH THE
BOARD OF GOVERNORS AS THAT IT
WAS ONE OF OUR MAJOR ISSUES
RELATIVE TO THE BUDGET GOT $30
MILLION. BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU
IN. NO SMALL PART WAS, WAS IT
THE TOP ISSUE FOR OUR STUDENTS?
SENATE FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, IT WAS THEIR TOP
ISSUE. SO MUCH OF THAT MONEY HAS
BEEN PUSHED DOWN TO OBVIOUSLY
THE COLLEGES. UM AND SO
TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN IN SOME
CASES. THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT SO
STUDENTS CAN HAVE ACCESS TO
WHATEVER THEIR ISSUES ARE 24 7.
SOME OF SOME OF OUR COLLEGES
HAVE, UM BEEFED UP THEIR HEALTH
UNITS SO THAT THEY WILL THAT
THAT THEY'RE INCLUSIVE OF A
MENTAL HEALTH. UM EXPERIENCED
STAFF PERSON. OTHERS HAVE BUILT
, UM AND INCREASING PARTNERSHIPS
WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
THAT ARE IN COMMUNITY SO THAT
OUR STUDENTS KNOW WHAT ISN'T IT
WHAT IS INDEED AVAILABLE? ACROSS
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, UM ACROSS
THE STATE AT EVERY LEVEL OF OUR
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT'S JUST THAT
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. I HAVE A I
HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL
GRANDDAUGHTER. WHO UM, HAD
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES DURING THIS
TIME. THAT WE ARE CAN WE WANT
CONNECTION WITH OTHERS? AND WE
WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO
WE HAVE. WE REALLY DO HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE SOCIAL
ANIMALS AND THEREFORE WE NEED TO
MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE THE
SERVICES THAT MAKES CERTAIN THAT
WE THRIVE. EVEN IN THESE TIMES.
I AGREE. I MEAN, I BELIEVE THAT
WE WERE CREATED FOR
RELATIONSHIP. THERE'S THAT
RELATIONSHIP THERE. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. UM I JUST HAVE ONE
QUESTION IF YOU IF IT'S A IF
IT'S A QUESTION THAT CATCHES YOU
OFF GUARD. I APOLOGIZE AND YOU
CAN GET BACK TO ME. DO YOU KNOW
WHAT THE RATIO IS FOR EVERY
STUDENT STUDENTS HOW MANY
STUDENTS VERSUS MENTAL HEALTH?
GOD I DO NOT. BUT I'M HAPPY TO
GET BACK TO YOU. YOU KNOW, MY, I
GUESS. MY THING IS, IS THAT
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IS IT SO
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION? I JUST
CURIOUS LIKE, HOW LONG AND I
GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH. IT
IS LIKE IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH STUDENT HEALTH OR MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES ON THE CAMPUS. HOW
LONG DOES IT TAKE HIM TO GET
INTO IT? SO I WOULD LIKE THAT
INFORMATION IF YOU COULD PROVIDE
IT FOR ME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
CONFIRMING YOU TODAY. I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR HEART AND WHO
YOU ARE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE
ABOVE SOLUTIONS AND MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN AVENUE TO
SUCCESS. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, SENATOR. GROWTH,
MADAM VICE CHAIR. WELL, WELCOME
PRESIDENT. HE'S AND I DO BELIEVE
MY TWO COLLEAGUES BEFORE ME. I
HAVE COVERED ALL OF THE SUBJECTS
THAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT.
AND YOU'VE DONE IT SO WELL, NOT
MUCH LEFT. BUT I DO WANT TO LET
YOU KNOW THAT I ACTUALLY AM A
PRODUCT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND
WITHOUT THEM THERE FOR ME AND MY
DAY. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO GRADUATE ON TIME
AND SAVE MY PARENTS A LOT OF
MONEY BECAUSE I HAD GONE AWAY.
TO SCHOOL. I DID A FOREIGN
EXCHANGE WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE,
AND I LOST WITH SEVERAL UNITS,
AND I WAS ABLE TO GO TO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE HERE IN THE
SUMMER AND MAKEUP AND THE
TEACHERS WERE, YOU KNOW, SO
NURTURING ACTUALLY, A LITTLE
MORE THAN THEY WERE AT THE AT
THE BIG SCHOOL. SO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR DEDICATION. AND WHAT A
GREAT PATH YOU TOOK AFTER YOUR
INCREDIBLE SERVICE AS A PUBLIC
SERVANT AND CERTAINLY HERE IN
THE LEGISLATURE AND BEYOND,
YOU'RE REALLY QUITE AN
EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODEL. FOR
THOSE OF US WHO ARE GETTING TO
THAT TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO
DECIDE WHAT OUR NEXT PATH IS
GOING TO BE. SO YOU CERTAINLY
SET THE BAR AND VERY, VERY
APPRECIATIVE THAT AND SO UM, YOU
KNOW, VERY INSPIRED BY, YOU KNOW
YOU HAVE THAT PASSION AND I
THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR
OUR KIDS WHO ARE IN COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF
MY GRANDSON IS GRADUATING FROM
HIGH SCHOOL. THIS YEAR,
DESCRIBED JU. IT'D ACTUALLY BUT
HE'S GOING TO THE TO A FOUR YEAR
COLLEGE BUT REALLY CONTEMPLATED
BECAUSE OF BEING UNCOMFORTABLE
ABOUT LEAVING HOME AND I THINK
MAYBE PREFERRED TO TAKE A TWO
YEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT THEY
OFFER CAME FROM THE COLLEGE AND
HE DECIDED HE YOU KNOW WHAT IS A
BIRD IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN
TWO IN THE BUSH. HE DECIDED TO
GO, BUT IT IS A GREAT PLACE, AND
THEY DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN
EDUCATING AND I THINK CERTAINLY
AND THE JOB MARKET PREPARING
THOSE FOUR VERY LUCRATIVE
OCCUPATION OR PROFESSION, THE
FIRST STEP TOWARDS THAT IN
ORANGE COUNTY ARE SADDLEBACK
COMMUNITY COLLEGE. REALLY
DEVELOPED AN INCREDIBLE NURSING
PROGRAM THAT WAS VERY LACKING.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER BACK IN THE
LATE IT WAS THE LATE NINETIES
EARLY TWO THOUSANDS HAVING A
REAL DIFFICULT TIME AND FINDING
PLACES FOR OUR NURSES EDUCATION
, SO THEY REALLY STEPPED UP. SO
I'VE SEEN OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
DO THAT. IN MANY, MANY OF THE
VENUES THAT ARE THERE, SO THANK
YOU FOR THAT, AND YOU WILL HAVE
MY STRONG SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. SENATOR BATES
SENATOR KAMLAGER. THANK YOU,
MADAM PRO 10 MINUTE. IT'S GOOD
TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MISS HAINES.
UM I, TOO HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE AT
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL, AND
IT'S UM IT'S THERE'S JUST SO
MANY WONDERFUL THINGS THAT CAN
HAPPEN WITHIN THE SYSTEM. UM UM
AS MY COLLEAGUE AS THE VICE
CHAIR JUST MENTIONED. MANY OF
THE QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY
ADDRESSED. UM, THAT I ALSO, UM
WAS INTERESTED IN HEARING YOU
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, SO I
REALLY JUST HAVE ONE. I KNOW
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS
IN THE PAST. ABOUT UM, THE LACK
OF, UM DIVERSITY IN EXECUTIVE
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WITHIN C C
. C UM AND WOULD JUST LIKE TO
KNOW IF MAYBE THERE IF YOU HAVE
ANY UPDATES, IF THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT YOU UM, CAN SHARE YOUR
THOUGHTS ON. UM I CERTAINLY
BELIEVE THAT, UM, THAT HAS AN
IMPACT ON THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS
THINGS LIKE DIVERSITY AT OUR
CAMPUSES. HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH
ENROLLMENT. HOW WE'RE MAKING
SURE THAT WE ARE, UH,
APPROPRIATELY FUNDING PROGRAMS
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT
DIFFERENT POPULATIONS. IF IT'S
THE FOSTER YOUTH. UM IT FITS
FOLKS FROM REENTRY, ETCETERA. UM
SO I THINK THINGS IT'S IMPORTANT
TO SET THE TONE AT THE TOP. UM,
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY
UPDATES ON THAT. SO IT'S GOOD TO
SEE YOU AS WELL. UM SO LET ME SO
LET ME SAY THAT I'VE BEEN ON.
I'VE BEEN ON THE BORDER
GOVERNORS FOR FIVE YEARS LITTLE
OVER FIVE YEARS NOW. AND, UM.
ONE OF THE ONE OF THE AREAS OF
THAT THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS IN
ON AND RISE RAISE UP TO WORK ON
WAS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION
AND ACCESS. UM SO MUCH TO THE
POINT OF ESTABLISHING A TASK
FORCE. THAT'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF TIME. UM WITH A NUMBER
OF STAKEHOLDERS, NOT JUST
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOLKS, BUT A
NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS TO REALLY
LOOK AND SEE WHAT WAS ABSOLUTELY
NEEDED. UM ON OUR COLLEGE
CAMPUSES. WE HAD THE FACULTY
THERE. WE HAD CLASSIFIED. WE HAD
. UM UM UM, LEADERSHIP IN TERMS
OF THE PRESIDENCIES AND
LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF THE
EXECUTIVE TEAMS AND OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS WHO CARE ABOUT
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. AND IN MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS TO REALLY WHAT
WHAT IS WHAT WAS THAT ABSOLUTELY
NEEDED AND WHAT I AND IT WAS
COACH. IT WAS COACH SHARED BY
THE ACADEMIC SENATE PRESIDENT
FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND THE DEPUTY
CHANCELLOR, UH FOR, UH, THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE. WHAT I
WOULD SAY IS REALLY GOOD WORK
CAME OUT OF THAT ONE A
RECOGNITION THAT THERE WERE.
THERE ARE REALLY KEY AREAS THAT
ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. AND IT
IS AND PART OF THAT IS THE FRONT
FACING REALITY OF WHO WAS IN THE
CLASSROOM. AND WE HAVE FABULOUS
FACULTY, SO THIS IS NOT A PUSH
RELATIVE AGAINST THE FACULTY
THAT WE DO HAVE MANY OF THEM ARE
WONDERFUL FACULTY. AND
ABSOLUTELY CARE ABOUT OUR
STUDENTS. THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE
OF THAT. AND THAT IS THAT OUR
STUDENTS NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES
ON CAMPUSES THEY NEED TO SEE
THEMSELVES. IN A PRESIDENCY THEY
NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE
CLASSROOM. AND SO WHAT WAS
RECOGNIZED IS THERE REALLY NEEDS
TO BE A BIGGER FOCUS IN HOW DO
WE RECRUIT? HOW DO WE RETAIN UM
FACULTY OF COLOR. UM AND SO, AND
THAT WAS A RECOGNITION BY
FACULTY THEMSELVES. ARE JUST OUR
SYSTEM. 1.8 MILLION STUDENTS
ABOUT 69% OF THEM ARE STUDENTS
OF COLOR. UM OUR FACULTY RANKS
ARE ABOUT 60,000 FACULTY. AND
ABOUT 60% OF THEM ARE WHITE.
THERE'S A DISCONNECT. AND SO
WHEN WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT,
AS WE LOOK AS WE LOOKED TOWARD
HIRING, HOW DO WE HIRE THE BEST
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ABOUT HIRING
THE NOT THE BEST. HOW DO WE HIRE
THE BEST? HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT
OUR CURRENT FACULTY HAVE, UM,
HAVE ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT THERE
AT THEIR DISPOSAL? UM, RELATIVE
TO CULTURAL COMPETENCIES. SO
WE'RE DOING THAT WORK NOW, AND
WE'RE DOING IT IN COLLABORATION
WITH OUR FACULTY ORGANIZATIONS
AND WITH WITH OUR. BUSINESS
OFFICERS. EVERYONE IS ROWING
THIS BOAT IN THE SAME DIRECTION
. UM AND ALL OF THIS IS IN IN
BENEFIT TO OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE
WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE BEST
EXPERIENCE THAT THEY POSSIBLY
CAN. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE
THAT. UM I, UM I ALSO JUST WANT
TO ADD THAT I THINK THERE'S A
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS
HAPPENING AT ALL THE CAMPUSES
ACROSS THE STATE AND WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH N. C C. C. AND SO
I WOULD JUST CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE
SPECIFICALLY. WHAT? WHAT I WOULD
SAY IS, UM I DON'T. IT'S PRETTY
DIVERSE. IT'S PRETTY AS I LOOK
AT THE EXECUTIVE TEAM THERE AND
LET ME JUST SAY AT THE UPPER
EXECUTIVE TEAM, THERE ARE MORE
WOMEN THAN MEN. OKAY UM, IT IS.
IT IS PRETTY. THERE HAS BEEN A
CONCERTED EFFORT TO MAKE CERTAIN
THAT THE IVERSITY IS REFLECTED
WITHIN THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE.
SO THAT WAS IF THAT WAS YOUR
QUESTION. UM, I AM COMFORTABLE
WITH IT. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS
THAT WHEN I STARTED I HAD
QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. SO I THINK
THAT BOTH THE CHANCELLOR AND THE
DEPUTY CHANCELLOR IN EVERYONE IS
VERY COGNIZANT. UM AND IF THEY
IF THEY WERE COGNIZANT OF IT, UM
, FIVE YEARS AGO, THEY CERTAINLY
ARE NOW AND I THINK IT WOULD BE
DEFINITELY THE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE. AT LEAST EXECUTIVE TEAM
IS REPRESENTATIVE OF CALIFORNIA.
DEFINITELY. WELL, THAT IS GOOD
TO KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, SENATOR, UM, AGREE WITH MY
COLLEAGUES. IT'S BEEN A GREAT
CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE. I
ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION YOU GOT
TO THE REAL HEART OF A LOT OF I
THINK WHAT WE WANTED TO TALK TO
WITH SENATOR LAIRD AND FOLLOWING
ALONG BY SENATOR GROVE AS IT
REALLY, AND YOU REFERENCED THIS
IN ONE OF YOUR RESPONSES AS AS A
TO SENATOR LAIRD, BUT AS IT
RELATES TO CAL BRIGHT, THERE HAS
BEEN LOTS OF DISCUSSION OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE KNOW THIS
WAS SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR AND,
UM AH, FROM FORMER GOVERNOR
BROWN TO GET ESTABLISHED, BUT I
HAVE HEARD LOCALLY PUSHBACK FROM
THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY
COLLEGES WHO FELT LIKE THEY
COULD DO THAT WORK. DO YOU IN
YOUR ROLE AS, UH, ON THE BOARD
AND AS THE PRESIDENT, HOW DO YOU
RESPOND TO THOSE THINGS THAT
COME UP BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE
HAS SUPPORTED THE CONTINUATION
OF HOW BRIGHT OBVIOUSLY SO I
JUST BE INTERESTED IN YOUR KIND
OF THOUGHTS ABOUT IT GENERALLY.
OKAY I WANT TO GIVE YOU A
STATISTIC. WEIRD OKAY, SO WE
NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AS A
SYSTEM ON HOW WE HOW WE HOLD ON
TO STUDENTS OF COLOR. OKAY? SO
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT CAL BREAK.
UM SHAKY BEGINNING. NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT. WHAT'S DONE IS DONE.
WE HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP. WE ARE
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
750 STUDENTS A YEAR AGO, IT'S A
LITTLE BIT OVER 1000. 50
CERTIFICATES. UM A YEAR AGO.
WE'VE HAD 100 PLUS WE'RE MOVING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO LET
ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE
DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF CAL BRIGHT
I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. AND I'LL
START OFF BY SAYING 30 TO 18 28
50 50 22. 32% AFRICAN AMERICAN.
IN A POPULATION IN CALIFORNIA
THAT REPRESENTS 6. YEP. 18%
ASIAN ABOUT 18% ASIAN IN
CALIFORNIA. 28% LATINO LATINA.
WE NEED TO BUILD THAT UP BECAUSE
THAT'S NOT BUT IT'S GETTING IT'S
CLOSE. 50% ARE WOMEN. AND 50%
ARE CAREGIVERS. IN OTHER WORDS,
THEY THERE'S SOMEBODY AT HOME
THAT THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE
OF. OKAY? AND CAL BRIGHT IS NOW
IN 22 COUNTIES. OKAY IT IS
MOVING AND SEVERAL OF THEM ARE
RURAL. OKAY? CALDERON IS MOVING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS
OF ITS DEMOGRAPHIC. WE'VE GOT
5.15 POINT EIGHT MILLION
CALIFORNIANS WHO EITHER HAVE
HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE, MAYBE HAVE A
LITTLE BIT OF HIGH SCHOOL A
LITTLE BIT OF COLLEGE. ARE IN
NOT JUST ONE JOB, BUT TWO JOBS
TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THERE
ARE ENOUGH CALIFORNIANS. TO
BENEFIT FROM, IF NOT CAL, BRIGHT
FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION OF
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. WE NEED TO
FIGURE OUT THAT PIECE AND
ABSOLUTELY WILLING TO FIGURE
THAT OUT WITH ANYBODY WILLING TO
TALK TO US AND LET ME ALSO THIS
IS THE SECRET. ABOUT CALIBRATE
YEAH, WE DO HAVE SOME SOME FOLKS
WHO THINK THAT THEY CAN DO THIS
WORK AND NOBODY IS STOPPING.
THERE'S THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
APPROVED REGULATIONS FOR
CONFIDENCE. E BASED EDUCATION.
THERE IS A WORKING GROUP OF FIVE
WORKING GROUP OF FIVE COLLEGES.
I THINK MAYBE IT'S DISTRICTS BUT
FIVE COLLEGES UM, THAT ARE
WORKING, UM, WORKING ON? HOW DO
THEY TRANSLATE? COMPETENCY BASED
INTO THEIR SYSTEM. WHAT IS IT
THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW? HELL
BRIGHT PUSHES OUT EVERYTHING IT
DOES. TO THE SYSTEM IT SEES
ITSELF AS A SISTER COLLEGE. UM.
THIS IN SOME RESPECTS, MAYBE WE
CAN CALL IT AN EXPERIMENT. BUT
THIS IS A PUBLIC OPTION. IN A
STATE THAT NEEDS A PUBLIC
OPTION. RELATIVE TO IT BEING
COMPLETELY FOCUSED IN ON ONLINE
COMPETENCY BASED FLEXIBLE
SCHEDULES THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO
MOVE THROUGH THAT SYSTEM WITH
SOME HELP. WE DON'T IGNORE THEM.
UM TO GET A CERTIFICATE THAT IS
RECOGNIZED BY AN EMPLOYER AND BY
AND BY AN INDUSTRY AN INDUSTRY
CERTIFICATE. THESE ARE THINGS WE
NEED TO BE DOING AND WE WILL
PARTNER WITH ANYONE, AND WE ARE
PARTNERING WITH SOME COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICTS. I REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT. AND UM I DON'T
SIT ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE OR
THE SUB. AND SO I DON'T GET TO
ALWAYS SEE THOSE NUMBERS. SO
THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL. I
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WE'RE
GONNA MOVE NOW TO THOSE WHO WISH
TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT. AND AS A
REMINDER FOR WITNESSES WISHING
TO PROVIDE COMMENT VIA PHONE.
THE PARTICIPANT TOLL FREE NUMBER
IS GOING TO GO UP THERE AGAIN.
IT'S 877226816. THE ACCESS CODE
IS 5338635, AND IT IS LISTED ON
OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. WE'RE GOING
TO START WITH PEOPLE IN THIS
ROOM. 2200 PLEASE COME ON
FORWARD IF YOU WOULD LIKE AND,
UM LET ME ASK YOU. TO STATE YOUR
NAME YOUR ORGANIZATION, IF ANY
THAT YOU REPRESENT AND YOUR
BRIEF COMMENTS WELCOME. MADAM
PRO PRO TEAM AND MEMBERS OF THE
RULES COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS
ARNIE SO WELL. AND I ACTUALLY AM
HERE FOR AN AGENDA ITEM THAT IS
LATER ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY
BECAUSE I'M YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
TO THE STATE BAR. HOWEVER AS I
APPROACHED THE COMMITTEE TODAY,
I REALIZED THAT MY FRIEND AND
FORMER COLLEAGUE PAM HAYNES WAS
UP FOR CONFIRMATION TODAY AND I
WOULD BE REMISS. IF FINDING THAT
STEP FORWARD AND SPEAK ON HER
BEHALF IN TERMS OF HER
CONFIRMATION. HAVE I HAVE KNOWN
PAYING FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW,
AND SHE IS TRULY A CHAMPION FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR.
I WOULD JUST MAKE NOTE VERY
BRIEFLY THAT PROBABLY ABOUT
EIGHT YEARS AGO, I CAME TO PAM
AND MENTIONED TO HER THAT THERE
WAS A YOUNG MAN AFRICAN AMERICAN
MAN THAT WAS AT A WORKED AT A
GROCERY STORE NEAR WHERE I
LIVED. WHO WAS STRUGGLING WITH
GETTING CLASSES IN COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND TRYING TO
TRANSITION AND MATRICULATE HIS
WAY ONTO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE AND
PAM TOOK THE TIME DIDN'T KNOW
HIM TOOK THE TIME. BUT ON MY
WORD ACTUALLY WENT TO THE
GROCERY STORE AND MET IT. AND
WORKED WITH HIM AND ENSURED THE
FACT THAT HE WAS ABLE TO
MATRICULATE. THEY GET THE
CLASSES THAT HE NEEDED. AND HE
SUBSEQUENTLY NOW LIVES HERE IN
SACRAMENTO, AND, UH AND WORKS
FOR A NONPROFIT HERE AND IN THE
IN THE LOCAL AREA, SO I JUST
WANTED TO SAY ON ON HER BEHALF
THAT SHE TRULY IS A STEWARD OF
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. AND UH AND I
JUST THINK THAT AH, SHE'S JUST A
WONDERFUL PERSON. THANK YOU, MR
SOUL. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND
WE WILL HEAR YOU BACK A LITTLE
BIT LATER. I GATHER. UM IS THERE
ANYONE FURTHER WHO WISHES TO
SPEAK HERE IN ROOM 2200. IN
SUPPORT. OKAY I'M GONNA WELCOME
OUR TELECONFERENCE OPERATOR TO
JOIN OUR MODERATOR. SORRY TO
JOIN US AND SEE IF YOU WILL TEE
UP THE LAWNS FOR THOSE WHO WISH
TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE
A COMMENT IN TERMS OF SUPPORT,
PLEASE PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO,
AND THAT'S ONE AND THEN ZERO.
AND THERE ARE NO COMMENTS AT
THIS POINT, MADAM CHAIR THANK
YOU SO MUCH. MR MODERATOR WILL
BE BACK WITH YOU SHORTLY HAVING
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE
WHO WISH TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT, WE
WILL SEE IF THERE ARE ANY
INDIVIDUALS IN THIS ROOM THAT
WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN
OPPOSITION. ANYONE IN
OPPOSITION. OKAY SEEING NO ONE
APPROACHED THE MICROPHONE. UH MR
MODERATOR, WE'RE COMING BACK TO
YOU FOR THOSE WHO MAY WISH TO
SPEAK IN OPPOSITION. ANYONE
WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
PLEASE PRESS 10 AT THIS TIME.
IT'S 10 ON YOUR TOUCH TONE
PHONE. AND THERE ARE NO COMMENTS
AT THIS POINT, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH OKAY, HAVING
GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY, THOSE
WHO WISH TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT AND
OPPOSITION, LET ME BRING IT BACK
TO MY COLLEAGUES. AND SENATOR
GROVE HAS MADE A MOTION. AH,
MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL? GROVE HIGH GROVE.
I KAMLAGER KAMLAGER. AYE, LAIRD.
BATES I. ATKINS I CALL THAT WILL
REMAIN ON CALL. SO SENATOR LAIRD
CAN COME BACK AND JOIN OUR ON AS
HE EXPRESSED. HE WOULD LIKE TO,
WITH OUR CONGRATULATIONS, AND
THIS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE
FULL SENATE FOR CONFIRMATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR
ATTENTION. YOU KNOW, I CARE
ABOUT THESE DISHES AND I
APPRECIATE THAT, TOO. WE
APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. UM BEFORE WE DECIDE IF
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK, I'M
GOING TO ASK IF WE CAN OPEN THE
ROLL ON A FEW THINGS AND TO MY
COLLEAGUES THAT WEREN'T HERE AS
WE, UH DID THIS. I WILL TELL YOU
HOW WE'RE VOTING ON THINGS, SO I
WANT TO OPEN THE ROLL ON ITEM
THREE GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES NOT
REQUIRED TO APPEAR AND WE ARE
SKIPPING ITEM D. AND IT IS, UH,
ITEM E THROUGH Ó. E THROUGH. OH
AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AS A
SEPARATE MOTION UNDER THREE D.
SO, MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU
OPEN THE ROLL ON THREE E THROUGH
Ó? GROVE GROVE. AYE. BEADS I 5
TO 05 TO ZERO. WE THEN HAD A
MOTION ON ITEM THREE D NOT
REQUIRED TO APPEAR, MADAM
SECRETARY. WILL YOU OPEN THE
ROLL ON THAT? GROVE GROVE. NO.
BEATS BEATS NO 3 TO 2 THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. WE THEN VOTED ON ITEM
FOUR BILL REFERRALS TO COMMITTEE
MADAM SECRETARY OPENED THE ROLE.
GROVE. FOR REFERENCE OF BILLS TO
COMMITTEES. GROVE. AYE. BATES
BATES, I 5 TO 0. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THAT IS OUT. SO THEN WE
SEPARATED THE TWO FLOOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AS WELL. SO ITEM
FIVE REQUESTS BY SENATOR AMBERG.
MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU OPEN
THE ROLE GROVE BY I. BATES BATES
. I 5 TO 0. THANK YOU, AND THEN
WE MOVE TO ITEM SIX FLOOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REQUEST BY
SENATOR BRADFORD. OPEN THE ROLE
GROVE. GROOVE ABSTAIN. BEATS
ABSTAIN ABSTAIN THANK YOU, 3 TO
0 THAT IS DONE. LET ME LOOK AND
SEE IF WE SHOULD TAKE A FIVE
MINUTE BREAK. NO! OKAY. WOW.
THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO
PROCEED ON THEN TO, UM THE
SECOND APPOINTEE REQUIRED TO
APPEAR, AND THAT WOULD BE, UH,
MR KENNETH T. TANG MEMBER OF THE
STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT BOARD.
LET ME INVITE YOU FORWARD. AND
AS YOU COME FORWARD, LET ME
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND
INVITE YOU TO, UM ACKNOWLEDGE
ANYONE THAT IS WITH YOU. THANK
ANYONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO AND
THEN MAKE YOUR OPENING COMMENTS
. ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE
WITH US, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE IN THE AUDIENCE, MY
MOM CHANNEL. AND MY DAUGHTER,
KRISTIN TANG, WHO LIVES UP HERE
IN DAVIS, AND RECENTLY GRADUATED
FROM UC DAVIS. WE WELCOME YOU
BOTH. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME
FELLOW, UH, BOARD MEMBER KAREN
YAMAMOTO. WELCOME THE STAFF. UM
THAT'S ONE OF OUR STAFF. THERESA
CHILLING, AND, UH, ONE OF OUR
OTHER CONSTITUENT MEMBER THAT
JENNIFER BAKER'S BACK THERE AND
OF COURSE, I WANTED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE FRIENDS AND
FAMILIES WHO ARE WATCHING BACK
HOME. ESPECIALLY IN MY NIECES
AND NEPHEWS AND THE 38 3RD
GRADERS WHO ARE FROM DUFF
LANGUAGE MAGNET ACADEMY, WHO ARE
LOGGING ON TO WATCH THIS, UH
TODAY THEY GET THEY GET A
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT, SAY THEIR
NAME ONE MORE TIME. THAT IS
REALLY SPECIAL. UH THE 38 3RD
GRADERS FROM DUFF LANGUAGE
MAGNET ACADEMY. UM IN THE GARVEY
SCHOOL DISTRICT. WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU. UM, MADAM CHAIR LIKE
TO THANK YOU. THE COMMITTEE UH
MADAM VICE CHAIR, SENATOR BATES
. UH SENATOR KAMLAGER, UM,
SENATOR GROVE AND SENATOR LARK
FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I WANT TO
THANK THE GOVERNOR. UM GOVERNOR
NEWSOM FOR, UM. HIS TRUSTED ME
AND AS HIS APPOINTEE TO THE
CASTLE'S BOARD, AND I WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THAT HE MAINTAINS
CONFIDENCE IN ME IN THIS
APPOINTMENT. SO GOOD AFTERNOON
SENATOR, STAFF AND GUESTS AND
FRIENDS. MY NAME IS KEN TANG. I
AM A FIRST GENERATION VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRANT. A PRODUCT OF OUR
GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE
TEACHERS AND THE TEACHER FOR 26
YEARS. I WAS ALSO ELECTED TO
SERVE ON THE ALHAMBRA UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF
EDUCATION IN NOVEMBER. 2020 2020
, WHERE I SERVED AS PRESIDENT
LAST YEAR. MOHAMMED GHANI, ONE,
ONCE SAID. THE BEST WAY TO FIND
YOURSELF IS TO LOSE YOURSELF IN
THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. I HAVE
DEDICATED MY LIFE TO SERVING
OTHERS, ESPECIALLY OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND NOW I HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. MY
EDUCATED COLLEAGUES MORE THAN
949,000 BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED
COLLEAGUES. AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER
OF CASTERS. I HAVE EVERYTHING I
WORKED FOR AT STAKE. THIS ENSURE
THIS ENSURES THAT I WILL WORK
RELENTLESSLY TO BE FULLY INFORM
IN MY DECISION MAKING AS A
TRUSTEE. AND MAKES CERTAIN THAT
I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANCE OF MY FRIEND, YOU
SHERRY RESPONSIBILITY. AS A
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. I HAVE
GROWN TO UNDERSTAND HOW EMPLOYER
CONTRIBUTIONS TO TEACHERS
PENSIONS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN
A SCHOOL DISTRICT OVERALL BUDGET
AND HOW THIS IN TURN DIRECTLY
AFFECTS OUR STUDENTS. WITH MY
UNIQUE BACKGROUND AND EXTENSIVE
EXPERIENCES. I HOPE TO BRING THE
SPIRIT OF SERVING OTHERS WITH
THE SOLE GOAL OF UPHOLDING MY
FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY AND
MAKING SURE THAT CASTERS
ACHIEVED FULL FUNDING BY BEFORE
2046. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR YOUR OPENING COMMENTS
AND AGAIN. WELCOME TO EVERYBODY.
MADAM VICE CHAIR. LET ME START
WITH YOU IF THAT'S OKAY. SURE.
GO AHEAD. BEEN MR TANG.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
APPOINTMENT AND THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SERVICE, AND I NOTICED THAT
YOU WERE INVOLVED AT LARVAE HIGH
SCHOOL, AND THAT WAS A SCHOOL
THAT I WAY BEFORE YOUR TIME. OF
COURSE I WAS. SCHEDULED TO GO
TO, BUT WE MOVED FROM THAT AREA
TO LONG BEACH AT THAT TIME, AND
IT WAS THE SAME. GABRIEL VALLEY
IS WHERE I ORIGINALLY LIVED. SO
THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING
WHEN I SAW THAT. THAT I THINK
WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE PENSION LIABILITIES NOT JUST
FOR COUNSELORS, BUT CERTAINLY IN
OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND RIGHT
ON UP TO, UH, STATE, SO I'D LIKE
TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS BASICALLY
ON YOUR RESPONSE TO THE STATE
AUDITOR THAT CONTINUALLY PLACES
COASTERS ON THAT LIST OF HIGH
RISK AGENCIES DUE TO THE SIZE OF
THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY AND OTHER
CONCERNS AND HOW WILL YOU KEEP
US ABREAST OF THE CONCERNS THAT
ARE RAISED BY I AM THE STATE
AUDITOR ON CASTERS AND KEEP US
UPDATED ON HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE
DOING ON THAT GOAL TO REDUCE THE
UNFUNDED LIABILITY AND KNOWING
THAT THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH
HOW WE'RE DOING IT IN THE
INVESTMENT, SO THAT YOU CAN JUST
GENERALLY ASK KIND OF. GIVE ME
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT WHOLE
PROBLEM THAT THAT YOU'RE GOING
TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT AND
CERTAINLY SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME
ON. I'M SURE YES, THANK YOU.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND I'M
UM WE GET. WE GET REPORTS FROM
STAFF. UM YOU KNOW, AT OUR, UM
OUR MEETINGS. UM AND OF COURSE
WE GET WE GET THEM IN BETWEEN
MEETINGS AS WELL. OF COURSE, THE
WITH OUR STAFF HAS HAS A WELL
THOUGHT OUT. PLAN THAT, UH,
WORLD CHIEF FULL FUNDING BY
2046. AND UH, AS AS, AS YOU
KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
WE'VE DONE REALLY WELL IN TERMS
OF INVESTMENT RETURNS. UM TO
ACHIEVE FULL FUNDING. WE HAVE
THAT FORMULA IS WHERE WE HAVE
THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE
EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYERS AS WELL AS
THE STATE AND BEFORE I FORGET,
THANK YOU FOR THE EXCESS
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE STATE IN
THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, BECAUSE
WE'VE WE'VE DONE WELL IN OUR
ECONOMY, AND, UH SO THAT THAT
REALLY HELPS IN THE IN THE AH!
IN GETTING US TO FULLY FULL
FUNDED BY 2046. BASED ON UM WHAT
OUR STAFF SAYS REPORT BACK IN IN
OUR MAIN MEETING. IT MAY IT MAY
EVEN BE EARLIER THAN 40 2046.
AS, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE
INVESTMENT YIELDING THE WAY THAT
WE'VE PROJECTED OUT. WITH THIS
THE ANNUAL 7% AND SO, UM I KNOW
THAT, UM SPECULATIONS THAT YOU
KNOW WE HAVE A DOWN YEAR.
HOWEVER THE YEARS YOU KNOW, IT'S
NOT QUITE OVER YET. UM, YOU
KNOW, WE ALL EXPECTED OUR
ECONOMIES TO TAKE A DOWNFALL.
HOWEVER AS WE ALL EXPERIENCE
BACK IN MAY THAT, UM, THAT WAS
QUITE THE CONTRARY. AND THAT
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD QUITE A
NUMBER OF SURPLUS AND SO YOU
KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. AND, UH I
TRULY TRUST OUR OUR BOARD AS
WELL AS OUR STAFF WHO HAVE
IDENTITY. TREMENDOUS JOB IN
TERMS OF COMMUNICATING THE RISK
AND THE. THE YIELDING, UH, YOU
KNOW OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES
FROM THE MARKET, OF COURSE, IS
VERY, YOU KNOW, UNPREDICTABLE,
BUT WITH SPECULATIONS AND AH, A
STAFF THAT. REALLY FULLY
UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
DOING. I THINK WE'RE IN REALLY
GOOD SHAPE OF ACHIEVING THAT
FULL FUNDING. THANK YOU FOR
THAT. I JUST WANT TO PUT ON THE
RECORD AND SOMETHING FOR ALL
THOSE WHO SERVE ON OUR PENSION
BOARDS. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO
BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE TAKE
POLICY DECISIONS AND DRIVE
DIVESTMENT FROM ARE, YOU KNOW,
PENSION OBLIGATIONS. THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT PUTS TAXPAYERS AT
RISK, AND IT ALSO PUTS THAT HIGH
RISK THOSE PENSIONERS AND THERE
SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S
DRIVEN MORE BY POLICY. THAT IS
MORE LET'S SAY NOT DIRECTED AS
FISCAL POLICY THAT SOMETHING
THAT SOCIAL POLICY SO JUST BEAR
THAT IN MIND AS YOU TAKE THIS
ROLE ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I'VE
SERVED AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND
THAT THEY HAVE. THE CALL THE
GRAPH AT COUNTY GOVERNMENT WHEN
I SERVED BACK IN THE EARLY TWO
THOUSANDS, WE WENT INTO THE
RECESSION, THE PENSION
OBLIGATION REVENUES EXPENDITURES
WERE SKY HIGH. AND THE REVENUES
WERE GOING TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION
THAT DECLARES EITHER BANKRUPTCY
OR STARTS TO THEFT, PENSION EARS
. SIGNIFICANTLY OUR TAXPAYERS,
NOT SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO
HAVE. PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING ON
THESE BOARDS HAVE MORE BALANCE.
IN THE WAY THEY LOOK AT THOSE
POLICY ISSUES VERSUS FISCAL
POLICY. SO WITH THAT, BUT THANK
YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND
CERTAINLY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE
CHAIR. UM SENATOR KAMLAGER YOU
WANT TO GO NEXT? THANK YOU. UM
AND PLEASURE TO SEE YOU HERE
AND, UM YOUR FAMILY. YOUR MOM?
YEAH. THIS IS A BIG THING. UM
YOU KNOW, I, UH TO YOUR POINT
AND WHAT I WAS READING. UM WE
HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR COFFERS ARE
FULL AND THE CUP RUNNETH OVER,
AND THAT'S REALLY A NICE. UM
PROBLEM TO HAVE, I THINK MY
NOTES SAY THAT, ACCORDING TO THE
2021 STATE BUDGET CASTERS WILL
SPEND ABOUT 18 BILLION THIS
FISCAL YEAR. 17 BILLION OF WHICH
FUNDS PENSION BENEFIT PAYMENTS
AND OF JANUARY 21. OUR
INVESTMENT ASSETS WERE VALUED AT
NEARLY $280 BILLION. THAT IS A
LOT OF MONEY. UM AYE. RECALL
HAVING SOME MEETINGS, UM, WITH
THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE BLACK
CAUCUS AND FOLKS FROM STIRS
ABOUT, UM CONCERNS RELATED TO UM
A THE INVESTMENT ASSETS. AND BE
THE GROUPS AND EXPERTS AND
MANAGERS WHO WERE MANAGING THE
VARIOUS PORTFOLIOS. AND THE LACK
OF DIVERSITY. IN THAT POOL. UM
SO DIVERSITY MEANS YES, IT MEANS
BLACK. IT MEANS ASIAN. IT MEANS
LATINO. IT MEANS WOMEN. YES UM,
OBVIOUSLY, THE BLACK CAUCUS WAS
ASKING QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO UM
BLACK FOLKS. UM AND. WAS IF I
RECALL WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD
BEEN SOME EFFORTS TO SORT OF
ADDRESS THIS. BY PUTTING
TOGETHER I THINK EITHER SMALLER
FUNDS OR SMALLER PORTFOLIOS. UM
BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO
DIVE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE LARGER
POOL OF 280 BILLION. PLUS, UM
YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD YOU SORT OF
SIPHON OFF A SMALLER GROUP AND
THEN SAY, HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO
BE DIVERSE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO
BE REPRESENTATIVES. SO LET'S
JUST, YOU KNOW, PACKAGE A FEW
CRUMBS REALLY NICELY AND THEN
TARGET IT TO A PARTICULAR GROUP.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE
HEARD ABOUT ANY OF THESE
DISCUSSIONS OR MAYBE SOME OF
THEM HAVE COME UP, BUT I WOULD I
WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR
THOUGHTS ON UM THE ROLE THAT CAN
BE PLAYED TO ADDRESS, UM THE
DISCREPANCIES AND
INCONSISTENCIES AND THAT BECAUSE
WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE
SURE YOU HAVE A PORTFOLIO THAT
IS DIVERS, OR MAYBE REPRESENTS
THE VALUES OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT YOU'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE
FOLKS WHO ARE BENEFITING IT FROM
BENEFITING FROM IT ARE DOING SO
IN A WAY THAT IS JUST IS EQUALLY
IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE SURE
THAT THE FOLKS WERE INVOLVED IN
THE MANAGING AND THE GROWING OF
THE FUNDS. UM, ARE DIVERSE AS
WELL. THANK YOU FOR THAT
QUESTION. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I,
UM I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO
EXPERIENCE OR HEARD. UM THE
DISCUSSION, HOWEVER, UH AS UM
AND EDUCATOR MYSELF. DIVERSITY
IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. FOR
ME. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC
FOR ME, UM I'VE, UH FIRST OF
ALL, I AM AM AN ETHNIC MINORITY
MYSELF. UH AND TO JUST BE
SITTING HERE, UH, IS SUCH AN
HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE. UH AND
OH, OF COURSE, THAT'S DEFINITELY
SOMETHING THAT I'M, UH, GOING TO
BE FOR SURE, LOOKING INTO, AS
WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT YOU
KNOW, AS A BOARD WE ARE
COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY. AND UM
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT WILL
CONTINUE. UM OF COURSE. YOU KNOW
, I'VE ONLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE
OF SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY IN
THE IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, AND
SO THERE ARE A LOT TO LEARN, AND
THERE ARE A LOT TO DO. I KNOW
THAT WE'VE COME A LONG WAY IN
REGARDS TO DIVERSITY. HOWEVER
THERE ARE MUCH MORE ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT. AND SO WITH THAT,
YOU KNOW, I'M I THINK I'M GOING
TO LEAVE IT AS THAT BECAUSE I
DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FULLY, BUT
I AM GOING TO SAY THAT I AM
COMMITTED. TO MAKING SURE THAT
DIVERSITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE
AS A BOARD, WE AS AN
ORGANIZATION, UM, MAKE SURE THAT
THAT THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN OUR
ORGANIZATION GREAT. THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT
HAVING THE ANSWERS AND THEN
SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE
EXCHANGE RIGHT AND SO HOPING
THAT UM, YOU, UM POCKET THIS AND
ARE ABLE TO SORT OF TAKE IT BACK
AND INQUIRE BECAUSE IT IS REALLY
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I
THINK IF WE'RE ABLE TO DIG INTO
THIS, I'M IN A WAY THAT'S REALLY
HONEST. WE CAN PROBABLY ACTUALLY
FIND A BETTER YIELD. SO
APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY. UM AND
LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
SENATOR GROVE. THANK YOU, MADAM
PRO TIM. THANK YOU, MR TANG FOR
BEING HERE. AND BEING FOR THE
RULES COMMITTEE. I HAVE A COUPLE
OF QUESTIONS REAL BRIEFLY, UM
JUST RECENTLY. LAST WEEK, WE HAD
A BILL THAT CAME OFF THE SENATE
FLOOR AND IT WAS GOING TO
REQUIRE CASTERS TO DIVEST FROM,
UM ANYTHING RUSSIAN BECAUSE OF
THE SITUATION WITH UKRAINE AND
DO. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH
INVESTMENTS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF
THE PERCENTAGE THAT OUSTERS
ACTUALLY INVEST WITH RUSSIA? YES
I DO. I AS A MATTER OF FACT, I
WROTE IT DOWN HERE. AS PART OF
THE, UM. NOTES THAT I HAVE IN
TERMS OF DIVESTMENTS, WHICH
REGARDS TO, UM TO RUSSIA, UM AND
THAT IS WE'VE WE STARTED OUT
WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, OVER
500,500 MILLIONS, AND IT'S
BECAUSE OF THE QUICK, UM
ANTICIPATION FROM OUR STAFF AND
BOARD. WE'VE WE'VE, UM WITHDRAW
THAT DOWN TO, UM UM LESS THAN
100,100 LESS THAN 100 MILLION.
THAT'S AH, MORE THAN 80% YOU
KNOW, JUMP THERE AND SO BEFORE
THE MARKET FREEZES FOR THAT, AND
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR
QUESTION IN THAT REGARDS. NO I
WAS JUST CURIOUS. YOU KNOW, LIKE
THIS BILL JUST CAME TO THE FLOOR
AND I THOUGHT, WOW, I WASN'T
AWARE OF THAT. AND THEN IN YOUR
OPENING REMARKS, UM AND I
APPRECIATE YOUR BACKGROUND AND
WHO YOU ARE, IN THE DIVERSE
BACKGROUND THAT YOU HAVE A BEING
A TEACHER AND SOMEONE WHO IS
FAMILIAR WITH, UM YOU KNOW THIS
THAT INVESTING PROGRAM AS WELL,
UM WHERE DO YOU GET WHERE YOU
INVESTIGATE 7% I'M JUST CURIOUS
. UM SO THAT'S YOU KNOW OUR OUR
, UM OUR PLAN IN TERMS OF BASED
ON THE STATUS REPORT THAT THAT'S
THEIR THAT'S THEIR CALCULATIONS
IN TERMS OF IF WE ACHIEVE, YOU
KNOW FOR THE NEXT SO MANY YEARS
A YIELDING OF 7% WE WOULD WE
WOULD, UM OH, THAT WOULD BE PAID
OFF, RIGHT? RIGHT AND SO AND SO
AS YOU AS YOU KNOW, THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE HAD WELL
OVER TO. YOU KNOW, THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAD THE
YIELDING OF I BELIEVE 29 27 TO 9
29% ON. YOU KNOW THAT. DON'T
QUOTE ME ON THAT THE ACCURACY
ACCURACY OF THE NUMBER, BUT THEN
I WAS IN THE IN THE HIGH
TWENTIES, UM, PERCENT. AND SO I
LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THE MAIN
MEETING IN REGARDS TO AS ITS
SMOOTHING. AND SO YOU KNOW,
THOSE THOSE KIND OF GIVES US A,
UM I GUESS LIKE, UM BREATHING
ROOMS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
YEARS, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO
DEPEND ON THE STATE TO KEEP
HAVING TO CONTRIBUTE MORE THIS
YEAR, LESS THAT NEXT YEAR MORE
THE NEXT YEAR, JUST BASED ON OUR
YIELDING SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE
THE PERCENTAGE CAME FROM. OKAY?
AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I
MISUNDERSTOOD YOU. UM SO I HAVE
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. NOW LOOK
FORWARD TO YOUR CONFIRMATION. I
DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
THAT QUESTION, JUST LIKE I SAID.
YOU SAID I THOUGHT YOU SAID
WE'RE GETTING 7% AND I SIT AT
HOME WATCHING THE NEWS AND I
WATCHED THE STOCK MARKET FALL
AND I'M LIKE I NEED TO FIND OUT
WHERE YOU'RE INVESTING MONEY. I
WISH I KNEW THAT ANSWER. THANK
YOU ANYWAY, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR
MISUNDERSTANDING THAT I DO GET
IT OVER THE LONG TERM, AND I'M
GLAD THAT THERE WAS SOME
BREATHING ROOM FROM LAST YEAR
AND THE YEAR BEFORE, SO THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. THANK
YOU. SENATOR GROVE. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE
COMMENTS IN THE QUESTIONS
COLLEAGUES AND THANK YOU SO
MUCH. UM FOR THE RESPONSES TO
THAT I AM GOOD. I DON'T HAVE
FURTHER QUESTIONS TO ADD TO
THIS. SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND
INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. WE
WILL START IN SUPPORT. IN ROOM
2200 HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO STATE YOUR
NAME ORGANIZATION, IF ANY YOU
REPRESENT AND YOUR POSITION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. MADAM CHAIR.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND
JENNIFER BAKER, REPRESENTING THE
CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION. WE'RE SO THRILLED
TO HAVE TRUSTEE TANG BE BEFORE
YOU FOR CONSIDERATION SINCE HE
WAS APPOINTED TO THE TEACHERS
RETIREMENT BOARD. HE HAS BEEN
EXTREMELY WILLING TO MEET WITH
STAKEHOLDERS. HE'S BEEN A VERY
QUICK STUDY. UM, AND HE ALSO HAS
BEEN WILLING TO HAVE SOME VERY
COMPLICATED CONVERSATIONS THAT
THE TEACHERS RETIREMENT OARD
HAS BEEN HAVING ON A NUMBER OF
ISSUES BEFORE THIS LEGISLATURE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE HIS
WILLINGNESS TO MEET AND
COLLABORATE AND LOOK FORWARD TO
AH, THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS AND
URGE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. NEXT WITNESS WELCOME.
THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT AND
MEMBERS. I AM JENNIFER TANG,
DISTRICT DIRECTOR FOR
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MIKE FONG
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S ASKS FOR YOUR
SUPPORT OF MR KENT ING'S
APPOINTMENT TO THE COUNSELORS
BOARD. A PRODUCT OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN THE 49TH ASSEMBLY
DISTRICT. MR TANG HAS DEVOTED
HIS LIFE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION,
FIRST AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TEACHER AT GARVEY SCHOOL
DISTRICT, THEN AS A DELEGATE FOR
THE CALIFORNIA TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION AND AS A MEMBER OF
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
. I MYSELF HAVE A PRODUCT OF THE
SCHOOLS THAT HE HAS TAUGHT AND
REPRESENTED. MOST IMPORTANTLY,
MR TANK SERVES ON THE ALHAMBRA
UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD, WHERE HE
HAS LED EFFORTS TO BUILD
EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXPANDED
COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, AMONG
MANY OTHER THINGS. MR TANG WILL
BUILD, BRING A WEALTH OF
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO THIS
ROLE AND ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S PHÊN.
RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THANK THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR
SENDING HIS COMMENTS OVER. NEXT
WITNESS, PLEASE. WELCOME. THANK
YOU FOR HAVING MY NAME IS
EPHRAIM RICOTTA AND FROM THE
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
CTS SUPPORTS THE CONFIRMATION.
CAN TANG AS A SCHOOL BOARD
REPRESENTATIVE SERVING I'M SORRY
, SERVING AS A SCHOOL BOARD
REPRESENTATIVE ON THE CANISTERS
BOARD, THE FIRST IN HIS FAMILY
TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE, CANADA. THANKS JOURNEY
TO BECOMING AN ELECTED MEMBER OF
THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE STORY OF
COURAGE AND TENACITY.
TRANSFORMING CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
INTO A CALL TO SERVICE CAN HAS
DEVOTED HIS CAREER TO EDUCATION
ADVOCATING FOR STUDENTS AND
FAMILIES IN HIS ROLE AS A SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBER IN CLASSROOM
TEACHER HE DEMONSTRATES CALCIUM
SCORES, VALUES HE OPERATES WITH
TRANSPARENCY ENCOURAGES
INNOVATION. WHILE EMBRACING THE
DIVERSITY OF IDEAS, AND PEOPLE
CAN CONSISTENTLY TREATS THOSE
AROUND HIM WITH FAIRNESS,
HONESTY AND COURTESY. CDVA
ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENDORSES THE
CONFIRMATION OF MR TANG. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OTHER
WITNESSES. OKAY HAVING HEARD
FROM THOSE IN SUPPORTING ROOM
2200 LET ME GO TO OUR
TELECONFERENCE LINE AND WELCOME
BACK OUR MODERATOR AND ASK YOU
TO TEE UP FOLKS WHO WISH TO
SPEAK IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR. LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WISH TO
COMMENT AND SUPPORT, YOU MAY
PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO AT THIS
TIME. ONCE AGAIN IF YOU WISH TO
COMMENT AND SUPPORT, PRESS ONE
AND THEN ZERO. ONE MOMENT FOR
OUR COMMENTS.
MEN AND MODERATOR DOESN'T
ALREADY NINE. OKAY, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU. FIND 49. YOUR LINE IS
OPEN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU
. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM
PRESIDENT PRO TEM AND THE
HONORABLE, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF
THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE. MY
NAME IS KELLY C AND I'M, A HIGH
SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
AND A MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF
DIRECTORS. TODAY AND SUPPORTED
10 TIMES CONFIRMATION AS THE
SCOOPER REPRESENTATIVE FOR
COASTERS. I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR
MANY YEARS AND HAVE WORKED
TOGETHER WITH HIM, AND MANY
GROUPS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, BOARDED
RECORDS AND IN THE PACIFIC ASIAN
AMERICAN CAUCUS, RACIAL EQUITY
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND THE LOS
ANGELES CHAPTER OF THE AGENT OF
AMERICAN LABOR ALLIANCE. YOU
HAVE THE LETTER FROM DETAILED
ENDORSING HIS CONFIRMATION AND
EMPHASIZING CANS, DEDICATION TO
A STUDENT'S PUBLIC EDUCATION AND
THE LABOR MOVEMENT. AND IT'S
BECAUSE OF ITS LIFETIME OF
DEVOTION AND SERVICES COMMUNITY
THAT LED IN LARGE PART TO HIS
ELECTION AS A SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBER IN THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA
COMMUNITY WHERE HE AND I BOTH
GREW UP AND WHERE MY PARENTS
STILL LIVE. AND UPON WINNING A
STUDIOS VOTED AS PRESIDENT OF
THE SCHOOL BOARD IN HIS FIRST
MEETING. HE HAS PLAYED A HUGE
ROLE IN CHANGING THE CULTURE OF
THE DISTRICT FOR THE BETTER AND
IMPROVING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THEIR
STAFF AND STUDENTS. BUT PERHAPS
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND
WHAT STANDS OUT MOST ABOUT 10 AS
A LEADER, AND THE PERSON TO ME
IS THAT HE WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT
EVEN IF IT IS THAT SERVICE OWN
PERSONAL INTERESTS. YOU KNOW,
THE CASTOR SPORT CAN ONLY
BENEFIT FROM ITS HONESTY AND
INTEGRITY AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO
WORK WITH OTHERS TO THE GREATER
GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE
TIME TO LISTEN. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, MADAM MODERATOR, OTHER
WITNESSES. THERE ARE NO FURTHER
COMMENTS AND QUÊ. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. OKAY WE WILL COME BACK
INTO ROOM 2200 AND SEE IF THERE
ARE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO
WISH TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
OKAY SEEING NO ONE STEPPED
FORWARD. MADAM MODERATOR. LET ME
COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK YOU TO
TEE UP THE LAWN FOR ANYONE THAT
WISHES TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU
WISH TO TRAVEL IN OPPOSITION,
YOU MAY PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO
AT THIS TIME ONCE AGAIN IF YOU
WISH TO COMMENT AND OPPOSITION,
YOU MAY PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO.
WE HAVE NO COMMENTS ON CUE AT
THIS TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE WILL SPEAK WITH YOU A BIT
LATER. UM LET ME THANK ALL THOSE
WHO ARE HAVING GIVEN THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE TO SPEAK
IN SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION WILL
BRING THE DISCUSSION BACK TO OUR
COLLEAGUES AND WITHWITH YOUR
INDULGENCE, MR TANG, LET ME ASK
SENATOR LAIRD. WE'VE COMPLETED
EVERY PIECE OF THIS BUT WANT TO
GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU
WISH TO ASK QUESTIONS OR MAKE
COMMENTS, SENATOR HERE. UH,
EXCUSE ME. I HAD A GOOD VISIT
WITH MR TANG EARLIER THIS WEEK,
AND I THINK I'LL JUST BYPASS ASK
ANY QUESTIONS BUT APPRECIATE
BEING AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU, SENATOR LAIRD. I
GUARANTEE YOU HAD HE HAD
QUESTIONS. HE WOULD HAVE ASKED
THEM SO THAT IS A GOOD SON. LET
ME ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION.
THANK YOU. I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE,
MADAM VICE CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR
BEING WILLING. ALSO, SENATOR
KAMLAGER. THE MOTION HAS BEEN
MADE BY THE VICE CHAIR. MADAM
SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL? GROVE. KAMLAGER
KAMLAGER. I CARED. I BATES I,
ATKINS. I ON CALL. THIS WILL BE
ON CALL. SO SENATOR GROVE HAS
THE OPTION TO ADD HER VOTE AND I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO
SUPPORT HIM. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU COMMITTEE AND WE WILL
FORWARD THIS ON OBVIOUSLY, ONCE
FOR FULL CONFIRMATION. THANK YOU
BEFORE WE TAKE A SHORT BREAK. I
THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS
GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE ROLL ON
ITEM ONE. A UH, PRESIDENT PAMELA
HAYES, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS, THE CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES MADAM
SECRETARY LAIRD, I 5 TO 0. THAT
IS OUT 5 TO 0 AND WILL BE
FORWARDED ON I THINK WE ARE
CAUGHT UP ON ALL EXCEPT WHEN
SENATOR GROVE COMES BACK, AND
WITH THAT WE WILL TAKE A FIVE
MINUTE RECESS AND BE BACK IN
FIVE MINUTES PREPARED TO GO.
OUR. FINAL APPOINTMENT FOR TODAY
IS THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
APPOINTEE REQUIRED TO APPEAR
THAT'S ITEM TO SEE. AND THIS IS
FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF GEORGE S.
CARDONA JD AS CHIEF TRIAL
COUNSEL FOR THE STATE BAR OF
CALIFORNIA. SAW ME AGAIN. THANK
YOU ON THE RECORD FOR YOUR
PATIENTS AND, UH, INVITE YOU TO
INTRODUCE YOURSELF ACKNOWLEDGE.
EXCUSE ME, ACKNOWLEDGE ANYONE
THAT YOU WOULD LIKE. AND THEN
PROCEED TO MAKE ANY OPENING
COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE BEFORE I
GO TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
WELCOME, THANK YOU, AND GOOD
AFTERNOON PROTEST VACUUMS AND
MEMBERS. UM I'D LIKE TO THANK A
NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
STATE BARS BOARD WHO ARE HERE,
AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR FROM
SOME OF THEM LATER. WANT TO
THANK THEM FOR TAKING THE TIME
TO BE HERE. ALSO WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR CONSIDERING ME FOR
CONFIRMATION AS CHIEF TRIAL
COUNSEL. I THOUGHT OUT THIS
APPOINTMENT BECAUSE I BELIEVE
STRONGLY IN THE PUBLIC
PROTECTION MISSION OF THE OFFICE
OF CHIEF TRIAL COUNSEL. AND
THINK I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE
NEEDED TO FURTHER THAT MISSION.
I CAME TO THE STATE BAR FROM
SERVING AS THE ACTING CITY
ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA. BEFORE THAT, I SERVED AS
A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR FOR MORE
THAN 20 YEARS. DURING WHICH TIME
I BOTH PROSECUTED AND MANAGE THE
PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL AND
CIVIL FRAUD CASES. INCLUDING
INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS
OF PROFESSIONALS WHO
PARTICIPATED IN AND FACILITATED
THOSE FRAUDS SUCH AS LAWYERS,
DOCTORS AND ACCOUNTANTS. I
BELIEVE MY EXPERIENCE PROVIDES A
SOLID FOUNDATION FOR MANAGING
CTC TO FURTHER ITS PUBLIC
PROTECTION MISSION. THROUGH
PURSUING DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
THAT WILL ADDRESS THE HARMS
CAUSED BY LAWYER MISCONDUCT. AND
DETER LAWYERS FROM ENGAGING IN
SIMILAR MISCONDUCT. WHEN I
THOUGHT THIS POSITION I WAS
AWARE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
IT POSED RECENT STATE AUDITS,
INCLUDING THAT ISSUED IN APRIL
THIS YEAR. HAVE IDENTIFIED
ISSUES WITH ACTS, POLICIES,
PRACTICES, EFFICIENCY AND
EFFECTIVENESS. DR GEORGE FARKAS
IS 2019 STUDY AND REPORT
IDENTIFIED DISCREPANCIES AND
DISCIPLINED BY RACE AND GENDER.
THAT RAISED ISSUES ABOUT THE
OVERALL FAIRNESS OF OCD TCS
DISCIPLINARY DECISION. THE
DISCIPLINARY SYSTEMS, HIGHLY
PUBLICIZED FAILURES WITH RESPECT
TO THOMAS GIRARDI AND HIS FIRM.
CALLED INTO QUESTION BOTH THOSE
CTS ABILITY TO HANDLE MORE
COMPLEX FINANCIAL
INVESTIGATIONS. AND OCTOBER S
INTEGRITY WITH SUGGESTIONS,
WHICH REMAINED THE SUBJECT OF AN
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION. THAT
IT'S IN ACTION HAD BEEN THE
RESULT OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE
GIVEN ALL THIS LEGISLATIVE AND
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE
DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM IN GENERAL,
AND O. C. T. C IN PARTICULAR
SEEMS FAIRLY LOW. MY OVERRIDING
GOAL WILL BE TO TRY TO RESTORE
THAT CONFIDENCE THAT CTC IS
APPROPRIATELY FULFILLING ITS
PUBLIC PROTECTION MISSION. THIS
WILL NOT BE EASILY DONE. IT WILL
REQUIRE THAT CTC OVER A
SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME
DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS CAPABLE
OF AND IT IS. HANDLING
COMPLAINTS EFFICIENTLY,
EFFECTIVELY FAIRLY AND FREE FROM
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR OUTSIDE
INFLUENCE. THIS WILL REQUIRE
THAT I WORK WITH MANAGERS,
SUPERVISORS AND THE UNION TO
BUILD MORALE AND ENSURE THAT
STAFF ARE MOTIVATED. AND HAVE
THE RESOURCES AND MEANS TO
ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS. WITH
TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM THE
BOARD, THE STATE BORDER STAFF
AND OTHER COMPONENTS AND OH,
CTC'S OAN EXCELLENT STAFF.
WE'VE STARTED DOWN THIS PATH. A
FEW EXAMPLES. WE'RE WORKING
RIGHT NOW ON PROPOSALS FOR NEW
CASE PROCESSING STANDARDS THAT I
HOPE WILL ASSIST AND FOCUSING
OUR LIMITED RESOURCES ON THE
MOST SERIOUS CASES THAT POSE THE
GREATEST RISK OF HARM.
REGARDLESS OF THEIR COMPLEXITY,
REGARDLESS OF WHO IS ALLEGED TO
HAVE ENGAGED IN THE MISCONDUCT.
WHETHER ASSAULT PRACTITIONER OR
A MEMBER OF A LARGE FIRM. WE'VE
ALREADY IMPLEMENTED SOME NEW
POLICIES AND ARE WORKING ON
OTHERS IN RESPONSE TO THE STATE
AUDITS. RECENT RECOMMENDATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, EFFECTIVE JUNE 1ST
. WE PUT IN PLACE, A NEW POLICY
AND ACCOMPANYING PROCEDURES.
REQUIRING THE DOCUMENTATION OF
CONFLICT CHECKS, BOTH CASE
ASSIGNMENT AND PRIOR TO TAKING
ANY ACTION TO CLOSE THE CASE. TO
TRY AND ENSURE THAT NOTHING LIKE
THE GERARDI CASE HAPPENS AGAIN.
WE'VE TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS.
WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE NEW
CONFLICTS PROCEDURE I JUST
MENTIONED WE HAVE PROVIDED
EXTENSIVE TRAINING TO OUR
INVESTIGATORS AND ATTORNEYS ON
CLIENT TRUST ACCOUNT
INVESTIGATIONS. WE'VE ENCOURAGED
THE USE OF CONTRACT. FORENSIC
AUDITORS WERE APPROPRIATELY AND
ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO
HIRE A FULL TIME FORENSIC
AUDITOR TO HANDLE AND CONSULT ON
DIFFICULT FINANCIAL
INVESTIGATIONS. AND WE ARE IN
THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING SOME
LIKELY INITIALLY AS A PILOT
PROJECT TO BETTER ASSESS THE
RESOURCES NEEDED FOR FULL
IMPLEMENTATION. THE STATE
AUDITORS RECOMMENDATIONS
REGARDING INVESTIGATIONS OF BANK
REPORTABLE ACTIONS AND CLIENT
TRUST ACCOUNT COMPLAINTS. ON THE
FAIRNESS SIDE. WE CONTINUE AND
ADOPTED PRACTICE OF ARCHIVING
CLOSED COMPLAINTS OLDER THAN
FIVE YEARS AND ARE WAITING ON
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AD HOC
COMMISSION ON THE DISCIPLINE
SYSTEM. REGARDING ADDITIONAL
WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THE
FAIRNESS OF THE DISCIPLINARY
SYSTEM. AND ADDRESSED PAST
INEQUITIES, IDENTIFIED BY
PROFESSOR FARKAS IS STUDY. THIS
IS A PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE.
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OTC CANNOT
BE RESTORED IF THERE REMAINS
EVEN A PERCEPTION BUT IT'S
CHARGING AND DISCIPLINE
DECISIONS UNFAIRLY FALLEN
CERTAIN LAWYERS BECAUSE OF THEIR
RACE OR GENDER. FINALLY WITHIN
CONFIDENTIALITY CONSTRAINTS
IMPOSED BY LAW. WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING TO COMMUNICATE MORE
TRANSPARENTLY WITH A VARIETY OF
STAKEHOLDERS. THE PUBLIC
COMPLAINANTS, ATTORNEYS AND THE
LEGISLATURE. MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT WHAT IS DOING WHY IT IS
DOING IT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT
IS MEETING AT SCHOOL. IN THIS
REGARD. I HAVE A PUBLICLY
AVAILABLE PERFORMANCE PLAN.
THAT'S THAT'S SPECIFIED
TIMEFRAMES FOR SPECIFIC ACTION.
AND I MEET REGULARLY WITH
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO DISCUSS
TNCS PROGRESS TOWARDS THESE
GOALS. MOVING TO A POINT WHERE
DISCIPLINARY ENFORCEMENT IS AND
IS PERCEIVED TO BE MORE
EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, FAIR. FREE
FROM CONFLICTS AND OUTSIDE
INFLUENCE AND TRANSPARENT IS NOT
A TASK THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED
OVERNIGHT. IF CONFIRMED, HOWEVER
, IT WOULD BE MY TREMENDOUS
HONOR TO CONTINUE THE WORK
ALREADY BEGUN WITH THE
LEGISLATURE, THE SUPREME COURT
THE BOARD THE STATE BAR CTC
STAFF. AS TOGETHER, W WOULD
SEEK TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE YOUR OPENING
COMMENTS AND ADDRESSING A LOT IN
YOUR OPENING COMMENTS. LET ME
ASK SENATOR KAMLAGER. CAN WE
START WITH YOU? SURE UM, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. I DO HAVE A FEW
QUESTIONS, AND I WANT TO THANK
YOU. MR CARDONA FOR, UM, UM,
SPENDING SOME QUALITY TIME WITH
ME EARLIER THIS WEEK, ADDRESSING
SOME ISSUES THAT I HAVE, AND YOU
MENTIONED QUITE A FEW OF THEM IN
YOUR IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS.
SO UM, ONE OF THE SO WHEN WE
JUST WHEN WE TALKED I SHARED
WITH YOU. A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES
OF, UM MOSTLY SOLD
PRACTITIONERS. UM AND THEIR
INTERACTION WITH THE STATE BAR
AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO
GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM HERE. BUT
SUFFICE IT TO SAY, INCREDIBLY
DIVERSE ASIAN, AFRICAN AMERICAN
LATINO MEN AND WOMEN. COME AND
WE WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF
EXAMPLES, SO I JUST WANT FOLKS
TO GET A SENSE OF, UM, THE
ROBUSTNESS AND DIVERSITY. UM.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS THAT. SO I
HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. ONE OF
THEM IS WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT ARE
YOU OFFERING? TSOLE
PRACTITIONERS. BECAUSE. WHAT I
HAVE HEARD WHAT I SHARED WITH
YOU. AND EVEN WHEN ADVOCATES
CAME TO TALK TO ME ABOUT YOU, UM
THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, UH, THE
STATE BAR TENDS TO GO AFTER GOES
AFTER SOLE PRACTITIONERS. AND
NOT AFTER LAWYERS THAT ARE
PRACTICING AT LARGE FIRMS FOR A
NUMBER OF REASONS, RIGHT ONE IS
THAT THE FIRM ONE OF THE FIRM'S
OBLIGATIONS OR BENEFITS. IS THAT. A CLIENTS DON'T WANT TO DEAL
WITH THE MORASS OF TRYING TO
FIGHT A LARGE FIRM, AND IT'S
LESS INTIMIDATING AND EASIER TO
GO AFTER. UM UM, A SOLO
PRACTITIONER. UM AND BE THERE'S
A SENSE THAT THE FIRM'S PROTECT
LAWYERS, UM AND PRACTITIONERS
DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF SUPPORT
THEY DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF
OUTREACH UM AND THEY REALLY
DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING
SUPPORTED FROM THE STATE BAR. SO
THE QUESTION AGAIN IS WHAT KIND
OF SUPPORT ARE YOU OFFERING TO
SOLE PRACTITIONERS? AND THEN
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO ENSURE
PUBLIC PROTECTION OUTSIDE OF
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS? RIGHT SO
THAT THAT RAISES SEVERAL SEVERAL
QUESTIONS. I'LL TRY AND ANSWER
THEM IN TURN FIRST. WITH RESPECT
TO SUPPORT. I BELIEVE IN THIS
TIES INTO THE SECOND ANSWER AS
WELL. THE STATE POWERS IS A
REGULATORY AGENCY. UM AND IT'S A
REGULATORY AGENCY. I THINK WE
NEED TO DO WORK NOT JUST ON THE
ENFORCEMENT SIDE, WHICH IS WHAT
HE DOES. BUT ALSO ON THE
PREVENTION SIDE. AND WE DO SOME
OF THAT. SO IN PART, WE PROVIDE
RESOURCES WE PROVIDE
OPPORTUNITIES. WE TEACH A CLIENT
TRUST ACCOUNTING SCHOOL THAT IS
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO ATTEND
THE MAJORITY OF OUR ATTENDEES OR
PEOPLE WHO ARE REQUIRED TO DO
THAT, BECAUSE OF HAVING BECOME
INVOLVED IN A COMPLAINT, BUT IT
IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO OTHERS. WE
ALSO TEACH AN ETHICS SCHOOL,
WHICH AGAIN IS AVAILABLE TO ALL.
ALTHOUGH THE MOST PEOPLE WHO
ATTEND ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
REQUIRED TO ATTEND BECAUSE
THEY'VE BEEN CAUGHT UP IN A
COMPLAINT. WE'VE RECENTLY
CHANGED. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE
ISSUES ONE THING THAT COMES UP
MORE, MUCH MORE WITH SOLE
PRACTITIONERS IN LARGE FIRMS AS
BANK REPORTABLE ACTIONS, WHICH
IS WHEN A BANK REPORTS TO US
THAT THERE'S BEEN AN OVERDRAWN
AMOUNT ON A CLIENT TRUST ACCOUNT
. WE GET REPORTS FROM BANKS ON
ALL OF THOSE THOSE TEND TO SKEW
HEAVILY TOWARDS SOLE
PRACTITIONERS. IN RESPONSE TO
THAT AND IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF
THE STATE AUDITOR'S
RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH ALSO
ADDRESSED THIS WE'VE CHANGED OUR
LETTERS THAT OUT WHEN WE
CLOSE THOSE MATTERS TO ENSURE
THAT WE ADD IN AND INCLUDE
RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF. TO LEARN AND TO
ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMON
THINGS THAT SOMETIMES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. HOW TO
MANAGE CLIENT TRUST ACCOUNTS AND
RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR
THAT. I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE
OF THAT KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I
THINK WILL WORK ON THE
PREVENTIVE SIDE, BECAUSE
OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER CONCERN THAT
HAS BEEN RAISED REPEATEDLY AS
THE BACKLOG AND TO THE EXTENT WE
CAN WORK ON THE PREVENTATIVE
SIDE AND EDUCATE PEOPLE SO THAT
THEY DON'T DO THE THINGS THAT WE
NEED TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF
COMPLAINTS COMING IN THAT CAN
SERVE THAT PURPOSE AS WELL. UM
THE SECOND PIECE. UM YOU KNOW
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? BEYOND
DISCIPLINE? UM YOU KNOW, I THINK
THE BOARD HAS STARTED TO TAKE
ACTION IN THAT WAY. ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WAS RECENTLY
PROPOSED. WAS A CLIENT TRUST
ACCOUNT PROTECTION PROGRAM,
WHICH WOULD INTERPOSE A KIND OF
REGULATORY COMPONENT IN
CONNECTION WITH CLIENT TRUST
ACCOUNTS SEPARATE AND APART FROM
DISCIPLINE. THIS IS HOW
VIRTUALLY EVERY BIG REGULATORY
AGENCY WORKS. IF YOU LOOK AT
SOME OF THE FEDERAL REGULATORY
AGENTS, THE SEC THE FTC, THEY
ALL HAVE REGULATORY COMPONENTS
THAT ENGAGE AND ADMINISTRATIVE
ACTIONS. AND ADMINISTRATIVE
MONITORING TO TRY AND IDENTIFY
AND ADDRESS ISSUES BEFORE THEY
RISE TO THE LEVEL OF MISCONDUCT
THAT WARRANTS ENFORCEMENT
DISCIPLINE. I THINK THE CLIENT
TRUST ACCOUNT PROTECTION PROGRAM
THAT'S BEEN A PROPOSED BY THE
BOARD IS ONE STEP IN THAT
DIRECTION. SO YOU MENTIONED CASE
LOG. WHAT'S THE CASE? LOG CASE
BACKLOG. UM WE HAD I BELIEVE THE
ESTIMATE FOR LAST YEAR WAS
APPROXIMATELY 2300 CASES THAT
WERE OUTSIDE THE BACKLOG. THAT
IS THAT DID NOT CLOSE WITHIN DID
NOT CLOSE OR OTHERWISE GET
CHARGED WITHIN 180 DAYS OF THE
COMPLAINT BEING RECEIVED, OKAY?
AND HOW HOW DIVERSE IS YOUR
LEGAL TEAM? OUR LEGAL TEAM IS I
THINK VERY DIVERSE. WE HAVE WE
HAVE LARGE NUMBERS OF MINORITIES
ACROSS THE OFFICE IN VIRTUALLY
ALL OUR POSITIONS. OKAY SO OF
COURSE, THE REASON WHY I'M
ASKING. THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE
STUDY THAT CAME OUT THAT TALKED
ABOUT HOW THERE WAS A
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF BLACK
LAWYERS, MOSTLY SOLE
PRACTITIONERS, ONCE AGAIN THAT
WERE BEING DISCIPLINE BEING
SANCTIONED HAVING THEIR BAR
LICENSES REMOVED. IT GOES TO MY
EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT THE
DIFFERENCE IN TREATMENT. UM AND
I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO RAISE
THE TOM GERARDI CASE BECAUSE I
DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN OUTLIER
OR NOT. UM, BUT I JUST WOULD
LIKE TO HEAR YOU SHARE YOUR
RESPONSE TO THE STUDY AND TO THE
REALITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE
THAT, UM AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE
ATTORNEYS SPECIFICALLY, BUT IN
GENERAL LAWYERS OF COLOR. WHO
HAVE THEIR OWN PRACTICE. WHO
WENT TO SCHOOL TO BE A LAWYER,
NOT A BUSINESS OWNER. AND WHO
REALLY DO NEED SUPPORT? UM, ARE
BEING TARGETED. ARE BEING
DISPROPORTIONATELY DISCIPLINED.
UM ARE GETTING UM,
DISPROPORTIONATE LEVELS OF
SCRUTINY. UM LEVIED ON TO THEM
AND I WAS CONCERNED READING THE
PACKET THAT IT'S IN. I PROBABLY
MISREAD THIS. THAT STAFF. IS
UNHAPPY BECAUSE OF THE PUBLICITY
AROUND THE CASE IS BEING LEVIED
ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING RATHER
THAN THE FACT THAT IT REALLY IS
ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. BUT THE
PUBLIC INCLUDES THIS ENTIRE
POPULATION OF CLIENTS AND ALSO
ATTORNEYS RIGHT BECAUSE BOTH
POPULATIONS ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING
FOR SUPPORT FROM THE STATE BAR.
SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ADDRESS
SPECIFICALLY THE STUDY THAT CAME
OUT AND WHAT RECOMMEND WHAT IS
HAPPENING? WHAT IS WHAT IS
HAPPENING NOW TO ADDRESS THAT,
UM, SURE, OTHER REALITY IS AS A
RESULT, THOSE BUSINESSES CLOSE
RIGHT. UM AND THEN THAT ALSO
BECOMES A CHALLENGE. AND AS WE
WORK TO PASS LEGISLATION TO
INCREASE INCREASE THE DIVERSITY
OF OUR ATTORNEY POOL. IT ALSO
SEEMS DISINGENUOUS ON THE BACK
END TO BE ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES
THAT WOULD SEEM TO BE UM,
SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN POPULATIONS.
SO FIRST. LET ME SAY, I AGREE. I
MEAN, THE DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM
CANNOT, UM CANNOT WORK THE WAY
IT'S SUPPOSED TO. IF IT IS
CLASSES OF ATTORNEYS BASED ON
RACE OR GENDER OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT HAS TO BE, UM BOTH, IN FACT,
AND IN PERCEPTION. A SYSTEM THAT
LOOKS AT THE FACTS AND LOOKS AT
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND
DETERMINES BASED ON THAT WHETHER
DISCIPLINE IS APPROPRIATE. UM
AND AS WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED
TAKES EFFORTS TO TRY AND PREVENT
THAT FROM OCCURRING TO THE
EXTENT IT CAN. THAT'S WHAT A
REGULATORY AGENCY DOES. UM IN
TERMS OF THE FARKAS STUDY, IN
PARTICULAR, IN THE DISCREPANCIES
THAT WERE FOUND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
COMMITTED. I'M COMMITTED. TO
CONTINUING TO FOLLOW UP TO DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ADDRESS AND
ELIMINATE THOSE DISPARITIES.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT
ALREADY ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. THE
BOARD ADOPTED A NUMBER OF
REFORMS IN RESPONSE TO BOTH
FOCUS REPORT AND FOLLOW UP STUDY
THAT WAS DONE BY PROFESSOR
CHRISTOPHER ROBERTSON. SO FOR
EXAMPLE, TO ADDRESS FINDINGS
THAT BLACK ATTORNEYS RECEIVE
HIGHER NUMBERS OF BANK
REPORTABLE ACTIONS. THE THINGS I
REFERENCED EARLIER UM, ONE OF
THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS TO
ENCOURAGE ATTORNEYS TO
REASONABLY RELY ON SYSTEMS OF
PROFESSIONALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
TO PREVENT TRUST ACCOUNTING
ERRORS. THE PREVENTION SIDE
WE'VE MODIFIED THE CLIENT TRUST
ACCOUNTING HANDBOOK TO POINT OUT
HOW THIS CAN BE DONE AND
RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE
THAT CAN BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE TO
DO THAT. SECOND THING TO ADDRESS
FINDINGS THAT BLACK ATTORNEYS
WERE SUBJECT TO HIGHER NUMBERS
OF COMPLAINTS AND THAT THIS WAS
A PREDICTOR OF DISCIPLINE AND
THIS TIES ALSO TO SOLE
PRACTITIONERS, WHO TEND TO BE
SUBJECT TO HIGHER NUMBERS OF
COMPLAINTS. WE'VE ADOPTED A
POLICY WHERE WE ARCHIVE PRIOR
CLOSED COMPLAINTS THAT ARE OLDER
THAN FIVE YEARS SO THAT THOSE
CAN'T BE CONSIDERED IN MAKING
ASSESSMENTS AS TO HOW TO PROCEED
WITH INVESTIGATIONS OR
DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS. AND
THIRD TO ADDRESS FINDINGS THAT
BLACK ATTORNEYS TENDED TO BE
LESS EPRESENTED LESS LIKELY TO
BE REPRESENTED IN DISCIPLINARY
PROCEEDINGS, WHICH IN TURN HAD A
SIGNIFICANT TIE TO WHETHER
DISCIPLINE WAS IMPOSED. WE
INITIALLY INPUT A PILOT PROGRAM
IN WHICH WE SENT LETTERS TO A
SUBSET OF ATTORNEYS TO ADVISE
THEM. THAT ESSENTIALLY INFORMED
RETAINING COUNSEL CORRELATED
WITH AN INCREASED STATISTICAL
DECREASE IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF
GETTING DISCIPLINE. UM. THAT
PILOT PROGRAM RECENTLY SHOWED
THAT THAT HAD A STATISTICALLY
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON RETENTION
OF COUNCIL AND SO WE RECENTLY IN
JANUARY I SHIFTED THAT OVER
TERMINATED THE PILOT PROGRAM AND
WE NOW DO THAT FOR EVERYBODY TO
ENCOURAGE REPRESENTATION ACROSS
THE BOARD. AS A MEANS AGAIN OF
TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT
DISPARITY. THE AD HOC COMMISSION
ON THE DISCIPLINE SYSTEM, WHICH
I REFERENCED EARLIER IS ENGAGED
IN MEETINGS AND IS IN THE FINAL
STAGES OF COMING UP WITH A
SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS. ONE
OF THEIR MISSIONS WAS TO COME UP
WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO FURTHER
ADDRESS THE RESULTS OF THE
FARKAS STUDY AND ADDRESS BOTH
ONGOING DISPARITIES. TO THE
EXTENT THERE ARE THOSE AND PAST
INEQUITIES. WE'RE WAITING ON
THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AND
TO THE EXTENT THOSE ARE ADOPTED
BY THE BOARD, WE WILL IMPLEMENT
THEM. AS PART OF THAT
COMMITMENT. OUT OF DEFERENCE TO
MY COLLEAGUES. UM, BUT AS I
SHARED WITH YOU. I AM A FIRM
BELIEVER IN DUE PROCESS. I
BELIEVE IT IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE
PROTECTED. IT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
UM AND IT'S REALLY ALSO
IMPORTANT TO ME THAT DUE PROCESS
IS INTEGRATED, SEEM LISTENING
THAT IT IS PRESENT. IN OUR
SYSTEMS IN OUR SYSTEMS OF
GOVERNMENT THAT ARE DESIGNED TO
PROTECT PROTECT, DESIGNED TO
PROTECT AND HELP EDUCATE AND
SUPPORT AND GUIDE ATTORNEYS WHO
ARE DOING IMPORTANT WORK. AND
ALSO DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE
CLIENTS THAT SEEK OUT LEGAL
COUNSEL. AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT
TO ME THAT THE STATE BAR
EXHIBITS THIS KIND OF DO PROCESS
BECAUSE THE WORK THAT YOU DO THE
REGULATORY AUTHORITY THAT YOU
HAVE IS IMPORTANT. IT IS
CRITICAL AND IT IS AWESOME. AND
IT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL, AND IT
CAN ALSO BE VERY DAMAGING. AND
SO MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL, UM
REMEMBER THE PASSION THAT I HAVE
FOR THIS ISSUE AND FOR THE STATE
BAR AS YOU ARE DOING YOUR WORK?
UM, BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT ISSUES
THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING
LIGHTLY, AND WE ALSO SHOULD BE
WORKING TO IMPLEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE KNOW ARE
THE RESULT OF SOME REALLY
EGREGIOUS ACTIONS. UM THAT ARE
NOT SERVING THE PUBLIC WELL, SO
I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR AND
YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TALK WITH ME
ABOUT THESE ISSUES, WHICH I KNOW
ARE DIFFICULT. SENATOR KAMLAGER.
THANK YOU, MADAM VICE CHAIR.
THANK YOU AND, UM. MR CARDONA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT
VERY IN DEPTH PRESENTATION. YOU
COVERED A LOT OF THE AREAS THAT-HAVE BEEN RAISED IN OUR
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OPERATIONS
OF THE CHIEF TREE TRIAL COUNSEL
OFFICE PECKED I'M CONCERNED
ABOUT, UM, THE COMPLAINT PROCESS
AND THE RESPONSE TO THE
COMPLAINT TINTS, AND WE'VE HAD A
NUMBER OF AGENCIES THAT GOING TO
GET INTO HOT WATER WITH THE
PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY NEVER HEAR
WHAT THE STATUS OF THEIR CASES
THERE ISN'T A DEFINED PROCESS OF
HOW THAT GOES ON. WE'VE HAD A
LOT OF THAT REVIEW AND OUR
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS.
COMMITTEE SO COULD YOU GIVE A
LITTLE POUR ON THAT PROCESS?
FIND A COMPLAINT AND I BRING IT
UP BECAUSE I HAVE A SENIOR
DISTRICT, A LOT OF SENIORS AND
UNFORTUNATELY IN ONE PARTICULAR
AREA A LOT HAVE BEEN THERE'S
BEEN FINANCIAL IN THIS
MALPRACTICE OF SIGNIFICANCE. UM
THIS PREVIOUS YEARS, NOT NOT
SOMETHING THAT RECENT THAT CHILD
THAT THEY'RE THEY ARE A
VULNERABLE GROUP IN TERMS OF HOW
TO EVEN ACCESS THE COMPLAINT
PROCESS, HOW TO EVEN ACCESS THE
INFORMATION THAT'S COME FROM
THEIR FILING COMPLAINTS. YOU
COULD JUST ELABORATE ON THAT. IT
WOULD CERTAINLY HELP ME WITH MY
CONSTITUENCY AND I THINK,
REASSURE THEM THAT THINGS ARE
BEING DONE WITH THE BACKLOG
UNDERSTANDING THAT MAYBE THAT'S
A YOU KNOW AN ISSUE WITH YOU
NEED MORE STAFF. AND MAYBE
THAT'S WHERE LEGISLATURE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO HELP SO THAT WE DO
CLEAR OUT THE BACKLOG, BUT IT'S
SO SIGNIFICANT WHEN SOMEONE'S
LIFE SAVINGS AS TAKEN OVER BY
SOMEONE WITH NO SCRUPLES
WHATSOEVER. AND UNFORTUNATELY
THERE'S BEEN A FEW CASES LIKE
THAT, SO I'LL JUST TURN IT BACK
TO YOU. AND IF YOU COULD JUST
SHARE ON THAT FRONT FOR ME. SURE
WE DO HAVE A PROCESS. OUR WEB
PAGE IS AVAILABLE AND HAS VERY
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO
FILE A COMPLAINT ONCE THOSE
COMPLAINTS ARE SUBMITTED. WE
HAVE REQUIREMENTS ON OUR OFFICE
FOR RESPONDING TO THE
COMPLAINANT, LETTING THEM KNOW
THAT THEIR COMPLAINT HAS BEEN
RECEIVED, WHAT STAGE OF THE
PROCESS IT'S IN AND WHO'S
ASSIGNED TO IT. THEREAFTER THERE
SHOULD BE REGULAR UPDATES TO THE
COMPLAINANT ON WHAT'S GOING ON
WITH THEIR COMPLAINTS. WE OFTEN
GET A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS.
AFTER WE CLOSE COMPLAINTS. WE
ALSO HAVE A PROCESS. IF WE CLOSE
A COMPLAINT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE
DETERMINE THAT THERE IS NOT
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE AND THERE'S
ALSO A DEFINED PROCESS UNDER
WHICH THE COMPLAINANT CAN RAISE
THAT UP TO AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE
WITHIN THE STATE PARTY TO REVIEW
OUR DECISION, AND WE ADVISE
EVERY COMPLAINANT OF THAT AS
WELL. I DO AGREE THAT THIS IS AN
AREA THAT WE NEED TO DO SOME
ADDITIONAL WORK ON ONE THING
THAT HAS COME UP. TOM IS
CREATING. I BELIEVE THE STATE
BAR HAS INCLUDED IN ITS ITS
BUDGET, ONE POSITION TO WORK ON.
RELATIONS WITH COMPLAINANTS TO
PROVIDE ANOTHER SOURCE OF
COMPLAINANTS ARE HAVING ISSUES
SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN GO. TO
ACTUALLY GET A RESPONSE OUTSIDE
OF CTC, SO THAT THERE'S SOMEONE
OUTSIDE WHO CAN THEN MAKE
INQUIRIES ON THEIR BEHALF? UM
ONE THING THAT I HAVE THOUGHT
ABOUT IS WHETHER WE SHOULD DO
SOMETHING WITHIN AH CTC TO DO
THAT AS WELL TO PROVIDE ANOTHER
MECHANISM. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE
TRADE OFFS THERE BECAUSE TO THE
EXTENT I PULL STAFF FROM DOING
ENFORCEMENT TO DOING KIND OF
COMPLAINANT RELATIONS THERE'S A
TRADE OFF THERE, AND IT'S
SOMETHING THAT I'M STILL TRYING
TO SORT OUT AND THINK ABOUT, BUT
I AGREE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING
WE NEED TO PROBABLY DO A BETTER
JOB OF IS MAKING SURE NOT SO
MUCH. THE COMPLAINANTS? NO,
WE'VE GOT THEIR COMPLAINTS, BUT
THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHY T IS
WE'RE TAKING ACTIONS. WE ARE AND
WHY THOSE ACTIONS MAY BE TAKING
ALONG BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER
ONE COMPLAINT WE GET. WHY IS
THIS TAKING SO LONG? AND THEN
WHEN WE CLOSE IT, WHY DID YOU
CLOSE IT BECAUSE EVERY
COMPLAINANT THINKS THEIR
COMPLAINT IS WITH MERIT. THAT'S
TRUE. WELL IT MIGHT BE. THEN I'M
THE BUDS ON. DO I SAY THAT RIGHT
OFFICE MIGHT BE VERY, VERY
HELPFUL. AND CERTAINLY IF YOU
RELATE, SOMEHOW CONNECT WITH OUR
SENIOR AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. THAT WOULD BE VERY
HELPFUL BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE
THINKING ABOUT. YOU KNOW MY
CONSTITUENCY. THEY'RE NOT ALL
SAVVY WITH WEBSITES AND HOW TO
ACCESS THOSE AND THAT I THINK
THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM. WE
ASSUME PEOPLE ARE VERY YOU KNOW,
ADVANCED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND
HOW THEY DO EVERYTHING THROUGH
THE INTERNET, AND MANY ARE NOT
ESPECIALLY THE OLDER THEY
BECOME. SO I WOULD JUST PROBABLY
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND I WOULD THINK THAT IF OUR
OFFICE HAD A COMPLAINT FROM A
CONSTITUENT THAT THEY HADN'T
HEARD YOU HAVEN'T ON I GUESS A
PROCESS FOR US AS LEGISLATORS TO
CONTACT OR WORK THROUGH YOUR
OFFICE ON INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS
. YES WE RECEIVE A NUMBER OF
INQUIRIES AND HAVE TRIED AGAIN.
WE HAVE SOME STATUTORY
CONSTRAINTS ON HOW MUCH
INFORMATION WE CAN PROVIDE. BUT
TO THE EXTENT WE CAN PROVIDE
INFORMATION, IN PARTICULAR ABOUT
THE STATUS OF COMPLAINT WE'VE
TRIED TO DO SO. WELL THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. YOU'VE TAKEN ON A BIG
JOB WHEN THAT IS NOT WITHOUT
CONTROVERSY WITHIN AND CERTAINLY
WITHOUT SO I WISH YOU THE VERY
BEST AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ANSWERS AND YOUR VERY
COMPLETE EXPLANATION OF JUMPING
IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS AND
STARTING TO REALLY ADDRESS SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT IN
THE AUDITS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, MADAM. VICE CHAIR, SENATOR
GROVE. THANK YOU, MADAM PRO TIM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY,
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR OPENING
REMARKS. I'M JUST GONNA JUMP
RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS. ARE YOU
FAMILIAR WITH PAGA? UM ATTORNEY
GENERAL. I WOULD NOT SAY THAT
I'M AN EXPERT ON IT. I HAVE SOME
PASSING FAMILIARITY WITH IT. UM
THE REASON WHY I BRING IT UP IS
BECAUSE FATHER PASSED AND IT'S
TO ME. IT'S LIKE A MODERN DAY.
EXTORTION RIGHT. THERE'S NO
LIABILITY PHASE IN THE PENALTY
PHASE, AND THERE'S NO LIABILITY
TO THE EMPLOYER. BUT THE PENALTY
STILL STANDS AND THERE ARE A
GROUP OF ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE FILED
THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF
POKER CASES JUST IN ITS, UM
SOMETIMES WE EVEN GET CASES INTO
MY OFFICE WHERE THEY'VE JUST
PLAGIARIZED THE PREVIOUS CASE,
AND THEY DON'T FORGET THEY
FORGET TO TAKE OUT THE
COMPLAINANT'S NAME. OR THE
ENHANCED EMPLOYEE'S NAME, AND
IT'S A DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE. IF
THAT MAKES SENSE. IT'S JUST A
PLAY DRIES DOCUMENTARY. NOT
PLAGIARIZE, BUT A DUPLICATED
DOCUMENT. UM IS THAT SOMETHING
YOU WOULD OVERSEE IF SOMEBODY
BROUGHT A COMPLAINT TO YOUR
OFFICE? I MEAN, YOU GOT ONE YOU
HAVE ONE ATTORNEY HAS THEM FOR
4000 CASES. THEY'LL NEVER GET
THAT TO TRIAL. IT'S ALL ABOUT
SETTLEMENT AND MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THE
EMPLOYEES I THINK THE LAST
SETTLEMENT AND I MAY HAVE MY
NUMBER'S A LITTLE BIT OFF WAS
ALMOST $5 MILLION. THE EMPLOYEES
GOT LIKE $2.40 SOMETHING SINCE
EACH AND THE ATTORNEYS GOT A
MASSIVE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING YOUR OFFICE
WOULD OVERSEE. THERE ARE, UM SO
WE ENFORCE THE BUSINESS AND
PROFESSIONS CODE PROVISIONS OF
THE STATE BAR ACT, AND WE
ENFORCE THE RULES OF
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
CALIFORNIA'S RULES OF
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT. THERE RE
CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THOSE THAT
EFFECTIVELY PRECLUDING ATTORNEY
FROM PURSUING AN ACTION THAT
THEY KNOW TO BE FRIVOLOUS OR
WITHOUT MERIT. UM THOSE CAN BE
VERY DIFFICULT CASES TO PROVE,
BECAUSE FRIVOLOUS KNOWING THAT
IT'S FRIVOLOUS OR WITHOUT MERIT
CAN BE A DIFFERENT, DIFFICULT
, PROSECUTED SOME CASES ALONG
THOSE LINES. WE HAVE ON OCCASION
RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ALONG THE
LINES OF WHAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED
AND HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT THOSE.
I CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS
OF ANY PARTICULAR ONES. BUT
THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE
RULES THAT PRECLUDE THE TYPE OF
CONDUCT AS I'VE DESCRIBED IT,
AND IF COMPLAINTS COME IN, WE
LOOK AT THEM. THANK YOU. UM. SO
SOME OF THESE APPRECIATE THE
ANSWER TO THAT. THAT'S ONE OF
THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT YOU
KNOW I GET A NOTICE EVERY DAY OF
CASES FILED IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, AND THERE'S I THINK
THERE'S 40 CASES ON EVERY EMAIL,
AND IT'S PRIMARILY THREE
ATTORNEYS. HER ATTORNEY GROUPS
LAW GROUPS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. SO JUST CURIOUS
ABOUT THAT. UM. THIS BILL OR
THIS QUESTION I HAVE HAS TO DO
WITH AND I'M JUST ASKING YOUR
THOUGHTS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S
I'M SURE ATTORNEYS ARE VERY
CAUTIOUS IN WHAT THEY SAY SO I
JUST THIS IS JUST A QUESTION ON
SO RECENTLY, THERE WAS A DRAFT
DECISION RELEASED FROM THE
SUPREME COURT. IT IS NOT BEEN
DETERMINED AS A AS A DECISION
YET IT'S JUST THE DRAFT DECISION
IT HAS TO DO WITH OVERTURNING
ROE VERSUS WADE. SO CALIFORNIA.
OBVIOUSLY IT'LL BE RELEGATED
BACK TO THE STATES. THEY DON'T
BELIEVE IT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT. IT'LL IT'LL BE REALLY
RELEGATED BACK TO THE STATES.
CALIFORNIA WILL MAINTAIN A
WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE, AND I
THINK THERE'S EVEN TALK ABOUT
ENSHRINING INTO THE STATE'S
CONSTITUTION. MY QUESTION IS, IS
THAT YES. IS THERE AN INSTANCE
IN THIS SITUATION? I GUESS WHERE
INEFFICIENT ATTORNEY HAD TO
FACILITATE TRAVEL OR DO
SOMETHING TO FACILITATE
SOMETHING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES
OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. UM.
TO MEDICALLY ASSIST. I GUESS
SOMEONE FROM OUTSIDE OF A STATE
WHERE IS ILLEGAL IN THEIR STATE
. DOES THAT CREATE A CONFLICT
BETWEEN OUR ATTORNEYS ACTIONS
AND ANOTHER STATE? OR IS THAT
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT EVEN TO BE
WORRIED ABOUT? AYE. I DON'T
THINK I'M COMFORTABLE ANSWERING
THE HYPOTHETICAL I'D HAVE TO.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT KIND OF THE
PARTICULAR FACTS OF WHAT WENT ON
BEFORE I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE
AND EVEN THEN, TYPICALLY HE
DOESN'T GIVE ADVANCED LEGAL
OPINIONS ON WHETHER CONDUCT
WATER WOULD NOT VIOLATE
PARTICULAR LAWS. WE DO THAT FOR
A PARTICULAR REASON, BECAUSE
ULTIMATELY WE MIGHT BE CALLED
DOWN ON THE BACK END. TO DO
ENFORCEMENT. AND SO WE, AS A
MATTER OF POLICY, DON'T PROVIDE
ADVANCE OPINIONS ON WHETHER
CONDUCT WATER WOULD NOT VIOLATE
ANY PARTICULAR RULE ENOUGH. NO,
I APPRECIATE THAT. IT WAS JUST A
QUESTION THAT WAS WRITTEN DOWN
AND I THOUGHT THAT'S KIND OF AN
INTERESTING QUESTION. IF IT'S
ILLEGAL IN ANOTHER STATE AND SO
IT'S JUST INTERESTING QUESTION.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS. I DIDN'T
MEAN TO BRING SOMETHING INTO IT.
BUT THANK YOU, SIR. I LOOK
FORWARD TO YOUR CONFIRMATION. I
THINK YOU'RE UM, OVERLY
QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION, AND
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING ON THE
RESPONSIBILITY. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, SENATOR GROVE, SENATOR
LARRY. THANK YOU. ONE OF THE
ADVANTAGES OF GOING NEXT TO LAST
IS ALMOST EVERYTHING HAS BEEN
ASKED, AND I REALLY WANTED TO GO
DOWN THE ROAD THAT SENATOR
KAMLAGER WENT ABOUT DISPARITIES
AND I ALSO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT
THE IMPLEMENTATION IN RESPONSE
TO THE AUDIT. WHICH WAS ALSO
ASKED THAT THE ONE THING THAT
I'M NOT SURE WAS ASKED IN THE
SAME WAY. IS JUST ABOUT THE
DIVERSITY OF YOUR OWN STAFF IN
TERMS OF THEN HAVING TO DEAL
WITH THE VERY ISSUES THAT WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER AND
IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS
WITH REGARD TO THAT MAKING SURE
THAT THEN YOU CAN. YEAH I MEAN,
OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO HAVE OUR
OFFICE REFLECT THE POPULATION OF
ATTORNEYS AND THE POPULATION OF
CLIENTS THAT WE SERVE. AND I
THINK ACTUALLY OUR OFFICE IS A
LONG WAY TOWARDS THAT GOAL. UM
WE HAVE A VERY OOH THAT HOW HAVE
YOU BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BEING A
LONG WAY TOWARD THE GOAL? WE UH,
THE STATE BAR PLACES. A LOT OF
EMPATHY ARE EMPHASIS ON ON
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND THAT EXTENDS TO OUR
RECRUITING AND HIRING. UM
SPEAKING BLUNTLY, WE HAVE NOT
HAD ANY PROBLEM RECRUITING A
DIVERSE SET OF ATTORNEYS. THE
APPLICANTS WE SEE TEND TO
REFLECT THE BROAD POPULATION OF
CALIFORNIA, AND THE SAME IS TRUE
OF THE INVESTIGATORS WE HIRE ON
THE SUPPORT STAFF WE HIRE.
COMING. UH YOU KNOW IF THERE IS
A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
VERY INTERESTED AND WANT TO WORK
IN PUBLIC SERVICE, WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN THE MISSION OF OUR
OFFICE, AND I THINK THAT ENABLES
US TO ATTRACT A WIDE RANGE OF
PEOPLE FROM A WIDE RANGE OF
BACKGROUNDS. I'M ACTUALLY
CONFESSED TO BE A LITTLE
SURPRISED BECAUSE I JUST KNOW
MANY TIMES. IT'S A STRUGGLE AND
HAVING DONE IT. COOL FARTHER
BACK IN MY CAREER. IT WAS A BIG
STRUGGLE, SO I'M JUST GLAD TO
HEAR THAT. AND YOU JUST KNOW
FROM FROM US DISCUSSING IT HERE
THAT IT'S OBVIOUSLY A PRIORITY
FOR US, SO I APPRECIATE THAT,
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR
COMPREHENSIVE OPENING STATEMENT
IN RESPONSES TO MY COLLEAGUE'S
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU LOOK
FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU. QUÊ
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SENATOR
LAIRD. I FEEL LIKE MY QUESTIONS
HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, AND I THINK
YOU PROVIDED QUITE A LOT IN THE
OPENING COMMENTS IN TERMS OF
WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND ADDRESSED
HEAD ON SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND
COMPLAINTS. AND I THINK YOU'VE
HEARD THE COMMENTS OF OUR
COLLEAGUES. SO I FEEL VERY
SATISFIED AND AT THIS POINT, I'M
HAPPY TO MOVE TO MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC. SO LET ME START HERE IN
ROOM 2200 FOR THOSE WHO MAY WISH
TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. AND WHILE
YOU'RE COMING UP, I'M GOING TO
ASK THAT WE PUT THAT TOLL FREE
NUMBER BACK UP ON THE SCREEN FOR
WITNESSES WHO MAY WANT TO CALL
THE TELECONFERENCE LINE, AND
THAT IS 877226816. THE ACCESS
CODE IS 5338635. WITH THAT, LET
ME ASK THE FIRST PERSON TO COME
FORWARD. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR
NAME ORGANIZATION, IF ANY AND
BRIEF COMMENTS WELCOME, THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SEAN
SELIG, A MEMBER OF THE BORDER
TRUSTEES OF THE STATE BAR OF
CALIFORNIA. AND I WAS CHAIR LAST
YEAR WHEN THE BOARD APPOINTED
GEORGE MR CARDONA TO THIS
POSITION, AND I'M JUST HERE TO
EXPRESS MY FULL SUPPORT FOR HIM.
THE BOARD IS WELL AWARE. THAT
CTC NEEDED A FRESH LOOK. AND SO
GEORGE, I THINK BRINGS VERY
FOCUSED EXPERIENCE IN WHITE
COLLAR AND BUSINESS RELATED
PROSECUTIONS FROM THE UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. BUT I
THINK IT'S VERY APPLICABLE. TO
THE OFFICE OF CHIEF TRIAL
COUNSEL AND HE BRINGS US SKILL
SET THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND
ALSO HAVE USE AS YOU'VE SEEN
HERE TODAY. HE BRINGS A VERY
CALM AND, UH, DEMEANOR THAT
REALLY INSPIRES CONFIDENCE. SO
THE BOARD VIEWS THE APPOINTMENT
OF THE CHIEF TRIAL COUNSEL AS
ONE OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT
RESPONSIBILITIES. CHIEF TRIAL
COUNSEL OVERSEES THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE STATE BARS,
EMPLOYEES AND FULFILLS A CORE
MISSION OF THE STATE PARK, SO WE
SUPPORT HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND
HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONFIRM THANK
YOU VERY MUCH NEXT WITNESS. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DANIEL.
CHERYL I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF STU
LOCAL 1000. AND OUR MEMBERS,
ATTORNEYS, INVESTIGATORS AND
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS WHO
HAVE EXPRESSED TO US THEIR
CONFIDENCE IN MR CARDONA SINCE
HE'S TAKEN HOME OF THE OC TC.
BOTH HIS IN HIS DILIGENT
APPROACH AS A MANAGER, BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HIS THOUGHTFUL
ILLNESS AND MS DETAIL ORIENTED
APPROACH AND, UM WE'RE VERY
ENCOURAGED TO HEAR HIS
PRESENTATION TODAY TO HAVE MET
WITH HIM AND TO CONTINUE IN
DIALOGUE WITH OUR MEMBERS WHO
HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY HIS
TRANSPARENCY. IN MAINTAINING AN
OPEN AND HONEST DIALOGUE AS HE
CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT REFORMS.
AS HAS BEEN OUTLINED TODAY AND
IN CLOSING, WE WOULD APPRECIATE
YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU OTHER WITNESSES.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
HIGHLAND CHEN I'M A MEMBER OF
THE STATE BAR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
. I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE
REGULATION AND DISCIPLINE
COMMITTEE. WE ARE INCREDIBLY
EXCITED TO GET TO WORK WITH MR
CARDONA. HE BRINGS SOME UNIQUE
QUALITIES TO THE TABLE AT A TIME
WHEN THE STATE BAR NEEDS IT. THE
MOST SO THE FARKAS REPORT THE
ROBERTSON REPORTS. THAT
HIGHLIGHTED SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES
AND BIAS IN THE SYSTEM. MR
CARDONA HAS COME IN AND ROLLED
UP HIS SLEEVES. I HAVE
PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS OF THE
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINE.
AND MR CARDONA IS AN ACTIVE AND
ENGAGED PARTICIPANT DISCUSSING
PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE ALREADY
IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE ITEMS
OF CHANGE THAT HE'S DISCUSSED
TODAY. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT
FOLKS ARE ROLLING UP THEIR
SLEEVES TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS
ISSUES I'VE SEEN, MR CARDONA
TAKE THEM VERY SERIOUSLY AND
ENGAGED ACTIVELY IN THE WORK OF
THE COMMISSION. SECOND AT A TIME
WHEN WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE
FAILURES TO ADDRESS GIRARDI AND
CASES DEFRAUDING OF THEIR
CLIENTS, SOMEONE WITH MR
CARDONA'S EXPERTISE IS WHO WE
NEED THE MOST SOMEONE WITH
EXPERIENCE IN PROSECUTING
COMPLEX FINANCIAL CRIMES. AND
FINANCIAL FRAUD. SOMEONE WHO HAS
SHOWN HIS WILLINGNESS TO
PROSECUTE A MAJOR LAW FIRM LIKE
MILBERG WEISS. WHICH WAS THE
MOST PROMINENT PLAINTIFFS FIRM,
A FIRM OF WEALTH AND STATURE AND
POWER AND RELATIONSHIPS. HE
SHOWED HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO GO
AFTER THEM. SOMEONE LIKE MR
CARDONA IS WHO WE NEED NOW, AND
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE
TO SUPPORT HIS CONFIRMATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
OTHER WITNESSES. WELCOME THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM PRO
TIM. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS RUBEN DURAN. I
CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF
THE STATE BAR BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE BEFORE
YOU URGING YOUR SUPPORT OF MR
CARDONA'S CONFIRMATION. YOU'VE
HEARD SEVERAL THEMES TODAY AND
I'VE HEARD FROM YOUR QUESTIONS
AND FROM HIS PRESENTATIONS, A
LOT OF WHAT IS CLOSE TO MY HEART
AS A CHAIR OF THE BOARD. A LOT
OF WHAT? MY COLLEAGUES ON THE
BOARD AND I UM, HOLD NEAR AND
DEAR TO OUR OUR WORK ON THE
BOARD AND WE BELIEVED TO BE THE
MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ESSENTIALLY PUBLIC PROTECTION.
FAIRNESS, EQUITY DIVERSITY. AND
THE HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS.
MR CARDONA BRINGS ALL OF THAT TO
HIS POSITION. UM 18. THERE WERE
THERE WERE SEVERAL POINTS TODAY
WHERE I TOOK HIM NOTE BECAUSE
THE COMMITTEE. YOU YOU. SENATOR
KAMLAGER. YOU TALKED ABOUT
PASSION, RIGHT? AND YOU CAN'T DO
A JOB LIKE REGULARLY REGULATION
OF ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE
WITHOUT A PASSION FOR PROTECTING
THE PUBLIC. MR CARDONA BRINGS
THAT PASSION IN A VERY CALM AND
QUIET WAY. BUT IT IS A VERY
FORCEFUL LEADERSHIP THAT HE
PROVIDES TO THE OFFICE. IT'S
BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WATCH HIM
INTEGRATE INTO THAT JEEP CHILD
COUNCIL POSITION. UM VICE CHAIR
, BATES YOU MENTIONED IN
HAMBURG'S PERSON AS IT AS IT
HAPPENS, THERE ARE ONGOING
EFFORTS TO HIRE THAT POSITION
INTO THE STATE BAR. UM AND I
THINK THAT MR CARDONA'S SUPPORTS
THAT EFFORTAS HE DISCUSSED HERE
TODAY. YOU ALSO MENTIONED
PREVENTATIVE EFFORTS, AND THE
STATE BAR'S CURRENT STRATEGIC
PLAN HAS GOAL NUMBER THREE TO
PROVIDE WHAT WE CALL SMART
SUPPORTS FOR ATTORNEYS SO THAT
THEY DON'T EVEN GET INTO THE
DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE
TREATING THEIR CLIENTS FAIRLY.
AND SO ALL OF THESE THINGS WE
TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY RESPECTFULLY
URGE YOUR CONFIRMATION VOTE
TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH NEXT WITNESS. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MADAM PRO TEM AND
MEMBERS OF THE RULES COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS ARNIE. SO WELL, UH
AND I AM THE SENATORS OF PUBLIC
APPOINTEE TO THE TO THE STATE
BAR. IN MY DAY JOB. I AM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEXT GEN
POLICY, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT
THAT IS FOCUSED ON EQUITY AND
JUSTICE. AND I JUST WANTED TO
MAKE SURE THAT I CAME FORWARD TO
EXPRESS MY SUPPORT. UH FOR MR
CARDONA AS OUR CHIEF TRIAL
COUNSEL AND URGE THAT YOU THAT
YOU CONFIRM HIM TODAY. UM, I AM
SO APPRECIATIVE. ABOVE THE LINE
OF INQUIRY OF THIS COMMITTEE
TODAY BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE
TOPICS IN THE SUBJECTS THAT YOU
BROUGHT UP AS IT RELATES TO
DIVERSITY AS IT RELATES TO
EQUITY AS IT RELATES TO THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE OF THE
DISCIPLINE AND THEIR SYSTEM ARE
QUESTIONS AND ISSUES THAT WE
HAVE GRAPPLED WITH IN THE AT
BOARD MEETINGS OVER THE COURSE
OF OVER THE COURSE OF MY TENURE.
I HOPE AND HEARING FROM MY
COLLEAGUES TODAY THAT THAT YOU
ARE REASSURED THAT YOU HAVE A
BOARD THAT IS COMMITTED TO ALL
OF THOSE ALL OF THOSE ISSUES AND
IS ACUTELY AWARE OF THE NEED
THAT WE NEED NOT ONLY TO BE
RESPONSIBLE TO OUR PUBLIC
PROTECTION MISSION BUT ALSO BE
RESPONSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WRIT
LARGE IN TERMS OF BEING
TRANSPARENT. IN TERMS OF BEING
ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL AS WE NEED
TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO YOU AND IN
THOSE REGARDS AS WELL, UM WELL,
IT SHOULD NOT MATTER. I SHOULD
ALSO MENTION THAT THE BOARD THE
STATE BAR TODAY IS A DIFFERENT
STATE BAR THAN IT WAS THREE OR
FOUR YEARS AGO IN THIS REGARD IN
TERMS OF ITS DEMOGRAPHICS, THE
STATE BAR IS THE STATE BAR TODAY
IS PRIMARILY MADE UP OF
APPOINTEES WHO ARE OF COLOR AND
SO THE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE RAISED
TODAY AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC
PROTECTION, AS RELATES TO EQUITY%
ARE VERY, VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO
WHO WE ARE, WHO WE REPRESENT,
AND HOW IT IS THAT WE WANT TO
SEE AND LEAD THE STATE BAR GOING
FORWARD. SO WITH THAT, I WOULD
JUST LIKE TO URGE ONCE AGAIN
THAT YOU CONFIRM MR CARDONA.
HE'S THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THIS
POSITION AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
OTHER WITNESSES IN ROOM 2200. IF
NOT, I'M GOING TO WELCOME BACK
THE MODERATOR TO TEE UP THOSE
WHO WISH TO CALL IN SUPPORT. OF
MR CARDONA TO BE APPOINTED.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU
WISH TO COMMENT AND SUPPORT, YOU
MAY PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO AT
THIS TIME. ONCE AGAIN IF YOU
WISH TO COMMENT, AND TO PUT IN A
PRESS ONE, AND THEN ONE MOMENT
WHILE WE BY THE LINE NUMBERS.
9 48. YOUR LINE IS OPEN. PLEASE
GO AHEAD. MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS OF
THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE. MY
NAME IS MARK TONY. I SERVED AS A
PUBLIC MEMBER OFTHE STATE BOARD
OF TRUSTEES. ESTATE BAR BOARD
TRUSTEES APPOINTED BY THE
GOVERNOR. MY DAY JOB SERVICE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TURN THE
UTILITY REFORM NETWORK. AND I AM
HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF
MR JORGE CARDONA AS THE CHIEF
TRIAL COUNSEL. IT WAS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD. TO
BRING IN SOMEBODY FROM THE
OUTSIDE WITH FRESH PERSPECTIVE.
PRESLEY OF LOOKING AT THINGS.
AND WHAT MR CARDONA HAS DONE AND
WITH THE BOARD IS COMMITTED TO
WORKING ON REDUCING THE BACKLOG.
DISCIPLINARY CASES AND DOING SO
IN A WAY THAT INCORPORATE.
EQUITY THAT INCORPORATES
INCLUSION, BUT THAT ABOVE ALL,
REALLY PUT PUBLIC PRTECTION AS
THE TOP THING. I WILL TELL YOU.
ONE THING ABOUT MR CARDONA IS
THAT HE IS THE KIND OF PERSON
THAT UNDER PROMISES BUT OVER
DELIVERED. AND PART OF THAT OVER
DELIVERY IF THE COMMITMENT UH
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. TO
PARTNER WITH HIM TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE DO A MUCH BETTER JOB IN
REDUCING THE BACKLOG OF
DISCIPLINARY CASES. I ASK FOR
YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. NEXT WITNESS.LINE 46.
YOUR LINE IS OPEN. PLEASE GO
AHEAD. HELLO THIS IS LEO WILSON,
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
STATE. ARE I'M CALLING IN
SUPPORT OF MR CARDONA. MR
CARDONA IS INCREDIBLY BRIGHT,
GETTING UP TO SPEED ON BOTH THE
NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE ATTORNEY
DISCIPLINE, PROCESS AND DISEASE
SEEN TODAY THE MANY POLICY
ISSUES AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE
CURRENTLY AT PLAY. HE HAS ALSO
DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO
MEANINGFULLY ADDRESSING THE
RACIAL DISPARITIES THAT YOU ALSO
RIGHTFULLY FOCUSED ON IN YOUR
QUESTIONING. HE'S EMBRACED THESE
AS A PRIORITY, ADDRESSING THIS
ISSUE AS A PRIORITY FOR HIS OWN
LEADERSHIP. SIMILARLY HE HAS
DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO
FOSTERING A HEALTHY AND
INCLUSIVE OFFICE CULTURE. AS
NOTED IN S, E I U SUPPORT LETTER
AND THEN THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT
JUST NOW. GEORGE IS OPEN AND
AVAILABLE. HE LISTENS, AND HE IS
WILLING TO MODIFY HIS APPROACH
BASED ON WHAT HE HERE. HERE'S
THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT MR
CARDONA DOES NOT DEMONSTRATING
UNWAVERING DETERMINATION TO
ADDRESS THE MANY IDENTIFIED
DEFICIENCIES IN THE ATTORNEY
DISCIPLINE SYSTEM. HE IS
UNEQUIVOCAL IN THAT REGARD. IN
SHORT, I BELIEVE THAT MR CARDONA
HAS THE ACUMEN, CHARACTER VALUES
AND COMMITMENTS TO DO THE JOB
WELL, EXCITED TO SEE THE
ORGANIZATION HAVE ITS FIRST
CONFIRMED CHIEF TRIAL COUNSEL IN
OVER 10 YEARS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH OTHER WITNESSES.
THEY'RE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. AND
QUÊ. MADAM MODERATOR, THANK YOU
SO MUCH. WE'LL BE BACK IN A
MOMENT OR SO. SO I HAVEN'T HEARD
FROM SUPPORTERS WILL FOLLOW THE
SAME PROCESS AND HEAR FROM
ANYONE IN OPPOSITION, STARTING
IN ROOM 2200 ANYONE WHO WISHES
TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION. OKAY
SEEING NO ONE STEPPING FORWARD,
MADAM MODERATOR, WE'RE BACK WITH
YOU. TO TEE UP THE WITNESSES WHO
MAY WISH TO SPEAK VIA
TELECONFERENCE IN OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU
WISH TO COMMENT IN OPPOSITION,
YOU MAY PRESS ONE AND THEN ZERO
AT THIS TIME ONCE AGAIN IF YOU
WISH TO COMMENT IN OPPOSITION,
YOU MAY PRESS ONE. AND THEN
ZERO. WE HAVE NO COMMENT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
ASSISTANCE TODAY. OKAY I'M GOING
TO BRING IT BACK TO MEMBERS. LET
ME THANK YOU. EVERYONE GOT A
CHANCE TO TALK. YOU KNOW, I'M
IT'S BEEN A LONG OKAY. JUST
MAKING SURE WE HAVE NOTHING
FURTHER FROM MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. WITH THAT EMOTION HAS
BEEN MADE BY SENATOR GROVE.
MADAM SECRETARY. WE PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL. GROVE HIGH. I KAMLAGER. KAMLAGER GO AHEAD. LAIRD I
. CONGRATULATIONS YOUR
CONFIRMATION WILL MOVE FORWARD
TO THE FULL SENATE AND THANK YOU
FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU.
ABSOLUTELY, UM. WE HAVE ONE ITEM
ON CALL, MADAM SECRETARY. THAT
IS, UH, ITEM B. THANK YOU. SEE I
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND HELP
ITEM ONE B, WHICH IS KENNETH T.
TANG MEMBER TATE TEACHERS.
RETIREMENT BOARD. ONE B MADAM
SECRETARY OPENED THE ROLE.
GROVE. HIGH FIVE. THAT IS OUT.
THANK YOU. YOU JUST STEPPED AWAY
. I'M SORRY. I JUST GOT A ROLLS.
YOU'RE RIGHT. OKAY WITH THAT.
LET'S SEE. I WANT TO THANK
EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN
PUBLIC TESTIMONY TODAY. THE
PUBLIC PORTION OF OUR AGENDA IS
CONCLUDED. IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE
TO TESTIFY TODAY, AND YOU STILL
WISH TO PLEASE SUBMIT
COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS IN
WRITING TO THE RULES COMMITTEE
OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR
INSTRUCTIONS. YOUR COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS ARETRULY IMPORTANT
TO US, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE INCLUDE YOUR TESTIMONY
IN THE OFFICIAL HEARING RECORDS
. SO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR
PATIENCE. YOUR COOPERATION AND
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES
WILL NOW MOVE TO EXECUTIVE
SESSION.