00:00Well, a lot has been said. It's been a very emotional morning, I think, to bring
00:09the temperature down. I'm struck by what we're trying to do today with ACA, and I
00:17respectfully am opposed to it. A lot of things I was going to say have already
00:23been said. Just to remind everyone, the independent, thanks to your father, Mr.
00:29Speaker, the best words were said about the independence of a citizen-driven
00:34committee to decide to draw the lines of the vote. So all this talk today about
00:42democracy does not do honor to Congressman or State Senator Lowenthal and
00:48Congressman Lowenthal, who fought for the rights of the people to have a voice in
00:54our democracy. What strikes me is, yesterday, if I may read a portion of an
01:02editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Speaker? Without objection. I'm a real
01:09practical, pragmatic person, so I'm seeing where problems happen and how we can fix
01:14problems. So the supermajority in this legislature is speaking loud and loud
01:22terms, often rude, about democracy. You have democracy in your hands. You are in the
01:28supermajority. It's the minority that is concerned about democracy and the signs of
01:34a lack of democracy. When commissions are being ignored, the voters are being ignored,
01:40the people are being ignored, the people who want their voices heard in an
01:45independent way. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal said, and I quote, the real house,
01:52this is the House of Representatives, Congress, we were just making reference to,
01:56democratic nightmare. This is all about numbers. Democrats could lose ten seats in
02:042030 because voters are fleeing the blue states. Remind us all, California is a blue
02:12state. So let me give you the numbers. Start with the numbers. Between 2020 and 2024,
02:22California lost 1.4 million people. And where did they go? They may have gone to Kansas. That
02:30is larger than the population of Kansas have left California. And that resulted in
02:372020 and the loss of four congressional seats in California. So you're fighting, the
02:43supermajority is fighting to protect seats that you think are going away. You've
02:49already lost them. Why did you already lose those four seats? And why are you
02:53continuing? Why is the other party continuing? Why is California losing
02:58population? Why is that affecting California? And the projection is in 2030,
03:03California will lose four more seats. Why? And also a new, an additional fact I did not
03:11know, between 2020 and 2024, California's population under the age of 18 shrank by 523,000
03:22people. We have to ask ourselves, why are people leaving California? It's because of laws that have
03:30been enacted in this state in the last 15 years that have driven out business, that have driven
03:36out people for reasons related to education, the quality of education, quality of safety in our
03:43communities. They have left the state. They're going to other states, whether it's Texas, whether it's Ohio,
03:51whether it's Florida, whether it's Nevada, they're going to other states because they do not like
03:57the policies that are coming out of this state. So until California and its representatives in this
04:04body begin to realize what is not connecting with the laws that are being passed and the people,
04:11the voters of California, all this histrionics today, all this, the sky is falling, chicken little,
04:18democracy is failing. Thirty seconds. Democracy is being saved by people who realize it's not being
04:25represented by the super majorities that have been holding power in this state for the last 10 or 15
04:32years. Look at our policy, but we can find $250 million for a special election when health care,
04:39when community safety, Prop 36, wildfire management wiped off the life out of the budget, but $250
04:47million magically appears to protect democracy. Democracy starts here. Keep people in California,
04:54keep our businesses in California, keep our families in California, and you know what? You'll have more
05:00votes probably and more congressional representation. Thank you, Assemblymember Dixon. Thank you very much.
05:05Assemblymember Jackson, you are recognized.
05:09Assemblymember Jackson Jackson, you are recognized.
05:13Thank you very much.
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