WHEREAS, Anthony Rendon is the longest serving Speaker of the Assembly of the State of California in the term-limit era, and the second longest serving Speaker of the Assembly in California history, serving from March 7, 2016, to June 30, 2023, inclusive; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon led Democrats to their largest majority since 1875, culminating in 62 Democrats serving in the Assembly of the State of California in November 2022; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon’s record-setting speakership led to substantial institutional reforms and achievements, as well as the implementation of extensive public policy improvements for the people of California; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon led the Assembly of the State of California during the most progressive period of California lawmaking in modern history with landmark progressive legislation including the nation’s first statewide $15 minimum wage; the extension of California’s climate change reduction goals; groundbreaking policies on gun and tobacco use; a landmark $52-billion transportation funding plan; a first-of-its-kind clean air measure; and legislation to address the affordable housing crisis; and

WHEREAS, Under Dr. Rendon’s leadership, the Assembly of the State of California passed historic laws regarding law enforcement’s use-of-force rules, greater worker protections, and regulations on predatory lending; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon transformed the legislative business process utilized by Assembly Members and staff, streamlining the Democratic floor analyses process by eliminating the Speaker’s Office of Research and Floor Analysis, automating production of the Democratic Floor Alert, and facilitating distribution of electronic tablets to Assembly Members; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon reconfigured the “pre-session” document and expanded its distribution to all 80 Assembly Member offices rather than only to majority party offices; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon decentralized the role of the Speaker by giving decisionmaking power back to policy committee chairs and delegating additional duties to the Assembly Majority Leader and floor leadership team; and

WHEREAS, In March 2020, California was faced with an unprecedented pandemic. Dr. Rendon quickly executed a plan that permitted the legislative branch to continue functioning under dire conditions and hold public committee hearings within a few weeks of the COVID-19 lockdowns. In May 2020, he convened a rare “committee of the whole” to address important budget issues and pushed for a constitutional amendment to allow for legislative flexibility during extreme emergencies like natural disasters and pandemics; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon was the first Speaker of the Assembly to appoint women to nearly all the major staff and officer roles in the Assembly including many for the first time in history: Chief Sergeant at Arms, Chief Clerk, Chaplain, Legislative Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer, Speaker’s Chief of Staff, Speaker’s Policy Director, and Director of the Democratic Office of Communication and Outreach; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon appointed the first Muslim Chaplain of a legislative body in the United States and the first Buddhist Chaplain in the history of the Assembly of the State of California; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon was the first Speaker of the Assembly of the State of California to order pay equity across the Assembly staff structure; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon implemented the Workplace Conduct Unit to investigate workplace violence and sexual harassment claims, creating the first such entity of any state-level legislative body in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon strongly supported increased pay for Assembly staff and approved a record number of cost-of-living adjustments for Assembly personnel; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon initiated the Assembly’s first Community College Corps paid internship program and created the Assembly’s first full-time position dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon authored Proposition 1, the $7.5-billion state water bond that voters overwhelmingly passed at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon authored Assembly Bill 530 of the 2015–16 Regular Session of the Legislature, which spurred revitalization in the lower portion of the Los Angeles River. This legislation prompted more efforts in southeast Los Angeles, including advocacy for a Southeast Los Angeles Cultural Center, led by Frank Gehry and Dr. Rendon; and

WHEREAS, Before serving in the Assembly of the State of California, Dr. Rendon was an educator, nonprofit executive director, and environmental activist. He led Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, which provides comprehensive child development and social and medical services to over 2,300 children and families throughout the County of Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rendon is the proud son of Tom and Gloria Rendon, husband to Annie Lam, and father to daughter Vienna Lam Rendon; now, therefore, be it