Is meeting of the Rules and Open Government Committee to order?

We have, oh, let's start with roll call, please.

Sorry, I'm...

Candelas.

Here.

Duan Foley.

Here.

Kamei absent.

Cohen.

Here.

We have a quorum.

Thank you so much.

The first item of business today is to review the council agenda for next week's meeting on February 10th.

It's noticed for a 9.30 closed session and a 1.30 regular session with the evening session canceled.

Consent starts on page 6 and continues on pages 7 and 8.

section 3 we have a mid-year budget review a potential ballot measure increasing tot

section 6 we have our 2026 power content and rates report section 8 public hearing on weed

embatement and one item on land use do you have any public comment no public comment all right

Do we have a motion or something?

Move approval with Ad Sheep.

Any questions or are we ready to vote?

Let's vote.

Okay.

The motion carries 4-0.

And we don't have a council meeting on February 17th, so we're on to consent.

And we have two items on consent today.

No public comment.

All right.

Move approval with second.

Second.

All right.

Let's vote on consent.

Motion carries 4-0.

So item C1 has had a request for deferral for the administration.

You wanted nothing to say about that, I don't think, at this moment.

We're coming back next week?

Yes, we'll come back next week.

The analysis isn't overly complicated.

We just have a number of senior staff, including myself, splitting time between City Hall and the Emergency Operations Center this week.

So it's just an ability for us to get in a room and discuss it, but it'll be heard next week.

Okay, so next week at rules we'll hear item C1.

And now item C2, the memo co-signed by a couple of us along with Council Member Ortiz and Campos on a support and collaboration for AB 1633.

And it looks like Council Member Ortiz is ready to go.

Thank you, Chair.

Hello, Honorable Rules Committee members.

Today we are bringing forward a memo calling on the city to support Assembly Bill 1633 by Assemblymember Matt Haney,

along with other legislation that advances similar goals.

AB 1633 creates real financial accountability for private detention facilities that contract with ICE,

a necessary step when profit incentives continue to drive harm in our immigration system.

I just want to thank our intergovernment relations team for their strong partnership on this memo.

When I brought the bill to their attention, the team engaged quickly and had already been proactive in identifying additional state legislation that aligns with the immigration protections that this council has already passed.

That alignment matters. It ensures the local action this council has been united around can echo across our state.

And I believe we've been clear about where we stand on transparency, accountability, and protecting our community.

So supporting AB 1633 and similar bills is a direct extension of the courageous work of this council and its council members.

And so I respectfully ask for your support.

Okay.

Looks like we have some public here, so let's hear public comment.

We currently have three speaker cards, Lucila, Kimberly, and Akemi.

Please go ahead and make your way to the podium.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Lucila Ortiz.

I'm here with Working Partnerships as well as a member of IPEN, Immigrant Protection

and Empowerment Network.

And first of all, we want to thank the leadership of the council members who have put that before

you.

You know, I don't need to repeat in here the conditions, the terrible conditions that we've

been hearing about in the detention centers.

And one of the most important tools that we can use as local jurisdictions is making sure that we create as many barriers to that inhumane treatment as possible.

So I think, you know, this would be a good measure for us to advocate for and make sure that, like I said, we have as many protections for our communities here as possible,

given the inaction that is happening at the federal government.

So thank you.

Good evening, Councilmembers.

I'm Kimberly Wu, and I'm a community organizer for SIREN.

And actually, last week I spoke on behalf of SIREN at the press conference when Assemblymember Haney introduced this bill.

I want to thank Assemblymember Matt Haney, our partners like CIPC, and Councilmembers Ortiz, Campos, Condelas, and Cohen

in working for AB 1633 to impose a 50% tax on corporations operating private detention facilities across California

and reinvesting those funds to legal services.

I have loved ones who sought permanent residency

and did things the right way,

but last year they were detained during their final interview.

At this final step, ICE agents handcuffed their hands and feet

and forcibly shipped one of them to this state's largest, dangerous,

and unlawful immigration detention facility in California.

city. And words cannot describe what visceral pain it is of seeing your elder relative who

immigrated to this country to build a better life for our family, break down crying behind a glass

screen window where it's impossible to hug them or hold their hand. There are not enough words to

comfort a loved one after they're stripped from their personal longings and their freedom. And

even though my loved one asked every day, they never received the crucial medication they needed

to clear their eyes, which made crying even more painful. Private detention facilities not only

deprive people of their liberty and tear families like mine apart, but these facilities, operated

by billion-dollar companies, profit off of our loved ones' suffering while violating their human

rights. And this 50% tax is high because, one, that's the cost of profiting off of our loved

ones' suffering, and two, it's also legally defensible. And if these companies don't want

to pay for it, then they can go. And that's fine because their money should go towards family

reunification, towards life-saving services of legal

representation, advancing for safety, due process,

and dignity of all Californians. Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Kemi Flynn with IPEN and also Amigos.

And I'm just here to echo the obvious support

for this memo and also to lift up the importance of what you do here at Rules Committee and what

you do here as a full council. Last night, some of us and a large group of our partners and neighbors

were out and were able to secure success in a what we colloquially call ice-free zones policy

at the city of Santa Clara. And that was in large part because they were able to use the model that

the San Jose City Council set up. So that was a different topic than this particular memo,

but the connection is your courageous leadership and understanding when we don't have the leadership

we need at the federal level, we need local governments, all linking arms, and in partnership

with state. So for that reason, I ask for your support. Thank you. Back to the committee. Thank

you. And we have a few couple hands up, so I will start with actually a co-author of the memo,

Council Member Candelis.

Thank you, Chair.

You know, as a child of immigrants and somebody who obviously has family members who are directly affected by this administration,

I know how firsthand crucial legislation like this is to our San Jose community.

And, you know, consistently being the safest, largest city in the country is undoubtedly due to the acceptance of all demographics

and the refusal of any targeted attack on our community members.

And, you know, I think that with the support of this bill,

we can take away these financial incentives for private and for-profit companies

that are taking advantage of our most vulnerable.

And this bill directly aligns with our city's values

and efforts to end the attack on our neighbors.

And I'm looking forward to also not just supporting this piece of legislation,

but others like it.

And I want to close with a thank you to Councilmember Ortiz for bringing this to our attention and helping move this bill forward.

Thank you.

Was that a motion?

And yes, that was a motion.

All right, we have a motion to second.

Councilmember Dewan.

Thank you, Chair.

Well, thank you to my colleagues, Councilmember Ortiz, Campos, and Candelis, and Councilmember Cohen for bringing this important legislation forward.

And, of course, thank you to Assemblymember Haney, who authored and introduced this bill.

supporting AB 1633 aligned with our city value, fairness, accountability, and investing in people,

especially our immigrant, rather than corporate bottom lines.

By endorsing this bill, we can send a clear message that we stand for justice and humane treatment for all.

We must do all we can to support meaningful reform that address the root cause of detention and displacement that affect our immigrant community so tremendously.

Thank you.

Thank you.

and I'll just briefly say that, you know,

I know all of us in council are getting asked,

especially this week,

what it is that we're doing to help protect people.

And we do have a lot of things that are in place here

that are on the cutting edge

and ahead of other jurisdictions.

But I just take great pride in living in a city,

in a state that is thinking about ways

that we can continue to protect people

from the abuses of our current federal government

and allowing us to be a model

that other states can learn from.

So I look forward to at least hearing this at the full council,

and now I think we're ready to vote.

Okay, that motion carries 4-0, and we are on to open forum.

No public comments.

No public comments, so we are adjourned at 2.10 p.m.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.