The state senators representing the Santa Clarita Valley, Scott Wilk R-Santa Clarita, and Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, have returned to Sacramento after being re-elected in 2020.
Wilk was sworn in on the Senate Floor, with members wearing masks and sitting behind plexiglass due to COVID-19 restrictions, according to Eileen Ricker, spokesperson for his office.
Photo Courtesy of Senator Scott Wilk’s Office
“While this year lacked the pomp and circumstance of the traditional opening session of the legislature, it is a tremendous honor to be sworn in as a California State Senator,” Wilk said in a statement. “Four years ago my wife, Vanessa, and my kids were on the floor with me. Close family and friends came up to watch too. It was very festive. This year, I was on my own.”
Family and members of the public were not able to attend the event in order to ensure social distancing guidelines were in place.
“The ceremony is an hour or so out of one day. For me, this was more about moving forward to help Californians recover than celebrating,” Wilk added.
Stern took the oath of office for his second term in the California State Senate Monday in the parking lot of his Calabasas office, administered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Huey P. Cotton.
“I can think of no higher stakes than we have right now. In my second term, I hope to live up to the expectations of the people who elected me, whether they voted for me or not,” said Stern in a statement. “The crises of climate change and homelessness have not taken a pause for COVID-19, nor have the threats to democracy, public education, social mobility, or racial justice. So as the saying goes, we must find a way not just to walk and chew gum at the same time, but also to land a plane, fight a fire, teach a class, and so much more.”
Following the brief ceremony, Stern held an online community forum to talk about his priorities for the 2021-22 legislative session and answer questions.
Stern also introduced his first bill of the new session, SB 46, which states the intent of the legislature to require employers to implement contact tracing programs and have employees who test positive for the virus report it to their employer.
All legislation was introduced electronically rather than physically introducing a bill on the Senate Floor, according to Ricker.
Stern introduced two wildfire-related measures as well, SB 55, which halts development in very high fire hazard severity zones, and SB 63, which creates a fire resiliency corps and gives grants to help people harden their homes against wildfires.
“In a deadly, global pandemic, a person’s individual rights cannot trump the right of their co-workers to be in a safe work environment,” concluded Stern. “People deserve to go to work and be able to have the peace of mind that they can do so safely and aren’t at risk of carrying COVID-19 back to their family.
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