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Assemblymember Ta’s bill to designate Sylvia Mendez Day moved out of committee
Summary
AB 2294, introduced by Assemblymember Ta to designate April 14 as Sylvia Mendez Day in recognition of Mendez v. Westminster, was presented and carried out of the Senate Government Organization Committee and will proceed to the floor after being held on call until a quorum was reached.
Assemblymember Ta presented AB 22 94 to establish April 14 as Sylvia Mendez Day, describing the 1947 Ninth Circuit decision in Mendez v. Westminster and its role in ending segregated public schooling in California. "This case was the first federal lawsuit to challenge the doctrine of separate but equal," Ta said, and urged colleagues to "support AB 22 94 in honor Sylvia Mendez and the legacy of Mendez versus Westminster."
Two witnesses testified in support. Yolanda Benson, representing the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, said the bill is "cost neutral" and lauded California’s leadership: "We definitely wanna thank Assemblyman Ta for this bill for recognizing the historic significance of Mendez versus Westminster." Noemi Lujan Perez, executive director of state government relations at HACU, tied the case to broader expansions in higher education access and noted the case’s influence on Brown v. Board of Education.
Committee members praised the proposal. Vice Chair Suzette (as introduced) and others offered to coauthor and called the Mendez legacy a story of "resilience, of grit, and of courage." Because the committee initially lacked a quorum, the chair left the item on call; when a quorum was present the roll call moved AB 22 94 out of committee. The clerk later announced the final tally as 13-0.
The bill now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.
