October 2, 2019

TO:

All Senate Staff

FROM:

Erika Contreras
Secretary of the Senate

RE:

Updates

As you know, on September 13, 2019, the Senate confronted an unanticipated attack. While the
disruption was shocking, our Senators were able to quickly regroup and reconvene in a hearing
room, continue to debate and vote, and successfully complete the work of the 2019 Session.
However, due to safety concerns, our Senate Floor and Gallery had to be closed, and have
remained so.
Since that night, we have been working to both deal with the damage associated with the attack,
and learn from the event to improve our safety structures and practices to ensure the ongoing
security of Senators and staff, while continuing to allow the public the ability to participate in the
legislative process.
While lab tests confirmed that the substance thrown from the Senate Gallery was human blood, it
was negative for any blood borne pathogens or infections. To ensure the complete remediation
and decontamination of both the Chamber and the Gallery, the Senate contracted with a company
certified by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to perform the cleanup. Today, I am happy to report that our Senate Chamber has been certified clean and sanitized,
and is once again open to Senators, staff and the public.
While the actions of this one individual were damaging on many fronts, our response showed the
resilience and determination of the Senate and will in no way change our commitment to continue
our work on behalf of the citizens of California. As always, I thank you for your dedication to this
great institution.