You won’t understand politics until you understand power. How it works. Who has it and who doesn’t. And most important of all, how you grow and use it to get what you want. You know there is inequality and injustice and you want to change it. But how? I had the opportunity to talk at length with Jovan Agee, Founder and CEO of Agee Global Solutions. Jovan served as Legislative & Political Director (and my supervisor) at UDW/AFSCME Local 3930, Senior Advisor to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Capi...

Lobbying is not “one size fits all”. As any savvy lobbyist will tell you, securing funding in the California budget is very different from working to get a policy bill signed. You must follow timelines and committees that are separate and distinct from the legislative process. All of this can be intimidating and confusing for advocates, which is why I’m thrilled to have Senator Sydney Kamlager, (D-30) on the podcast. As the new Senate Budget Subcommittee #4 Chair, Senator Kamlager gives us an...

In 2019, Kipp Mueller, a workers' and civil rights attorney, entered the race for California State Senate District 21, challenging incumbent and then Republican Senate Minority Leader Scott Wilk. Encompassing northern Los Angeles county and parts of the High Desert, SD 21 was a Republican stronghold for over a decade but voter registration has been trending Democratic. A "dogfight" of a campaign, millions of dollars were pumped into the race by both sides. Neck and neck on election n...

The Gann limit hovers over the California capitol like an ominous cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Despite massive tax revenues and a projected discretionary budget surplus of $20.6 billion (with a strong potential to exceed this amount by $15 billion), the state must abide by an arbitrary spending cap adopted over 40 years ago - the Gann limit. This limit severely restrains any new investment by the Governor and Legislature. Budget advocacy is already very challenging. Gann ensures ...

Before you can build political power you need a base. And Aquilina Soriano Versoza knows exactly how to get it done. Aquilina is co-founder and Executive Director of the Pilipino Workers Center based in Southern California. She is President of the Pilipino Action Center, 501(c)4 sibling organization to the PWC. She is a leader in the California Domestic Worker Coalition, which in 2013 won the historic AB 241 (Ammiano) - the Domestic Worker Bills of Rights. And because that’s not enou...

Is your legislation on the infamous Chamber of Commerce "job killer" list? Is your campaign facing stiff opposition from corporate America with its infinite resources? In a battle of David and Goliath, how can marginalized communities come out on top? Today I am honored to be joined by Victor Narro, a nationally recognized expert on immigrant and low-income workers. Project Director at the UCLA Labor Center, Mr. Narro is also on faculty at the UCLA Department of Labor and Workplace Studies...

Trying to break through the noise at the California Capitol to get your issue front and center? You're hustling. But why is your message is not resonating? Today I talk with Eduardo Martinez, Legislative Director for the California Labor Federation, who shares his insight - based on years of experience as a legislative staffer - on how to ensure your message is not only received but resonates. Eduardo most recently served as Chief of Staff to former Assemblymember and now Mayor...

Advocacy is not just about lobbying the Legislature or Governor's Office. Advocates should pay attention to the less known but highly impactful "rulemaking process". California agencies adopt, amend, and repeal regulations in order to "implement" the laws adopted by the Legislature. For small business owners, these regulations can have a huge impact on everyday operations. In today's episode, I talk with Jaime Schrabeck, veteran beauty industry advocate and owner of Precision Nails. For th...

There is so much knowledge in my interview with Ludovic Blain I don't know where to start! Mr. Blain is the Executive Director of California Donor Table, a statewide community of donors who pool their funds to make investments in communities of color so they have the power and resources they need to elect people who represent their values and needs and help govern and hold decision-makers accountable. He helmed CDT's work, starting in 2010, with community organizations in Orange and ...

There are few lawmakers I admire more than California Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-47). The first Latina to hold this leadership position, Leader Reyes is an unequivocal champion for working families in her district and throughout the state. Her emphatic advice for advocates: remember your true power. You are the ones who send representatives to Sacramento to give voice to the community. You can also hold them to account if they lose their way. I am grateful to the ...

As any good lobbyist in Sacramento will tell you, at the end the day what matters is getting the 21/41 votes you need to move your bill. This has always been a significant challenge; in our era of toxic political polarization it's can be near impossible. That's why I'm excited to share my recent conversation with Assemblymember Chad Mayes (I - 42). A former Minority Leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus and now the only Independent in the Legislature, he knows first hand the impact of h...

Today, I talk with Amy Everitt, President of Golden State Opportunity, a nonprofit that strives to end poverty and improve the lives of low-income workers in California. Ms. Everitt shares with me the top 4 lessons she's learned in her more than two decades of advocacy, both in California and federally. We also talk about the challenges facing the anti-poverty movement as California heads into another year of historic budget surplus and GSO's long term goal to support low-income communitie...