Republican Suzette Martinez Valladares was elected to the California State Assembly in 2020 and served for two years, narrowly losing a reelection bid for the newly drawn 40th Assembly district, then winning a seat in the Senate in 2024. In the Assembly, Valladares was a founding member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. She also serves as the Minority Whip - the first Senate Republican Whip in some time, a reflection of the GOP's increased presence in the body. She spoke with us about pursuing policy goals during a year that has been, to put it mildly, a wild ride, (with no end in sight) and offered her perspective on the Immigration raids in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

:47 Vacaville State Prison story

1:42 Online sports betting

3:00 California Lowrider Holiday photos

3:28 The Micheli Minute

6:18 SenatorSuzette Martinez Valladares

6:58 A wild year

9:32 Minority Whip

11:17 "An affordability crisis"

14:47 Prop. 36

18:21 The Problem Solvers and Hispanic Caucuses

22:16 Perspective on Immigration raids

26:49 a Xennial

27:37 #WWCA

Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly

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