John Laird may be a 'freshman' state senator, but he is NOT a newcomer to the arena of public policy in CA, and has, in fact witnessed the arc of history as one of the first gay elected officials in the US, and a steward of California's environmental legacy. Click here for a closed-captioned version of this episode!

'Freshman' Senator John Laird / "I've lived long enough...and I've witnessed history."

‘Then There’s California' is a dynamic, new podcast featuring members of the California State Senate Democratic Caucus discussing legislative priorities, policy and other related issues that make California...Exceptional!

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Women's History Month has passed, but the discussions continue, and the State Senate's new Majority Leader, Senator Lena Gonzalez, shares her viewpoints on the growing number of women in elected office and in the work force, pay disparity & 'occupational segregation,' reproductive rights...and seeing the movie "Barbie!"

A Conversation with the New Senate Majority Leader, Lena Gonzalez: "We, as women, we just press on..."

In this wide-ranging podcast conversation, Senator Caroline Menjivar explains how she is starting her second year in office feeling 'way more confident' - while helping tackle a sobering state budget deficit, introducing a 21-bill policy package focused on issues important to her San Fernando Valley district, pushing back against culture wars that threaten LGBTQ+ youth, and navigating life as a lesbian lawmaker, daughter and military veteran.  Click here for a closed-captioned version of this episode!

A Second-Year Conversation with Senator Caroline Menjivar: "How I'm looking at it this year is, how to be more strategic..."

"If you're a former foster youth, there should be no barrier to your success in college..." Senator Angelique Ashby & Cody Van Felden, a former foster youth and now-advocate, discuss SB 307, the 'College For Foster Youth Act,' which was signed into law in 2023 by Governor Newsom. SB 307 secures $25 million in ongoing annual funding to make debt-free college a reality for California's foster youth. Cody also shares her personal story of struggles and aspirations as a former foster youth and explains how SB 307 will be a game-changer for young people in the foster care system who want to go to college but have limited financial resources and support. Click here for a closed-captioned version of this episode!

SB 307 - The College for Foster Youth Act / Senator Angelique Ashby & Former Foster Youth Cody Van Felden

In honor of Black History Month 2024, Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas celebrates the memory of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, and explains how her courageous actions that helped launch the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in 1955 placed her front and center at the nexus of the ongoing fight for racial and gender equality. Click here for a closed-captioned version of this episode!

Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas on the Memory & Legacy of Rosa Parks: "We have to be like Rosa, we have to stand up on these issues..."

State Senator Ben Allen & Los Angeles Times Environmental Reporter Rosanna Xia - author of the book "California Against the Sea - Visions for Our Changing Coastline" - join together in a conversation about how our state is confronting the environmental and political challenges related to sea level rise, and the lessons our coastal communities are learning about our rising oceans in this ongoing era of climate disruption.  Click here for a closed-captioned version of this podcast!

'Freshman' Senator John Laird / "I've lived long enough...and I've witnessed history."

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