Izabella Vasquez, a senior at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, recently joined her state senator, Melissa Hurtado, for a day at the Capitol! Izabella talks about her ambitions as a future leader, how young people in the valley are coping with economic, environmental and social challenges, and the work she does to support her peers and their farmworking families. Click here for a closed-captioned version of this podcast!

“Our spirits are very much alike…” / Senator Melissa Hurtado & Central Valley High School Senior Izabella Vasquez

‘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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With her time in the legislature ending this fall, State Senator Nancy Skinner is ready to talk legacy - the record of progressive public policy she takes pride in, the gender equality and representation she has championed in and out of the State Capitol...and the little granddaughter who brings her joy.

Senator Nancy Skinner Looks Back on Her Legislative Legacy: "I'm a bold legislator, but I've also been a fortunate one..."

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!

“Our spirits are very much alike…” / Senator Melissa Hurtado & Central Valley High School Senior Izabella Vasquez

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