SacTown Talks

Today we welcome to SacTown Talks, Chris Micheli. Micheli is a Principal at Aprea & Micheli, Inc. and Adjunct Professor at McGeorge School of Law. As a lobbyist, attorney, author, and professor, Micheli has many great stories and plenty of wisdom to share. Today, we discuss Micheli's experiences, the current challenges in lobbying, his reputation as an expert in tax lobbying, his most recent book, and more. 

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today we welcome Assemblymember Tom Lackey of the 36th Assembly District, encompassing Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and Palmdale. Before his work in the political space, Mr. Lackey was a special education teacher and a member of the California Highway Patrol for 28 years. He then ran for his local school board, then Palmdale City Council, and finally the Assembly in 2014. We discuss redistricting, what legislators can contribute when they are in the super minority, his work with California Problem Solvers Caucus, and more.

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today we welcome Tim Sparapani, a constitutional law advocate and Senior Policy Fellow at CALinnovates, to discuss the past, present, and future of Proposition 22. Tim takes us on a journey from the Dynamex Decision to AB 5 to Proposition 22 to the appeals court decision. Learn more today about Prop. 22.  

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today our guest is Rick Goddard, CEO of Caylym, who joins us to discuss their Guardian system. The Guardian creates a raindrop effect over the target area and using a standard cargo plane, crews can drop over 4,000 gallons every 10 minutes from the air 24 hours a day. This means firefighting does not have to stop at night due to low visibility or in higher wind conditions. He discusses how the Guardian system works, where Caylym has had success, and what regulatory hurdles it faces in the United States. 

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today we welcome Assemblymember Christopher Ward of the 78th Assembly District, covering the San Diego coast. He joins us for an in depth look at AB 1771: The California Housing Speculation Act, which would impose a tax up to 25% on an investor’s net capital gain from the time of purchase until the final sale or exchange of a property to reduce housing speculation. We also discuss his background, what it was like coming to the Capitol during a pandemic, and other issues he is working on this term. 

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Welcome back for part 2 of our SacTown Talks episode with Paul Mitchell. Paul is an expert on California redistricting: he founded Redistricting Partners, Inc and is the VP of Political Data Intelligence. Today’s episode cover’s the details of California’s lost congressional seat, more details on how redistricting requirements work, what communities of interest are, why California’s redistricting process is the best, and what’s next for him. 

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy, and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today we welcome California Senator Melissa Hurtado of the 14th Senate District which covers parts of the southern Central Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield. She joins us to discuss the water, bureaucracy, and California’s future. Her bill, SB 1219, would establish a blue-ribbon commission to eliminate the State Water Resources Control Board and fundamentally change how California and its agencies deal with water, including planning for less water due to climate change and hardening water resources against things like cyberattacks. . SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today on the show we have another new face in Sacramento: Dr. Akilah Weber of the 79th Assembly District, which covers much of east San Diego and its suburbs. Dr. Weber is the daughter of California Secretary of State Shirley Weber but did not have politics as a career goal instead, she became an OBGYN until a hometown civil rights issue inspired her to run for city council. And when Governor Newsom appointed her mother Secretary of State she decide the next step was the assembly where she is focusing on vaccines, restorative justice, and more!    

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!

Today we welcome California Assemblymember Mia Bonta to the show. Mia won a race in California’s 18th Assembly District covering Oakland and Alameda County to replace her partner, Rob Bonta, who was appointed California Attorney General. We discuss her family story and background in education, what led her to run for school board and then the assembly, and how it’s been coming to Sacramento during the pandemic. Finally, we discuss her legislative priorities for 2022 including education funding, criminal justice reform, and housing. 

SacTown Talks is a podcast about California politics, policy and culture. We feature interviews with California political leaders, and analysis by experts and insiders focusing on the Capitol. Like, share, and subscribe to learn more!