The Constitutionalist

Eric Rollins talks with Michael Gates, candidate for California Attorney General. Gates is the former city attorney of Huntington Beach, a husband of almost 30 years, and a father of five. He says Huntington Beach became one of the safer cities in the state because the city prosecuted crime and held people accountable.He describes the Attorney General as California’s top prosecutor, with authority over public safety, advice to state offices, and civil cases. His case against Rob Bonta is that the office has not worked with sheriffs and district attorneys to enforce the law.In this conversation:Why he left Huntington Beach to run statewidePolling he cites showing 65 percent of Californians say the state is headed the wrong directionWhat the Attorney General is supposed to doProp 36, and why he says it will be enforced on day oneA 2028 ballot measure he says he would put up to repeal Prop 47 and Prop 57Parental rights, AB 1955, and the Ninth Circuit ruling in Huntington Beach’s caseFirst Amendment, Second Amendment, and concealed-carry timelinesTitle IX and girls’ sportsWhy he is endorsing school-board candidates, including Karen Steed in Fresno Unified and Dina Flores in Clovis UnifiedWhy he says a new Attorney General can act on day one under Article V, Section 13 of the California ConstitutionCampaignWebsite: https://www.gates4ag.comEmail: [email protected]: @MichaelGatesESQFacebook: @GatesforAGInstagram and TikTok: search Michael Gates Attorney GeneralGeneral election: November 3, 2026.The Constitutionalist with Eric RollinsProduced by Phillip Villanueva / Echo Light Media / Podcast LairYouTube: The Constitutionalist PodcastInstagram: @theconstitutionalistspodcast#MichaelGates #CaliforniaAG #RobBonta #LawAndOrder #Prop36 #HuntingtonBeach #TheConstitutionalist #EricRollinsTagsMichael Gates, California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, Eric Rollins, The Constitutionalist, Huntington Beach, Prop 36, Prop 47, law and order, parental rights, AB 1955, Second Amendment, school boards, Karen Steed, Dina Flores, California election 2026, Gates4AG00:00 Open01:10 Welcome, Michael Gates for Attorney General01:45 Why leave Huntington Beach03:00 Family, courtroom record, constitutional cases04:30 AB 1955, parental secrets, Ninth Circuit win06:00 California in crisis, and the polling shift07:30 65 percent say the state is headed the wrong way08:45 Gas, crime, homelessness10:00 Huntington Beach: prosecute, and the city gets safer11:30 In it to win, not a trial-run campaign12:30 What the Attorney General is supposed to do14:00 Top cop over sheriffs and district attorneys15:30 Chief counsel and civil cases16:30 Suits against Paramount and the Trump administration18:00 Waste, fraud, and clawing the money back19:15 First Amendment: STOP Act dead on day one20:30 Second Amendment: CCW permits inside 90 days22:00 Title IX, girls’ sports, election law, immigration law23:30 Bonta the legislator vs. Gates the trial lawyer25:00 DOJ work and the U.S. Supreme Court bar26:30 Prop 36 enforced on day one, funded or not28:00 Prop 47, Prop 57, and AB 10929:30 2028 measure to repeal Prop 47 and Prop 5731:00 Prop 36 passed by about 60 percent32:15 Stop staying home34:00 Make it too big to rig35:30 LA mayor’s race and Spencer Pratt37:30 School boards: Karen Steed and Dina Flores39:30 AG plus school boards vs. governor and legislature41:00 Article V, Section 13: day-one authority42:00 Why he is hopeful43:00 Another Bonta term, termed out44:00 Patriotism is a sacrifice45:15 Gates4AG.com46:00 Close

Eric Rollins sits down again with Jim Polsgrove, Republican candidate for California Assembly District 31. Polsgrove is a Fresno native and retired City of Fresno public works supervisor (right of way and special districts) who says he took close to a thousand items to the Fresno City Council and never had a staff recommendation overturned.District 31 is entirely in Fresno County: southeast Fresno and Sunnyside, Sanger, Parlier, Selma, Fowler, Orange Cove, Riverdale, Raisin City, up to the city limits of Reedley, Kingsburg, and Caruthers. About 400,000 people. Agriculture is the engine. The problems are not the same in Parlier as they are south of Shaw.They cover:Why business owners in the district name homelessness firstA Blackstone barbershop that relocated after 12 years because of encampments in the doorwayA man who set up camp in a side yard inside a subdivisionHousing First, the 2013 mental-health funding cuts, and why Polsgrove says you cannot put a broken person under a roof and call it solvedThe homeless spend he puts above $30 billion, and why he wants an auditRepublican turnout in AD-31, and why he says 40–50% GOP turnout changes the mathProp 39 and voter IDFresno County’s Voter’s Choice Act: vote at any voting center in the countySteve Hilton, Golden Together, and why a governor still needs an Assembly benchJobs and employers leaving, the billionaire tax, and the middle classGas tax he puts at about 71–73 cents a gallon versus Virginia at 28 cents, on a billion gallons a monthVehicle registration: his truck at $557 versus a similar truck in Idaho at $62.50 a yearFraud estimates, and his claim that cutting fraud plus reasonable fees could mean a $10,000 check per CalifornianThe Second Amendment, Newsom’s new gun laws, and why he says new laws hit the law-abiding, not the criminalNearly 39 years fixing problems for the City of FresnoSee the car: 1927 Model T T-bucket, 327 Chevy, two fours on a tunnel ram, automatic. Fresno Fair car show in the grandstand, October 17. Veterans Day parade in November. Banner on the windshield: Bring Common Sense Back to California.CampaignWebsite: https://www.polsgrove4calif.comEmail: [email protected] / Instagram / X: polsgrove4califBallots start landing next week. General election is November 3, 2026. Polsgrove’s close: cast it, don’t wait for Election Day, make it too big to rig.The Constitutionalist with Eric RollinsProduced by Phillip Villanueva / Echo Light Media / Podcast LairYouTube: The Constitutionalist PodcastInstagram: @theconstitutionalistspodcast#JimPolsgrove #AD31 #California #Fresno #CommonSense #Homelessness #SecondAmendment #Prop39 #SteveHilton #TheConstitutionalistTagsJim Polsgrove, Assembly District 31, AD-31, California Assembly, Fresno, Fresno County, Annalisa Perea, Eric Rollins, The Constitutionalist, common sense, homelessness, Housing First, Prop 39, voter ID, Second Amendment, gas tax, Steve Hilton, California election 2026, Fresno Fair, T-bucketChapters (drop real timestamps after the edit)00:00 Open and welcome backHot rod: 1927 T-bucket, 327, tunnel ramWhere to find him: Oct 17 Fresno Fair car show, Veterans Day paradeAD-31 map: southeast Fresno, Sanger, Parlier, Selma, Fowler, Orange CoveHomelessness is what business owners say firstBlackstone barbershop that had to moveSide-yard encampment inside a subdivisionHousing First, 2013 funding cuts, and the auditWhat he needs: Republican turnoutProp 39, voter ID, and “no excuse not to vote”Fresno County voting centers and ballot returnSteve Hilton, Golden Together, and the Assembly benchEmployers leaving, billionaire tax, middle-class jobsGas tax, registration, roads, and the fraud mathSecond Amendment and Newsom’s new gun lawsTrack record: City of Fresno, right of way, council recordCampaign info and the close

California voters face 14 statewide propositions on November 3, 2026. Eric Rollins walks through each measure — housing bonds, the rainy-day fund, taxes, public campaign finance, recall rules, voter ID, the proposed wealth tax, audits, local tax thresholds, healthcare staffing rules, and CEQA reform — and explains why he is voting YES on five and NO on the rest.

His recommendations in this episode:

YES — Prop 39 (voter ID and citizenship verification)
YES — Prop 41 (audits / limits on new special taxes)
YES — Prop 42 (limits on new personal-property and retroactive taxes)
YES — Prop 43 (two-thirds vote for certain local special taxes)
YES — Prop 45 (faster environmental review for housing and infrastructure)

NO — Props 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 37, 38, 40, 44

Eric aligns most closely with the California Republican Assembly list and argues the biggest fights are voter ID, the wealth tax, Prop 13-style protections, and cutting housing red tape.

This is commentary and analysis, not legal advice. Read the official voter guide before you vote.

00:00 Theme
00:58 Opening: California’s blessings and challenges
02:23 Why ballot initiatives matter
03:58 Prop 1 — Veterans and affordable housing bonds
05:17 Prop 2 — Rainy-day fund
07:08 Prop 3 — Making the high-income tax permanent
09:35 Prop 4 — Public campaign finance
11:52 Prop 5 — Recall process
14:20 Prop 37 — Homebuyer loan program
19:59 Prop 38 — Immunology research bonds
22:50 Prop 39 — Voter ID
28:55 Prop 40 — Wealth / billionaire tax
31:53 Prop 41 — Audits and tax limits
33:38 Prop 42 — No retroactive savings / personal-property taxes
34:20 Prop 43 — Two-thirds for local special taxes
36:22 Prop 44 — Healthcare clinic spending rules
36:53 Prop 45 — CEQA / red-tape reform
39:11 Full YES/NO recap
40:25 Why these votes matter
43:51 Close

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The Constitutionalist with Eric Rollins.

Produced by Phillip Villanueva (PhillVill) / Echo Light Media / Podcast Lair Network and Studio

#California #BallotMeasures #VoterID #Prop39 #Prop40 #Prop45 #TheConstitutionalist #November2026

Fresno Unified is one of the largest school districts in California — and one of the worst performing. Only about 40% of students meet or exceed grade level in reading. Math is worse: about 30%. Meanwhile the superintendent is among the highest paid in the state.Eric Rollins sits down with Karen Steed, a 25-year classroom teacher and former Fresno city accountant who is running for Fresno Unified school board. She lost by 300 votes four years ago. This time she’s back because she says the district is sending kids out the door educationally handicapped — not ready for college, not ready for trades, not ready for life.GUEST — KAREN STEEDWebsite: https://steed4fusd.comFacebook: search Karen SteedInstagram: search Karen SteedRunning for: Fresno Unified School Board, Trustee Area 4 (McLane region)Election: November 3, 2026THE CONSTITUTIONALISTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheConstitutionalistPodcastRumble: TheConstitutionalistPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconstitutionalistspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Xfpi73p4Tyhc9JhMyfhERApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-constitutionalist/id1744441061Like, subscribe, comment, and share.Get involved. Make a difference.

California spends the most and ranks near the bottom. Herb Morgan, candidate for California State Controller and part of Steve Hilton’s Golden Ticket, sits down with Eric Rollins to explain why he says the Controller’s office is the most powerful job in state government — and how he’d use it.

Morgan’s plan: radical transparency. Every state, county, city, school, and NGO grant transaction online, searchable in plain language, powered by AI. He already built a working prototype for $1,500 at CaliforniaRadicalTransparency.com — after the state’s “Open Fiscal” system cost about $1 billion and still doesn’t work.

In this episode:

• Why CA is bottom-five on schools, roads, healthcare, and public safety despite a $4.3T economy

• Education: $27,411 per student vs Mississippi’s ~$12,000 — and worse results

• High-speed rail payments he says are not valid under Prop 1A

• ~$2B paid to vendors on the state’s own “do not pay” lists

• How AI would flag cousin contracts, overpriced deals, and NGO pass-throughs overnight

• Working with Michael Gates (AG) if both win: find it, then prosecute it

• Prop 39, voter confidence, and why he says the Controller never checks the Franchise Tax Board / AG exclusion lists

• Golden Ticket: Steve Hilton, Gloria Romero, Michael Gates, Herb Morgan

Guest

Herb Morgan — Candidate for California State Controller

Website: https://herbmorgan.com

Transparency prototype: https://californiaradicaltransparency.com

Social: @Herb4Controller

Donate / volunteer: herbmorgan.com

The Constitutionalist with Eric Rollins

Subscribe for interviews on the Constitution, California, and candidates who actually talk about receipts.

#California #HerbMorgan #StateController #RadicalTransparency #GoldenTicket #SteveHilton #Prop39 #HighSpeedRail #CaliforniaPolitics #TheConstitutionalist

Eric Rollins sits down with Kyle Kirkland, Republican nominee for California’s 21st Congressional District, on The Constitutionalist.Kirkland is a Fresno businessman and political outsider — former chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments, owner of Club One Casino, president of the California Gaming Association, chair of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, and founder of a Valley animal-rescue foundation.He tells Eric why he ran: cost of living, not a political career ladder. His phrase for the race is “affordable abundance.” Over the last 20 years — the same window Jim Costa has held this seat — Kirkland says California stopped producing: oil down 60%, gasoline refining down 40%, housing starts down 50%, farms down 20%, dairies down 50%, water storage down 30%, and in-state electric production down 30%.They cover leadership at Steinway and Club One, Measure Z and the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, poverty and tax-dollar value in CA-21, district boundaries from Fresno and Clovis down Highway 99 to northern Visalia, why Costa should debate, two Californias, Rob Bonta’s attempt to outlaw blackjack, Michael Gates for Attorney General, and the Constitution as a durable republic — not a raw democracy.Kirkland’s close: if you don’t vote, you’re voting for the other guy. Last midterm, about 70,000 Republicans and conservative no-party-preference voters sat it out. The last challenger lost by about 10,000.GuestWebsite: kirkland2026.comSearch “Kirkland 2026” / “Kirkland for Congress” on Facebook, Instagram, and XThe ConstitutionalistYouTube: The Constitutionalist PodcastRumble: TheConstitutionalistPodcastInstagram: @theconstitutionalistspodcastNext week: Herb Morgan.CHAPTERS00:00 Theme & open01:10 Welcome Kyle Kirkland02:10 Leadership — Steinway & Club One05:20 Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Measure Z & John Dolan12:40 Poverty in CA-21 and value for tax dollars15:20 Why he’s running for Congress18:40 How he makes hard decisions23:10 District map: Fresno, Clovis, 99 corridor, Visalia25:20 Costa, debates, and rubber chickens28:00 Ag engine and two Californias33:10 Bonta, blackjack, and Michael Gates37:20 Favorite part of the Constitution42:00 Lincoln, failure, and stray kittens44:20 Affordable abundance — the production collapse52:40 Housing, regulation, oil, and “Sacramento stupid”57:20 Close: kirkland2026.com and next week(Tighten chapter times after the edit is locked.)#TheConstitutionalist #KyleKirkland #CA21 #Fresno #Clovis #CentralValley #EricRollins

Eric Rollins welcomes back Shane Lewis—U.S. Marine, father, worship leader, R&D engineer, and Republican candidate for California’s 18th Congressional District. CA-18 stretches across six counties: parts of Fresno, Kings, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara, plus all of San Benito. It’s 2½ hours north-to-south—farm communities like Salinas, King City, and Watsonville sitting next to denser pockets in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and East San Jose.Lewis’s core claim is simple and constitutional: the Preamble already defines the job. Government exists so you can secure the blessings of liberty. It is not supposed to decide your values, raise your kids, or tax you first and ask later.They walk through:Why water and power infrastructure (largely unchanged since the 1960s) is the farm-country issue that also drives city affordabilityCost data since the ACA era: electricity, water, housing, and healthcare up far more than wages—leaving middle- and low-income families with roughly 40% less real room after basicsMaking healthcare premiums, care for aging parents, gym, and self-defense 100% deductible so “rights” actually stay off-limits to the taxmanHIPAA used by California to wall parents off from minors on abortion, pregnancy, and other major decisions—and Lewis’s plan to force parental notification while keeping age-appropriate privacyHomelessness as a community-and-family obligation, not a binary “government or chaos” choiceCivics in grades 2–12 and financial independenceSix years, then home—not a career in WashingtonIncumbent Zoe Lofgren has been in government about 30 years. Lewis says the difference is a father who has watched government crowd out parents and wants Congress to support families instead of substituting for them.Find Shane:https://www.shanelewisforcongress.comFacebook & Instagram | X: @SLewis4CongressIf you believe California still has room for first principles, share this episode and help a Marine who wants to be the water boy on the House floor.The Constitutionalist with Eric RollinsProduced by Phillip Villanueva (PhillVill) / Echo Light Media / Podcast Lair Network and StudioLike, subscribe, comment, and share. Let’s make California roar again.Suggested timestamps00:00 – Intro / “I’m a constitutionalist through and through”01:00 – Welcome back: Marine, father, man of God, candidate02:53 – What CA-18 actually is (six counties, farm + city)05:04 – Water infrastructure as the campaign’s spine07:03 – What urban and rural families have in common09:50 – Role of government: Preamble, not politicians14:09 – Career politician vs. someone who still has kids at home16:52 – Homelessness, charity, and who actually owns the problem20:03 – Taxation as the real wall between rights and government21:08 – Healthcare as a right → 100% deductible25:05 – What voters say: water in the valley, affordability in town28:02 – Five regulated basics pricing families out of houses31:38 – “Call me water boy” + nuclear / hydro34:06 – Parental rights, AB 1955, and a HIPAA overhaul38:13 – Allies, first principles, illegal immigration & apportionment40:12 – First-day wins, kids, six years then home42:36 – Website, hope, civics + financial independence44:34 – Close / call to help shift California

No scheduled guest — so this one is unscripted.

Eric Rollins and producer Phil Villanueva talk through the issues hitting California households right now:

• High energy bills, solar costs, and whether California is using its existing clean-power options• Measure C, road conditions, bike-lane mandates, and the fight over local control in Fresno and Clovis• City and county decisions that affect traffic, taxes, and who actually sets policy• Proposed data centers in the Valley and the debate over water and power• Homelessness policy, enforcement differences between cities, and what “housing first” has produced• Universal mail-in voting, long vote-counting windows, and why election rules matter• A rare example of an elected official who takes a clear public stand• A closing discussion on America First, defense vs. endless conflict, and how younger and older voters talk past each other

This is a more informal episode — conversation, not a formal interview.

If you live in the Central Valley, this one is especially relevant.

Like, subscribe, comment, and share. It helps more people find the show.

The Constitutionalist with Eric RollinsProduced by Phillip Villanueva (PhillVill) / Echo Light Media / Podcast Lair Network and Studio

00:00 – Open / why this episode is different03:00 – California’s cost-of-living and energy debate12:00 – Measure C, roads, and local control24:00 – School-board and city-council controversies31:00 – Data centers, water, and power36:00 – Homelessness and enforcement45:00 – Election rules and mail-in voting58:00 – Politicians who take responsibility1:02:00 – America First, defense, and generational divides1:15:00 – Close

AOC is rising. Gavin Newsom is falling. Xavier Becerra is running from questions. And the Democratic Socialists of America want to remake America from the foundation up.

Eric Rollins covers the latest national and California headlines: Newsom’s second $11 million mansion, the 85,000 unaccompanied migrant kids still missing under Becerra’s HHS tenure, California’s new $66-per-hour FOIA fee, the DSA’s open borders/defund-the-police platform, and the absurdity of self-ID rules in women’s sports — highlighted when a 6'10" former player declared for the WNBA.

The episode closes on real hope: young people in the Valley (and beyond) who are quietly rejecting the woke orthodoxy and holding to faith, liberty, and common sense.

The Constitutionalist with Eric Rollins.

Eric Rollins talks with Jim Paulsgrove, candidate for California Assembly District 31. Jim shares his focus on making life more affordable for everyday Californians, reducing unnecessary costs, and encouraging more people to participate in elections.He emphasizes listening to constituents, practical solutions, and the importance of personal conversations in the community.Constitutionalist Podcast Links YouTube: The Constitutionalist PodcastRumble: TheConstitutionalistPodcastInstagram: theconstitutionalistspodcastGuest LinksWebsite: paulsgrove4calif.comEmail: [email protected]: Search “Paulsgrove4Calif” on Facebook, Instagram, and XMeet & Greet: Wednesday, August 5, 4:30–7:30 PM at Mike’s Pizzeria in FresnoChapter Timestamps00:00 - Intro & Jim Paulsgrove01:40 - Common Sense & Everyday Costs05:00 - Vehicle Costs & Living Expenses09:00 - Encouraging More People to Vote14:00 - Listening to Constituents20:00 - Protecting Property Owners26:00 - Practical Solutions for Families32:00 - Important Ballot Measures38:00 - Campaign Info & Event42:00 - Closing Message