Look West: How California Is Leading The Nation

Hope is finally here. Listen to Look West as Dr. Elaine Batchlor and Dr. Jorge Reyno, experts from MLK Hospital in LA talk vaccines with Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, a former first responder. We also chat up two front line health workers who talk about their experiences with the vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

With 2020 in the rearview mirror, new laws are coming your way on January 1st. In this episode of Look West you’ll hear from the authors of legislation that will affect millions of Californians in 2021. Listen as Assemblymembers Eloise Gómez Reyes, Mike Gipson, Dr. Shirley Weber, Jacqui Irwin and Sydney Kamlager, and State Senator Richard Pan tell you about their laws regarding COVID-19, community immunity, protecting domestic violence and sexual assault victims, implicit bias, first responders and a task force on reparations.

The Assembly Democratic Caucus will continue to be the most diverse majority in the history of the California State Assembly. Joining more than four dozen returning Democratic Assembly Members are five newly elected legislators: Steve Bennett (AD 37 – Ventura), Alex Lee (AD 25 – San Jose), Christopher Ward (AD 78 – San Diego), Lisa Calderon (AD 57 – Whittier) and Carlos Villapudua (AD 13 – Stockton). In this episode of Look West you’ll learn about their backgrounds, why they decided to accept public scrutiny of their lives and run for public office and what their top priorities will be as they begin their terms as Assemblymembers.

2020 is set to be the most violently deadly year on record for transgender and gender-conforming individuals. We recognize Transgender Awareness Week by delving into the hardships, successes and progression of the Transgender community with Human Rights Activist, Ebony Ava Harper and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. In this episode, we raise our voices for those who deserve visibility.

In Part 3, How We Fight, we discuss legislation, community organizing, police abolishment, Black economic investment, and the 2nd Amendment as just a few in the long list of tools needed to dismantle structural racism and white supremacy. Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager, Bryon F. Wilson, Headmaster of the Wilson Academy in Conyers, GA and leader of #HowWeFight, and Dr. Melina Abdullah, Co-founder Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, shed light on these issues.

The impact of the coronavirus on California schools reverberates throughout the rest of our communities. From missing proms and graduations to parents learning to home school their children, to the creation of a distance learning system, the closure and eventual reopening of schools directly impacts the students, teachers and administrators. But it also impacts the parents, our neighborhoods and the business community.  Look West talks with Assemblymembers Patrick O'Donnell (Chair of the Education Committee), Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Cristina Garcia and local school officials about the day the schools were shut down, how to reopen the schools safely and addressing the inequities in the school systems that have been magnified by the coronavirus crisis.

Continuing our discussion on race with Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber and guest, Rosalyn O'Neale, a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist, to talk about affirmative action, considering reparations for the descendants of former slaves, and how to foster communities and workplaces that not only include, but also celebrate diverse voices. In a time when nationwide protests hit home across California, Assemblymembers are listening to the experts and their communities to bring forth reformative policies to promote inclusion and diversity in the democratic process.   

While week-long peaceful demonstrations across California continue on, our podcast team spoke with Assemblymember Gipson, a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, and his guest Eva Tak, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and former police lieutenant, on racial inequality and the role police can play moving forward.

The World Health Organization and the United Nations have issued warnings of a pending global mental health crisis due to the wide, long-lasting implications of the coronavirus outbreak. Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Sharon Quirk-Silva, James Ramos, and Phil Ting address the growing needs for mental health during this pandemic and what communities are affected the most. They emphasize these issues and specific ways to take care of our mental health.

In Part 1 of Look West’s coronavirus mental health response, California’s Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, shares her expertise about how increased stress negatively impacts physical health and how to manage it. Next week, in Part 2, Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Sharon Quirk-Silva, James Ramos and Phil Ting share their insights on mental health and what they’re doing to address the mental health concerns of the people in their districts and all of California.  

On this episode of Look West you’ll hear about maintaining public health by staying together even though we’re apart. How widespread testing and tracing will be needed to maintain public health when the state begins to reopen. What it’s like for one nurse who works at the intersection of public health and the health care system – a covid-19 intensive care unit. And, from former ER physician now State Assemblymember, Dr. Joaquin Arambula.

Being a first responder has always been a very difficult job. The Covid-19 crisis has made that job even more stressful and dangerous. Two former first responders, who now serve in the State Assembly, talk about the challenges facing first responders today and how the State Legislature is working to make it safer for all the front line personnel.

#WorkFromHome is the hashtag of the moment. Millions of Californians are staying at home to flatten the curve of the coronavirus. On this episode of Look West California Assembly Democrats report in from their homes about the impacts of the COVID-19 quarantine in their districts and in their homes.

The Census count happens every ten years. Each Census response is a piece of a puzzle that, when completed, creates a picture of who we are as Americans and Californians. And how best our resources can be shared. The Census determines how the federal government funds and responds to the needs of families, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, roads, and community centers. In this episode, Assemblymember Marc Berman, Chair of the California Assembly Select Committee on the Census and Secretary of State Alex Padilla discuss the importance of filling out the 2020 Census form.

Assemblymembers Evan Low & Cecilia Aguiar-Curry discuss legislative efforts to increase civic engagement in our youth and Latinx populations to ensure a more diverse and inclusive electorate. Special guests in this episode include Dr. Mindy Romero, Director & Founder of the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), Jesse Salinas, Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Chief Elections Official from the Yolo County Registrar, and four student delegates including the Youth Governor and his Chief of Staff, Youth Chief Justice, and Youth Chaplain from the 72nd CA YMCA Youth & Government Model Legislature & Court.

Go in-depth with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and her husband, Giffords Executive Director Peter Ambler, as they discuss their efforts to prevent gun violence in California and nationwide, and how this work brought them together.

January 22nd, 2020 celebrates the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. In those 47 years, the decision has been challenged tightening restrictions towards abortions and healthcare providers. In contrast, CA legislators and activists have worked tirelessly to establish the state as a safe-haven for women and anyone seeking help towards their reproductive health. Listen to our conversation with women's rights champions Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks, Bauer-Kahan, and Planned Parenthood's President and CEO of Mar Monte Stacy Cross as we discuss the state of women's health and reproductive rights and why CA is needed to continue to lead the nation.

Consumers can always learn more about how to protect the information companies know about them. In Part 2 on this issue, we sit down with Elizabeth Gettleman Galicia, Vice President of Common Sense Media. She shares her knowledge of the CCPA, what the new law does for privacy rights, and tips for navigating data privacy in the digital age. After listening, check out commonsense.org/privacy-rights for resources.

Living in the digital age should not mean that we have to live without privacy. California’s new law, the CCPA, is giving consumers the rights and resources they need to start taking back control of their own data and personal information. In Part 1, we talked with to the bill’s author, Assemblymember Chau, and privacy activist and founder of Californians for Consumer Privacy, Alastair Mactaggart, on how we’re taking back control, and where the nation is heading on this issue.

Youth tackle football is as controversial as it is prevalent in California. Thousands of California kids suit up and play just like their heroes in the NFL—but are their heads protected? Can the game be made safer? The program features a discussion with retired San Francisco 49er George Visger, who talks about both his life in football and afterward living with the brain injuries brought on by his time on the field. His story provides the context for why Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty and Jim Cooper wanted to tackle these tough questions by introducing their specific bills that ultimately became law.