The Capitol Connection: An Inside Look at How Laws Impacting Public Safety in California are Made: Part 2

WEBVTT
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:10.320
Hello everybody.
00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:19.839
This is part two of our episode that we deal with the legislative processes in Sacramento that impact public safety locally.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.440
It seems like the next logical point is when it gets to the commit the the various committees, right?
00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:26.079
Right.
00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:35.359
And um, you know, for us in our particular job, uh dealing with the public safety committee is something that you do on a regular basis, right?
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:36.000
Correct.
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:43.600
Um So the nature of California politics, it's is uh uh um overwhelmingly democratic, right?
00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:50.159
And so the democratic side of the uh equation gets to a point who's on the public safety committee.
00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:58.719
And as you noted earlier, they tend to uh put more of their members on the committee than the other side's members.
00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:06.799
Um I'm assuming that you spend a lot of time getting to know the members of the public safety committee.
00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:07.920
Is that is that a first aim?
00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:08.480
Absolutely.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:20.319
And uh how is it uh doing your job in California with the makeup of the Public Safety Committee as it stands today?
00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:20.799
Trevor Burrus Yeah.
00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:21.840
It's challenging.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:39.359
Um both houses have the Senate and the Assembly have, I think, figured out that public safety is one of those issues where there are certainly partisan divides, but there are also some members who maybe are closer to the middle on the political spectrum who have a harder time.
00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:56.000
And what I mean by that is um progressive or more liberal Democrats may be willing to vote a certain way, um, whereas moderate Democrats who maybe have their you know again, Republicans tend to be associated with a more law and order or tough-on-crime approach.
00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:01.439
And again, that's a a stereotype or a you know classification.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:02.159
Right.
00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:02.560
Yeah.
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:19.520
But the way we've seen that in the past is when there have been moderate Democrats who get put on the public safety committee, and they pretty quickly get taken off the committee by the leadership because they might look at a bill that their liberal colleagues say, hey, we're not voting for that.
00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:24.240
It puts more people in prison, or you know, it doesn't focus on rehabilitation.
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:28.800
And uh maybe a more moderate Democrat member says, I'm okay with that.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:31.280
I'm you know, uh this matches up with my belief.
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:38.400
So uh maybe I'm uh more liberal on other issues, but crime is uh an issue I'm more conservative on.
00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:44.400
Um and so one, someone like me, you have to know those those realities of the members.
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:50.479
Uh but it is very challenging because now there aren't typically moderate Democrats on the public safety committees.
00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:57.680
And the public safety committees are kind of designed to be a filter and and not a filter in a good way.
00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:22.960
But um I'll just say a lot of what I would consider to be good legislation, what uh my clients would bills that my clients would support in the law enforcement space routinely die in the public safety committee because the committee makeup is such that it doesn't - even though it's a subset of the legislature, it may not accurately reflect the true politics and ideology of the body as a whole.
00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:32.800
And what I mean by that is there are certainly bills every year that die in the Public Safety Committee because they can't garner enough support among the very small subset of members there.
00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:42.319
So maybe with the seven members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee or the Senate Public Safety Committee, may not have enough support among the membership there.
00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:56.560
But if you took the same idea to the entirety of the Assembly, for example, you may have more success because overall the body does have more moderate voices or voices at all points along the political spectrum.
00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:13.439
Whereas the committees oftentimes, especially the public safety committee, are drawn in such a way that it has the more progressive members to fit that um that profile of not wanting to pass certain types of legislation.
00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:26.639
And you know, there's still a sentiment of anti-law enforcement or um concern about law enforcement or concern about the powers that law enforcement has or um practices.
00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:42.399
Um certainly um we've seen in California over the past uh you know, coming up on what, eight years, uh maybe a little bit more, nine, ten years, um with the first Trump administration, right?
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:46.319
California was pushing back on the federal government, right?
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.279
So um you have that dynamic as well.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:57.120
Whereas, you know, maybe the president has a thought on a particular matter and California's outlook is to say, we're gonna do the opposite of that.
00:04:57.439 --> 00:04:59.279
So we don't want to support the president.
00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:03.839
Um so all of that comes together and makes it very challenging a lot of times.
00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:16.240
And again, if we if our audience was the entirety of the assembly, uh, for example, we might be able to either stop a bad bill or get a good bill passed, but the public safety committee definitely acts as a filter.
00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.360
And that's shown because there are a lot of bad bills.
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:28.160
Again, bad bills from my perspective or from perhaps the State Sheriff's Association or law enforcement's perspective, that they pass out of the public safety committee.
00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:30.000
They're approved by that group of members.
00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:33.839
When it gets to the full assembly, might be a different picture sometimes.
00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:34.160
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:34.399
Sure.
00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:35.040
Sure.
00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:41.759
Well, I think I think what people probably don't have a real understanding of is how powerful these committees are.
00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:56.319
And from the standpoint of public safety, the public safety committees, both in the Senate and in the Assembly, again, being stacked by the majority party, the Democratic Party, with the kind of more progressive or ultra-progressive individuals.
00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:13.279
Um I think my experience or my perception of it is the public safety committee is where good bills, and when I say good bills, I'm talking about bills that we believe as law enforcement public safety professionals would benefit public safety, that's where they go to die.
00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:13.759
Right?
00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:14.639
Totally fair.
00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:15.040
Yeah.
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:15.839
Go go to die.
00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:25.199
And our chances of getting them through and getting good public policy as it relates to public safety passed are killed by five to seven people, right?
00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:26.079
Totally fair.
00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:26.399
Yeah.
00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:27.199
Absolutely.
00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.160
And um uh on a quick question on that.
00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:40.560
On the on the uh Republican side of it, does the do the Republicans to get to say who fills those seats on the public safety committee, or is there a vetting process that occurs to the Democratic Party?
00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:44.480
Aaron Ross Powell So the the leaders of the Democrats make all the appointments.
00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:44.879
Okay.
00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:52.560
Typically the Republicans can have some say if they you know they say, well, this member would really like to be on this committee.
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:52.959
Okay.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.879
That that gets taken into consideration.
00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:55.360
Okay.
00:06:55.519 --> 00:07:01.759
Um it's not always a straight up, hey, Republican leader, you tell us who you want on this committee and we'll we'll put them on there.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.000
Um it's it's sort of in the middle.
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:04.240
Yeah.
00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:14.560
Um buttons they control the numbers significantly, but they also control the ideology of the opposing party as well to some degree, right?
00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:14.800
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:17.439
Well, and I mean it it it goes like that for staff too.
00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:22.959
They typically defer to Republican members, for example, um to who they hire.
00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:27.120
But all all staff, I mean I was a Republican staffer.
00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:27.360
Yeah.
00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:31.120
I still worked for the Assembly Rules Committee or the Senate Rules Committee.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:32.399
So I worked for the House.
00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:32.800
Yeah.
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:40.480
So uh my boss my Republican boss could fire me if he or she wanted to, but the House could also fire me, too.
00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:49.920
The the the individual member I worked for couldn't stop if the you know if I had upset the Senate leadership, for example, they could fire.
00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:53.680
I was an employee of the House, not the member necessarily.
00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:53.920
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:54.160
Wow.
00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:54.480
Yeah.
00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:55.040
Wow.
00:07:55.600 --> 00:08:10.240
So I think the other piece of that which I'll you know is interesting is that you know if you looked at you know, California from a political standpoint, clearly uh there are you know uh a democratic majority uh from the in terms of the voting populace, right?
00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:17.199
Um but it's I I I think in the last election it was somewhere around sixty, forty.
00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:19.839
Is that a I think that's right.
00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:24.160
I mean depending on the issue or the candidate, probably high fifties, low sixties, statewide.
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:24.560
Yeah.
00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:43.039
Okay, so you know, let's say it's high forties or close to close to fifty, but but um I don't necessarily believe that the uh uh uh legislator and either the assembly or the Senate accurately represent the demographics of the voter in terms of the split.
00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:44.240
No.
00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:45.759
No, not at all.
00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:47.679
No, because oh sorry, go ahead.
00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:48.000
Right.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:51.600
And for that matter, on the committees, it's even more skewed, right?
00:08:51.840 --> 00:09:12.240
Right towards the and so as a result of that, what the general populace would see as good public policy or view perhaps as bad public policy doesn't get represented accurately or fairly, especially in the committee that uh is part of the process, right?
00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:12.559
Right.
00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:13.519
No, that's fair.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:27.759
And I mean in in fact now it's the case that um certainly without looking at voter registration or um or or just straight up if you asked every single Californian what their political proclivities are, right?
00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:32.240
Um it almost assuredly doesn't reflect the legislative makeup.
00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:39.840
And so that's a that's a result of how the districts are drawn and and who gets elected to those districts and maybe even timely comment that is, isn't it?
00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:41.279
The primary process, right?
00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:48.399
So um right now the legislature, um both houses are about 75 percent Democrat.
00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:48.799
Right.
00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:58.720
So there are the 25 percent of Republicans, that's probably pretty close to the voter registration number, because the number of registered Republicans is pretty low.
00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:00.000
I think it's in the mid-20s.
00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:02.399
There's a lot of decline to state uh now.
00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:07.919
And then I think Democrat registered voters makes up mid-40s, I think.
00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:08.320
Okay.
00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.399
Um so decline to state has has grown significantly.
00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:15.360
Those folks vote any number of ways, right?
00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:25.120
They may be so disenfranchised by the right or by the left that they don't want to associate with any party, and so they could have any, you know, they could fall anywhere on the political spectrum.
00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:25.440
Yeah.
00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:27.120
Um so it's hard to do that.
00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:28.000
But you're right.
00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:33.440
The um the the just the numbers of legislators and the party they represent.
00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:53.039
And that's why when I was talking about modern Democrats, that's why that's that's where a lot of the play is or where a lot of the work is done, um, especially in our space, in the public safety space, because yes, the person's a Democrat, they're a vote for the speaker, they may not agree with the most progressive members of their caucus.
00:10:53.200 --> 00:11:00.399
And I would say there's a lot more variation, certainly on the public safety issue among the Democrats than there is the Republicans.
00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:11.919
So in other words, the distance between the most conservative and the least conservative Republicans is far shorter or smaller than the distance between the most progressive and least progressive Democrats on our issue.
00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:12.240
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.159
Well, I want to talk about that in a minute.
00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:29.039
Um but uh just before we move off of the committees, uh as I you know suggested, my view is that you know uh the Public Safety Committee is a place where uh good bills go to die.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:42.799
But the other side of that coin is that it is a place where bad bills, and from my my perspective, bad bills are bills that have a negative impact on public safety, uh go to uh thrive and ultimately be advanced.
00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:58.080
And I know that you work hard to try to uh kill the bill, if you will, in the public safety committee, but if it if we think it's a bad bill, but um that's probably uh those victories are fairly few and far between.
00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:59.440
Aaron Ross Powell It's a math problem.
00:11:59.519 --> 00:11:59.919
Aaron Powell Yes.
00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:00.399
Yeah.
00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:15.440
It's I mean again, when you have a seven-member committee and you need four votes to effectuate your position because it requires affirmative votes, um you've got say five and two, five Democrats, two Republicans.
00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:19.600
Well, one of the Democrats doesn't even have to vote for the bill as long as you get the other four.
00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:20.000
Yeah.
00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:33.360
Um so it's not it it is very difficult because if we're going to stop something we have to convince on that seven-member committee, we have to convince three of the Democrats um to not vote for the bill.
00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:33.679
Yeah.
00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:34.480
I guess two.
00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:36.559
But that that becomes rare.
00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:36.799
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:37.039
Sure.
00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:51.200
Um because given the makeup of that particular because they are typically not moderate, you know, they are the more progressive who, again, on something that you and I would consider a bad bill, um, they're going to be okay with.
00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:54.720
So it moves to the generally speaking, appropriations.
00:12:55.039 --> 00:13:01.279
And that's another opportunity to perhaps um you know advocate for a good bill, but also kill a bad bill.
00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:01.600
Right.
00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:07.840
Uh if you can point to a significant uh budgetary financial implication, right?
00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:08.080
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:08.320
Absolutely.
00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.080
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: So your argument changes a little bit, right?
00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:10.559
Yeah.
00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:11.200
It does.
00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:18.799
In policy, uh public safety, this is this is bad, there's going to be blood in the streets, or you know, whatever the, or if you don't do this, we blood in the streets.
00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:20.879
On the other side, is this is going to cost way too much.
00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:21.120
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:21.279
Right.
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:21.600
Right?
00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:22.000
Right.
00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:31.440
Yeah, we might have a bill that you know uh tries to effectuate a training practice, um, for example, on law enforcement that we disagree with.
00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:36.720
It doesn't match up with what law enforcement experts have said, hey, this is the right way to train on something.
00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:37.519
And so we might have a lot of people.
00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:50.320
We might disagree on the policy, and then we turn around and say, well, okay, so not only is it bad policy, but we have concerns because now this is going to crowd out some other training, right?
00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:58.080
Or we don't have the resources at the county level to pay for all these deputy sheriffs to be retrained in this particular whatever it might be.
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:03.120
Now we're not against training, but you know, again, it's you you take the combination of the policy and the cost.
00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.240
So yeah, that's another opportunity to engage, either for or against.
00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:06.639
Yeah.
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:20.480
So if it makes it uh into the uh full assembly or the full Senate, depending on where it started, it seems to me that's where the game shifts, where you start uh really focusing on the moderates.
00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:28.879
Because let's face it, you can lobby uh Republicans, the California state legislature all day long, and you're still not going to get much done, right?
00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:30.080
Again, it's a math problem.
00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:31.200
It's a math problem, 100%.
00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:31.519
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:42.240
And so that's where uh targeting or going after the moderates to either support what we think is good public policy or kill or vote against bad public policy.
00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:43.679
That's what that's the war there.
00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:44.080
Is that correct?
00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:44.639
Absolutely.
00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:45.200
Yeah.
00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:51.919
And of the breakup of the of the the Democrats, how many would you consider moderate versus not moderate, I guess.
00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:55.679
It depends on the on the issue because there are sense, yeah.
00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:56.080
Yeah.
00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:05.039
And and there are probably I would say, you know, so there the assembly, there are sixty or sixty-one Democrats out of the eighty.
00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:05.279
Yeah.
00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:08.480
I can't remember because there's, you know, someone has resigned and there's a special election.
00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.080
But let's just say sixty right now.
00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:10.320
Yeah.
00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:25.440
Um probably 10 to 12, I would say Democrats are I would put them in the moderate in nearly every uh issue area.
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:25.840
Yeah.
00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:26.159
Right.
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:26.399
Yeah.
00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:30.879
Um business issues, taxation, public safety, things like that.
00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:41.440
And then you have um a few members who they may be moderates on business issues but not public safety, or they might be moderates on public safety, but not business issues.
00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:56.879
So I mean, at any given time in this current legislation legislative session, I'd say between 12 and 18, like pure like fairly reliable moderates, if you will.
00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:57.200
Yeah.
00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:05.279
So those become our first target when we're when we're working a bill, either trying to pass something good, but more frequently trying to stop something bad.
00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:24.000
Yeah, because that really in this during my tenure as sheriff, it seems like uh the State Sheriff Association, in often in conjunction with the California Chiefs of Police, many times the DAs, chief probation officers, line staff, peace officers are fighting bad bills.
00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:28.960
We're trying to keep bad public policy from our perspective, public state, from being passed, right?
00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:32.559
Um it's been a mixed bag over the last, you know, ten years.
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:48.799
It seems to me that you're gonna have to there's a there's a there's quite a bit of research you're gonna have to do on members to determine to determine whether or not they're more progressive or moderate, um, almost like scouting for a baseball team, right, in terms of, you know, uh what their particular characteristics are.
00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:49.600
How do you do that?
00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:53.759
Um a lot of folks have a have a history that you can look at.
00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:58.879
So um a lot of people who run for the legislature have served in local government.
00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.039
Right.
00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.080
So they're on a city council or a school board or board of supervisors.
00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:05.200
So you get some sense of where they are there.
00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:14.000
Um again, you it it's more you you more have to look at the Democrats for that where they fall on the political spectrum.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:27.200
Um it's also challenging, and it's interesting you said you have to do that research because um as elections start to shake out, so candidates declare, hey, I'm running for this open seat or I'm gonna challenge this person.
00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.880
We're we're absolutely looking at that, you know, from a lobbyist perspective.
00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:32.480
Okay, who's running for this seat?
00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:32.720
Yeah.
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.279
Are they more moderate or more progressive?
00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.480
Who are they replacing?
00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:39.119
Are they replacing a progressive or a moderate?
00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:41.680
Um, and and where do we think they're gonna be?
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:45.599
So we might meet with candidates before they even get elected.
00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:50.720
We meet with them as soon as they're elected, all the new members, um, to get a sense of where they are.
00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:56.319
In the end, you don't even really know though, until they get put on a committee and they start having to cast votes.
00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:56.640
Sure.
00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:09.519
Because I can't I I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation with an incoming member or a candidate who have said, oh yeah, I'm uh I'm with the cops on this, or I'm, you know, I'm I'm for public safety.
00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:11.680
I'm gonna vote this particular way.
00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:22.079
And then, you know, the rubber hits the road and they're now facing a vote, and they get told by the party leadership, or they're they understand the expectation of the party leadership.
00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:23.680
No, no, you're not voting for that bill.
00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.319
Yeah, you can't, you know, you can't do that.
00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:29.519
Maybe they would, you know, in a vacuum.
00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.880
Um and so they don't.
00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:43.759
I mean, I had uh an example we were talking about the new member training from years and years ago when I worked in transportation issues, and you know, the big fight among Democrats and Republicans was do we build more roads, right?
00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:44.720
There's traffic everywhere.
00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:48.000
Should we build more highway lanes or should we build more transit?
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.680
You know, buses, trains, things like that.
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:50.000
Right.
00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.799
So that that kind of breaks down on some partisan issues.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:19:03.519
So there was a particular Democrat um who represented San Francisco, and we're doing the new member training, and and we're, you know, we're given kind of the mutt and Jeff routine, right?
00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:09.039
Me and the chief consultant, he says, you know, well, the Democrats ought to think there ought to be more transit and rail.
00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:18.400
And you know, the Republicans, I'm the Republican staff, where I go, yeah, we got all these carpool lanes that nobody's driving in while the rest of the lanes, you know, stay uh congested.
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.359
So we need more highway lanes, and you know, we go back and forth.
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:31.599
And after the training, this uh this incoming member from San Francisco, very liberal Democrat, um, pulls me aside and goes, Hey, I just want you to know I'm a roads guy.
00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:33.279
I think we got to build more roads.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:34.880
I said, Great to hear it.
00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:35.039
Right.
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:37.279
Can't wait to see you on the Transportation Committee.
00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:46.720
So fast forward to the first Transportation Committee hearing, and we're sitting on the dais, and I'm sitting next to the Republican leader or the ranking Republican member.
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:55.920
And the I don't even remember what the bill was, but it was to build more transit or it was to it was to kill a bill that was, you know, adding more lanes.
00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:56.240
Yeah.
00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:56.480
Yeah.
00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:01.599
And and so it comes to this member and they call his name and he votes not for roads.
00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.680
The opposite way that he would have said he would have.
00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:11.440
And so I just kind of you know peered over the the dice to look at him and he kind of sheepishly looks back at me because he knows what he had said to me.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:11.599
Yeah.
00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:21.119
Not that it matters, but he kind of just you know and it's the perfect example because he he may have believed in what he said.
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:21.599
For sure.
00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.200
When you know I'm a Rhodes guy.
00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:23.599
Okay.
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:23.920
Yeah.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:29.200
But when he found out, well, we're not voting for that bill, we're killing that bill.
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:29.519
Yeah.
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:40.000
Like, well, his loyalty to the party uh took over for you know, instead of what he thought, maybe what he thought about the individual bill on his own.
00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:40.319
Yeah.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:59.440
Well, you bring up and I'm gonna tell you, that's the other piece of this whole puzzle that often rubs me the wrong way, and that I think engenders this notion that there's this corruption or this uh state of affairs that stack it against what the will of the people actually are.
00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:09.119
Because when you run for one of these positions, you go out and you tell people, hey, I'm one of you, I'm gonna go there and I'm gonna I'm gonna represent your interests, I'm gonna do what's in the best interests of my constituents.
00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:16.799
But when you get there, you find that oftentimes you get pressured by leadership in in the controlling party.
00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:26.480
I'm sure I it it happens at both parties, it doesn't matter what what party you're in, but you get pressured in leadership to voting the party line, whatever the party line happens to be.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:38.559
And um in that regard, and and the and the the the penalty, of course, is if you don't, you're ostracized and you're punished and you're not allowed to do anything else that you tried to do, right?
00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:40.640
Take away your staff, you get a smaller office.
00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:41.359
Exactly.
00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:41.759
Exactly.
00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:46.799
It's this it's it's it's this bullying that occurs.
00:21:46.960 --> 00:22:10.480
Um and that's where you know minority views and opinions get pushed out and impact the majority of Californians is oftentimes um You know, based on uh motivations that don't serve good governing or the adoption of good policy.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.119
Sure.
00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:22.799
Um and you know, for example, and I'll I'll say this, um there's a there's a a fair amount of legislation, especially in the public safety area, that is um based on emotion and virtue signaling.
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:24.960
I think that's fair.
00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:25.359
Yeah.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.799
Like the mask.
00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.680
The mask issue with regard to law enforcement.
00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:43.599
And I'll you know, uh for those of you who don't know, the legislature and the governor recently passed a law prohibiting law enforcement officers, actually local law enforcement officers and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks.
00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:52.880
But as you illustrated in your uh in your um blue shirt um example, once it got to the lawyers, it wasn't just masks.
00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:59.200
There was a whole host of things uh that could be construed as face coverings that are prohibited by the law now, right?
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.839
Trevor Burrus Both in the right way and in the wrong way.
00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:02.480
Aaron Ross Powell For sure.
00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:08.000
So you you had by saying the word mask, you have to define that.
00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:08.319
Right.
00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:08.720
Right?
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.160
Because um I mean I could there you go.
00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:13.039
Is that a mask?
00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:15.359
Yeah.
00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:17.839
So it becomes well, mask or facial covering.
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:21.359
And facial covering has a, you know, has a whole host of implications.
00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:26.400
And so then they say, well, um well okay, so what about a gas mask?
00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:31.279
I mean, the initial version of the bill would have made it unlawful for a cop to wear a gas mask.
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:31.599
Yeah.
00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:32.480
Well, that's ridiculous.
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.079
Like, okay, well, we'll fix that.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:34.319
Okay.
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:38.319
Okay, well, you fix it for tactical officers or those who serve on a SWAT team.
00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:39.519
What about everyone else?
00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:53.279
What if I'm a deputy sheriff and I'm the first to roll on the scene of a structure fire and I see this burning building, and I don't have an N95 or a breather or a respirator in the trunk of my car, but I do have an old t-shirt.
00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:53.440
Yeah.
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:59.519
And I see there's a person or a dog in the third floor window, and I'm gonna run in there and I'm gonna try to save this person.
00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:02.960
I'm gonna take that t-shirt and I'm gonna put it to my mouth or a bandana.
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:03.440
Yeah.
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:04.559
Is that a mask?
00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:09.599
Is that a fa I mean according to the def the bill's definition of a facial covering, it was a mask.
00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:10.640
So it's unlawful.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.480
So then you have to put in an exception.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:12.720
Yeah.
00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:20.000
So it becomes this drawn-out, you know, if A then B, but not C, and if it's this, then that.
00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:22.799
So you you get into that whole dance.
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:32.480
You get into the point you made very eloquently that the bill applies to local law enforcement and federal law enforcement, or at least that's the intended target.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:32.799
Right.
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:34.880
State law enforcement was exempted.
00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:35.119
Right.
00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:39.119
Now, the story behind why why would state law enforcement be exempted?
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:43.039
I mean, if it I mean it's the ultimate, if it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander, right?
00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:43.359
Yeah.
00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:56.960
Except law enforcement at the state level had raised, rightfully, concerns about the issues, you know, about some of the operational issues of saying you can't wear a mask or you are very limited in the situations in which you can wear a mask.
00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:59.759
And so they said, well, we need these changes to the bill.
00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:04.000
We we we have identified some issues, we would like you to change the bill.
00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:12.079
And rather than making changes to the bill to address state law enforcement's issues, like the High Patrol, I mean, that's where kind of it came from.
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:12.640
Yeah.
00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:19.759
The author of the bill just said, uh, it'll be easier to exempt state law enforcement than have the bill apply to them.
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.079
Right.
00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:23.440
So now it looks like the state got state law enforcement got special treatment.
00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:24.079
Right.
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:25.839
That's for anyone to decide.
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:37.680
But if it's going to apply to you, Sheriff Honey, and your deputies here in Butte County, why shouldn't it apply to the Highway Patrol officer who works out of the local office?
00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:43.759
Um I mean, and and clearly, not to get too far into the weeds on this bill, but it was clearly an attempt.
00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:45.519
It was a shot across the bat, the federal government.
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:51.200
100% and what you know, what is going on with the federal immigration enforcement and practices.
00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:51.839
Yep.
00:25:52.160 --> 00:26:01.680
There are serious legal questions about whether or not the state can set up restrictions on what federal agents can do or not do.
00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:04.240
It the suit has already been filed.
00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:13.839
I'm not sure if it's uh ripe yet because the bill hasn't taken effect yet, but you know, it it will assuredly be challenged in a court.
00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:23.039
And the likely outcome, I suspect, is that the bill probably gets invalidated for most, if not all, of the federal application.
00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:24.720
The state officers are already out.
00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.319
So in the end, it'll affect local.
00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:28.240
It'll only affect local law enforcement.
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:28.480
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:28.880
Right.
00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:36.000
And and uh let me put a little finer point on that, because um this was 100 percent virtue signaling.
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:46.160
It was um uh California, many people were offended by ICE agents covering their faces to obscure their identity.
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:48.799
And so they enacted this law.
00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:59.920
Again, they kick- they kicked out the state cops because apparently uh crafting a piece of legislation that would have addressed their concerns wasn't um uh gonna be an easy thing to do.
00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:01.039
So we just exempt them.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:03.200
And I think that proves the absurdity of it.
00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:06.240
Apparently it wasn't it wasn't necessary.
00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:15.839
It wasn't necessary because local law enforcement wasn't running around doing their jobs on a daily basis with face coverings to obscure their identity.
00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:21.839
And for that matter, uh there's already a law in place that says you gotta wear a name tag and you have a badge with a badge number.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:36.079
There was no hiding our identity anyway, but they passed a law that wasn't solving a problem that existed at the local level and that is unenforceable against the federal authorities.
00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:57.200
And the fact that the State of California, again, passed a law that makes the job of local law enforcement officers potentially more difficult to do because they wanted to send a message to Donald Trump, I think is indicative of the um absurdity that we're continually dealing with there.
00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:02.160
And you don't have to make a comment on that because you don't work or you have to work with them, but that's the that's the way I feel about it.
00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:06.319
Trevor Burrus, well, and if you don't mind, I will make a comment, not necessarily on that because I don't disagree with that.
00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:07.119
Yeah, fair enough.
00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:14.319
But the I don't, for example, I mean it not not the mask bill, but but take other things.
00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:14.720
Sure.
00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:22.400
Right, where where we might look at an issue and there is a bill and we might say, you know what, this is almost assuredly unconstitutional.
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:22.720
Yeah.
00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:29.759
Violates the supremacy clause or you know, it violates the Fourth Amendment or or you know, something.
00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:30.079
Yeah.
00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:43.119
And I I've found that that's not a compelling argument to make a lot of times, because I've made that argument to legislators to say, you shouldn't vote for this bill because it's unconstitutional.
00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:49.279
And oftentimes the response is, well, that's fine, because I get to vote for the bill.
00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:58.799
I get to show my party I was with them, I get to put out a press release saying, hey, I voted to stop whatever scourge of humanity this bill was addressing.
00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:02.160
And I don't really think it's a great idea, candidly.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.799
And I don't necessarily disagree with you, but guess what?
00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.759
I get to vote for it.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:12.640
And then someone or some three someones or nine someones in black robes will say, you can't do this.
00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:18.720
Well, it's a win-win for that member, because they don't have to make the hard decision to vote against the bill.
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:24.240
They vote for it, they make their point if the bill gets ruled unconstitutional.
00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:28.079
So I've stopped arguing that a lot of times because I don't think it's compelling.
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:33.359
And in fact, it might encourage someone to vote for a bill saying, I'll get let off the hook here.
00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:33.599
Right.
00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:40.799
I'm not ultimately going to be responsible for the fallout of this, even though I get to take credit with those who want this to happen.
00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:41.200
Yeah.
00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:41.839
I tried.
00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:52.160
I'm not going to be responsible to those who I am disappointing or frustrating, because the court will get my back and go, yeah, of course this is unconstitutional.
00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:53.039
We can't do this.
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:56.960
This is it it's we've pivoted how we argue these things sometimes.
00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:02.640
Not so much with the mask bill, because it you have to like, hey, this is gonna go to court.
00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:07.680
And that's important because then it's the trickle down to it's only local law enforcement that you're impacting.
00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:22.000
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Well, I remember we had this very same argument back when I was the president of the CSS, and we were um trying to bring sanity to the equation when it came to the state's reaction to the Bruin case.
00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:36.799
And this whole sensitive areas uh aspect of it where yeah, go ahead and uh jump through all of these hoops and uh get a CCW, but we're gonna make it so that you can't carry it anywhere once you have it.
00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:38.799
And that's the whole sensitive uh areas.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:54.559
And I remember specifically you and I, and for that matter, the chief counsel for um for CSSA talked about being this you know, some of these uh provisions of then what was called SP2 being patently uh unconstitutional.
00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:56.400
But you're absolutely right.
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:57.359
It didn't matter.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:58.240
They didn't care.
00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:04.559
They were gonna they were gonna pass this and then let the court do what the court does.
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:12.240
Well and I think you I think you talked about this on a on a previous podcast, and I thought it was particularly astute, not to gas you up too much.
00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:18.400
Um But the the first bill that was written to address Bruin.
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:18.720
Yeah.
00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:22.799
The first bill in California, you know the Bruin case is argued.
00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.160
Um we're expecting a ruling in the Bruin case.
00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:31.440
Um for those that don't know, it's a Second Amendment case about the issuance of concealed weapons permission.
00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:31.839
Right.
00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:32.000
Yeah.
00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:32.960
So uh U.S.
00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:35.279
Supreme Court case that likely is going to impact.
00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:42.319
It's not based on a California law, but it's based on a law in another state that uh is substantially similar to California law at the time.
00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:42.559
Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:42.880
Exactly.
00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:46.960
So you know, everybody knew the case had been heard.
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:48.640
It was expecting a ruling.
00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:49.119
Yeah.
00:31:49.279 --> 00:32:06.880
Um and I think it took about 36 hours from the delivery of the Supreme Court's opinion in Bruin for the California Department of Justice to put out a bill to respond to the changes effectively required by Bruin.
00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:07.200
Right.
00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:14.559
The the point is they knew they they surmised very correctly what the Supreme Court was gonna say.
00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:14.960
Right.
00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:25.920
Because in the end, I don't think it was terribly mysterious, just based on how they had heard the arguments to the case and how they were signaling what what was gonna be the outcome of that.
00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:27.519
They had that bill ready to go.
00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:27.839
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:29.759
The bill was hundreds of pages of long.
00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:30.960
And it was written.
00:32:31.279 --> 00:32:35.839
I mean, it was and through several iterations, right?
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:39.440
Um, it wasn't just, oh no, there's a court case.
00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:39.680
Yeah.
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:41.200
We've gotta we've gotta deal with it.
00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:43.839
This thing was chambered for months.
00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:44.160
Yeah.
00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:46.720
Um and they were just waiting for the court case to come out.
00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:47.680
They read the court case.
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:49.119
Yeah, we we guessed right.
00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:49.440
Yeah.
00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:52.079
And so here's and here's the bill to address it.
00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:52.319
Yeah.
00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:57.279
Again, not necessarily with regard to what the court had just said.
00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:59.759
Um that sensitive issues language.
00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:13.599
I mean, the uh Bruin was not the first case to announce some of that, you know, shift in jurisprudence about um you know the historical nature of firearm regulation and things like that vis-a-vis the Second Amendment.
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.079
Um but no, we got to change our law.
00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:17.440
And they were ready to go.
00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:18.240
Here we go.
00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:18.640
Right.
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:25.440
And you know, and and now we're we're dealing with the the effects of that particular uh piece of a legislation as well.
00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:39.359
So I want to kind of get back to our process because we talked about the fight often with you, if a bill makes it to uh either the Senate or Assembly IV is is with the moderates and to try to figure out how you can identify who might be more willing.
00:33:39.599 --> 00:34:04.319
And uh so long as those individuals can survive the pressures uh put upon them by the majority, um if it's a uh if it's a bad bill and they are forced to vote for it and it lands on the governor's desk, or if it's a good bill, then uh either it lands on the governor's desk is passed, that's your next opportunity to try to advocate for or stop something good, right, with the governor's office.
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:04.720
Correct.
00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:05.119
Yeah.
00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:09.920
And so how is that different than your work in the assembly in terms of what you do?
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:13.119
It's a different, a little different audience.
00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:13.519
Okay.
00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:22.960
Um for the most part, recent governors haven't uh engaged too much during the legislative process.
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:23.519
Yeah.
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:30.239
So a governor might, you know, early on in a bill's life, might signal how they feel about it.
00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:30.639
Okay.
00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:34.320
Um they typically don't, just because there are so many bills.
00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:34.719
Sure.
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:40.480
They get amended typically four or five times before they get ultimately to their desk.
00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:47.360
So there there is virtue in saying, hey, I'm just not gonna weigh in until I see what I'm being asked to weigh in on.
00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:52.239
There are situations though where conceptually the governor might say, Hey, I'm I'm not with this.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:55.840
I am not gonna be okay with this, so don't even try.
00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:56.239
Yeah.
00:34:56.400 --> 00:35:02.400
Um, or they might signal, hey, I I would like you to send me a bill that does XYZ because I would like to sign that.
00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:04.960
It's rare, but it happens.
00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:13.119
Um but we have to, you know, in sort of parallel track with working on the legislature, we're also constantly communicating with the governor's office.
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:18.639
The governor has policy staff who, you know, they're sort of like the committees, they're broken up by issue areas.
00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:26.719
And so if it's public safety, you talk to this person, and um we're constantly in contact with them saying, hey, there's a bill that would do XYZ.
00:35:26.800 --> 00:35:27.679
We're opposed to it.
00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:35.519
Want to make sure it's on your radar because it's probably coming downstairs, which is how we refer to the governor's office, even though the governor's office is now upstairs in the building.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:36.800
But nevertheless.
00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:38.400
Yeah, in the swing space.
00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:39.039
Yes, exactly.
00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:49.440
It used to be in the in the old Capitol that's being that has been demolished and is being rebuilt, the governor's office was on the first floor, and all the legislative offices were above that, so the governor's office was downstairs.
00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:50.000
Okay.
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:57.199
Governor's office was also in the shape of a horseshoe, and so we still call the governor's office the horseshoe, even though it's just state office building.
00:35:57.360 --> 00:35:59.039
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Well, it also used to have a bear.
00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:00.800
Uh was a bronze bear up front?
00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:01.039
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:07.760
It was a bronze bear Governor Schwarzenegger um had put in that we affectionately referred to as bacteria bear.
00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:08.320
Right.
00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:25.440
Because uh as one might imagine, I mean, this the uh in the Capitol space, the the governor's office was, you know, sort of uh in a long hallway, and there are uh all throughout the year hordes of school children who are paraded through the State Capitol.
00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:27.039
I don't think we have anything as the school children.
00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:30.000
They're just they just tend to be more sick than you do.
00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:34.159
And they're and I and sometimes they don't understand that they're in a place of work for sure.
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:36.320
So you know my I'm working there.
00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:48.800
But so the so the you know, these fourth graders, or maybe younger, maybe older, they come in and they see a bronze bear that's you know six feet you know wide and five feet tall.
00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:52.639
And um the first thing they do is touch the stupid thing.
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.119
Right, right.
00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:56.239
And so it got affectionately referred to as bacteria bear.
00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:56.400
Right.
00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:05.840
And and everybody in the know, you didn't touch that bear, because that bear has been touched by every snot-nosed child who would walk by a bacteria bear in front of the Capitol.
00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:07.360
So now I think it's survived.
00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:09.119
I think it's in the swing space, if I recall.
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:10.880
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Well, hopefully it makes its way back.
00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:11.119
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:26.480
I have to say, so I say that because when I first entered this world uh and started being asked to come to the Capitol for various uh legislative issues, I too thought the bear outside the governor's office was a pretty cool thing.
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:33.199
And um I remember walking up to it and putting my hand on it, and the person with me immediately said, you got to go wash your hands.
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:35.519
100 percent.
00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:41.760
And and frankly, during COVID, you know, the uh hand sanitizer dispensers popped up everywhere.
00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:45.599
There were several in very close proximity to bacteria bear.
00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:52.159
This is just a double threat of COVID and this bronze foamite that was sitting uh in the in front of everyone.
00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:54.239
So back to lobbying the governor.
00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:54.960
Yeah.
00:37:55.119 --> 00:38:04.320
So you we're constantly in contact with the governor's office to say, you know, again, this bill's coming downstairs, keep an eye out for it, we're for it, we're against it, that sort of thing.
00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:09.679
Um we work with the Department of Finance, which is the governor's budgetary arm.
00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:23.679
So when each year when the governor releases his uh proposed budget on January 10th, um, that is a process that has started um in the late summer or early fall, the calendar year preceding that, right?
00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:30.559
So um when the state passes a budget usually around the end of the fiscal year, so you know, around June 15th.
00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:38.719
Um once that budget's signed, the budgeteers, the budget staff, both legislatively and that work for the governor, basically start right in the next budget.
00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:39.119
Right.
00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:39.360
Right.
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:42.880
Putting the, you know, hey, there's the revenue estimates we're gonna have.
00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:49.119
So Department of Finance, um, they play a significant role too, because remember, we talked about the appropriations committee.
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:49.519
Right.
00:38:49.679 --> 00:38:53.199
And they look at and say, hey, these fiscal impacts are important.
00:38:53.280 --> 00:38:56.960
We need to that's part of our decision making whether or not we pass this bill.
00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:06.079
The governor very much looks at the budget and fiscal matters as reasons on why they might sign a bill or m or veto a bill.
00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:06.400
Yeah.
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:14.400
Um and it's become very common in these, I would say, past 10 years, um, when we've had these boom and bust cycles of state budgets, right?
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:24.880
We will go from a$30 billion surplus to a$20 billion deficit, to a hundred billion dollar surplus, to a forty billion dollar deficit.
00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:28.639
I mean, it's the it's the craziest roller coaster in town.
00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:35.599
Um but that that elevates how important the fiscal ramifications of legislation are.
00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:39.039
So we'll work with the Department of Finance and they are looking at bills too.
00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:44.320
Not again, not so much because of the policy necessary, but what does it mean to the state's budget?
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:54.559
Are we, you know, we go through and carefully craft this budget, try to balance it, and we're gonna spend, you know, X hundreds of billions of dollars on all these various things.
00:39:54.719 --> 00:40:02.880
Well, if we don't budget for the$10 million that this bill costs and the five million dollars that that bill costs, well, pretty soon we're talking about real money.
00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:03.280
Yeah.
00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:09.440
And so that's another avenue where we interact with the governor's office because financing.
00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:13.199
They are part of the governor's administration.
00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:17.360
Um we also work with State Departments and agencies.
00:40:17.679 --> 00:40:25.519
So in the public safety space, we routinely work with the California Highway Patrol, because that's the there's no more state police, right?
00:40:25.679 --> 00:40:29.119
California used to have a formal state police and a highway patrol.
00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:30.480
They were merged in 1995.
00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:30.800
Right.
00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:37.760
So the highway patrol is, you know, the that's the those are the cops that work for the governor, basically.
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:38.239
Yeah.
00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:42.159
Um, and so they they have a voice.
00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:47.599
And so we will routinely work with the highway patrol to say, hey, do you have the same concerns we do?
00:40:47.679 --> 00:40:55.599
Or is this something you could communicate to the governor um so that he understands, you know, the that this is problematic for law enforcement.
00:40:55.840 --> 00:41:04.480
So there are various inputs where you know we might lobby the legislature one way and different people in the same way once it gets to that to that governor's level.
00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:09.599
But it's we're we're rarely waiting until the bill actually gets to the governor.
00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:11.760
We're we're doing that with the laying some groundwork well.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:12.639
Absolutely.
00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:13.599
Yeah, absolutely.
00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:18.480
Because if nothing else, we want them to know, hey, this is this is coming.
00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:20.400
Yeah you ought to start thinking about it.
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:28.639
Because if the governor does want to weigh in, I mean, in the end, when we get close to the end of session, that's when the governor's office will really start looking at bills.
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:30.800
I would argue they should start looking sooner.
00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:40.880
But they'll look at something and they go, I d uh the staff might say we we probably shouldn't recommend that the governor sign this bill if it's continue, if it comes downstairs in this form.
00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:44.880
We think he'd be better with it if it were amended in this way.
00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:55.679
So they might reach out to the author staff and say, hey, you know, no guarantee either way, but I think the governor would be less likely to veto the bill if you amended it this way.
00:41:55.920 --> 00:41:56.159
Yeah.
00:41:56.400 --> 00:41:58.559
Um so that happens occasionally.
00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:03.440
And you know, if we can use that as an uh as an arrow out of our quiver, right?
00:42:03.519 --> 00:42:05.360
Saying, well, hey, the governor's gonna veto this bill.
00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:09.920
You know, the governor vetoed the same bill last year, why you know you shouldn't why are you gonna send it again?
00:42:10.480 --> 00:42:14.960
Um so we use that for our benefit or against the bill, perhaps.
00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:39.679
Which I think illustrates why it's so important to have uh someone who has this kind of expertise, because um if public safety advocacy groups didn't have someone like you um without that ability to educate, right, and hopefully inform people as to the impacts, um I think we'd see a lot more problematic bills come out.
00:42:40.239 --> 00:42:40.880
Absolutely.
00:42:41.199 --> 00:43:05.440
And and that's the thing I tell folks, you know, because you know, people in the law enforcement space maybe who aren't as engaged as like someone like you or, you know, someone who's who's served in a way that where they have to interact with the legislature, they might only see the worst of the worst, the the the few terrible bills that actually pass and get signed and they get news coverage and they see that, oh, the bill we were pushing for died.
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:07.760
And so that's their experience with the legislature.
00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:16.079
And so their their response is, oh man, we're already, we're always getting our teeth kicked in by the legislature, which is not untrue.
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:28.320
But what happens um both behind the scenes and also in the early parts of the process, a lot of times, we kill a lot of bad bills before they even, you know, exit the crib.
00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:28.559
Yeah.
00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:34.559
I mean, sometimes it's somebody saying, Hey, we're we think we're gonna introduce a bill that that does XYZ.
00:43:34.719 --> 00:43:37.679
And we might tell them, hey, we're gonna put the full court press on that.
00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:40.159
We're gonna like we've killed that bill before.
00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:45.199
Make sure you understand that before your author or your boss decides to do that bill.
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:48.639
And maybe the bill goes away, and maybe the bill gets introduced.
00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:59.760
And just the mere introduction of the bill, putting it into print and letting people see it, might upset people enough to say, you're not really thinking of advancing that bill already.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:07.199
you because we're going to bring down holy hellfire on you if if you do, and you know we're going to we're going to fight that to the death.
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:08.960
And it might stop there.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:13.679
And the committee might say it's just kind of a silly thing that you're doing.
00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:15.440
We're not going to even hear your bill.
00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:17.760
That's a possibility too.
00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:26.719
And there are there are bills that members introduce maybe because they get bad information or because they don't understand an issue or whatever the case may be.
00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:32.960
And then they introduce it and then there's just such an uproar right out of the gate that they don't even do it.
00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:38.079
But but even failing that, um we occasionally stop bills in committee.
00:44:38.159 --> 00:44:38.559
It's rare.
00:44:38.719 --> 00:44:43.760
A lot of times we get help from the appropriations committee saying like, hey, look at all these costs that are going to come from that.
00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:46.719
But where we stop the worst of the worst is on the floor.
00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:47.199
Exactly.
00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:57.760
Usually and and it's and it's where we can it goes back to what we talked about about how if you put the question to the full body, the full house, you often get a different answer.
00:44:58.480 --> 00:45:00.400
You also get strength in numbers.
00:45:00.880 --> 00:45:06.400
So there's very much a dynamic of members not wanting to be on an island.
00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:06.719
Yes.
00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:08.719
Legislators not wanting to be on an island.
00:45:08.880 --> 00:45:14.480
And so if they think they're the only ones who are going to stand up and say well hey I'm a Democrat but I don't like this bill.
00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:16.239
This is bad for public safety.
00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:31.119
If they think they're going to be alone in that they might not stand up and say that but if they know they have friends and colleagues who are going to be with them it's very powerful because then you know if you and I are in that boat we go, well hey you're going to you're going to oppose that bill?
00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:32.400
Yeah I'm going to oppose that bill too.
00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:32.800
Okay.
00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:34.559
Well then we go find a third buddy.
00:45:34.639 --> 00:45:34.719
Right.
00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:36.320
And now the three of us are against it.
00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:39.039
Say, hey you're not alone you know then we go find our next person.
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:40.000
Hey you're not alone.
00:45:40.079 --> 00:45:40.239
Yeah.
00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:41.519
You're not going to be the only one here.
00:45:41.760 --> 00:45:43.440
You're not going to take all the fire for that.
00:45:43.679 --> 00:45:44.800
You you got friends here.
00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:45.119
Yeah.
00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:47.199
That's a real thing.
00:45:47.360 --> 00:45:47.679
Yeah.
00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:50.079
And it's I mean it's not surprising.
00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:52.960
I mean I think it's that way in in in many different environments.
00:45:53.199 --> 00:46:02.880
It's it's good to when you're pushing for something to not be alone in that and not be the only um you know the only person with a target on your back or a bulls yeah.
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:06.159
You know, it's a you're the only thing that people can shoot at.
00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:06.480
Yeah.
00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:18.400
So that's that's where we try to also um in in terms of tactics where we say hey look you know we get one and then we get the next one and then we tell the third one hey these two are with us already.
00:46:18.639 --> 00:46:18.719
Right.
00:46:18.960 --> 00:46:20.239
And like well okay well that helps.
00:46:20.639 --> 00:46:54.480
Building coalition yeah absolutely and and so much of it is relationships and knowing you know if if if I tell a member hey Assemblymember Smith is against this bill they oh that can be more compelling than any policy argument I make or something like that because they know Assemblymember Smith is a cop or was a cop or they know Assemblymember Smith has expertise in this area or they trust Assemblymember Smith or they maybe their districts are very similar in terms of political demographics, things like that.
00:46:54.719 --> 00:47:01.519
So there are all kinds of different you know tactics and things that we'll use to to advocate.
00:47:01.599 --> 00:47:02.000
Yeah right?
00:47:02.159 --> 00:47:03.119
So we're educating.
00:47:10.239 --> 00:47:13.760
Constantly looking for the angle that you have to play to get where you need to go.
00:47:14.239 --> 00:47:15.280
Let me ask this question.
00:47:16.239 --> 00:47:37.360
So you know I think a lot of members of the community constituents get frustrated how effective or rather how much do individual legislators pay attention to citizens or for that matter citizens groups who send in letters of support or send in letters of opposition?
00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:40.719
It depends on the legislator to be sure.
00:47:41.039 --> 00:47:42.880
But it matters.
00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:46.559
Does it I mean it it it can well let me ask you this question.
00:47:47.039 --> 00:48:09.360
It matters but so let's say you know obviously you know Butte County has a representative and and perhaps it's a public safety issue that that representative is is for how likely is a representative from another district that doesn't represent Butte County likely to find letters or calls from Butte County residents to be compelling?
00:48:09.679 --> 00:48:10.159
Almost zero.
00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:10.960
Almost zero.
00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:14.880
Exactly right yeah so that that's an important who do you vote for?
00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:15.360
Not me?
00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:16.239
Okay it doesn't matter.
00:48:16.480 --> 00:48:18.079
Very important distinction.
00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:18.400
Yeah.
00:48:19.039 --> 00:48:28.239
If you call a legislator's office and say I would very much like Assemblymember Smith to vote against this bill.
00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:28.719
Yeah.
00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:31.679
You will typically be asked two questions.
00:48:31.920 --> 00:48:32.079
Okay.
00:48:32.400 --> 00:48:33.119
What's your name?
00:48:33.199 --> 00:48:33.519
Yeah.
00:48:33.840 --> 00:48:35.679
And that may or may not be recorded.
00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:36.320
Sure.
00:48:36.719 --> 00:48:38.159
And what's your zip code?
00:48:38.559 --> 00:48:38.800
Okay.
00:48:38.960 --> 00:48:39.199
Right.
00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:47.840
And they want to know that because if they're a member from Santa Monica and you're calling from Oroville.
00:48:48.239 --> 00:48:48.719
They don't care.
00:48:48.960 --> 00:48:50.239
They don't even know where Oroville is.
00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:50.880
Well fair enough.
00:48:51.119 --> 00:48:52.480
Chances are they have no ecclesia.
00:48:52.800 --> 00:48:56.960
And a part of that is well they want to represent their constituents.
00:48:57.280 --> 00:48:57.440
Right.
00:48:57.840 --> 00:49:00.159
I mean they're they're elected by their district.
00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:05.119
So there is some notion of you're supposed to represent who elects you.
00:49:05.199 --> 00:49:20.719
Trevor Burrus But that goes the other way to your point which is well so if if you're feeling one way and a majority of your district is feeling another yes I mean that's the basis of our democracy is you're elected to represent your district but in the end you cast the vote.
00:49:21.280 --> 00:49:22.480
It's not a direct democracy.
00:49:22.639 --> 00:49:25.599
Oh, 60% voted for this well then that's how I have to vote.
00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:41.039
Trevor Burrus You know I think people hope that that generally lines up but well and the irony of it and we just pointed out that so if you're not from that particular legislator's district, they don't care what you think.
00:49:41.360 --> 00:49:57.519
And if you are, they only care what you think if they're potentially in jeopardy of losing an election and on a particular issue the leadership is aligned with the view of the citizen who called you.
00:49:57.599 --> 00:49:59.119
Trevor Burrus Yeah I I think that's fair.
00:49:59.199 --> 00:50:01.360
It's all it's it's a bunch of sliders.
00:50:01.920 --> 00:50:02.079
Right?
00:50:02.159 --> 00:50:03.039
Like the different dials.
00:50:03.280 --> 00:50:03.360
Right.
00:50:03.679 --> 00:50:03.840
Right.
00:50:04.000 --> 00:50:14.880
So you may have um a situation where you you don't care because you are elected from the most liberal district in California.
00:50:15.119 --> 00:50:15.199
Right.
00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:19.199
And you are never ever going to lose an election by being soft on crime.
00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:19.599
Right.
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:19.920
Right.
00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:20.079
Right.
00:50:20.320 --> 00:50:30.079
And so when somebody calls and says hey you ought to vote against this bill that you know reduces sentences for this crime they don't I mean there's no reason for them.
00:50:30.239 --> 00:50:36.960
I mean they don't agree ideologically there's no political motivation to agree with that person.
00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:37.440
Yeah.
00:50:37.679 --> 00:50:41.119
Because it's not it's not probably what a majority of their district believes.
00:50:41.280 --> 00:50:41.920
Yeah.
00:50:42.639 --> 00:50:48.159
But the flip side of that is when when you're not at the extreme.
00:50:48.400 --> 00:50:52.480
So maybe you represent a district that's that could go either way.
00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:56.480
It's a toss-up electorally right so it could be a Republican or it could be a Democrat.
00:50:56.639 --> 00:51:16.159
Now there are very few of those districts in California but there are members who represent them who you know particularly in the Central Valley where you have Democrats who are very conservative on public safety issues because their constituents are there still might be a majority Democrat voter registration but on the issue of public safety they're very conservative.
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:16.559
Yeah.
00:51:17.440 --> 00:51:20.239
So yeah it it it takes all those things into account.
00:51:20.400 --> 00:51:22.079
Am I going to get in trouble with the leadership?
00:51:22.639 --> 00:51:30.480
You know, a lot of moderates they they have an understanding with the leadership that on certain issues they're not going to be with the party.
00:51:30.719 --> 00:51:31.280
Yeah okay.
00:51:31.519 --> 00:51:37.679
Now because in the end in Sacramento what it all comes down to is are you a vote for speaker?
00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:46.079
And what that means is when they ask who you want to be the leader of the house, it's always a party line.
00:51:46.320 --> 00:51:46.719
Right.
00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:50.000
So will you vote for our person for speaker?
00:51:50.239 --> 00:51:50.559
Yes.
00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:51.119
Okay.
00:51:51.280 --> 00:51:52.239
That's the first bar.
00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:52.639
Okay.
00:51:52.800 --> 00:51:53.039
Right.
00:51:53.119 --> 00:51:57.519
Right right some members get a lot of leeway beyond that.
00:51:57.760 --> 00:51:57.920
Okay.
00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:02.639
That if their say their district is split, very purple district for example.
00:52:03.119 --> 00:52:14.320
Potentially in jeopardy right now they they get lifeboated, we call it they they are told hey, we understand you don't have to tow the party line in this particular circumstance.
00:52:14.559 --> 00:52:14.639
Okay.
00:52:14.880 --> 00:52:24.559
Or vote your district, vote your conscience because politically one, we may not need your vote on on this particular issue.
00:52:24.639 --> 00:52:26.320
There are supermajority that's chances.
00:52:27.119 --> 00:52:27.199
Yeah.
00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:39.920
There are it so if if you have 60 members of the assembly and you need 41 votes to pass a bill that means you can tell nearly a third of your caucus you can tell 19 people we don't need your vote.
00:52:40.320 --> 00:52:41.039
Don't even show up today.
00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:42.239
It's fine.
00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:42.480
Yeah.
00:52:43.280 --> 00:52:45.840
If you don't want to whatever we're good.
00:52:46.880 --> 00:52:53.360
So they they have to use that and and there's an understanding that on this particular issue I may not be with you.
00:52:53.599 --> 00:52:59.280
Now sometimes that upsets leadership and sometimes they understand it's just a reality and they don't need it.
00:52:59.920 --> 00:53:13.599
But that's a constantly changing dynamic and it's just one of the many, many things we have to consider of when we're lobbying, who we're lobbying, how we're lobbying and the and the way we go about that.
00:53:14.800 --> 00:53:18.239
Is this member going to be in a position where they can cast a vote?
00:53:18.639 --> 00:53:21.840
Or are they have they already told the speaker they're voting for this bill?
00:53:22.159 --> 00:53:23.280
Well then I'm not lobbying them.
00:53:23.519 --> 00:53:23.599
Yeah.
00:53:25.119 --> 00:53:34.559
So what about the governor can uh does the governor or the governor's office uh listen to uh constituents if they write in a letter or they call in?
00:53:36.239 --> 00:53:51.039
When there's something that engenders a a loud voter reaction one way or the other there are almost certainly interest groups who are who break down on those lines as well.
00:53:51.280 --> 00:53:51.599
Right.
00:53:51.679 --> 00:53:52.079
Right.
00:53:52.400 --> 00:53:59.440
And you have you have the arguments being forwarded in different formats.
00:54:00.400 --> 00:54:06.079
It's rare that you've got something that everybody likes and the citizenry hates.
00:54:06.159 --> 00:54:06.400
Yeah.
00:54:06.719 --> 00:54:07.519
It's pretty rare.
00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:14.559
Yeah yeah um so I I don't want to say that the voice it's not listened to but it's it's heard.
00:54:14.800 --> 00:54:18.079
I think people are aware of what is being said.
00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:19.280
It may not be followed.
00:54:19.360 --> 00:54:24.559
It may not be the ultimate determinant of a governor's annual not all voices carry the same weight.
00:54:25.039 --> 00:54:25.360
Correct.
00:54:25.519 --> 00:54:27.920
Yeah right sure again it's the golden rule.
00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:34.480
Fair enough and and I I'd also submit that where the voice is coming from may not carry as much weight.
00:54:35.199 --> 00:54:44.400
Well sure I mean it's they the assembly members and senators and governors get elected as Democrats or Republicans.
00:54:44.559 --> 00:54:44.719
Yeah.
00:54:44.960 --> 00:54:50.960
And you know I mean yes their charges to represent their district or the entirety of the state.
00:54:51.280 --> 00:55:03.440
But still but yeah you're going to you know you're going to line up your beliefs hopefully with those you represent but our representative democracy is is such that you know it's it's not a one-for-one.
00:55:03.760 --> 00:55:04.000
That's true.
00:55:04.239 --> 00:55:05.920
It's for better or worse.
00:55:06.719 --> 00:55:08.480
I guess so wrap it up with this.
00:55:08.960 --> 00:55:21.519
I mean the job of a lobbyist advocating for public safety related entities like the California State Sheriff Association sounds like a pretty tough gig at least has been for the last decade or so.
00:55:21.679 --> 00:55:22.480
Is that a fair statement?
00:55:22.559 --> 00:55:23.599
Aaron Ross Powell It's challenging.
00:55:23.840 --> 00:55:23.920
Yeah.
00:55:24.239 --> 00:55:24.400
Yeah.
00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:24.639
Yeah.
00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:31.360
It's a it's an environment where we've seen periods of anti-law enforcement sentiment.
00:55:31.679 --> 00:55:31.840
Yeah.
00:55:33.119 --> 00:55:50.159
We've seen a pendulum that goes from a state in a sort of ideology of being very tough on crime to being more reform-minded, if you will which is sort of code speak for not as tough on crime or soft on crime.
00:55:50.400 --> 00:55:50.559
Right.
00:55:50.719 --> 00:55:56.559
Let's focus more on rehabilitation and programs than a jail cell perhaps.
00:55:56.800 --> 00:55:56.960
Right.
00:55:57.119 --> 00:56:03.440
And that's sort of it's an oversimplification but certainly so that that pendulum swings.
00:56:03.599 --> 00:56:03.760
Yeah.
00:56:04.639 --> 00:56:09.679
And it it has been with with incidents that happen in other states.
00:56:09.840 --> 00:56:10.159
Yeah.
00:56:10.559 --> 00:56:23.440
George Floyd, things like that, um right, where you get um uh a view of law enforcement that may not be the most positive and it's it's a pretty liberal state.
00:56:23.519 --> 00:56:23.679
Yeah.
00:56:23.840 --> 00:56:23.920
Right.
00:56:24.239 --> 00:56:29.760
And so that doesn't always line up with full throated support of law enforcement.
00:56:30.880 --> 00:56:35.280
Now people go around and say oh they every all these people in California hate cops.
00:56:35.599 --> 00:56:37.760
There are a lot that do but there are a lot that don't.
00:56:38.079 --> 00:56:38.400
That's true.
00:56:38.800 --> 00:56:44.400
And you know there are communities around the state that absolutely very supportive of their law enforcement.
00:56:44.800 --> 00:56:44.880
Yeah.
00:56:45.039 --> 00:56:47.760
And I'll I'll hasten to add that I believe Butte County is one of those.
00:56:48.000 --> 00:56:50.559
I'm blessed to be the sheriff I was going to say I think we're sitting in one right.
00:56:52.639 --> 00:57:04.639
But it the the the challenge is is sort of keeping the faith and you know fighting the the fight and making sure people understand.
00:57:04.880 --> 00:57:08.320
Because nobody wins all the time in politics.
00:57:08.800 --> 00:57:15.840
I think John Burton a former leader of the Senate said, you know, you win some and you lose some the the thing is you got to show up for the fight.
00:57:16.079 --> 00:57:16.239
Yeah.
00:57:16.559 --> 00:57:16.800
Right.
00:57:16.960 --> 00:57:19.920
That's you know that's that's the important thing.
00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:26.880
And I have sheriffs and cops tell me all the time I can never do what you do.
00:57:27.039 --> 00:57:28.639
How how do you how do you put up with this?
00:57:28.719 --> 00:57:29.679
How do you listen to this?
00:57:30.719 --> 00:57:33.119
Man, you run towards bullets and fire.
00:57:33.280 --> 00:57:33.440
Yeah.
00:57:33.679 --> 00:57:34.800
I go talk to people.
00:57:35.199 --> 00:57:36.239
I try to make arguments.
00:57:36.559 --> 00:57:36.800
You know?
00:57:37.119 --> 00:57:45.440
And yeah it's frustrating sometimes when um when you find yourself in a situation where you're advocating for something that's just not going to happen.
00:57:45.760 --> 00:57:47.440
Or is going to happen over your objection.
00:57:47.760 --> 00:57:48.000
For sure.
00:57:49.039 --> 00:57:51.599
But part of it is making sure people understand.
00:57:51.679 --> 00:57:58.960
And so maybe you make some difference around the edges and you do stop the worst of the worst and um you stay in the fight.
00:57:59.280 --> 00:58:08.159
Because I I tell you, you know, it's it's one of those things where maybe your bill didn't get passed, but that really, really bad bill, it didn't move forward.
00:58:08.400 --> 00:58:08.559
Yeah.
00:58:08.880 --> 00:58:12.480
And it might have if you weren't there standing in the breach.
00:58:12.800 --> 00:58:16.159
And so it does it it's absolutely challenging.
00:58:16.239 --> 00:58:22.880
It's absolutely frustrating sometimes, certainly on issues where I personally think, hey, this is a no-brainer.
00:58:23.199 --> 00:58:30.559
Yeah how could someone think the opposite to to sort of run your head against that brick wall year after year.
00:58:30.719 --> 00:58:30.960
Yeah.
00:58:31.840 --> 00:58:43.760
But you know it's it's certainly nice to represent to be able to represent you know people who are honorable and a profession that um you know their charges to keep us safe.
00:58:44.480 --> 00:58:50.320
And like I said about you know how do you do how do you go listen to all this and you get your brains beating.
00:58:50.400 --> 00:58:52.400
It's like, hey man, no one's shooting at me.
00:58:52.480 --> 00:58:52.719
Yeah.
00:58:52.960 --> 00:58:54.880
You know I'm not it's fine.
00:58:54.960 --> 00:58:55.760
I could take it.
00:58:56.000 --> 00:58:59.760
You guys get told hey there's a guy with the gun go stop him.
00:58:59.920 --> 00:59:00.000
Yeah.
00:59:00.239 --> 00:59:02.000
And you put your body in front of someone else.
00:59:02.159 --> 00:59:03.679
I don't have to do anything close to that.
00:59:03.840 --> 00:59:08.559
I just get yelled at or get told you know, oh you cops are all the same or something.
00:59:08.880 --> 00:59:27.920
So it it's challenging sure but it's um it's it's very it's it's a privilege to be able to represent the clients that we do because it's not just a hey somebody wants to pay us to to make their opinion known or to try to get something done.
00:59:28.079 --> 00:59:38.800
There's a we're blessed because we get to work with clients who we believe in the you know in the issues and and in the concepts and it's not just a well hey they're paying me to think this way.
00:59:38.960 --> 00:59:40.880
Like this is this is how I would vote.
00:59:41.039 --> 00:59:45.039
This is how I would want things done if I had the choice.
00:59:45.199 --> 00:59:54.159
And so to be able to help effectuate that um that that helps overcome the the frustration sometimes like you know you're doing the right thing.
00:59:54.239 --> 00:59:55.599
Trevor Burrus Yeah no I appreciate that.
00:59:55.760 --> 00:59:58.800
And you know I I do think maybe the pendulum is swinging back a little bit.
00:59:58.880 --> 01:00:06.880
I mean Proposition 36 to address the more uh uh problematic aspects of Proposition 47 recently passed.
01:00:06.960 --> 01:00:08.400
I think that's a that's a positive thing.
01:00:08.559 --> 01:00:15.199
So well my friend uh I appreciate the fact that you're willing to stay in the fight because it's an important fight.
01:00:15.599 --> 01:00:21.920
And I I appreciate that you recognize that the fight that that that my staff does on a daily basis is important.
01:00:22.159 --> 01:00:30.960
But the odds can either be stacked significantly against us or perhaps put somewhat in our favor based on the work that you do.
01:00:31.039 --> 01:00:32.880
And so I really appreciate the work that you do.
01:00:33.119 --> 01:00:47.840
But I also appreciate you coming up here and spending some time on our podcast and helping educate members of my community as to work that that you are doing on behalf of the State Sheriff Association that we're hoping will lead to safer communities.
01:00:53.519 --> 01:00:55.199
And the time flew by.
01:00:56.320 --> 01:01:06.719
So yeah thanks for having me and uh again it's an honor to represent you and your your sheriff colleagues and all your teams that uh that that stand in front of us and protect us and keep us safe.
01:01:06.800 --> 01:01:08.000
So it's it's an honor.
01:01:08.079 --> 01:01:11.599
Trevor Burrus Thank you my friend that's the uh end of this particular episode.
01:01:11.760 --> 01:01:16.159
I actually uh hope that you found this interesting and enlightening.
01:01:17.280 --> 01:01:31.440
I don't think everybody really fully appreciates how challenging uh the legislative environment is and so for Corey to come and give us his uh behind the curtain uh experience I think was uh really uh a remarkable thing.
01:01:31.599 --> 01:01:34.880
Uh if you did enjoy it please like and follow and share.
01:01:34.960 --> 01:01:45.119
And as I've said in all my other episodes if there is a topic that you are interested in learning more about or for me taking on or a particular guest by all means let me know.
01:01:45.280 --> 01:01:50.159
You can email me at sheriffsmike at buttecounty.net.
01:01:50.559 --> 01:01:56.000
Until next time stay safe stay informed and as always you're clear to talk