Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol

This week marks a major milestone— 100 episodes of Coffee Culture & the Capitol! Instead of our usual legislative update, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt take a look back at the incredible journey that brought them to California Family Council and reflect on some of the biggest victories God has accomplished over the past several years. From Greg's miraculous hiring story to Sophia's unexpected ris...

In this episode of Coffee Culture and the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt break down AB 1803 and AB 1578—two controversial proposals that would require mandatory anti-hate training for employees and elected officials across California. Supporters say the bills combat discrimination, but critics warn they could be used to silence dissenting viewpoints and pressure Californians to conform to gov...

In this episode of Coffee Culture and the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt break down some of the most significant battles unfolding at the California State Capitol. First, they discuss the growing controversy over male athletes competing in girls' sports following the CIF State Track and Field Championships and share highlights from California Family Council's press conference defending fairne...

In Episode 97 of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol , Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt break down the latest controversy surrounding girls’ sports in California after another male athlete dominated multiple girls’ track and field events at CIF prelims. Sophia shares behind-the-scenes details from a powerful press conference where brave female athletes spoke out for fairness, safety, and equal opportunity,...

In this episode of Coffee Culture & The Capitol, the team breaks down a chaotic and high-stakes week in California politics—from testimony at the State Capitol to national media coverage. They unpack AB 1973, a controversial bill expanding who can perform second and third trimester abortions, raising serious concerns about medical safety and standards of care. The conversation then turns to AB...

In Episode 95 of Coffee, Culture & the Capitol , Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt unpack two major developments impacting families, faith, and freedom in California. First, they highlight a powerful new webinar designed for parents and teachers, featuring legal experts from organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom, Pacific Justice Institute, and National Center for Law and Policy. The discussio...

In this episode, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt break down a fast-paced and impactful week at the California State Capitol, where key legislation took center stage and critical voices were heard. From a press conference addressing concerns over gender-related policies affecting minors to multiple high-stakes bill hearings, the team shares what it’s like to be on the frontlines of a busy legislative se...

Episode 93 of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol, highlights both cultural and legislative challenges facing Christians in California. Sophia reflects on speaking at a women’s conference, emphasizing that young girls are increasingly exposed to issues like gender ideology at early ages and encouraging parents to engage in honest conversations with their children. Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt stress th...

In this episode of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt begin by celebrating the continued growth of the California March for Life. They describe strong turnout from across the state and even internationally as a sign that the pro-life movement in California is gaining momentum, especially among families and younger generations. The tone at the start is hopeful and encourag...

In this episode of Coffee Culture in the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt break down what to expect at the upcoming California March for Life on March 16 and highlight two life-affirming bills attendees will be encouraged to support when they visit legislators at the State Capitol. The conversation focuses on AB 1628 and AB 2073, two proposals aimed at strengthening California’s Safely Surrende...

In Episode 90 of Coffee Culture & the Capitol , Sophia and Greg break down a dramatic week at the California State Capitol — including a heated Assembly floor vote on ACA 7, a constitutional amendment that would partially roll back California’s ban on race-based preferences. What does ACA 7 actually do? How is an ACA different from an AB or SB? And why did this vote stall for minutes on the As...

Grab your coffee and join the conversation with Coffee Culture & the Capitol . In Episode 89, Sophia shares what happened at a press conference and CIF meeting where seven female athletes, parents, and leaders spoke out against policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports and use girls’ locker rooms. Hear highlights from speeches by Assembly members Kate Sanchez and David Tan...

In this episode, Sophia and Greg unpack two major battles unfolding between California and the federal government. First, they will break down what they call California’s latest “abortion bailout.” After federal funding cuts led to Planned Parenthood clinic closures nationwide, California lawmakers introduced AB 106 and SB 106 allocating an additional $90 million in one-time taxpayer funds to abor...

Welcome back to Coffee Culture & the Capitol with Sophia and Greg! In this episode, we dive headfirst into California’s legislative session and break down a newly introduced bill that has major implications for free speech, religious liberty, and biblical values. Sophia and Greg unpack AB 578, a vague “anti-hate” training mandate introduced by Assembly Member Corey Jackson, and explain why Chr...

In the first episode of 2026, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt return to Coffee Culture and the Capitol with major updates from Washington, D.C. and California. They break down a landmark federal ruling in the Maribel A. case affirming parents’ constitutional right to be informed when their child expresses gender incongruence at school—and what the Ninth Circuit’s temporary stay means moving forward. So...

In the final episode of 2025, Sophia and Greg tackle two of California’s pressing cultural battles: the state’s revived pronoun mandates and the growing legal attacks on life-affirming pregnancy centers. They revisit SB 219, a law that compels nursing home staff to use preferred pronouns under threat of penalties, and walk through Greg’s 2017 testimony warning lawmakers about the dangers of forced...

In Episode 84 of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol , CFC Vice President Greg Burt sits down with Judi Kenney , founder and director of Operation Pray , a fast-growing ministry that stations volunteers on public sidewalks outside high schools to offer prayer, encouragement, and hope to students as they leave campus. Judi shares the remarkable story of how Operation Pray began with a dream—literally—...

In Episode 83 of Coffee, Culture & the Capitol , Sophia and Greg unpack two major developments shaking California’s education system. First, they break down the huge parental-rights victory in Encinitas, where a school district dropped its appeal after forcing a fifth grader to teach a kindergartener gender ideology using My Shadow Is Pink . The court’s ruling now requires schools to give pare...

In this week’s episode, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt expose how California’s universities are using so-called “harassment prevention” training to force students to affirm radical gender ideology—or risk losing their education. The University of California’s SHAPE program, created under AB 2608, now defines “harassment” so broadly that simply disagreeing with transgender ideology can get students acc...

In Episode 81 of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol, hosts Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt dive deep into two of the most alarming new laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom — AB 727 and AB 495 — and how these so-called “compassionate” measures actually endanger children and undermine parental rights across California. Governor Newsom’s AB 727 mandates that all student ID cards in grades 7–12 and colleges...

CFC’s Greg Burt speaks with Elizabeth Woning, Ken Williams, and Isaac Beck from the CHANGED Movement minutes after leaving the U.S. Supreme Court in Chiles v. Salazar—a pivotal case about counseling freedom and whether states can ban licensed talk therapy that helps minors pursue a biblically faithful view of sexuality and identity. From the gallery, our guests describe even-handed questioning fro...

In this episode of Coffee Culture and the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Jere tackle the sobering reality of what it means to stand for truth in a broken and hostile world. They reflect on the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, honoring his courage and unwavering faith. Sophia shares her own testimony of facing harassment and persecution for speaking biblical truth, reminding listeners that fol...

In Episode 78, Greg and Sophia shine a spotlight on two powerful stories unfolding in California. First, Sophia reports from Temecula’s James L. Day Middle School, where girls — joined by supportive classmates and parents — walked out to protest a district policy that forces them to share locker rooms with boys. Students carried signs, wore white bows, and stood together for privacy and dignity, r...

📌 Greg Burt & Sophia Lorey break down the most pressing family issues in California and beyond. In this episode, we: Discuss AB 495, a dangerous bill that undermines parental rights, with insights from Jonathan Keller and attorney Matt Sharp of ADF. Share highlights from Jonathan Keller’s powerful Capitol rally speech against AB 495. Uncover the dark truth behind California’s surrogacy indust...

In this episode of Coffee, Culture, and the Capitol, Sophia Lorey and Greg Burt tackle three critical topics shaping California’s future. They begin by unpacking Snopes’ recent coverage of AB 495, which dismissed concerns about custody and child protection as “false.” Sophia and Greg break down the bill’s text, address the so-called fact-check head-on, and explain why the truth matters—especially...