Look West: How California is Leading the Nation

The massive data centers that AI needs require huge amounts of electricity and water. And they’re popping up all over the state. Those data centers are likely to impact the electrical grid, electricity prices and the state’s water infrastructure and supplies. Assemblymembers Rick Chavez-Zbur and Diane Papan are working to prevent those impacts from hurting Californians.     AB 2383 Ensures Large E...

In this episode of Look West, the conversation centers on California Democrats’ commitment to protecting immigrant families and defending the values that make California strong. The discussion highlights how immigrants contribute to communities, culture, and the economy, while exploring efforts to get ICE out of sensitive locations and ensure that families can access schools, healthcare, and essen...

Let's take a (low)ride with Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez as he honors the rich Chicano and Latino heritage that has helped define California’s culture. Gonzalez has written the Lowrider License Plate Program (AB 2541). This initiative not only recognizes a powerful cultural legacy but also invests back into our communities by supporting arts and cultural programs through the California Arts Counci...

Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom is all abuzz about honey bees and thinks you should "bee" too. These pollinators help California farmers feed the world with cherries, melons, almonds and more. But bee colonies are dying at nearly unprecedented rates and the reasons why remain unclear. Join Assemblymember Ransom for a buzzworthy visit to a hive, hear from a local farmer who is a big fan of pollinato...

HR 81, as introduced, Aguiar-Curry. AI Summary This resolution, HR 81, officially proclaims the month of March 2026 as Women's History Month in California, recognizing the essential and often overlooked contributions of women throughout history to the nation and the state. It acknowledges women's groundbreaking achievements in various fields, their leadership in social change movements, and the on...

Assemblymember Chris Ward (D–San Diego) held a press conference Tuesday at the State Capitol to announce the introduction of AB 1542, new legislation to strengthen protections for sensitive personal data; continued efforts to advance AB 322, a two-year bill to ban the sale of geolocation data; and renewed momentum for AB 1337, a two-year bill currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee to...

February 10, 2026   Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo’s Legislation to Protect Veterans Signed Into Law   Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Celebrates Major Victory for California veterans   SACRAMENTO, CA — Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, today announced that the Protecting Veterans from Predatory Practices Act (SB 694) was signed in...

Assemblymember John Harabedian’s (D-Pasadena) Mortgage Forbearance Act, has been signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act, provides essential relief to survivors of the Los Angeles Fires by allowing a pause on mortgage payments for up to a year. Fire victims entering into forbearance will not face any penalties or credit damage during the pause in payments. Importantly...

All year long we've been sharing the immigration stories of our Assembly Democrats, stories that remind us how diverse California really is. Each journey is different, but they all speak to a shared truth. No matter where we came from, we're all Californians. As we close out 2025 Look West looks back at the immigration journeys of Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache, Jessica Caloza, Juan Carrillo, C...

All this year Look West has been hearing the immigration stories of our Members. Each of their stories is unique but also prove, no matter where we came from or how we got here, we are all Californians now. On this episode, Assemblymember Jessica Caloza tells us about her immigration journey, how her Los Angeles Assembly district is responding to the federal anti-immigration actions and why she co...

Food, Glorious Food…it’s more than just a way to stay alive. Food brings people together. Families gather for meals. Communities gather for picnics, block parties and potlucks. It’s also a way we explore each other’s cultures. Today, “Foodies” are a massive part of the social media world. There’s even an unofficial Foodie Caucus in the State Legislature. We brought a few of the Foodie Members toge...

Birthright citizenship is a fundamental right that has been enshrined in the Constitution for over 150 years. In the wake of the federal government’s assault on this core principle, Assemblymember Alex Lee authored legislation affirming the California Legislature’s commitment to birthright citizenship. Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 5 passed the Senate Floor on September 2, and heads to the Assem...

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando) introduces her first bill in the 2025-26 legislative session, AB 495 – The Family Safety Plan Act, which will provide support to immigrant and mixed-status families by ensuring safety plans are in place in the event of immigration enforcement actions. “The threats from the federal administration have led to fear in many commu...

Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson Advances Legislation to Lower Home Prices and Increase Housing Stock   SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) has taken decisive action to address California’s housing crisis by authoring AB 317, the First Time Homeowner Act, a bill designed to boost affordable housing production by eliminating unnecessary regulatory delays. The legis...

Bill would protect immigrant children from President-elect Donald Trump’s stated plan for mass deportations Torrance, CA – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, introduced Assembly Bill 49, a bill that would protect immigrant children from actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who enter school sites or child care faciliti...

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin fire recovery videos https://a42.asmdc.org/videos California Volunteers (Ca Service Corps) Josh Fryday californiavolunteers https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/    

California’s Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and the Assembly Democratic Caucus are working to protect the people of California, its communities and economy by supporting the rights of immigrants. While the new federal administration has shown it has no respect for immigrants, Speaker Rivas and Assembly Democrats are listening to and supporting everyone in our communities. The immigration issue is p...

Not long ago women in the California State Legislature were rare. Today 58 of the 120 state lawmakers are women. That’s double what it was less than 10 years ago. In this episode of Look West, we sat down with the Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, at the Women Inspire exhibit in the California Museum in Sacramento. She talked with us about the impact ne...

Five years ago, on March 19th, the Governor issued the stay at home order California needed to survive the Covid pandemic. Covid changed our lives. Some of those changes, like Zoom, are here to stay. Assembly Democrats legislative initiatives helped Californians survive the pandemic. On this episode we look back at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and talk with current lawmakers, including As...

California’s Assembly Democrats are pushing back against the Trump administration’s overreach when it comes to immigration. Even before the new administration took office, exactly one month ago today, Assembly Democrats have been providing immigration information and support to all Californians. Assemblymembers Juan Carrillo and Jose Luis Solache join us for a conversation about their personal imm...

The wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area and the 7.3 earthquake off the North Coast of California just over a month ago has put disaster preparedness back in the spotlight. State Assemblymember Chris Rogers knows quite a bit about disaster preparedness. He has hands on experience with wild fires, floods and earthquakes. His advice – prepare now, before the next fire, flood or earthquake.

Meet the other new Members of the Assembly Democratic Caucus in these two episodes: https://look-west-how-california-is-leading-the-nation-22f6dfb5.simplecast.com/episodes/freshman-class-filled-with-moms-dads-teachers-doctors-and-more https://look-west-how-california-is-leading-the-nation-22f6dfb5.simplecast.com/episodes/new-faces-join-the-assembly-democratic-caucus-in-2025  

Seventeen new faces have joined the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Joining the Caucus for the 2025-26 legislative session are several veterans of local government, advocates and attorneys, Moms and Dads, teachers and educators and more. Each new Member brings their own unique experience and background to the State Assembly. You met seven of the new Members in the last Look West episode. In this episo...

The incoming class of the Assembly Democratic Caucus includes 17 new faces. Joining the Caucus are several veterans of local government, advocates and attorneys, Moms and Dads, teachers and educators and more. Each new Member brings their own unique experience and background to the State Assembly. In the next three episodes of Look West we will meet them all. In this episode: Assemblymembers Mark...

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin proudly announces the signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 2839 into law, marking a significant advancement in the protection of electoral integrity and voter trust in California. This groundbreaking bipartisan legislation, authored by Assemblymember Pellerin and coauthored by 11 legislators, addresses the growing threat of deepfake technology that is used to manipulate and d...