Look West: How California is Leading the Nation

The episode begins by talking to kids as they get their vaccine. Julia and her parent discusses vaccines and what she is looking forward to on her way to get vaccinated. Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris and her kids talk about how the pandemic affected their family and how things are changing now that they are vaccinated. The episode concludes with an interview with pediatrician Dr. Shannon Udo...

California approved a new law to address the needs of landlords and tenants while avoiding evictions. We spoke to Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes, Assemblymember David Chiu, and advocates of both sides of the rental crisis about how this law was accomplished and what comes next.

We started this episode doing research on the number of people from the same family that have served in the State Legislature. Our first interview was with Gene and Kevin Mullin. A Father and son that have represented the same area in the State Assembly. With the passing of Gene Mullin, we offer their views on having been Assemblymembers in the same communities in different decades.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted something many already knew before it struck last year – California needs to expand and improve high speed internet, or broadband, to everyone. Availability, Affordability, Devices and Digital Skills are just a few of the challenges facing Assembly Democrats as they work to close the digital divide and provide high speed internet to everyone. On the this episode o...

Learn about Earth Day and legislation authored by Assembly Democrats that can protect our environment.

As California works tirelessly to make sure everyone has access to vaccines, it is left to each individual county to determine how they are distributed. Listen in as Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula speaks with two local health experts Tania Pacheco-Werner, PhD, and Joe Prado about COVID-19 vaccine distribution efficiency and equity.

Marked annually on March 8, International Women's Day is a global day of celebrating the social, cultural and political achievements of women. California continues to lead in the inclusion of women and their leadership. Meet some of the amazing leaders in the CA State Assembly: Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes, Chief Clerk Sue Parker and Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.

Water is an issue addressed by the California State Legislature every session. We had the opportunity to speak with Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, grassroots organizers Susana De Anda, Executive Director of Community Water Center and Michael Claiborne, Directing Attorney of Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. Our guests discuss the complexity o...

The novel vaccines are on the cutting edge of science. While the technology has been studied for years, this is the first in-human use of this technology, so some are slow to say Yes to being vaccinated. On this episode Dr. Shirley Weber describes her experience receiving her vaccine. Plus - a conversation about the cutting-edge nature of the vaccine with Assemblymember Dr. Jim Wood and Nurse Prac...

Get to know Speaker Anthony Rendon like never before. Join us as he shares how a son of Mexican immigrants came to be the Speaker of the CA State Assembly.

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

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

The Assembly Democratic Caucus will continue to be the most diverse majority in the history of the California State Assembly. Joining more than four dozen returning Democratic Assembly Members are five newly elected legislators: Steve Bennett (AD 37 – Ventura), Alex Lee (AD 25 – San Jose), Christopher Ward (AD 78 – San Diego), Lisa Calderon (AD 57 – Whittier) and Carlos Villapudua (AD 13 – Stockto...

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

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

The impact of the coronavirus on California schools reverberates throughout the rest of our communities. From missing proms and graduations to parents learning to home school their children, to the creation of a distance learning system, the closure and eventual reopening of schools directly impacts the students, teachers and administrators. But it also impacts the parents, our neighborhoods and t...

Continuing our discussion on race with Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber and guest, Rosalyn O'Neale, a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist, to talk about affirmative action, considering reparations for the descendants of former slaves, and how to foster communities and workplaces that not only include, but also celebrate diverse voices. In a time when nationwide protests hit home across California...

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

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

In Part 1 of Look West’s coronavirus mental health response, California’s Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, shares her expertise about how increased stress negatively impacts physical health and how to manage it. Next week, in Part 2, Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Sharon Quirk-Silva, James Ramos and Phil Ting share their insights on mental health and what they’re doing to address t...

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

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

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

The Census count happens every ten years. Each Census response is a piece of a puzzle that, when completed, creates a picture of who we are as Americans and Californians. And how best our resources can be shared. The Census determines how the federal government funds and responds to the needs of families, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, roads, and community centers. In this episode, Assemblymem...

Assemblymembers Evan Low & Cecilia Aguiar-Curry discuss legislative efforts to increase civic engagement in our youth and Latinx populations to ensure a more diverse and inclusive electorate. Special guests in this episode include Dr. Mindy Romero, Director & Founder of the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), Jesse Salinas, Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Chief Elections Official from the...