The Social Justice PolitiCast

This is a nothingburger week at both City Council and the County Board of Supes, so Skyler sits down in lovely Curtis Park with Johanna Heyer, who is one of the lead organizers with the Sacramento Valley Tenants Union. Johanna gives us the lowdown on what SVTU does, what they’re currently working on, and how YOU can get involved. Check out the Sacramento Valley Tenants Union website here! Tons of...

This week, Sky gives us the rundown on a couple of items related to homelessness at both the City and County, as well as a Sheriff’s Review Commission report that we’re sure will make fine toilet paper for Cooper to wipe his ass with.  Flags this week: Sacramento City Council, Tuesday, October 20, 5:00pm Item 11: Sacramento Housing and Homelessness Ad Hoc Task Force Meeting #2 Report Out Sacrament...

This week, Sky gives us the rundown on a mostly mellow week, with no County BoS and nothing major to report at either the Budget & Audit Committee or the 2pm Council Meeting.  Flags this week: Sacramento City Council, Tuesday, October 13, 5:00pm Item 1: Behavioral Health Workshop Stay up to date with what your local government is doing in Sacramento: Follow SJPC on FB & IG Sign up for our...

This week, Sky gives us the rundown on a meaningless Sacramento Community Police Review Commission meeting, and then runs us through a couple of items of interest at the County BoS meeting. No City Council this week! NOTE: I make a reference at one point to the SCPRC meeting being tomorrow night, but it is actually tonight! Apologies for the error. Flags this week: Community Police Review Commissi...

This week, Sky gives us the rundown on what is an overall pretty mellow week at City Council (No County BoS this week). Flags this week: City Council, Tuesday, September 29, 2pm Item 4 (Consent): Professional Services Agreement for Landlord Engagement and Housing Stabilization Case Management Services with Community HealthWorks for the Street to Housing Pilot Program Item 20: Review and Approval o...

This week, Sky a couple of informational items in what is otherwise a fairly unremarkable week at both the city and the county.  Flags this week: Law & Legislation Committee, Tuesday, September 22, 11am Item 5: An Ordinance Repealing Ordinance No. 2025-0023 and Adopting a Military Equipment Use Policy City Council, Tuesday, September 22, 2pm Item 18: Audit of the Transient Occupancy Tax Stay u...

This week, Sky walks us thru new City shenanigans in which the Council is preparing to quietly wipe its ass with a recent Grand Jury report criticizing the City for watering down the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission to the point where it’s “window dressing”. Also up this week, Sheriff Cooper continues to blur the lines between local and federal surveillance and enforcement. Flags this...

This week, Sky sits down with Robert J Hansen of the Sacramento Observer, to discuss his reporting on the County budget, which is going into being finalized through a series of hearings starting tomorrow. Rob runs us through the saga of the County making cuts across every department, except for the Sheriff and the District Attorney because, if you believe what they say, the County will fall into a...

This week, Sky gives us the rundown on what’s coming up at this week’s 2pm City Council meeting, as well as the Racial Equity Committee meeting. No 5pm Council or County BOS this week.  Sign up to show up at the County Board of Supervisors budget hearing on September 8! Here’s what else we have coming up, flag-wise: Racial Equity Committee, Tuesday, September 1, 11:00am Item 2: Sacramento Centered...

Gabriel is back this week breaking down what we have going on in Sacramento local government. We flagged items from both the Sac Board of Supervisors meeting, and City Council happening tomorrow, August 25, at 9:30am and 2pm respectively. Housing and homelessness is on the Agenda for both the County on the City, so you know things will get tense. Will Mayor McCarty shut down the meeting? Will Phil...

Sky goes it alone in a rundown of last week’s slap fight at Sac County, plus and goes over flags for meetings next week including Law & Legislation, 2pm and 5pm Council meetings at the City, as well as an item involving surveillance coming up at the 6pm County Community Sheriff Oversight Commission meeting, all Tuesday evenings this week. Here’s what else we have coming up, flag-wise: Law &amp...

#EyesOnLocalGovernment - This week Gabe breaks down a few items we have flagged for the Sac County Board of Supervisors meeting happening tomorrow, Tuesday, August 11 at 9:30am. Is anyone else having deja vu when it comes to the people asking for money to do shady things? Maybe it’s just us. But here we go again with the Sac Sheriff’s Department working with the feds, taking tax money that should...

Sky goes it alone in a sweaty rundown (look, I only have window units in my apartment, ok?) of last week’s controversial council meeting, plus flags what amounts to mostly a slowish week in Sac local gov this week. Here’s what else we have coming up, flag-wise: Railyards Public Financing Authority, Tuesday, July 28, 9:30am Item 4: Overview of Proposed Amendments to the Railyards Enhanced Infrastru...

This week, Dr. Flo Cofer joins the cast to discuss the County Board of Supervisors meeting from last week (in which the Sheriff and DA took a special meeting to push back against budget cuts), and then she and Sky discuss the Anti-Terrorism grant funding item that was continued by City Council before the recess , and is coming back around tomorrow at the 2pm meeting. Plus, The City has introduced...

Gabriel is back this week with an update on the Sacramento County Budget (didn't we already do this???). Item 65 on the Board of Supervisor's Agenda for their meeting on Tuesday, July 14th, is a reconsideration of the budget...what are they reconsidering? More money to cops and prosecutors of course...But we have a call to action! Decarcerate Sacramento is asking people to show up and let your voi...

Sky goes it alone this week to catch you up on what’s happening at City Council this week. No County meetings, and next week everyone goes into recess for two weeks so we’ll be taking some time off from the pod! Here’s what else we have coming up, flag-wise: Sacramento City Council Meeting, Tuesday, June 23, 2:00pm Item 8: [Subaward Agreement] Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Fiscal Year 2024 S...

Today Gabe recaps all the drama from last week, and then he and Sky bring you up to speed on what is, thankfully, a lighter week at City Council and the Board of Supervisors meetings next week.  Here’s what else we have coming up, flag-wise: Sacramento City Council, Tuesday, June 16, 2:00pm Item 2: City of Sacramento Community Police Review Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Workplan Item 21:...

Today Sky and Keyan chat about the City budget, which is set to be adopted this week. The only thing is, they’re cutting several different police oversight measures and homeless services under the guise of fixing the deficit? Is any of this necessary? It turns out the answer is no, and Keyan has done the work and brings the receipts to prove it. See for yourself.  Here’s what else we have coming u...

In this special episode Gabe is joined by Natasha Minsker, facilitator from the California Anti-Death Penalty Coalition. We are focusing on the role Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho has played in increasing the rates of inmates facing the death-penalty, and what the community can do to stop it: "The Sacramento Anti-Death Penalty Coalition is organizing people to attend the Board of Sup...

Today Sky goes it alone to bring you a preview of what’s coming this week. No County meetings, but we do have some items we flagged from the Budget & Audit Committee, as well as 2pm and 5pm Council meetings.  There’s a rally tomorrow at 4:30pm, organized by a collection of some of Sac’s finest orgs who are trying to get people to show up for the 5pm meeting to advocate for the Public Bank viab...

This week Gabe is joined by long-time Sac resident and community member, Elaine, to help us break down the items we have flagged for the week. Starting with Sac City Council on Tuesday, May 19 at 2pm and 5pm. Sac Board of Supervisors meeting happening on Tuesday as well, at 9:30am.  We also have a special meeting happening this week on Wednesday at 2pm between the City and County. They're getting...

Today Sky & Gabe are back to run through what’s happening at the City this week (mostly budget related), as well as flagging some Sheriff shenanigans on the County side. Here’s a CBS article on the fee increases suggested by City management to close the budget gap. Law & Legislation Committee, Tuesday, May 12, 11am Item 5: Updates on Current City Councilmember Proposals That Have Been Hear...

Today Gabe gives us the recap on the ICE resolution item from City Council from last week, and then he and Sky dive into what’s coming up at the City & County tomorrow. Budget & Audit Committee, 11am Item 4: Measure U Community Advisory Commission Fiscal Year 2026/27 Budget Priorities and Recommendations Item 5: Fiscal Year 2026/27 Citywide Fees and Charges Item 6: Audit of the Sacramento...

Today Gabe is joined by Moiz from the Asian American Liberation Network to discuss item 29 on the Sacramento City Council Agenda for their 2pm meeting on Tuesday, April 28th. The toolkit can be found here. We're asking people to show up and make public comment, and demand an ordinance from the city that actually protects not only our immigrant neighbors, but all of us who know the overreach of law...

Today Sky is joined by Varun Arora from House Sacramento to talk about the Missing Middle update item on tomorrow’s 5pm City Council agenda. What is densification? What are the changes being proposed? Why are some housing advocates still wary of tomorrow’s discussion? Varun gives us the scoop. House Sacramento Substack - An update on Missing Middle Housing Also! Our friends at Strong Sactown are h...