I had the pleasure of sitting down with Assemblymember Damon Connolly, who represents California's 12th Assembly District, for a spirited conversation recapping his first 100 days in office.
Elected to the Assembly in November 2022, Connolly is one of 34 new members of the California Legislature.
This is a record number and that turnover will only increase in the next few years. An additional 24 seats will open in 2024 and, according to Close the Gap California, by 2028 a “Motherlode” of 96 seats will have changed hands!
In today’s episode, we delve into Assemblymember Connolly’s first few months in the California Assembly. Our conversation takes you from his 18-year background in local government to the intricate world of Sacramento politics.
We discuss the learning curve all new members face when they arrive at the Capitol as they learn to navigate the complexity of the California’s legislative process to make good on campaign promises.
In this episode you’ll learn about:
04:11 — Getting acclimated to Capitol life
06:30 — How to use your facetime with members wisely
09:59 — The whirlwind aftermath of the November election
11:58 — Super majority caucus dynamics
17:57 — The fight to pass SBx1 2 (Skinner), the new Gas Price Gouging Law
23:29 — Navigating the budget process as a new member
31:53 — Final Advice for advocates
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Senate Bill (SB)X1 2 (Skinner): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320241SB2
Price gouging at the pump? Oil firms will have to pay up for higher prices: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/27/california-gas-price-gouging-law
Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2538059.Basic_Brown?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=6RFVFiLkWT&rank=1
Willie Brown: A Biography: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1055869.Willie_Brown
A Rage for Justice: The Passion and Politics of Phillip Burton: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49422.A_Rage_for_Justice?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=mB6XztXp0h&rank=1
Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2042101.Big_Daddy?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_21
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