TEASER: 162 - A year after George Floyd's murder (5.28.2021)

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For all the California legislature's claims that they're champions of progressive politics, neither the super-duper Democratic majority Assembly nor the Senate pay their interns. This has a warped affect on who is able to be an intern at the Capitol--and, thus, gain the skills, connections and access to future positions in state politics--with affluent folks whose parents can pay their rent more likely to be able to afford six months without income. Unsurprisingly, this class divide correlates with race and gender representation in unpaid internships.
 

As we've often said, just because you're a Democrat does not mean you're progressive (see Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon's awful quotes in the Sacramento Bee on the issue). So it is somewhat refreshing to see folks with money throwing their weight behind progressives, even when they run against other Democrats. But will the millionaires really save us? Or do we need to focus on organizing and movement building? In the state Capitol, staffers are long overdue to unionize--and they may want to include unpaid interns in their organizing efforts.
 

Speaking of organizing, this week marked the one-year anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd. Have organizing efforts made a difference in how we approach public safety? In a number of northern California cities, the answer is, it's complicated.
 

Here in Sacramento, the People's Budget has pulled together quite the coalition of groups calling for a defunding of the Sacramento Police Department, even while most city leaders are trying to increase police spending. Dr Flo presented the Measure U Committee's recommendations for a drop in cop funds. Will city leaders listen to the will of the people? We're set to find out on June 15.