Annual SacDay Advocacy Trip Highlights Council’s Ambitious Legislative Agenda

The path to addressing many of the Bay Area’s biggest challenges often runs straight through Sacramento, which is why the Bay Area Council this week braved the latest atmospheric river to bring a delegation of the region’s top business leaders to the state capital for meetings with state legislators and high-level officials from Gov. Newsom’s administration. Led by Council Chair Kausik Rajgopal, Chief People Officer for PayPal; Council Vice Chair and Government Relations co-Chair Kristina Lawson, chief executive of Hanson Bridgett; and Council CEO Jim Wunderman, the delegation focused on many of our key issues, including housing and homelessness, the future of public transit and climate resilience. The Council’s Sacramento Day is regarded as one of the premier business advocacy events in the capital, and this year took on added significance as we pursue one of our biggest legislative agendas in recent memory.

The morning began with rapid fire meetings with the Bay Area Caucus Co-Chairs Asm. Phil Ting (San Francisco), Sen. Josh Becker (Menlo Park), Asm. Lori Wilson (Suisun City), and Asm. Gail Pellerin (Santa Cruz). Other legislators joining us throughout the day included both Assembly and Senate Housing Committee Chairs, Sen. Scott Wiener (San Francisco) and Asm. Buffy Wicks (Oakland), Asm. Damon Connolly (Marin), Asm. Matt Haney (San Francisco), and Asm Liz Ortega (Hayward), and co-Chairs of the Legislative Problem Solvers Caucus, Sen. Josh Newman (Fullerton) and Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (Stockton).

We also got an elections briefing from our host, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber; discussed workforce development and labor challenges with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Agency Stewart Knox; heard a briefing on state finances and the current situation in the banking sector from Deputy Treasurer Patrick Henning; got an update on high speed rail from system CEO Brian Kelly; and enjoyed a lively lunchtime panel with top Sacramento insiders and advocates.  We closed the business end of the day with a conversation with Governor Newsom’s Chief Policy Advisor Jason Elliott.

The very packed day concluded with a cocktail reception and dinner at Ella where we were proud to honor Asm. Lori Wilson with our annual Regionalist of the Year Award. Thank to your Sacramento Day sponsors PG&E, Kaiser Permanente, Lucas Public Affairs, UCSF, Delta Dental, Lighthouse Public Affairs, WSPA, TDG Strategies. To engage in the Council’s state government relations work, please contact Director of State Government Relations Alex Torres.