California Politics 360 Full Episode | Proposed Billionaires Tax
On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala interviews Suzanne Jimenez with the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, who is behind the proposal.
*** bid to tax California’s billionaires. The California billionaire tax is *** one-time emergency 5% tax. Where organizers want this money to go and how the governor is responding. New penalties for criminals who buy teens for sex. The impact this new law is set to have. California lawmakers returning to the state capitol, the major issues they’re facing and how the budget deficit is set to impact the lawmaking process. Thank you for joining us for California Politics 360. I’m Ashley Zavala. *** proposal to hit billionaires with *** new tax is nowhere close to becoming reality, but some of the state’s richest residents, lawmakers, and labor groups are already clashing over it, and some of those billionaires are preparing to take their business to other states. Health care labor group. SEIU United Healthcare Workers West has filed the proposed ballot initiative. It would impose *** one-time 5% tax on Californians with assets worth at least $1 billion. I spoke with Suzanne Jimenez with SEIUUHW. She is the group’s leader behind that proposal. Here’s part of our conversation. Suzanne, welcome to the show. Hi, thank you for having me. So this is still in the early stages. You’re in the signature gathering process to just get this on the ballot. How is that going right now? So we just got our title and summary last Friday and so we will actually be hitting the streets collecting signatures in, in about *** week. So we haven’t quite started, but we know there’s lots of excitement, uh, about the petition and so we think it’s gonna go well once we’re out on the street collecting signatures. With this proposal, how much money do you expect the state’s government could collect and how exactly would that money be used? Yeah, so the California billionaire tax is *** one-time emergency 5% tax, uh, that is taxed on only 200 or just over 200 individuals here in California and it would raise about $100 billion over 5 years. Uh, 90% of it would go to healthcare, 10% of it would go to K through 14 education and, uh, food, uh, assistance programs. For the last couple of weeks on social media we’ve seen *** lot of debate on this. The New York Times reported that venture capitalist and co-founder of Google Larry Page, as well as uh venture capitalist Peter Thiel, are seriously considering leaving the state. What’s your response to that? You know, there are always these uh kind of chicken little arguments whenever there are tax policies like this being proposed, and when we look at real life examples of these kind of tax policies, none of that ever materializes. So, as an example in Massachusetts, they uh moved uh, *** millionaire’s tax and there were lots of. Of rumors and speculations that millionaires were gonna flee the state and when the tax passed, uh, it actually was the opposite and so now there are more millionaires in the state of Massachusetts and so I just think kind of the swirl that is happening right now around the California billionaire tax is kind of the similar the same argument and we really believe that the benefit from this. Tax is gonna outweigh, you know, maybe *** couple of people moving out of the state because we’re really heading towards *** healthcare crisis where we’re gonna see, uh, billions of dollars cut from our healthcare system and the money raised in this initiative is going to support that, but California already has one of the largest budgets in the nation, and they already have, I mean, we already have *** progressive tax system in this state. People like Page and Teal, uh, and the other top 1% of earners in California combined pay about *** total of half of the state’s income tax, which pays for state programs. I mean, why risk losing those people? So the way that the billionaire tax is actually written is, it, it is, uh, to deal with cuts that are coming from HR 1 and so really what we’re talking about right now is as we’re heading into 2026 and with the passage of HR 1, the state of California is looking at, uh, losing $100 billion in healthcare funding for the next 5 years. And if we don’t do anything right now, we are gonna see our hospitals close, we’re gonna see ERs close, and so that’s really what this billionaire tax is about. And so, and when you also look at ultra wealthy folks, they are not taxed similar to like teachers and firefighters and, you know, everyday workers that have to pay on their income tax. They actually don’t get taxed at the same rate as many of us and so we actually think that the money, the revenue that’s gonna be raised from the billionaire tax is gonna outweigh any loss in terms of, uh, you know, if, if any of those ultra wealthy folks move out of the state. Some of those ultra wealthy folks, venture capitalists online, including David Sachs and Shamath Pali Apatia, have basically said state leaders can’t be trusted with even more money, pointing to some of the fraud and waste in our state budget. I mean, Is that *** fair point that they’re making? You know, the initiative is actually written in *** way so that the money can only be used, it’s put in *** special fund, it can only be used for 90% of it has to go towards healthcare and specifically services that were cut through HR 1, and so that means Medicaid, that also means, uh, subsidies. For Covered California or folks that are on the exchange. It also includes, uh, you know, services like home care services, nursing home services that seniors and veterans rely on. So this initiative is written in *** way that the, the funding or the revenue that is raised can only go to these cuts that we’ve been talking about. My full conversation with Suzanne Jimenez is available on Calpolitics 360.com. Well, January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The concerns being raised by advocates about the impact recent immigration raids are having on trafficking in the state. *** new law took effect that makes it easier for prosecutors to charge people with *** felony if they try to buy 16 or 17 year olds for sex. I sat down with Sacramento Assembly Member Maggie Krell and Shayna Aber with the Acacia Center for Justice about the impact this law will have, but also some concerns that remain moving forward. Here’s part of our conversation. Thank you both so much for making time for us today. It’s *** pleasure. Assembly member Carl, I want to start with you. You had to buck your own party this year to get this new law passed that makes it easier for prosecutors to charge people who try to buy 16 and 17 year olds for sex with *** felony. Just how much of *** dent do you see this new law now playing in child sex trafficking in the state? Well, I think it’s *** really important law. I mean, first of all, like you said, any creep that tries to buy *** 16 or 17 year old for sex, that’s *** felony, um, you know, that will be, there will be real consequences for that crime. And then also it criminalizes those that are loitering, uh, to purchase people for sex, and that really will help us crack down on the demand side of the sex trafficking industry. Shayna, immigrants, undocumented people make up *** big chunk of California’s population. I wonder just what do you see, um, how do you see the intersection of undocumented people or documented people at this time and sex trafficking? What is the status of those two, in the state? Well, I would say that right now, given the amount of fear in communities and fear of actually seeking services and coming forward to help law enforcement, um. People feel more vulnerable and I think *** lot of the moves that have been making by the federal government have actually created more vulnerabilities, especially among unaccompanied children who arrive in the state um and who are attending school and and and attending communities um and end up um. While you know going through their court cases getting um kind of *** constant barrage of uh letters and um and offers and um and inducements to actually give up their cases which is exactly the opposite of what we want to to do to support kids who are the victims or the survivors of trafficking. Trafficking survivors need support. They need, they need the kind of protection that will allow them to actually feel safe to come forward and cooperate with prosecutors in in ensuring that people who are bad actors are brought to justice. So have groups like yours seen direct, I mean direct cases, specific cases. That are *** result of children being more vulnerable because of the Trump administration’s policies. Yeah, I mean, I think it really culminated over Labor Day weekend, um, during *** holiday weekend, middle of the night, we saw ICEE actually deploy private contractors to shelters throughout Arizona and Texas. Um, there were kids on the list also who were supposed to be picked up in California, but luckily um some federal litigators were able to stop the Trump administration from just shuffling kids onto planes in the middle of the night without them having gone through their court process. The message that sends to young people who have been educated about their rights and. in um in that the rule of law matters here is that they ultimately don’t matter um that their rights don’t matter and so as lawyers who are trying to defend children’s rights and make sure that they understand the consequences of various actions and that they feel *** sense of safety so that they can disclose things that are really important um to their legal cases we’ve seen kids start to really. Lack trust in the system with, I mean, whether they’re residents or or immigrants or Californians or not. I mean we do have two big events coming up whether that’s the Super Bowl or the World Cup games that are being hosted at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. How do you see those events having an impact on sex trafficking in this state? Well, I think it’s really important to acknowledge just the damage that’s being done by the Trump administration’s immigration tactics here, you know, the raids in neighborhoods, the separating children from their parents, those all make children more vulnerable to being trafficked. Some are being sent deliberately into harm’s way. Some literally have escaped human trafficking and come here. Escape their traffickers and are being sent right back, um, but here in the United States these kids whose parents are being sent away, who are being separated, who are losing their stability, losing their real safety net are real vulnerable to being trafficked and so what we’re gonna see at these big events like we always do, you know, there will be *** concentrated effort from law enforcement to make arrests to. Um, you know, really crack down on the demand side of trafficking, that’s good, but what we need is *** concerted effort 365 days *** year, and we need *** federal government that really understands the vulnerabilities of these kids and that what it’s doing is exacerbating that. I mean, look, I, I represented *** 5 year old boy and his mom who were torn apart. They were separated for more than *** month before they even got *** phone call and. You know, when they finally talked, each, you know, caged 500 miles apart, you know, the boy said, why didn’t you call sooner? And he just wanted to talk to his mom. That’s all he wanted. I think about, you know, some of the cases that I prosecuted, and, and I can’t tell you how many times I heard from teenage girls who traffickers took their phones away, who couldn’t contact their parents, and all they wanted to do was call their mom. So what we’re doing here, this isn’t going to make America great again. This isn’t the right approach to *** real problem that we have here. My full conversation with Assembly Member Maggie Krell and Shayna Aber is on Calpolitics 360.com. Now we did reach out to the White House for comment on the claims that the president’s immigration policies are making immigrant children more vulnerable to trafficking. *** White House spokesperson said in *** statement, quote, This is an absurd and baseless allegation. President Trump’s policies have helped combat the scourge of human trafficking. That Joe Biden allowed to skyrocket with *** secure border, fewer children are being smuggled across and being subjected to abuse and trafficking. Additionally, the Trump administration has located 127,000 missing migrant children that the Biden administration lost. Well, in other news, California lawmakers return to the state capitol tomorrow. The issues that will be top of mind for them this week. State lawmakers return to the Capitol tomorrow for the start of the legislative session. Joining us now to help us with the preview is Adjunct McGeorge School of Law professor, longtime lobbyist Chris Malley. Thank you so much for making time. Thanks for having me on the show, Ashley. So next week is expected to be packed not just with lawmakers returning to Sacramento. But Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to not only provide his state budget presentation, but also his state of the state address. What are some of the issues you see him highlighting? Well, it will be interesting to watch Thursday morning. It will be his first State of the State in the Assembly chambers since 2020, and then the following day his budget proposal. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he advances ***. Of major policy initiatives, it is his final year in office, but I think most eyes and ears will be focused on what is the governor and the department of finance projecting to be next year’s budget deficit. As you know, the legislative analysts estimated at least an $18 billion deficit beginning July 1st, the next fiscal year, and. In the 30 to $40 billion range if it’s left unaddressed by the legislature, so I think most eyes and ears will be focused on the upcoming budget deficit, *** big hurdle for California lawmakers and the governor, and the governor being in his final year as governor of California. Typically governors in years past have been lame ducks, for lack of *** better term. Which means that they’re not necessarily that effective or exerting power over the legislature in ways in years past. Do you see Governor Newsom being that? I certainly would not characterize Governor Newsom in that way. First and foremost, he’s definitely not *** lame duck until after he acts on the final bill, September 30th, which will be the due date for him to act on all bills sent to his desk during the 26th session. Plus, as you’re quite familiar with, being *** now national figure likely running for president, he will have the proverbial bully pulpit throughout his tenure in office. So I would not characterize him in that manner myself. Shifting to another big state leader now, state Senate pro tem Monique Limon takes the reins of the state Senate officially this upcoming week. How do you see, if at all, the state Senate changing with her taking the reins? Well, she certainly said two things first and foremost, uh, budget, budget, budget will be her focus in 2026, and I think that gives *** clear indication, but look, I think that her leadership will continue along *** progressive lane. She’s also from *** coastal district, Santa Barbara. The environment has always been of critical importance to her. But she has also brought *** number of major members of the Women’s caucus into power. The majority leader, the 2nd position highest in the Senate, continues to be *** woman. But other positions have been taken over by women. There are now 5 women of color chairing all 5 budget subcommittees, and she made *** dozen other committee chair announcements the day before the Christmas holidays. So she is definitely already imposing her perspective and. Her team into key leadership positions and so we’ll see how that goes for the last year of the governor’s term and of course she has to work with her counterpart Speaker Rivas in getting policy through the legislature. Exactly *** lot to watch for this upcoming week. Chris Michele. We appreciate you. Thank you so much. Well, next we take *** look at the history of the first transcontinental railroad. This week marks an important milestone in the history of the Transcontinental Railroad. Mike Cherry took *** trip to the California State Railroad Museum. This week marks 163 years since Cruz first broke ground on the first transcontinental railroad, and it all started here in what’s now Old Sacramento. And joining us this morning, we have Ty Smith from the California Railroad Museum. Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for being here. This was. Such *** huge undertaking, wasn’t it? It was *** tremendous undertaking. In fact, when people first started talking about it, everybody agreed it was *** good idea, but then when they started scratching their heads, how can it be done? And one of the main people behind the idea was *** guy named Theodore Judah. And many people around town called him crazy Judah because he had the vision, but then the question was how to make the vision *** reality. And of course it required so many people to come here, all working for one main goal, but this really also transformed the economy, not just here locally, but in the United States. It changed everything forever because it’s one thing to. All *** little line across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s quite another thing to actually make that work. So you had to put land where there wasn’t by filling it in or building trestles or making tunnels through solid granite, and that took thousands and thousands of workers, many of them, most of them in fact 90% of the workforce of the Central Pacific Railroad were Chinese. Railroad workers who came from Guangdong province to California to work on the project, but once it was completed, once the joining occurred at Promontory on May 10th, 1869, it not only joined *** nation at one of its most fragile times after the Civil War, but it also connected the rest of the world because train went to steamship. Which went to Asia and so really what it was at the end of the day what it comes down to is explorers have been looking for *** great watercourse that would connect the globe and make it easy to travel and circumnavigate the globe. We never found it. We made it. We made it in rail. So it not only transformed the economy, but it also ended up transforming just the genetic makeup of what Northern California looks like and we can still feel that and see that today. It’s all around us. Sacramento is one of the most diverse places in the world, and the reason it is is because of that history, not only the gold rush and the world rushing in. Then people ask me the question, what happens after the gold, and the answer came not in the gold that you found near streams or that you blasted out of the mountains, but the gold that you grew on trees. And because of that, that sustainable gold rush that’s been happening predictably, reliably over the last 150 years meant the world stayed. You can learn more about California’s role in the first transcontinental railroad on Calpolitics 360.com. Thank you so much for joining us for this week’s California Politics 360. We’ll see you right back here next Sunday.
California Politics 360 Full Episode | Proposed Billionaires Tax
On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala interviews Suzanne Jimenez with the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, who is behind the proposal.
Updated: 7:15 PM PST Jan 2, 2026
A proposal to hit billionaires with a new tax in California is nowhere close to becoming reality, but some of the state’s richest residents, lawmakers and labor groups are already clashing over it. On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala interviews Suzanne Jimenez with the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, who is behind the proposal. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Sacramento Assembly Member Maggy Krell & ACACIA Center for Justice Executive Director Shaina Aber join the program to talk about the impact a new law will have. Lawmakers return to the State Capitol this week. Adjunct McGeorge School of Law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli talks about the issues facing lawmakers when they begin their legislative session. This week marks 163 years since crews broke ground on the First Transcontinental Railroad.KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.
A proposal to hit billionaires with a new tax in California is nowhere close to becoming reality, but some of the state’s richest residents, lawmakers and labor groups are already clashing over it. On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala interviews Suzanne Jimenez with the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, who is behind the proposal.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Sacramento Assembly Member Maggy Krell & ACACIA Center for Justice Executive Director Shaina Aber join the program to talk about the impact a new law will have.
Lawmakers return to the State Capitol this week. Adjunct McGeorge School of Law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli talks about the issues facing lawmakers when they begin their legislative session.
This week marks 163 years since crews broke ground on the First Transcontinental Railroad.
KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.