Advertise on podcast: What's Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin

Here are the show notes, same format as the housing episode. Taxes on the Ballot: Props 2, 3, 40, 41, 42 and 43, with CalMatters' Jeanne Kuang Six measures on your November ballot are about taxes, or about the rules for raising them. Several are designed to collide with each other. I sat down with CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang to untangle them. Prop 2: The rainy day fund. Doubles the cap on the state's reserve to 20%, extends extra payments on pension debt to 2040, and changes how savings count against the Gann spending limit. We talk about why California's revenue swings so hard, and whether opponents are right to call the Gann change a loophole. Prop 3: The high-earner income tax. Makes permanent the higher rates the top 2% have paid since 2012, which bring in $5–15 billion a year, mostly for schools. We get into why the teachers are going to voters five years early, whether "temporary, twice" is a fair hit, and how the CTA squares backing Prop 3 while opposing the billionaire tax. Props 40, 41 and 42: The billionaire tax fight. Prop 40 is a one-time 5% tax on Californians worth $1 billion or more, mostly for Medi-Cal. Props 41 and 42, backed by the billionaire-funded Building a Better California, exist to stop it. If either outpolls Prop 40, the billionaire tax dies, even if it passes. Jeanne explains how a measure can win and still lose, why voters are backing all three at once, and what 41 and 42 would mean for California taxes long after this fight. Prop 43: Local special taxes. Closes the door the courts opened after the Upland decision by requiring two-thirds of voters to approve citizen-initiated local special taxes. We dig into the deal with Howard Jarvis that put it on the ballot, and what it means for future local measures on transit, housing and homelessness. About Jeanne Jeanne Kuang is a Capitol reporter for CalMatters, covering state government, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the 2026 governor's race. She previously covered labor, homelessness and economic inequality, including award-winning reporting on how long California workers wait to recover stolen wages. Before CalMatters, she covered Missouri politics for The Kansas City Star. She grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and is based in Sacramento.  Follow her reporting: https://calmatters.org/author/jeanne-kuang/ 📋 CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide Voter Guide homepage: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/All 14 propositions: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/propositions/Build your ballot with "My Ballot": https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/my-ballot/Proposition quizzes: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/propositions/quizzes/💵 The tax props: CalMatters guides Prop 2, Rainy day fund: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-2-rainy-day-fund/Prop 3, High-income tax: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-3-high-income-tax/Prop 40, Billionaire tax: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/Prop 41, Tax audits: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-41-tax-audits/Prop 42, Property taxes: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-42-property-taxes/Prop 43, Tax threshold: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-43-tax-threshold/📰 More from Jeanne and CalMatters Billionaire tax explained: What you need to know about Prop. 40: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-billionaire-tax-explainer/The billionaire tax could be defeated by two other tax measures. Here's how: https://calmatters.org/health/2026/09/california-wealth-tax-prop-40-41-42/Fact check: Could California lawmakers expand the billionaire tax to everyone?: https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/prop-40-billionaire-tax-fact-check/Will Californians back the billionaire tax? New poll shows a close race: https://calmatters.org/newsletter/billionaire-tax-proposition-poll/5 tax measures are on the California ballot. Here's how to make sense of them all: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/tax-propositions-ballot-measures/Gavin Newsom backs measure to kill the billionaire tax and ban future wealth taxes: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/newsom-tax-propositions-november-election/🗳️ Official sources CA Secretary of State quick reference guide (ballot labels and fiscal impacts): https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/quick-reference-guide.pdfKey dates: Ballots went out by Oct. 5. Last day to register is Oct. 19. Election Day is Nov. 3. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Housing on the Ballot: Props 1, 37 and 45, with CalMatters’ Ben Christopher Rent eats paychecks. Buying a home feels like a fantasy for most Californians under 40. And we’re still millions of homes short. This November, three measures on your ballot take on housing, each with a different approach. Prop 1 is the money approach. The state would borrow $11.25 billion: about $10 billion for affordable housing and homeownership programs, and $1.25 billion for CalVet home loans for veterans. We talk about what it would build, whether the 2018 housing bond delivered, who actually gets to live in the housing, and whether the state should take on $500–600 million a year in debt payments in the middle of a budget squeeze. Prop 37 is the homeownership approach. The California Housing Finance Agency could borrow up to $25 billion to make second mortgages covering up to 17% of the price of a newly built home, so buyers can get in with 3% down. We ask who it’s really for, whether twice the median income counts as “middle class,” why it only applies to new homes, what it means to carry a second monthly loan, and why realtors and carpenters are on the same side. Prop 45 is the red tape approach — and the big fight. Put on the ballot by the California Chamber of Commerce, it creates a fast track under CEQA for “essential” projects, with a 365-day limit on environmental reviews and 270 days for courts to rule on lawsuits. Ben explains why a 1970 environmental law comes up every time anyone talks about housing, why the Chamber went further after last year’s CEQA reforms, the fight over data centers, why the building trades are spending millions against a measure that includes prevailing wage, and this week’s flap over Yes campaign money going to the Republican Party and Carl DeMaio’s group. We close with the big picture: if all three pass, how much does it move the needle? What ties together Building a Better California’s spending on Props 37, 45 and 40? And what do voters most often get wrong? About Ben Ben Christopher covers housing policy for CalMatters, writing about everything from zoning fights between Sacramento and local governments to cities rebuilding after the LA fires. Before taking over the housing beat in 2023, he covered elections and politics for CalMatters through four election cycles, including the 2021 recall. He has a master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley and once interned at the Congressional Budget Office, which means he actually reads the fiscal analysis.  Follow his reporting: https://calmatters.org/author/ben-christopher/ 📋 CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide Voter Guide homepage: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/All 14 propositions: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/propositions/Build your ballot with “My Ballot”: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/my-ballot/Proposition quizzes: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/propositions/quizzes/🏠 The housing props: CalMatters guides Prop 1, Housing bond: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-1-housing-bond/Prop 37, Homebuyers loan: https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-37-homebuyers-loan/Prop 45, Environmental review (CEQA): https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-45-environmental-review/📰 More from Ben and CalMatters 5 tax measures are on the California ballot. Here’s how to make sense of them all: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/tax-propositions-ballot-measures/Almost nowhere in California is building enough, according to the state: https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/08/california-rhna-housing-affordable-progress/Two cities burned in LA fires settle YIMBY lawsuit: https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/07/yimby-sb9-malibu-pasadena/Newsom backs bills to speed housing over CEQA (2025 background): https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/05/newsom-ceqa-yimby-housing/Prop 45, the case for: https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/07/proposition-45-housing-environmental-reform/Prop 45, the case against: https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/07/proposition-45-environment-health-protections/🗳️ Official sources CA Secretary of State quick reference guide (ballot labels and fiscal impacts): https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/quick-reference-guide.pdfKey dates: Ballots went out by Oct. 5. Last day to register is Oct. 19. Election Day is Nov. 3. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

There may be no statewide race on this year's ballot with more direct impact on your wallet than this one. Make no mistake: the insurance commissioner regulates the nation's biggest insurance market, and the next one takes office in a full-blown crisis. The January 2025 fires in Los Angeles County damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 homes and killed 31 people, and families across the state are being dropped by insurers or priced out. And for the first time since the office became elected, two Democrats will face each other in November.  I sat down separately with both candidates. In this episode, I talk with State Senator Ben Allen about homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and health insurance, and how he would defend consumers against an industry that too often puts profits first. About Ben Allen Allen represents the 24th Senate District, covering the Westside, Hollywood, the South Bay, and the Santa Monica Mountains, and was first elected in 2014. When the Palisades Fire tore through his district in January 2025, he helped thousands of families who lost their homes navigate recovery. He wrote Proposition 4, the climate bond voters approved in 2024, and authored the law behind California's crackdown on single-use plastic straws and utensils. Before the Senate, he was president of the Santa Monica-Malibu school board and a lecturer at UCLA Law School. He holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and UC Berkeley School of Law. He won the largest share of delegate votes at the state Democratic convention in February Ben Allen's campaign: benallenca.comJane Kim's campaign: janekim.orgLAist: California insurance commissioner: Who's running and why it mattersCalMatters Voter Guide: Insurance CommissionerCalMatters: California insurance commissioner race is set: Kim vs. AllenCalMatters: Will California vote 'progressive' in insurance commissioner race?What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

There may be no statewide race on this year's ballot with more direct impact on your wallet than this one. Make no mistake: the insurance commissioner regulates the nation's biggest insurance market, and the next one takes office in a full-blown crisis. The January 2025 fires in Los Angeles County damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 homes and killed 31 people, and families across the state are being dropped by insurers or priced out. And for the first time since the office became elected, two Democrats will face each other in November. Kim, Allen lead in California insurance watchdog race +2 I sat down separately with both candidates. In this episode, I talk with Jane Kim about homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and health insurance, and how she would defend consumers against an industry that too often puts profits first. About Jane Kim Kim served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2019, where she helped make San Francisco the only city in the nation offering tuition-free community college to all residents, and passed a tax on high-value commercial real estate to fund universal affordable childcare. Before that, she served on the San Francisco school board, including as its president. After leaving office, she was California Political Director for Bernie 2020, and has spent the last four years as California Director of the Working Families Party. She holds a B.A. from Stanford and a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law. She is endorsed by Bernie Sanders and SEIU California, and she finished first in the June primary. Links Jane Kim's campaign: janekim.orgBen Allen's campaign: benallenca.comLAist: California insurance commissioner: Who's running and why it mattersCalMatters Voter Guide: Insurance CommissionerCalMatters: California insurance commissioner race is set: Kim vs. AllenCalMatters: Will California vote 'progressive' in insurance commissioner race? What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Bending the Arc: Liberty Hill at 50 Fifty years ago, Los Angeles was run by an old-school establishment centered downtown, with an LAPD that wielded outsized power and communities of color largely shut out of institutional influence. It was in that city, just three years after Tom Bradley's historic election as LA's first Black mayor, that Liberty Hill Foundation was founded in 1976. In this episode, we use Liberty Hill's 50-year history as a lens on the evolution of Los Angeles itself — who held power, who challenged it, and how organizing reshaped the city. From tenants' rights and labor to immigrant rights, environmental justice, youth justice, and police reform, Liberty Hill has funded and helped build the movements that pushed these issues from the margins into the political mainstream, often decades before they became conventional wisdom. Our guest is Shane Murphy Goldsmith, President and CEO of Liberty Hill Foundation. Shane joined the organization in 2010, became executive director, and has led it as President and CEO since 2013. Under her leadership, Liberty Hill has deepened its investment in grassroots organizing and backed major campaigns in youth justice, environmental justice, and housing. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Long Beach is the seventh-largest city in California and home to the nation's second-largest port, a booming "Space Beach" aerospace cluster, and more 2028 Olympic events than any city besides LA itself. Mayor Rex Richardson — the city's first Black mayor, just reelected outright in the primary with 57% of the vote — sits down to talk about how he got here: growing up between the Midwest and Long Beach, a first-generation college grad who slept on his family's couch, a labor organizer turned City Council member at 29.  We dig into what makes Long Beach run differently from LA — a governance structure that forces collaboration between mayor, council, and city manager, and a city that runs its own police, fire, port, airport, utilities, and one of only three independent health departments in California. He's candid about the budget cuts coming this year, and why he thinks they set the city up for a surplus down the line. Then we go regional: his two years standing up and chairing LACAHSA, LA County's affordable housing agency, and his new seat on the LA Metro board — where his top priority is fixing what he calls an unfair balance of representation for Long Beach and the Gateway Cities. Plus his real answer on fare-free transit, and whether he's eyeing LA County's new elected CEO seat. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward and with the support of the staff at the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

The votes have been (mostly) counted, and the winners are clear.  What will a Bass-Raman match up look like? And what will it mean for Los Angeles? I share some thoughts. Also: an interview with City Controller Kenneth Mejia and his campaign manager, Jane Nguyen, about his resounding victory; and a conversation with County Registrar Dean Logan about the controversy over the pace of the count in Los Angeles County. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

The office of Los Angeles City Attorney doesn’t always get the same attention as races for mayor or city council, but it plays a major role in how the city functions — overseeing legal advice to city departments, enforcement of city laws, and misdemeanor prosecutions, while also shaping how the city approaches issues like housing, labor standards, consumer protection, and civil rights. Today’s guest is Marissa Roy. Roy currently works as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, where her work has included consumer protection and tenant rights enforcement. Earlier in her career, she worked in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, handling labor and worker protection matters.  Her campaign has focused heavily on using the office more aggressively to protect renters from illegal evictions, pursue wage theft and worker exploitation cases, crack down on consumer fraud, and take legal action against polluters and corporate misconduct. She has also argued that the City Attorney’s Office should play a larger role in challenging actions by the Trump administration that affect Los Angeles residents.  https://www.marissaroy.com/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Today we turn to the race for lieutenant governor — an office that often gets less attention than governor or senator, but one that can play an important role in shaping state policy, economic development, higher education, and California’s political future. Today’s guest is Michael Tubbs. Tubbs first gained national attention when he was elected mayor of Stockton at age 26, becoming one of the youngest mayors of a major American city. During his time in office, he focused on issues like gun violence prevention, economic mobility, and poverty, and became especially well known for launching one of the country’s first guaranteed income pilot programs. Since leaving office, Tubbs has remained active in public policy, writing and speaking about economic inequality, education, and the challenges facing communities that have often been left out of California’s prosperity. He has also taught at Stanford and worked on statewide and national initiatives focused on opportunity and anti-poverty policy. Now running for lieutenant governor, Tubbs is arguing that California needs a new generation of leadership focused on affordability, economic opportunity, and making state government work more effectively for working people. I sat down with Michael Tubbs recently to talk about his campaign, his time as mayor, and how he sees California’s future. https://michaeltubbsforca.com/ https://mtubbs.com/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Today, we continue our focus on the race for the State Senate seat in District 26, currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is termed out of office. District 26 is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s home to largely Latino and immigrant communities, with a mix of working-class families and renters, and it sits at the center of many of the city’s biggest challenges — from housing affordability and homelessness to economic inequality and access to public services. Today’s guest is Wendy Carrillo, a member of the California State Assembly. Carrillo represented the 52nd Assembly District from 2017 to 2024, covering much of Northeast Los Angeles. Before entering elected office, she worked as a journalist and communications professional, and has long been active in immigrant rights and community advocacy. In the legislature, she worked on issues including housing, labor, and immigrant protections, and has been part of broader debates in Sacramento over affordability and the cost of living. She’s now running for State Senate in a competitive race to succeed Durazo. And in this conversation, we also talk about something more personal — her experience with sobriety and recovery, and how that has shaped her life and approach to public service. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Sara Hernandez, an attorney, educator, and member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, is running for State Senate District 26, ans she joins me on this episode of What's Next, Los Angeles. District 26, currently represented by Maria Elena Durazo, is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s home to largely Latino and immigrant communities, with a mix of working-class families and renters, and it sits at the center of many of the city’s biggest challenges — from housing affordability and homelessness to economic inequality and access to public services. Hernandez has spent her career working at the intersection of education, housing, and public policy. She began as a middle school teacher in LAUSD, where she founded the nonprofit Helping Young People Excel, or HYPE, to support low-income students through high school and into college. Her work with students facing homelessness, food insecurity, immigration challenges, and barriers to opportunity led her to pursue a career in law and public service. After earning her law degree, Hernandez worked in Los Angeles City Hall, helping lead community revitalization efforts through investments in housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economic development. She now practices as a housing and environmental attorney and has done extensive pro bono work representing immigrants in asylum proceedings and assisting students navigating the DACA process. In 2022, she was elected to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, where she has focused on expanding access to education, increasing enrollment, connecting students to housing resources, and growing apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Hernandez is also active in grassroots organizing, including founding DTLA Strong, a community group that helped significantly increase voter turnout in downtown Los Angeles. https://www.sarahernandez.com/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Sarah Rascon is community advocate and candidate for State Senate in one of Los Angeles’ most diverse and fast-changing districts. She is running on a message focused on affordability and access to opportunity. She joins me to talk about her campaign. That’s on this episode of WNLA. Today we turn to the race for the State Senate seat in District 26, currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is termed out of office. District 26 is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s home to largely Latino and immigrant communities, with a mix of working-class families and renters, and it sits at the center of many of the city’s biggest challenges — from housing affordability and homelessness to economic inequality and access to public services. Today’s guest is Sarah Rascón, a candidate for State Senate. Rascón has been active in community and policy work in Los Angeles, and is running in a crowded field to succeed Durazo. Her campaign has focused on issues like the cost of living, housing, and access to economic opportunity — themes that are central to the district. I sat down with Sarah Rascón recently to talk about her campaign and how she sees the role of the State Senate in addressing those challenges. Here is that conversation. What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

A neighborhood leader and civil rights advocate, Ellen Evans is running for State Senate District 24. She joins me to talk about her campaign and the issues shaping the district.  Evans has spent decades working in her community as an organizer, advocate, and local leader. She is the co-founder of the Doheny Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association, where she has represented more than 2,000 households and led efforts to improve public safety, address homelessness, and support responsible housing development. She also serves as Vice President of her local Neighborhood Council, where she has worked on land use, wildfire preparedness, and environmental protections. Evans’ background spans public policy, labor, and the arts. After graduating from Brown University, she worked as a union carpenter on major construction projects and later as a union apprentice film editor, eventually earning her M.F.A. in screenwriting from Columbia University. She has also been active in civil rights advocacy for decades, including work with Equality California Institute, where she helped lead efforts in the wake of Proposition 8. She says her campaign is focused on defending reproductive freedom and civil rights, fully funding public schools, tackling the housing crisis responsibly, investing in wildfire prevention, and growing the local economy to support working families and small businesses. https://www.ellen4senate.com/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Zennon Ulyate-Crow is a recent college graduate and housing advocate who is aiming to become one of the youngest members of the California State Senate. He joins me to talk about his campaign for the 24th Senate district seat. That’s on this episode of WNLA. Ulyate-Crow grew up in Topanga and has been involved in organizing and public policy work since he was a student. While in college, he focused on housing issues, helping to organize around student homelessness and affordability, and working on legislation aimed at expanding student housing across California.  He later worked in public service roles including as a commissioner in Santa Cruz and on a national political campaign, and has continued to focus his advocacy on housing, cost of living, and what he describes as government accountability.  Ulyate-Crow is running in a crowded field, arguing that younger leadership and a different approach to policymaking are needed to address issues like affordability and access to housing in California. https://www.instagram.com/zennonuc/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Los Angeles may be on the verge of some major changes to how its city government actually works — changes that could affect everything from who holds power at City Hall to how decisions get made and services get delivered. Raymond Meza, who chaired the commission behind those proposals, joins me to walk through what’s being proposed. That’s on this episode of WNLA. The City Charter is essentially the city’s constitution — which defines how power is divided, how decisions get made, and how different parts of government interact.The Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission has just wrapped up months of work and sent a package of recommendations to the City Council — proposals aimed at making city government function more effectively. Those recommendations take on some of the biggest structural questions facing Los Angeles: the size of the City Council, the balance of power between the council and the mayor, oversight of the LAPD, how the city handles budgeting, and how to address long-standing concerns about infrastructure, governance, and public corruption. Raymond Meza and I take a deep dive into the proposals and what they could mean for the people of Los Angele. https://reformlacharter.lacity.gov/ What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.