Rachel Strausman: 
Thank you so much for joining us today Assemblymember Cervantes. It is truly an honor to have you as a feature on the Policy Chats podcast. Civic engagement is vital to the success of our democracy, whether it be individuals, communities or elected officials, working together to promote and advocate for public policies is essential - which is why we are so grateful to have with us today Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, who is the first Latina millennial to be elected to the California State Assembly and the current chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. So with that, thank you so much for joining us today Assemblymember Cervantes, it is such an honor to have you on the podcast.

Sabrina Cervantes:
It's a pleasure to join you and be back with fellow Highlanders.

Rachel Strausman:
Yes, thank you so much. And that is another amazing part of your experience is that you were a former Highlander at the University of California Riverside. So getting right into it, you have had a very successful career leading up to your most recent and continuing successes as an assembly member. Can you please take a moment to briefly explain what inspired you to pursue a career surrounding civic engagement?

Sabrina Cervantes:
Yes, absolutely. Well, thank you for that question. My family raised me and my three younger sisters to really value the meaning of service. and so I'm really grateful that I have infused my life's work around the meaning of service to our community from just by example of my great-uncles and my grandfather who served our country in World War II to both sides of my family who also fought and marched alongside Cesar Chavez during the United Farmworker Movement. And so that is my family's rich history of organizing and serving our country and even to my own parents - my father, also a proud Highlander, but also the former mayor of our hometown and tribal advocates advocating for tribal communities across the state of California and nationally, and then my mother who migrated here from Mexicali at the age of nine and she has dedicated her career as an educator uplifting our next generation. And so, you know, I will say that my family has always told my three younger sisters and I that it is our responsibility to our community to be that voice, to make sure that we are uplifting others every chance that we get to fight for causes of justice and what is right, and these were often conversations that we'd have at the dinner table, so I really value my youth and how my parents raised us. And I channeled that, you know, when I was younger, when I was a high school student, and I actually got very engaged with the Leo Club, which is a youth organization of the Lions Club. And I am a Lions member in the city of Jurupa Valley. And as I became more civically engaged, I became more aware of how civic engagement impacts our day-to-day life, right? How we decide to engage with our community, who we elect to the different levels of office. And so it was in the 2004 presidential election when I was 17 years old and I just missed the cutoff to register. But because my birthday is in October, I couldn't vote for that presidential election. So what I did was I decided to turn around and register and encourage as many of my peers to vote who were able to. And that was one of the pivotal moments for me because I, I, remember that election and I remember staying up all night watching the returns come in. And I was just so drawn, right, to that process. I ended up going to UC Riverside - I majored in political science and public policy- and, you know, all my experiences and the path that I decided to take, you know, had led me to where I'm at today. Even after I had graduated during the great recession in 2009, I went to intern in Sacramento to learn about the inner workings of government - how to be an effective leader - and then I returned back home to Riverside County, and I did some work doing some grant writing for Title I schools, making sure that we are investing our dollars in an equitable way, whether that's state or federal dollars, and providing more opportunities for our youth. That is what always has driven me, and after some time doing that, I ended up transitioning to a director for the California Vote Project, where we were able to get into our hardest reached communities across Riverside County and registering over 20,000 new voters in our region, and leading a team to do so. Rain or shine didn't matter if it was 110, 120 degree heat, we were out there. And, you know,  each of these roles that I've had, I've only gained a deeper understanding of the challenges that our communities face and what I've also learned is that what is really possible through intentional advocacy and leadership. And so it's just really full circle moments for me when I look back and think, you know, the path that I have taken has led me to here to be now an effective leader for my community, you know, a community that I deeply care about. And that is what, you know, made me step up and run for office in 2016. And here we are now and this is my eighth year in the legislature and I'm grateful for the successes that we do have. But I couldn't have done it without my team and without the community by my side.

Joseph Anastacio: 
Assembly member, I wanted to highlight two words that you said, advocacy and leadership. I really appreciate you emphasizing that when it comes to civic engagement, particularly with the youth. Looking currently towards the end of your second term as a legislator, you have championed a plethora of legislation centered around increasing transparency and accessibility in the voting process. Most notably, you authored AB 1307, which creates an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Can you please take a moment to explain this policy and why accessibility within the redistricting process is so important?

Sabrina Cervantes:
Absolutely, yes. We've always had election bills ever since being elected and in 2021, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted by a vote of four to one to adopt a Supervisorial district map for the 2020 round of redistricting that was really fraught with a lot of controversy. Many individuals, organizations, elected leaders really noted that it fractured the Latino community within our county. And what does that mean? That means it dilutes the Latino voting power and their capacity to elect a representative of their choice. And so this failure to protect voting rights and comply with state and federal law underscore the need for an independent redistricting commission to draw fair maps for Riverside County. That is why we got to work on AB 1307. And we were able to get the governor's signature. We also were able to advocate for $1 million in funding for the allocation in our state budget so that the Riverside County supervisors can actually adopt this independent citizen redistricting commission. And this is actually very similar to the redistricting commission that we see in neighboring counties, in LA County and San Diego County. And so this commission would actually be constituted for the 2030 round of redistricting. But I want to share with you, in addition to creating this commission, really the provisions of the policy help ensure that there's truly an independent and unbiased citizens who are empowered, right, empowered to draw supervisorial districts for Riverside County. And so there's a very specific language that relates to the selection process. And so the process of selecting citizens on this commission is very similar to the process used by our statewide independent citizens redistricting commission. The partisan makeup of this commission would also be proportional to the partisan makeup of Riverside County voters, including those with no party preference. And, again, we want to ensure fairness, we want to also ensure that there were eligibility requirements and prohibitions, and so those are going to be based off of current employment and previous employment history. But overall, this new law will, we believe, will truly help protect voting rights and the power of our black and brown communities while strengthening our democracy within our county and so we need to just continue to ensure that members of the board of supervisors cannot draw their own district boundaries for their own benefit, right? Instead we are returning that power where it rightfully belongs - and it's with the people.

[COMMERCIAL]

Rachel Strausman:
And that is so powerful that these legislations, specifically AB 1307 that we were just talking about, are meant to provide more power and access within our democracy to the people. So kind of going off of that, but taking a little bit of a different route, earlier in your time as assembly member, you also authored another amazing, um,  piece of legislation, AB 201, or the Text Message Disclose Act, which promoted campaign, uh, transparency. So in a world where it's always increasingly easier to reach people with information, what does this policy accomplish?

Sabrina Cervantes:
Yes, great question. So at the time when I authored this piece of legislation, text messaging really represented a new frontier in campaign communication. And so the Text Message Disclosure Act places everyone on the level playing field by requiring paid-for-by disclosures on all text messages that advocate for or against a candidate or a ballot measure. So these requirements already, uh, applied to candidates of whatever political party and ballot measures and independent expenditures through TV, radio mailers, phone calls and even social media. And so we just further expanded it to ensure that the same principles apply to campaign text messages. And so the fundamental principle behind this proposal is that voters deserve to know who is paying for the many pieces of campaign media they've received during an election season. And that is why it was so critical for us to run this bill through the legislative process to ensure that there is transparency and accountability. We want to improve any way that we can improve and have increased transparency. That is very important. And so this is, again, only one of many other pieces of legislation on the election front that we've worked on and grateful to see my colleagues support and the governor also signed into law.

Joseph Anastacio:
Thank you so much assembly member. Just to follow up Rachel's question. I wanted to ask, are there any specific or other issue areas that we can focus on to increase transparency, whether it's narrowed directly onto campaigns or maybe even just government ethics or otherwise?

Sabrina Cervantes:
You know, there's, uh, we're in a legislative season now, right? And there's always different disclosure acts that we're looking at and not just sponsoring, but co-authoring as well. And so we do work with the Clean Money Campaign very often. And so there are discussions that we will be having ahead of this legislative session. In fact, tomorrow is the legislative bill introduction deadline, and so we will be sharing shortly what our legislative package looks like, including some bills under our election law.

Joseph Anastacio:
Awesome, thank you so much. And I look forward to seeing what new legislation and our assembly has to offer. Kind of tying into that, policies like these are truly groundbreaking, and we've only discussed a couple of the countless laws that you have signed into law. But how can these policies serve as a guide for future policymaking, whether it be at the local, or such as yourself at the state, or maybe even the federal level?

Sabrina Cervantes:
So the policies that we've pushed through the legislature and the investments that we've advocated for, which now we've delivered over $650 million in investments directly to our region - whether that's on environmental justice, K-12, higher education, housing, healthcare, support for our student veterans, funding that includes our transportation network, our parks and open space, the wildfire resiliency, voting rights, you know these are all issues that we've been able to deliver on over my course of eight years in the legislature and these are all issues that have come from the community on up, right? Making sure that we have been forward-thinking and bold and pragmatic with our approaches and really setting the foundation for the type of leadership we want to see, the community wants to see, on their behalf in Sacramento. So, with many issues we face at the local level, at the state, and at the federal level, there is always opportunities to do more - we should always want to do more and lean in with intentionality. You know, that is always a key as a leader is about listening and understanding the needs of our very diverse communities that we represent. And so it is it is upon all of us, especially elected leaders, to lean in on these issues - issues that matter most to our working families - and ensure that we are being their voice on their behalf, and making sure that it is their narrative, because that is a future that I want to leave for my children, my triplets who are only four years old. And so again, it is critical that we do lead by example, and that I am grateful that I've been able to infuse that true meaning of service through my time in the legislature.

Rachel Strausman:
Thank you so much. And all of these different policy areas that you're bringing up - student, veterans, voting rights, environmental issues - it really highlights how there's so much that can be done to create good change in the world and in our state and in our region. So kind of going off of that, how do you balance trying to tackle all of these differing yet so important issues as an assembly member?

Sabrina Cervantes:
You know, there's truly no real balance. It is difficult because I do travel back and forth from the district. I travel out of Ontario Airport into Sacramento, although it is only an hour flight, I do this four times a week. And this, the legislature is eight, eight and a half months out of the year. And so being able to find a balance is not really realistic in this line of work, although I'm very intentional about the time that I do take, even with my family, to ensure that, I know my kids, they want to already travel with me to Sacramento, they want to catch a flight with me. And they're just at that age now and I love being able to also integrate them into our community, right? attending community events, seeing what their mama does as I represent our very diverse, vast community. And so one thing that I, you know, have also learned, being the first Latina millennial to represent us here in the legislature, you know, it's taught me that it's never too early to get involved - and that's for anyone. As I go and I speak to students from all age groups, and college students as well, you know, it's bringing these experiences to these positions of power and advocacy, and having a seat at the table - that's what drives good public policy. And that we each have something to bring to the table, no matter your background, no matter your experience. That's what makes the difference in the future of our communities, and I've seen that directly impact what policy looks like - what gets introduced, what gets through the legislative process, and what gets signed by the governor. And there is nothing more important, especially during this time that we're in an election season, then to exercise your right to vote. Because it is the most powerful tool that we have. It is at the ballot box. And being engaged, right, on so many issues matters, and it also allows us to better represent our communities. And so this is the successes that we've had really have come from the community on up, and I'm grateful for the many mentors that I've had and community leaders that have put their trust in me to, uh, continue this representation, even professors at UC Riverside in the school public policy - students like yourselves- you know, you all may not recognize it, but you are motivating not just leaders like myself, but many others across our state. And so I always encourage folks just to look within, find your purpose, and go out there and make a difference.

[COMMERCIAL]

Rachel Strausman:
Thank you so much. That's so powerful what you're saying. And you know what you said a bit earlier about how bringing your experiences to positions of power is truly what drives good policy. We’ve discussed a lot about your career as an assembly member but you've previously worked on campaigns and even as you mentioned we're the district director for the California Vote Project. So your impact as a legislator has been immense and you've been working hard for these causes even before you were an assembly member. That being said, in your experience now as a legislator, what value can individuals have to create effective change?

Sabrina Cervantes:
Yes, you can make effective change any day, right? It's taking that next step, you know, especially as I speak to youth, right? It's what motivates them. It's what, what change in outcome do they want to see in their own communities - whether that's at a local level or at a statewide level. And it's just by advocating on these important issues at any level of government, you just got to take one foot in front of the other and, you know, really lean on those who are ready in these spaces to better inform ourselves and, you know, that will be better for our decision making at the end of the day as well. And so as I, myself, fight to advance the progress of our communities, there are many others that are in the same fight together. Whether it's allies within our diversity caucuses, you know, that is true effectiveness when you can bring people together, from different walks of life, different backgrounds, and these intersectional voices are so critical in every discussion that is being had and policies that are being pushed, as well as even on the budgetary front, not just the policy front. And so I will say, again, you know, leaning into that early, and it's okay when one doesn't know what they want to do at an early age. I just followed my gut and my intuition and has never led me wrong. Again, all my collective experience, whether that was through the voter registration drive - whether that was grant writing, whether that was working in government office in the state assembly as a former staffer - they all have given me the experience that I needed to be in the position I am today. And I'm grateful for that. Have I had hardship? Of course. Have I had, you know, mountains in between every goal, yes I have. But it's being able to continue that climb. And when you have that type of resilient mind, you can achieve your goal. And that is something that I'm constantly reminded of because even in these positions of power, as a woman, as a woman of color and just a minority, we are still not the majority. When I step into rooms, oftentimes I'm still the only woman or woman of color - whether that's locally or whether that's in Sacramento. And we are changing that paradigm by electing more women and people of all different backgrounds. And I'm grateful to say that even in the Latino caucus, we actually have, for the first time in our history, a Latina majority, a Latina majority. And so it's very empowering to see that. And I'm just really always encourage folks to lean in with the experiences that you bring to create that positive change and that ripple effect that will come with it.

Joseph Anastacio: 
Thank you so much assembly member and I appreciate you shedding light on your experiences as a woman of color and as a queer woman within this body of impacting change. Could you expand, maybe, on the challenges that you may have heard for youth - whether it be getting civically engaged - what are some obstacles that they have faced and what are some tips or recommendations you would offer to mitigate those.

Sabrina Cervantes:
Can I ask you, you say youth, what age?

Joseph Anastacio:
I would say maybe just I'm personally 18, maybe that 18 to the young adult, maybe mid 20s.

Sabrina Cervantes:
Yeah, yeah, you know, one thing that I a few things that I hear often from from argued is just the affordability crisis, right? We know that there are challenges when it comes to even student housing, food insecurity. We do a lot of work with our community college students. We do a lot of work with our Cal State and UC students and really engaging on the issues that matter most to them and being mindful of the policies that we're pushing - whether that's Cal Grant reform, whether that's funding for student housing, funding for food insecurity - we've often taken these, the voices of the youth and turned around and implemented either budgetary solutions or policy solutions to try to get to the core of the issue. And for myself, given that I have a passionate education, you know, we've been very intentional, even uplifting the voices of our student veterans, and making sure that they also have the resources to get through their schooling, get the credits that they need when they return back to civilian life, and being able to cut through some of the red tape. You know, there's a lot of challenges that we do have, and I believe that even through our Cal Grant reform that was historic this last session, we need to continue making good on those type of investments. Even though we have a budget deficit this year, we need to ensure that we're leaning in with our values. And yes, we need to be more fiscally restrained this year, but we could do so without hurting our most vulnerable communities. And that is the frame in which I'm looking at it when we head into these budget discussions with leadership and with the governor and just within his administration. But again, the youth, the youth are driving a lot of issues, a lot of policy issues. Right now I'm working with the undocumented students across the state of California to provide jobs. Job security on our campuses for our undocumented students - that is going to be a heavy lift this year, but we are determined to make a difference for them. And again, it's the youth and the student voices that are driving this, and that's how it should always be. And as a legislator, I'm advocating on their behalf. And so as students, as policy students, as you see the need for change in your own backyard, I encourage you to reach out to your legislator, your legislator, whether that's in Northern California or in Southern California, Central Valley, right, be that voice on behalf of your community - we need to hear from you. In fact, I think that we should have roundtables with our public policy students to hear from you. But I'm grateful for the relationship we do have with the UCR School of Public Policy, grateful to be on the board as well and just really being that driver of change that our community has longed for for far too long.

Rachel Strausman:
Thank you so much. Truly all of the insights that you've provided to us have been inspiring and your successful career within the assembly, and even before you became an assembly member, it, I think, gives students like us hope that we have the power to cause good change and create great policies. Your discussions on transparency and accountability and fairness within one of the most poor aspects of our democracy, voting, are truly fundamental. And it's, as a result, just been such an honor to have this opportunity to speak with you today. On behalf of both Joe and myself, we're so grateful to have had this opportunity. And we thank you so much for being here.

Sabrina Cervantes:
My pleasure. Thank you so much to the two of you and look forward to seeing you out there getting engaged and making some positive change.