session #2 synopsis

The second session of the WUD Dairy Leaders program took place on June 12^th in Sacramento, Ca. The purpose of this session was to gain an understanding of the California state legislation process while also meeting politicians that have contributed to the California dairy industry.

Upon meeting in Sacramento we were greeted by Western United’s lobbyist, Mr. Gary Conover at the Broiler Room. Gary was our tour guide throughout our stay in Sacramento and proved to be very knowledgeable with what he does. While eating dinner at the Broiler Room, Gary explained the basics of the Legislative process with the help of Jim Collin, the chief consultant for Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani.

The following day we started the day off with a tour of the Capital building. This was a very interesting tour as we learned the history of our state capital and got to view the senate and assembly rooms. After our tour concluded we met up with Mr. Conover where we sat in on a Committee hearing for Senate Labor and Industrial Relations. This was a great experience as we got to see how a Committee hearing is run while listening to two conflicting parties.

After gaining an understanding of how a Committee operates we spent the remainder of the day with Mr. Conover who took us to meet key politicians that generally ally with the dairy industry. This was a great experience as we were able to visit with these politicians in their offices. By the end of the day we had met with Assemblywomen Connie Conway, Senator Anthony Cannella, Assemblyman David Valadao, Assemblywomen Fiona Ma, Senator Leland Yee, Senator Tom Berryhill, and his brother Assemblyman Bill Berryhill. Meeting with these politicians allowed us to gain an understanding of what life as a Politian is about while also becoming more familiar with the faces that represent us.

On the final day of our trip we were introduced on the Senate and Assembly floor at the start of the session. This was a great honor to be introduced on the floor amongst all of our state Senators and Assemblymen. Overall this was a great trip that gave me insight as to what goes on in Sacramento and the whole legislative process. Mr. Conover was invaluable on this trip as we would have been lost without him.  He did a great job informing our group with all he could and was a huge help through our time in Sacramento.