AB195 to provide tax relief to the cannabis industry affected by the black market. Assemblymember Jim Cooper discusses being elected Sacramento County Sheriff. Modesto Nuts' general manager is the first Latina GM in Minor League Baseball.

Tax relief for the state's cannabis industry

Voters gave the green light for recreational marijuana sales in 2016, and six years later, there are still costly and contentious growing pains. Not to mention strong competition from the black market. To help curb the financial burden, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 195 with the hope of providing much-needed cannabis tax relief. But through a lens of social equity, critics argue it's simply a drop in the bucket. In an industry that largely has skewed white with deep pockets, advocates say the relief does little to create more opportunity and repair the historical harm the war on drugs has had on Black and Brown communities. Alexei Koseff is a reporter at Cal Matters and has been following the latest policy relief and proposals across the state and shares his reporting.

Sheriff-Elect Jim Cooper

When Assemblymember Jim Cooper is sworn in as Sacramento County Sheriff in 2023, he will make history as the first Black sheriff in the county’s 170-year history. The former Elk Grove Mayor spent eight years as a lawmaker at the State Capitol before throwing his hat into the Sheriff race this year, defeating current Undersheriff Jim Barnes. This will be a homecoming of sorts for Cooper, who spent three decades within the department and rose to the ranks of Captain. He hopes to bring with him his experience and relationships at the Capitol. But will be taking over a sheriff’s department that faces many challenges, from staffing, an escalating homelessness crisis, rising violent crime, and rebuilding trust within the community. Insight sat down with Sacramento County Sheriff-Elect Jim Cooper to discuss how he will lead the department in this new era. 

First Latina GM in Minor League Baseball

Veronica Hernandez doesn’t focus on barriers, she concentrates on the job at hand with passion and determination that led to breaking through a milestone in baseball. Veronica was named General Manager of the Modesto Nuts minor league baseball organization, becoming not only the first Latina GM in the team’s history / but also the first in Minor League Baseball. She is just the latest in a growing team of women across the country who are swinging for the fences to shatter baseball’s glass ceiling. Hernandez joined Insight to talk about this major milestone and how she and other women are stepping up to the plate to change the face of America’s pastime.