Senator Alex Padilla recently wrapped up his first year in the U.S. Senate as the first Latino to represent the state of California. It's been an eventful year, to put it mildly.

On this episode of Political Climate, Sen. Padilla sits down with Julia, Brandon and Shane to discuss energy equity, infrastructure, prospects for the Build Back Better bill, and the future of political discourse in the U.S.

The senator outlines legislation he introduced to help address the growing threat from wildfires in the West and his work to expand domestic U.S. production of cleantech mineral resources. Plus, he shares his outlook on voting rights legislation, filibuster reform and the upcoming midterm election.

When it comes to addressing top Democratic priorities, the Sen. Padilla's message: "We're not giving up that easily."

Recommended reading:

• Padilla Bill to Improve Federal Wildfire Response Gains Momentum in the Senate
• Times of San Diego: California Senators Seek to Expand Federal Authority Over Threatened Salton Sea
• PV Magazine: Ossoff bill would address rooftop solar’s cost burden on LMI people

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Political Climate is also brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org