{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"StreetsSmart Episode 10: Zack Deutsch-Gross and the Legislative Session","description":" In this episode, host Damien Newton sits down with Zack Deutsch-Gross, the new executive director of Transform, for a wrap-up of California\u2019s 2025 legislative session. For a quick recap of all of the legislation we tracked this year, visit last week's legislative wrap-up. For this podcast, the interview covered three pieces of legislation that were central to Transform's agenda: Highway 37 (AB 697): Legislation that fast-tracks a highway expansion project in the North Bay by limiting the environmental review. The legislation passed over Transform and dozens of other groups' objections and is expected to be signed by Governor Newsom. Read Streetsblog's full coverage here. Regional Transit Measure (SB 63): Legislation authorizing a ballot measure to raise billions for Bay Area transit operations was passed and is waiting for the governor's signature. Read Streetsblog's full coverage here. Cap-and-Trade (AB 1207\/SB 840): The program was reauthorized through 2045, ensuring billions in funding for transit and affordable housing, though equity and emissions concerns remain. Read an explanation of the deal between Newsom, the legislature, unions, and the oil and gas industry here. The legislation was signed earlier today. Zack also shares his vision for Transform\u2019s next chapter: expanding partnerships across housing, climate, health, and democracy; innovating locally while pushing state policy; and ensuring California\u2019s climate investments center equity and justice. You can read more by Zack on the future of Transform and how advocacy must change in the current era at Transform's blog. An edited transcript of the conversation can be found below. Transcript: DamienWelcome to this week\u2019s Street Smart podcast. We\u2019re wrapping up the legislative session with Zack Deutsch-Gross, the new executive director of Transform. If his name sounds familiar, it\u2019s because he\u2019s actually our first repeat guest. You may also know him from his years of work at Transform. Last time we talked about cap-and-trade, and we\u2019ll revisit that today. But first, welcome back to the podcast and congratulations. Zack Deutsch-GrossThanks, Damien. It\u2019s great to be here\u2014and I\u2019m the first repeat guest. What did I do to deserve that? DamienIf you listen to our first episode together, I actually said we\u2019d bring you back to wrap up the session. Promises made, promises kept. ZackAnd here I am. DamienBy the way, if his \u201cthanks for having me\u201d sounded insincere, it\u2019s because he already said it before we hit record, and I made him repeat it. ZackWe can work on it, Damien. Maybe the third time it\u2019ll sound truly genuine. But seriously, I\u2019m excited to be here. There\u2019s a lot to cover at the end of this legislative session, so let\u2019s get to it. DamienRight. For listeners outside the Bay Area who may not know Transform as well, can you give a quick overview of the organization? And maybe share how things might change\u2014or stay the same\u2014under your leadership. ZackSure. Transform is a nonprofit based in Oakland that focuses on housing and transportation, with equity and climate at the core. For three decades, we\u2019ve launched programs, built coalitions, and won campaigns for thriving transit, affordable housing, and safe, people-oriented streets. We work in communities like East Oakland, Richmond, and San Jose, piloting mobility options and making sure people can get around safely and equitably. But to bring that work to scale, we also push legislation and shift dollars toward climate-friendly investments. As executive director, my focus is to keep doing what we do well\u2014innovative local work and impactful state policy\u2014while recognizing the different political and budget realities we face today. State and local budgets are under strain, whether from cuts to transportation or safety net programs. Wildfire costs consumed much of this year\u2019s state budget. Climate change is now our everyday reality, so stewarding existing public transportation funds isn\u2019t just best practice\u2014it\u2019s a political necessity. DamienAnd you wrote about this on Transform\u2019s blog. We\u2019ll link to it in the podcast notes. Anything you\u2019d add here before we move on? ZackJust that while we absolutely need to grow the pie\u2014tax the rich and fund the bus\u2014we also need to think more expansively. Public transportation and affordable housing intersect with health, economic justice, and democracy. Building those partnerships will be a big focus. DamienWe\u2019re recording this on Friday, September 19. By the time this goes live next week, none of the bills we\u2019re about to discuss may have been signed or vetoed yet. If that happens over the weekend, apologies for being outdated. But the three top issues for Transform this year were: the regional funding measure, cap-and-trade reauthorization, and AB 697\u2014better known as the Highway 37 bill, or as locals joke, \u201cthe highway that\u2019s going to be underwater.\u201d ZackWe\u2019ve actually called it \u201cthe highway for ducks." DamienRight, right. I saw a headline once that called it that, too. ZackHighway 37 is a big deal. It cuts across the northern edge of San Pablo Bay, connecting Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties. It\u2019s one of the lowest-lying highways in the region\u2014already flooding during storms\u2014and it runs through sensitive wetlands. Instead of focusing on how to provide more resilient, sustainable transportation for people, Caltrans and some local interests have been pushing to widen it into a four-lane freeway. That means more driving, more emissions, and more sprawl in a corridor that really needs climate-smart solutions. Transform, along with a broad coalition of environmental and equity groups, has been fighting this approach. We know there are better answers: expanded transit, managed lanes with express buses, and making sure people in Solano and Napa have real mobility options that don\u2019t depend on driving. DamienAnd AB 697\u2014the Highway 37 bill\u2014basically would have smoothed the path for that freeway widening by giving Caltrans a shortcut on permitting, right? ZackExactly. It would\u2019ve let Caltrans sidestep a key environmental review process. We argued strongly against that, and we hope that the Governor will veto the bill It\u2019s important because it would signal that even with pressure from powerful interests, climate and environmental justice considerations can\u2019t just be swept aside. DamienSo, win number one. Let\u2019s shift to the regional funding measure. That one had a lot of moving parts. ZackYes. The idea was to put a major transportation funding measure on the 2026 ballot in the nine-county Bay Area. The goal was to raise billions for transit operations and capital improvements. But this year\u2019s version got really complicated. It included not just operations funding, but also a governance overhaul for transit agencies, new performance requirements, and some controversial provisions about how funds would be allocated. Transform\u2019s position was clear: we need operating dollars for transit. Agencies are struggling with post-pandemic ridership shifts, inflation, and long-term funding gaps. Riders are feeling the impacts\u2014reduced service, reliability issues, even safety concerns. Without new money, things will get worse. SB 37 was passed by the leigslature, and we\u2019re hopeful the governor will sign it. DamienOkay, let\u2019s get into cap-and-trade. This is the big one, and you\u2019ve been working on it for years. Can you set the stage? ZackSure. California\u2019s cap-and-trade program was first authorized back in 2006 under AB 32. It sets a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions and allows polluters to buy and trade allowances. The revenue\u2014billions of dollars over the years\u2014has been invested in climate programs: high-speed rail, affordable housing, public transit, and more. The program\u2019s legal authority was set to expire in 2030. This year, SB 1509 was introduced to reauthorize cap-and-trade through 2045. ZackNow, there\u2019s been a lot of debate over whether cap-and-trade is the best tool. Environmental justice groups in particular argue it allows pollution \u201chot spots\u201d to persist in low-income communities and communities of color. They\u2019ve pushed for stronger direct regulations and less reliance on market mechanisms. Zack Transform\u2019s perspective is: cap-and-trade isn\u2019t perfect, but it is a critical source of funding for transit and affordable housing. Without it, those programs lose billions. And as we just discussed, state and regional budgets are already stretched thin. DamienSo it\u2019s kind of a balancing act\u2014keep the program for the money, but also recognize its flaws. ZackExactly. The two pieces of legislation, AB 1207\/SB 840, tried to thread that needle. It reauthorized the program but also included some reforms: tighter emissions caps, limits on offsets, and more accountability for how revenue is spent.  The bill ultimately passed, which means cap-and-trade will continue. That\u2019s a huge relief for transit agencies and affordable housing developers who rely on that funding. But it also means we need to keep pushing for stronger rules to make sure emissions actually go down where they need to\u2014and that communities most impacted by pollution see real benefits. DamienYou\u2019ve been talking about this for years, and I remember last time you said cap-and-trade is sort of like a bridge: not the perfect solution, but something that helps get us to a cleaner future if used right. ZackThat\u2019s still how I see it. California has ambitious climate goals\u2014net zero by 2045. We\u2019ll need every tool we can get: regulations, clean energy investments, land use changes, and yes, cap-and-trade revenue to fund it all. DamienSo we\u2019ve hit the three big ones: Highway 37, the regional measure, and cap-and-trade. Before we wrap up, is there anything else from this session that stood out to you? ZackOne thing worth noting is how much climate impacts are shaping every policy conversation now. Whether it\u2019s wildfires, extreme heat, or flooding, lawmakers are realizing these aren\u2019t abstract future risks\u2014they\u2019re here. And that urgency is reshaping the politics around transportation and housing. Another piece is coalition-building. We saw stronger alignment this year between transit advocates, housing advocates, and equity groups. That\u2019s encouraging, because none of these issues can be solved in isolation. DamienSo as you step into this new role as e.d., what\u2019s your outlook for the next couple years? ZackI\u2019m cautiously optimistic. We have real challenges\u2014budget constraints, political divisions, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. But we also have momentum. People across California understand that transit, housing, and climate action are interconnected. My hope is that Transform can continue to be a bridge-builder: piloting innovative solutions locally, pushing smart policies at the state level, and bringing diverse partners together around a shared vision for a just, sustainable future. DamienThat\u2019s a good note to end on. Zack Deutsch-Gross, new executive director of Transform\u2014thanks for coming back to the podcast. ZackThanks for having me, Damien. Let\u2019s not wait too long before the third appearance. DamienDeal. And next time, I won\u2019t make you re-record your thank you.   ","author_name":"StreetSmart","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/StreetSmart","html":"