The new Hispanic legislative caucus from California is launching a series of round tables – Orange County Register

A legislative Hispanic Caucus of the informal state – recently launched after its two republican co -founders said that they had been prohibited from joining the official Latin -American legislative caucus because of their political affiliation – held the first of several round tables that it had planned this year as part of a listening tour.

California’s Hispanic legislative caucus convened around 30 business leaders and community members at El Cholo Café in Pasadena on Monday, March 31 for a round table focused on small Latinos businesses.

State senator Suzette Valladares, R-Valencia, on the left, and the assembly of the Kate Sanchez Assembly, R-R -rancho Santa Margarita, during a round meeting of Caucus in California led by Les Républicains, Monday, March 31, 2025.

The assembly of the assembly Jeff Gonzalez, R-Coachella, during a meeting of the round table of the Hispanic Caucus of California led by Les Républicains with the business leaders in Pasadena on Monday March 31, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News / SCNG)

The member of the Diane Dixon department, R-Newport Beach, during a meeting of the Round Table of the Hispanic Caucus of California led by Les Républicains with the business leaders in Pasadena on Monday March 31, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News / SCNG)

The participants listen to state political leaders at a round meeting of the Spanish Caucus of California led by Les Républicains with the business leaders in Pasadena on Monday March 31, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News / SCNG)

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State senator Suzette Valladares, R-Valencia, on the left, and the assembly of the Kate Sanchez Assembly, R-R -rancho Santa Margarita, during a round meeting of Caucus in California led by Les Républicains, Monday, March 31, 2025.

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Co-president Kate Sanchez, member of the Rancho Santa Margarita assembly, launched the event by stressing that the Caucus focuses on important economic issues for Latin American families and businesses, whatever their political affiliations.

“I don’t care which side of the aisle you sit on,” she said. “I am not interested in having this conversation today. I want to know how we can better be your voice and defend Sacramento. ”

His co -president, Senator Suzette Valladares de Santa Clarita, said there were four key areas on which the Caucus wanted to focus: ensuring economic opportunities, attacking the state’s affordability crisis, supporting educational success and ensuring that communities are safe.

“California’s dream takes place on the basis of a good education and a good job. And for too many people, California’s dream has become a nightmare,” said Valladares.

During the round table, many participants raised concerns about the high cost of parentage in California, claiming that there are too many costs, taxes and regulations that owners of small businesses are confronted. They talked about losing business in Texas, where there are fewer regulations.

Victoria Garcia, member of the City Council of San Fernando who participated in the event, said that she felt for film companies, but that California should not only prioritize the Hollywood industry. A hot topic in Sacramento this year is tax credits for the film and television industry.

Margita Thompson, who worked in the office of former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and is now working for a company that provides tablets to prisoners, said there should be more support to help people who are imprisoned to reintegrate the company and help them succeed. This would not only reduce recurrence rates, but would also help respond to community security problems, she said.

Others have raised the need for more educational supports, noting that a large part of Latin students are behind the school level in mathematics and English.

The assembly Jeff Gonzalez, which represents parts of the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino, encouraged the participants of the Monday round table to remain committed and help the legislators to understand what is happening on the ground.

The other Republican State legislators who attended the Monday round table included senator Steven Choi, R-IRVINE, and the DIEN DIENON, R-Newport Beach assembly. The republican chief of the assembly James Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus and the assembly Heather Hadwick, R-Alturas, in town to visit the post-Wildfire cleaning of Altadena, also stopped briefly.

This week’s round table was the first in a series of events that Caucus planned.

The members of the Caucus plan to visit the border of California / Mexico, to hold a round table focused on the Latino property and have a political summit in the coming months, said Valladares.