Last week, we featured an event, Burbank Opera Talk, which is near and dear to me. My eldest son David is a Julliard-trained, award winning opera composer. As you can imagine, it swelled this father’s heart when David was hailed as “opulently gifted” by Opera News and “utterly original” by The New York Times. David’s interest and success reminded me of the role the Valley has played in performing arts and music.
Meet Senator Bob Hertzberg
Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1996. He then served as the 64th Speaker of the California State Assembly, unanimously elected by both parties in 2000 and 2001. After his tenure as Speaker, Hertzberg set out to the private sector as a clean energy entrepreneur and in 2014, he returned to state government when he was again elected to represent nearly 1 million people in the San Fernando Valley in the California State Senate.
Hertzberg is known for taking on the biggest and most challenging issues facing California, and for brokering some of the toughest negotiations. In the words of one veteran Sacramento columnist, he is “an intense bundle of energy, an all-night negotiator.” The Los Angeles Daily News said he, “has relentless dedication and indefatigable energy...he has a reputation for integrity and perseverance.” The Los Angeles Times said: “He is a high velocity wonk; he loves big ideas and will flesh out every one of them if you give him a chance.”
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Heart of The Valley
Heart of the Valley: I Am Furious -- SCOTUS Draft Roe v. Wade Reversal
May 6, 2022
I am furious that the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) plans to reverse Roe v. Wade. While we have long known that this was a possibility, the stark reality of seeing a draft decision that takes away the healthcare rights of women is horrifying. Make no mistake abortion is healthcare. Patients and the doctors who they trust should make medical decisions, unfettered by outsiders.
Heart of The Valley
Heart of the Valley Special Edition: Anniversary of 1992 LA Civil Unrest
April 29, 2022
Thirty years ago today, a jury in Simi Valley acquitted the four Los Angeles Police Department officers charged with brutalizing Rodney King. Shortly thereafter, civil unrest erupted throughout Los Angeles, including in parts of the Valley. While violence and destruction are never appropriate responses, very real pent-up frustrations made the ground fertile for the insurrection.
Press Releases
California One Step Closer to Green Jobs and Green Projects in Climate-Ravaged Communities
April 27, 2022
Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) released the following statement Wednesday after his legislation, SB 989, passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
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