It's No Mystery Why CA Energy Prices Top the Nation | Greg Wallis

**Guest** Greg Wallis, CA State Assemblyman (47th) **Guest Bio** Greg Wallis represents California’s 47th Assembly District, a stretch of Riverside and San Bernardino counties that includes Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. A Republican in a district where Democrats hold the registration edge, he first won the seat by 85 votes out of about 170,000 cast. He serves on the Budget Committee, belongs to the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, and was ranked by CalMatters as the Assembly’s top “maverick” voter for breaking with his party. Before taking office he was district director for former Assemblymember Chad Mayes. **Show Summary** Host Jon Slavet sits down with Assemblyman Greg Wallis, who rallied 61 lawmakers from both parties against a proposed Yosemite land swap, and explains why federal park cuts hit tourism towns like Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. He walks through his reelection fight in a district he first won by 85 votes, and contrasts his record with his opponent Leila Namvar’s, pointing to $24 billion spent on homelessness while the homeless population kept growing. He defends breaking with his party on wildfire prevention, describes how overgrown forests turn into tinderboxes, and lays out why gas prices keep rising as the state loses refineries. Wallis closes with a warning about cap and invest, which he says passed before lawmakers could get a fiscal analysis. **Chapters** 00:00 – Yosemite Is Not for Sale: 61 Lawmakers Push Back 01:48 – Federal Park Cuts and the Tourism Economy 03:31 – Won by 85 Votes: Holding a Democrat-Leaning District 05:27 – Leila Namvar and California’s Spending Problem 07:16 – Prop 40 and Protecting Prop 13 07:55 – Breaking With His Party on Wildfire Prevention 09:26 – How Unmanaged Forests Become Tinderboxes 11:16 – What’s Really Driving Gas Prices 13:46 – Climate Goals and Rising Utility Rates 15:23 – Proving Clean Energy Can Be Affordable 16:36 – Cap and Invest Without a Cost Analysis 17:02 – Good Policy Needs Good Process **Connect with Greg Wallis** - X: https://x.com/AsmWallis - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsmGregWallis/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmgregwallis/ - Official Assembly Website: https://ad47.asmrc.org/ Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast **Connect with State of Gold** - X: https://x.com/realjonslavet - Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en - Website: www.stateofgold.com