Restorative Justice for Selling Children? | Shannon Grove

**Guest:** Shannon Grove, California State Senator (12th) **Guest Bio:**  Shannon Grove is a Republican California State Senator representing the 12th District, which includes much of Kern County and the southern Central Valley. An Army veteran, she co-founded Continental Labor and Staffing Resources and still serves as its CEO. She served in the State Assembly from 2010 to 2016 before winning her Senate seat, and she later led the Senate Republican Caucus. Grove is known as Kern County’s loudest voice on oil and energy, the author of SB 237 to restart Kern drilling, and a persistent advocate for child safety and victims’ rights. With her Senate term ending in 2026, she is running for the State Board of Equalization, District 1. **Show Summary** “I don’t vote for tax increases,” says Senator Shannon Grove. Host Jon Slavet sits down with the California State Senator as she runs for the Board of Equalization in a race against Democrat Nelson Esparza. Grove explains what the BOE does, from overseeing county assessors to defending Prop 13’s two-thirds vote, and calls an $11.25 billion veterans bond a Trojan horse after $24 billion spent on homelessness. The two dig into the billionaire tax and why it could reach any taxpayer. Then the talk turns to energy: SB 237’s 2,000 Kern County permits a year, Valero’s Benicia closure, and why importing refined fuel from overseas makes no sense. Grove recounts a colleague pitching restorative justice for people who traffick children, the Safe Passage for Youth Act now on the Governor’s desk, and SB 1373’s fight over mental health diversion. She closes with Jay Leno crashing a press conference. **Chapters** 00:00 – Death and Taxes: Why the Board of Equalization Matters 01:31 – An 8,000-Vote Race: Grove vs. Esparza on Taxes 02:07 – Holding the Line on Prop 13 and the Two-Thirds Vote 03:16 – $24 Billion on Homelessness and an $11.25 Billion “Veterans” Trojan Horse 04:02 – The Billionaire Tax: A Door to Taxing Everyone 05:21 – SB 237: Why 2,000 Kern Drilling Permits Can’t Flip a Switch 07:21 – Refineries Closing: Importing Fuel from India and Japan 09:45 – Kern County, Energy Capital: 58% of California’s Renewables 11:34 – Restorative Justice for Child Traffickers? Inside the Legislature 14:15 – Safe Passage for Youth: Paris Hilton and Survivors on the Governor’s Desk 16:02 – SB 1373: The DSM-5 Loophole in Mental Health Diversion 17:47 – Leno’s Law: Jay Leno Crashes the Press Conference **Connect with Shannon Grove** - X: https://x.com/ShannonGroveCA - Facebook (Senate office): https://www.facebook.com/ShannonGroveCA - Facebook (BOE campaign): https://www.facebook.com/ShannonGroveForCA - Instagram (Senate office): https://www.instagram.com/ShannonGroveCA/ - Instagram (BOE campaign): https://www.instagram.com/shannongrove4ca - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-grove-b17b4116/ - Campaign Website (Grove for BOE 2026): https://shannongroveca.com/ 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