Secretary of State Steve Simon Wants High Turnout and Low Drama this November
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. In 2022, Secretary Simon was named by ,” and – as we pass the six-month mark in the lead up to November’s election – he talks about his work to make this election one with high turnout and low drama. Simon reflects on Minnesota’s historically high voter turnout over the years, how young voters are feeling about this election, and some of the exciting legislation he’s collaborated on this legislative session to both expand ballot access and bolster election security....
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Mayor Justin Bibb Expertly Leverages Once-In-A-Generation Federal Investments
An Honorable Profession
Recorded on stage at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Phoenix, AZ, this week’s episode features Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in conversation with host Ryan Coonerty. They talk about Bibb’s aspirations for improving his city, how he has set his top priorities, and his strategy to improve public safety and revitalize underserved neighborhoods using the influx of federal resources from the Biden Administration. They also talk about Bibb’s plans for building climate resilience and chartering healthy and safe communities. In addition, Bibb shares examples from his experiences as a first-time...
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Representative Megan Srinivas Shares Why Government Needs a Doctor
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Phoenix, AZ, this week’s episode features infectious disease doctor and Iowa State Representative Megan Srinivas. She and co-host Ryan Coonerty talk about her journey as the child of immigrants in a small Iowa town, to a life changing visit to Kenya, to Harvard, and back to Iowa home to represent disadvantaged communities. They discuss her storytelling strategies to create a middle ground on key issues like abortion and why medical professionals are well-positioned to run for office. Srinivas also explains how she embraces the diverse experiences...
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Oregon House Majority Leader Ben Bowman on Fostering Alliances
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Phoenix, AZ, this week’s special episode features Oregon State Representative and recently elected majority leader Ben Bowman. He recaps Oregon’s uniquely short legislative session, shares what the rest of the country can learn from the state’s approaches to housing and addiction, and highlights the importance of campaign finance reforms. Ryan and Bowman also talk about his professional journey, his early engagement in public service through student government, and how he aims to foster bipartisan relationships in his new role. Tune in to...
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Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet on Reclaiming Patriotism
An Honorable Profession
In our latest episode, co-host Ryan Coonety talks with Michigan Senator and Congressional candidate Kristen McDonald Rivet. They discuss Michigan’s Democratic leadership and how the state is adapting to the changing economy, addressing the public’s frustration with out-of-touch leaders, and enduring threats from extremist insurrectionists. Senator McDonald Rivet discusses her caucus’s priority of improving the economy and how, with the newly instated Democratic trifecta in the state, she has successfully championed the Working Family Tax Credit. In addition, she explains that, although...
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Special Episode: AZ Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar on the State’s Near-Total Abortion Ban
An Honorable Profession
In today’s special bonus episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Arizona Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar about last week’s state Supreme Court ruling to resurrect an 1864 near-total abortion ban. Commissioner Tovar gives us an on-the-ground report of the ruling and the fallout in Arizona, including the decision led by extremist Republicans in the state legislature to block an appeal of the draconian law. They also talk about a recent poll conducted by NewDEAL showing that a strong majority of Arizonans believe that the government should protect reproductive rights...
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Representative Marvin Pendarvis Empowers South Carolina Communities
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, host Ryan Coonerty speaks with South Carolina Representative Marvin Pendarvis. They talk about the dynamics of South Carolina’s two-year legislative session, Pendarvis’s economic agenda, and how he actively engages with his constituents while working in a superminority. Pendarvis emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the Democratic party showcases their successes that are improving the lives of Americans across the country, and shares an insightful conversation he had at his local barbershop about the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration. He...
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Transit, Climate, and Housing Innovations with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
An Honorable Profession
In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Phoenix, AZ, Mayor Kate Gallego about how personal obstacles have motivated her public service and why NewDEALers from across the country will descend on Phoenix this month. They discuss her early career in economic development, how the 2008 recession inspired her to focus on bolstering manufacturing jobs, breakthroughs in the city’s efforts on housing and climate change, and how she is leveraging historic investment by the Biden-Harris Administration and private-public partnerships to create a national hub for the...
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CNN’s Karen Finney on Effective Election Communication
An Honorable Profession
This week, we bring you another episode of our Road to November 2024 election series, as co-hosts Debbie Cox Bultan and Ryan Coonerty sit down with Karen Finney. Karen is a CNN political commentator, consultant, and thought leader, renowned for her dynamic career that intersects politics, media, and cultural change. Her, Debbie, and Ryan discuss this year’s presidential campaign, America’s fractured media landscape, the role that reproductive rights will play in key races across the country, and her family’s complicated history in the Civil War. They also talk about how Leaders can help...
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Debbie Cox Bultan: A Record to Run On
An Honorable Profession
Today, we’re sharing NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan’s recent appearance on the Moderate Party Podcast – a political podcast focusing on the perspective of moderates, centrists, and Independents. Host Hillari Lombard and Debbie talk about the Biden-Harris Administration’s impressive track record, what it means to be a moderate, why the topic of community is important to the Democratic party, and the media's coverage of this year's election. In addition, they explore specific policy debates facing NewDEALers and their colleagues in state and local government across the county. Tune in to...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan partners with State Democracy Action Fund (SDAF) interim Executive Director Kate Stoner to convene four NewDEALers who are in state legislative leadership roles in red, blue, and purple states for a conversation about their priorities for 2024. Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, and Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell reflect on opportunities to make progress on issues like housing, gun violence, and education, and the outlook on reproductive rights and voting access while analyzing the political landscape in their states ahead of the 2024 election. They discuss whether bipartisan agreement is possible this year and concerns for Democrats operating in the minority. Tune in for a comprehensive look at what we can expect to take center stage in state legislatures in the coming months.
IN THIS EPISODE
- (01:07) Introducing today’s episode with Kate Stoner, Senator Bob Duff, Speaker Joanna McClinton, Senator Raumesh Akbari, and Representative Fentrice Driskell.
- (02:58) Senator Duff’s focus on affordable housing, healthcare, and consumer protection in Connecticut.
- (05:47) Representative Driskell’s agenda in Florida, including the Freedom to Be agenda and Medicaid expansion.
- (09:18) Good news for Florida Democrats: Representative Tom Keen’s election.
- (10:28) Why Senator Akbari and Tennessee Democrats are thinking more about defense than offense and what that means.
- (15:50) Speaker McClinton’s priorities around education and jobs for Pennsylvanians.
- (19:26) State legislatures’ responsibility to protect Americans by enacting common sense gun control measures.
- (23:26) How the upcoming election is influencing activity in each state.
- (25:04) How Representative Driskell is working across the aisle to serve Floridians.
- (27:01) Dispelling election conspiracy theories and enacting automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania.
- (27:56) Senator Duff outlines the stakes of this year’s election in safeguarding democracy.
- (30:09) Issues Senator Akbari expects to fight against in the superminority in Tennessee.
- (35:08) Debbie’s perspective on making government work as the way to fix democracy.
- (35:50) How federal funding is making government work in communities across the country, from lowering the cost of childcare to spurring new climate solutions.