Brownstein Podcast Series

Now that the smoke has cleared from the debt ceiling negotiations, what defense spending may look like heading into the next year has come into a clearer view. The $886 billion agreed to by House GOP leaders and the Biden administration represents a 3.3% increase over last year but has already drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Now with the National Defense Authorization Act on the horizon, we bring together our defense team to discuss how we got here and what to expect over the next few months in the defense space.

With Denver’s municipal runoff over, the city finally has a new mayor-elect with Mike Johnston winning by a healthy margin. While the results in the mayor’s race may not be surprising, results in the City Council runoff elections saw one incumbent progressive edged out in favor of a more moderate candidate—leaving open questions about the political future of Colorado’s capital city in the grips of housing turmoil. Tune in as Zach Siegel and Blair Lichtenfels break down the data, share their reactions and talk about what the results might mean for the future of Denver.

Taxpayers in Colorado got their property tax assessments on May 1, most with huge spikes in their new valuations. Take a listen as Zach Siegel talks with Justin Cohen about how the process works, the difference between residential and commercial property taxes and how taxpayers can appeal the skyrocketing values used to assess their property taxes.

Denver is considering changes to its Expanding Housing Affordability ordinances that would extend deadlines for developers. Adopted in June 2022, the ordinances require both for-rent and for-sale projects with 10 or more multifamily units to either include affordable housing options or pay a fee in lieu and require commercial projects pay linkage fees. Tune in to hear a discussion with Blair Lichtenfels, Zach Siegel and Andi Stader about the changes, how we got here and why this could be good news for developers.

Since the 1980s, California has faced a worsening housing crisis as development continues to lag behind national averages and demand. Facing a tangle of obstacles from intensive zoning and environmental laws to high land cost and NIMBY resistance, California has to double its housing production to keep pace with demand. Tune in as Shareholder Chris Guillen, Policy Advisor Steven Stenzler and Associate Mack Carlson talk about why the housing shortage is more than a social issue, how developers and housing coalitions are trying to get creative, the impact and interplay of local governments, and how the state legislature is responding.

Denver approved the International Building Code with some amendments in January 2023. For developers who relied on the city’s building code as it was written in 2019, this presents a dilemma. Which code applies to development projects in the middle of the approval process, and what changes are required to keep these projects moving? Tune in as shareholders Zach Siegel Blair Lichtenfels break down how the perpetual motion of development could complicate compliance with the new code, the details of the city’s transition policy and how developers can navigate the change and its impacts.

Colorado’s governor rolled out an ambitious bill aiming to tackle the state’s growing housing crisis by limiting municipalities’ oversight of residential development in the state’s most populated cities. In a home-rule state, is a statewide housing shortage enough to override legal deference to municipalities’ ability to govern land within their borders? Listen as shareholders Sarah Mercer and Carolynne White go over what’s in the bill, the legal tangles lawmakers have to contend with, and why most municipalities in the state are pushing back.

With Denver election results still trickling in, real estate shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel recap where the tallies for mayor, city council and referred questions stand as of Thursday morning. Tune in as they detail what we know about the results, what we don’t and where we go from here.

The Denver City Council is asking Denver voters to remove 100-year-old language from the City Charter related to the Board of Adjustment in an effort to modernize zoning exceptions and variances. Real Estate Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel bring in land use attorney Caitlin Quander to discuss Referred Question 2M—how it works, what will happen if it passes and its potential impact on the city.

There’s a lot at stake in Denver’s municipal election on April 4. For the first time in 12 years Denver will have a new mayor and there will be a minimum of five new city council members. Real Estate Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel come together to get us up-to-date on the election, the inevitable runoff and the impact we’re seeing from the Fair Election Fund that was passed by Denver votes in 2018.

Founded in 1958, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, is the nation’s largest transportation agency, overseeing all aspects of civil aviation. Due to the ever-changing needs of air travel, the association is required to reauthorize its authorities and spending on a regular basis. With current Congressional authorization ending on Sept. 30, a split government faces the daunting task of fitting their competing agendas into a new bill. Joined by three veterans of the FAA reauthorization process, our team will talk about the policy background for reauthorization negotiations, the policymakers involved in these discussions, the areas of compromise and disagreement, as well as the possible outcomes of a new bill.

We are at a critical and exciting juncture where multiple industries and interests are converging to rise to the challenges of ensuring a resilient and accessible water future. Brownstein and WestWater Research have teamed up to co-host the Sustainable Water Investment Summit March 9-10 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California to provide a forum for candid and insightful conversations on investing in a sustainable water future. This summit brings together leaders throughout the water sector to connect and discuss a wide range of topics around investing in our most vital natural resource. Tune in as Brownstein’s Rebecca Tucker moderates a conversation with Shareholder Brad Herrema and WestWater Research CEO and founder Clay Landry about key issues in sustainable water investing and what will be covered at the Sustainable Water Investment Summit next month.

Since the Great Depression, Congress has passed a farm bill every five years to fund projects from agricultural research to nutrition programs to rural development and more. This year, the bill poses a significant test to a divided government. In our conversation today, we will cover what we have seen in past farm bills, areas of possible bipartisan agreement, where roadblocks to the bill lie and how the negotiation and passage of the legislation might play out.

Although Environmental, Social and Governance—more commonly known as ESG—principles are often portrayed as a new trend, the concept has been around for decades and fundamentally is about ensuring long-term value. Listen as co-chairs of Brownstein’s ESG practice Jason Downs, Carrie Johnson and Rebecca Tucker talk about what ESG is and what it is not. The group discusses how ESG can be simply understood as a risk assessment framework and how companies can be more competitive by responding to workforce and market expectations and mitigating against natural and man-made disasters in an increasingly connected world.

Nov. 8 has come and gone, but control of Congress is still up in the air. While the predicted “red wave” failed to materialize, Republicans may yet take control of both chambers from the Democrats. Policy Directors Will Dunham, Nadeam Elshami, Brian McGuire and Carmencita Whonder, representing experience from the four corners of Congressional leadership, come together again to discuss the possibility of the GOP taking the majority in the House for the first time since 2018, Democrats being favored to win the 50 seats they need in the Senate and what this means for both parties moving forward in the 118th Congress and beyond. Brownstein Strategic Advisor and former Alaska Sen. Mark Begich moderates the conversation.

From water infrastructure failures in Jackson, Mississippi, to a megadrought of historic proportions in California, water affordability is an emerging policy concern for an industry already facing huge challenges. Tune is as Brownstein’s Jessica Diaz speaks to industry experts Jennifer Capitolo and April Ballou about how the issue of water affordability and fragmentation is playing out among providers, the potential and pitfalls that come with federal assistance programs and the critical balance of providing affordable water without sacrificing safety or reliability. April Ballou is general counsel and vice president of state regulatory affairs for the National Association of Water Companies and Jennifer Capitolo is the executive director of the California Water Association.

With the 2022 midterms fast approaching, the heads of our Washington, D.C. Technology and Telecommunications group, Al Mottur and Greta Joynes, provide perspective, and banter, from both sides of the aisle on the upcoming elections, Senate and House leadership predictions, thoughts on what will happen in the lame duck and legislative priorities through the end of the year.

Brownstein's senior policy directors representing the four corners of congressional leadership join together for a discussion on the upcoming midterms. Nadeam Elshami, Carmencita Whonder, Brian McGuire and the Brownstein Policy team's newest member, Will Dunham, give their predictions for the results of the 2022 elections and dive into how these changes might affect the legislative priorities of the next Congress. Brownstein Strategic Advisor and former Alaska Sen. Mark Begich moderates the conversation. This podcast was recorded at a live panel event on Oct. 26, 2022.

Among a batch of significant changes to Colorado’s employment laws passed this year, a major overhaul to the state’s noncompete and restrictive covenant laws take effect Aug. 10. The revisions significantly impact how employers protect information like trade secrets, expand coverage to restrictive covenants much more broadly and significant alter exemptions and penalties. In this episode, Brownstein’s Employment Group break down the background of the bill and the changes it brings.

With the rise of Big Tech and social media, privacy advocates have rung the alarm on how these large organizations treat their users’ data. Outside of a few lawmakers, this issue never gained traction on Capitol Hill or in the White House, until now. The introduction of the bipartisan American Privacy and Data Protection Act, as well as new regulatory interest in privacy policy, signal possible progress. In this podcast, the Brownstein Government Relations team discusses what these policy moves entail, why it has become an issue now and possible roadblocks new legislation and regulation faces.