Brownstein Podcast Series

Another election year, another ballot cycle in Colorado. In this episode, Brownstein’s Sarah Mercer, David Meschke and Denver Donchez talk about the state’s ballot measure process and what voters can expect in this even-year election.

May 9 marked the start of the bicameral conference to negotiate the House-passed USICA and Senate-passed COMPETES Act—both designed to counter China’s growing global influence and improve U.S. competitiveness. Brownstein’s Government Relations team sits down to discuss this rarely used political practice, possible roadblocks, the timeline and the potential effects of a successful or failed conference.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure. With state and local politics increasingly driving national outcomes, our state Government Relations team takes a deep dive into how these funds trickle down from federal coffers to state and local projects from coast to coast. Tune in as they discuss the mechanics of the process and how projects like EV infrastructure and broadband expansion represent opportunities for private business.

With President Biden’s policy plans largely stalled in Congress, we’re seeing the administration’s priorities materialize in the regulatory world. Our Government Relations team dissects one of most controversial rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission: the new regulations surrounding reporting of climate impacts by public companies. The discussion covers how we reached this point, how this new rule will affect companies, what SEC enforcement of this regulation might look like and potential challenges to implementation moving forward.

The implementation of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents the largest infusion of infrastructure funds in a generation. With so much funding up for grabs, road bumps are to be expected. Our federal Government Relations team discusses what implementation of this historic bill looks like, what will get funded, potential oversight of these funds and how the Biden administration’s legislative agenda will be affected going forward.

As gridlock on Capitol Hill continues, state and local politics become more and more relevant every election cycle. With 36 of 50 states holding gubernatorial elections this year, governors are largely shaping national policy on issues ranging from COVID mandates and crime to education policy and infrastructure repairs. Tune in as our State Government Relations team dissects the most significant 2022 governor races, the balance of red and blue states on the electoral map, issues impacting Republicans versus Democrats on state ballots, and why—in the end—all politics are local.

Even as more states legalize cannabis, it is still federally prohibited despite attempts from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to pass industry-friendly legislation. In this panel discussion, Shareholder Melissa Kuipers Blake and Policy Directors Drew Littman and Brian Wild swap insights on the status of federal legislation including the SAFE Banking Act, MORE Act and Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. They also discuss possible impacts from the upcoming 2022 midterm elections on the cannabis industry.

Based in California, the White Buffalo Land Trust is a leader in an international regenerative agriculture movement. Shareholder Beth Collins joins its Founder and President Steve Finkel and Director of Land Stewardship Jesse Smith to discuss the acquisition of 1,000 acres on the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County and their plans to preserve habitat while improving human health and supply chains for regenerative products–creating a model for sustainable farms of the future.

Colorado is the latest state with its own comprehensive data privacy law. Tune in to hear about the legislative debates before the bill became law, why nuances and differences among state and international privacy laws will make compliance difficult for some companies, what rules and regulations may shape the Colorado privacy landscape in the coming months and what companies should do to prepare before the law goes into effect two years from now.

President Biden’s health care agenda has come into focus after the release of his FY 2022 budget request. However, most of the proposals outlined by the president are unlikely to pass through a deeply divided congress. In this segment, Brownstein’s government relations team discusses all the latest activity on health care including which provisions made it into the budget request, what can realistically be included in a potential reconciliation package, and why budget reconciliation may be the only viable path to enactment for many of the cornerstones of President Biden’s ambitious agenda.

With President Biden reaching 100 days in office this Friday, his administration’s China policy apparatus is nearly solidified. In this segment, the Brownstein government relations team discusses the latest activity on China policy, from developments on Capitol Hill to Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as how bipartisan focus on US-China relations could recalibrate private sector advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Infrastructure’s name appears to have been finally called in Washington, D.C., as congressional Democrats and the Biden administration set their sights on passing a multi-trillion dollar plan. In this podcast, Brownstein’s government relations team provides real-time analysis on where negotiations stand and deliberates potential sticking points to passing such legislation.

A unified Democratic government will recalibrate the focus of state attorneys general. Alissa Gardenswartz joins Stan Garnett and a recent addition to the Brownstein team, former U.S. Senator and Arkansas Attorney General Mark Pryor, to discuss new issues state AGs are likely to focus on and how heightened partisanship in Washington, D.C. may influence the agendas of state AGs across the country.

In 2021, more than 17 states so far have introduced some form of privacy-related legislation, and there’s likely more to come. Shareholders Alissa Gardenswartz and David Hale discuss Virginia’s imminent Consumer Data Protection Act and other state laws poised for passage, the legislative volley over a federal privacy statute, lessons learned from other consumer protection laws and the potential frustration for businesses and consumers alike. When this podcast was recorded, Virginia had not yet passed its new privacy law.

With the tumultuous 2020 election season behind us, a panel of Brownstein's Health Care group and additional experts from the health care industry discuss potential changes to key health care laws, the future of health care cost containment and telehealth, policy updates on COVID-19, and how these elements will impact the health care industry and businesses generally. Panelists: Moderator: Mike King, shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Emily Felder, senior policy advisor and counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Alex Geier, senior health care banker at GLC Advisors & Co. Dr. Elizabeth Hawk, faculty at Stanford School of Medicine and president at Ampersand Intelligence

The past year brought privacy and data security issues into sharper focus for many companies. Shareholders Alissa Gardenswartz and David Hale discuss the privacy and cybersecurity landscape and what’s on the horizon for companies in 2021. They cover how companies should approach privacy compliance in the wake of developments around the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, what new state and federal privacy laws may be coming this year as well as what privacy enforcement may look like at the FTC, and the most important thing companies should be doing right now related to cybersecurity.

Upon President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, there will be a Democrat-controlled government for the first time since 2011. Mark Begich moderates a conversation with Al Mottur, Greta Joynes and LaKeitha Anderson to unpack how the 117th Congress, controlled by the narrowest of margins, and new administration will change policy, politics and process in Washington, D.C.

Climate policy was an integral part of President-elect Joe Biden's campaign platform, and his administration will evaluate an unprecedented number of issues through an environmental lens. Brownstein’s government relations team provides insight into which decision-makers in Biden’s orbit will play a key role on climate issues, what immediate actions the new administration is likely to take and the level of appetite in Congress for energy and environmental reform.

President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to expand “Buy American” policies, but what balance will Biden strike between domestic manufacturing and U.S. trade policy? In this segment, former Sen. Mark Begich moderates a discussion between Lori Harju and former Rep. Ed Royce to discuss how trade policy under Biden will compare to President Trump, and what Congress’ role will be in influencing the Biden administration’s approach to trading with nations such as China.

When President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021, there will be immediate and long-term implications for U.S. policy across the board. From potential day-one executive actions to Biden’s near-term legislative priorities, the Brownstein team discusses how the first 100 days of the new government may unfold and what opportunities will exist for private-public collaboration as fresh policies are developed.