For many families in Santa Clarita, Sacramento can feel like a black box: big promises, long debates and results that don’t match the cost of living we face every day.

I hear it constantly — at the grocery store, at small businesses, and at community events: Why is everything so expensive? Why does public safety feel uncertain? Why does government move so slowly when people are hurting now?

I understand that frustration, and not just as a legislator, but as someone who sees firsthand how decisions are made. Much of my work happens not on the Senate floor, but in committee rooms, budget negotiations and bipartisan discussions that rarely make headlines.

And the truth is, by the time voters begin focusing on the 2026 election, many of the most consequential decisions affecting affordability, public safety, housing, health care and energy will already be set in motion.

Here’s why.

Despite what many people think, real power in Sacramento doesn’t live in floor speeches or press conferences. It lives in committees, leadership offices and the budget process. Committee chairs decide which bills advance and which stall. Budget subcommittees determine whether proposals receive funding or quietly die. Leadership sets the boundaries of what is even allowed to be considered.

That’s not theoretical. Take the bipartisan proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, something that would directly help service workers across our region. The idea has broad........

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