#20: City Attorney Zach Klein Talks About His Political Journey, Columbus' Growth, & the Time Larry Bird Cursed Him Out

Zach Klein is Columbus' city attorney, an elected position here in the city. The city's website says the role "focuses on three fundamental principles: protecting public health and safety, strengthening our neighborhoods, and defending your civil rights." Before being elected as the city attorney in 2017, he was on Columbus City Council, and served as council president from 2016-2017. In this epsiode we talk about everything from Zach's upbringing, deciding to go into politics, issues facing the city now, his hope for the city's future, and even the time Larry Bird (yes, that Larry Bird) cursed him out.0:00 Intro0:56 How Zach Klein came to Columbus 3:02 Importance of his parents, family, wife6:27 Life after graduation OSU11:26 The decision to run for elected office 14:25 Reflections on time in Columbus City Council 18:33 Early political work, learning he was a democrat20:25 An issue that’s underreported or deserves more attention in Columbus23:26 Lawsuits against Trump26:36 Nuisance properties30:50 Why become city attorney after city council?32:00 Any cases as city attorney that stick with you? And talking about common sense gun laws34:02 Properties owned by out of start corporations 35:33 Growing responsibly in Columbus, ideas on how to grow 39:48 Concerns from the his POV as city attorney42:05 Columbus data breach whistleblower gag order42:35 Mayoral run? 43:52 Time as a basketball ref, the Larry Bird story 50:30 Excitement and concerns about the future of Columbus52:08 Favorite places to eat, drink, and hangout53:21 Closing thoughtsthecolumbuschronicle.comWelcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.