72 and Sunny with Scott Peters

Balboa Park is the largest cultural urban park in the United States, but beneath its historic beauty lies a ticking financial time bomb. In this episode of "72 and Sunny," Congressman Scott Peters sits down with Katie McDonald, President and CEO of Forever Balboa Park, to expose the $500 million to $1 billion deferred maintenance backlog threatening San Diego's crown jewel.  From crumbling stucco and broken plumbing to the recent public backlash over city budget deficits and paid parking, Scott and Katie dive deep into why the 100-year-old general fund model is completely failing our public spaces. Learn how private-public partnerships, volunteer power, and lessons from New York’s Central Park and St. Louis’s Forest Park can rewrite the business model to save Balboa Park for future generations. Plus, stick around for the second half of the episode where Rep. Scott Peters answers listener questions on the massive political and economic hurdles of upgrading America’s outdated, 150-year-old electric grid, the permitting reform bottleneck, and how the explosive rise of AI data centers is forcing us to double our national energy transmission capacity.  👉 Learn more or become a member: https://www.foreverbalboapark.org If you enjoyed this conversation, please SUBSCRIBE and click the notification bell so you never miss an episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Supreme Court just dismantled a core piece of the Voting Rights Act, while a controversial federal bill threatens to disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters. California Attorney General Rob Bonta joins Congressman Scott Peters to break down the legal battle lines, the reality behind voter fraud data, and the quiet effort to deploy the military to local polling stations. Watch to see what this means for your vote ahead of the November 2026 election. Are our voting rights under the most severe legal threat in modern history, or are current legislative efforts a common-sense approach to secure our elections? In this episode of 72 & Sunny, Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) sits down with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to strip away the partisan talking points and dive deep into the legal warfare reshaping American democracy. Following the Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Calais, legal experts warn that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been rendered nearly powerless. At the same time, the federal SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) has cleared the House, threatening to implement strict documentary proof of citizenship that could block millions of eligible, voting-age Americans from casting a ballot. Attorney General Bonta shares exclusive, inside insights into how state attorneys general are acting as the nation’s institutional backbone—successfully blocking unconstitutional executive orders in court and running crisis simulations for potential Election Day disruptions, including the unlawful deployment of the National Guard and ICE monitors at local polling stations. Beyond the voting rights battle, Congressman Peters answers hard-hitting questions from San Diego constituents. He addresses the root causes of the California housing crisis, explains why he identifies as a YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard), and breaks down his upcoming 2026 federal legislation, including the Build More Housing Near Transit Act and the Faith in Housing Act. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN The Truth About Voter Fraud: The concrete data from state audits (including Utah and Kansas) proving that documented noncitizen voting is virtually non-existent. The Calais Decision Decoded: How the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling functionally rewrote Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and what it means for racial minority voters. The Disenfranchisement Math: Why the SAVE Act’s in-person proof of citizenship requirement disproportionately impacts married women, rural communities, and low-income Americans. The Battle Over "Election Day": An inside look at the Watson Supreme Court case and whether mail-in ballots postmarked on time but received after Election Day will still count. Solving the California Housing Crisis: How reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and utilizing faith-based parking lots can drastically lower the cost of living. WHO THIS IS FOR Voters & Civil Rights Advocates looking for objective, legal breakdowns of changing election laws without the media sensationalism. Policy Enthusiasts & Law Students eager to understand the intersection of state executive power, federalism, and constitutional law. San Diego & California Residents wanting to know exactly what constitutional amendments will be on their November 2026 ballot and how local housing initiatives affect their communities. Some notable moments from this episode: 00:00 - The Shocking Numbers Behind the SAVE Act 03:04 - Introducing California Attorney General Rob Bonta 05:01 - From Berkeley to Selma: The Bonta Family Legacy & United Farm Workers 10:00 - The Dangerous Resurgence of Political Hatred & Scapegoating 12:50 - Debunking the Myth of Widespread Voter Fraud (The Receipts) 16:04 - How the SAVE Act Disenfranchises Married Women & Rural Voters 18:52 - Louisiana v. Calais: Did the Supreme Court Kill the Voting Rights Act? 21:37 - Blocking Unconstitutional Executive Orders & The Watson Case 25:50 - Preparing for Armed Military & ICE Deployment at Local Polling Places 31:25 - Why Lower Court Judges Are Fighting Back Against Executive Lawlessness 33:50 - Action Item: How to Protect Your Vote This Week 38:53 - San Diego Q&A: The Intangible Culture of Collaboration 40:34 - YIMBY vs NIMBY: Reforming CEQA to Fix the California Housing Crisis 42:15 - Federal Solutions: The Build More Housing Near Transit Act   If you believe in substantive, solutions-oriented conversations grounded in facts rather than partisan talking points, please Subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2, Congressman Scott Peters and Todd Schulte move from the problems to the solutions. They tackle the most persistent myths head-on, using data to show that immigrants aren't draining the economy—they are holding it up. Discover why a functional legal system is the only way to end the chaos at the border. We discuss the "Grand Bargain" of reform: updating 1965-era laws to match a 2026 economy, securing the border with technology, and providing a rigorous but fair path to legal status for those who have been here for decades. Key Topics: The $14.5 Trillion tax surplus generated by immigrants over 30 years. Why native-born unemployment rises when immigration is slashed. The "Heroic Journey": Moving away from dangerous crossings to legal pathways. How to build an immigration system that actually solves the housing shortage. e expansion of "Mega Warehouse Jails" and private prisons. About the Show: 72 & Sunny is a podcast hosted by Congressman Scott Peters about the challenges and opportunities shaping San Diego and the country. We prioritize honest, solutions-oriented conversations grounded in facts. Some Notable Moments from this Episode: 00:00 – Immigrants: A $14.5 Trillion Fiscal Benefit 02:15 – Do Immigrants Take American Jobs? Fact-Checking the Tropes 07:35 – The Personal Cost: $2,150 a Year in New Expenses 10:45 – "Schrodinger’s Immigrant": Welfare vs. Workforce Myths 14:50 – The 2013 Comprehensive Reform & Why It Failed 24:50 – A Path to Dignity: Legal Status vs. Automatic Citizenship 33:20 – How You Can Influence Policy: Neighbor-to-Neighbor Impact 38:45 – Summary: Why Current Enforcement Equals Chaos 40:05 – Q&A: Can DHS Deport You to a Country You Aren’t From? 41:20 – Q&A: Addressing the $39 Trillion National Debt 43:30 – Q&A: Modernizing Environmental Reviews for Clean Energy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.