February 9, 2017, was a bad day for Mark Snyir and the Sacramento moving company he co-owns, Two Men and a Truck. He and his partner started the business in 2005, growing from two trucks and five employees to 16 trucks and 80 employees. 

Many longtime advocates believe all weed use has a medical purpose and consider it immoral that high taxes and a lack of dispensaries have made it inaccessible to many patients.

As children, we were given this advice to help us achieve our goals: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I still fully subscribe to that. Along with my unflagging faith that I’m never alone in my efforts, I’ve believed that wanting something badly enough and being willing to pay the price in time and effort, could make it attainable (God willing).

Think CEOs have crazy schedules? Try being a member of Congress. The most carefully planned itinerary can be scrambled — or even scuttled — thanks to a call from the White House, an emergency vote, or urgent negotiations across the aisle. “We have to be flexible, and everyone else has to be flexible. That’s what’s different from being a CEO and running a company,” says Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

As a newly elected member of the Elk Grove Unified School District — one of the largest in the state — a partner in a law firm representing high-tech companies and a molder of young legal minds as a professor, it’s important for Michael Vargas to give back to the community.

Julie Phillips had a good idea early on where her interests lie. After growing up in Roseville, she attended UC Davis as a political science major and got strongly involved with the Greek community there. She wasn’t interested in pursuing politics; public policy fascinated her instead.