Past Events

Capitol Information & Education (I&E) Days has been annual event at the California State Capitol for over a decade. It was started by the Joint Ethnic Networks, who educated legislators on the impact of tobacco on California’s diverse ethnic populations. In 2005 the event was broadened to include all Prop. 99 funded projects. Now, each year about 150 people from around the state come to the Capitol to educate their legislators about tobacco prevention.

Highlights from the 2009 event included remarks from Kunal Merchant, Chief of Staff for Mayor Kevin Johnson; Roger Dunstan, Principal Consultant, Senate Health Committee; and the author of several tobacco related bills, Senator Alex Padilla (D – Pacoima). The 2009 PACT Meet & Greet celebrated 20 years of the tobacco control program. Speakers included April Roeseler and Colleen Stevens of CTCP, along with advocates Carol McGruder and Dian Kiser, who all shared some of their favorite stories from the last 20 years.

For more photos from the 2009 event, please check out our Flickr Group.

Highlights from the 2008 event included remarks from enthusiastic and motivating speakers Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Assembly Member Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), and the new leader of the State Senate, Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento)0 The 2008 the Meet and Greet event honored Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) for her landmark public health legislation, that prohibited smoking in cars with minors and well as the California Air Resources Board for its ground-breaking efforts that culminated in identifying environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as a Toxic Air Contaminant in January 2006.

Highlights from the 2007 event included motivating and informative speeches from Assembly Member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Martinez) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) The 2007 PACT Meet & Greet honored 11 members of the California Legislature for carrying the torch for tobacco prevention and control efforts, including: Assembly Members Noreen Evans, Lloyd Levine, Sally Lieber and Judy Chu; Senators Sheila Kuehl, Richard Alarcon and Wesley Chesbro

Highlights from the 2006 event included remarks from Assembly Member Dario Frommer and Assembly Member Juan Vargas The Priority Population Partnerships hosted a Meet & Greet to honor champions of tobacco control. The event featured a tribute to the late Marco Firebaugh, a powerful message from Senator Deborah Ortiz and honored five Legislators as champions of tobacco control (Assembly Members Fran Pavley[e3] , Paul Koretz, and Juan Vargas and Senators Deborah Ortiz and Wesley Chesbro).

While the Priority Populations had held successful legislative visits in Sacramento for many years, 2005 was the first time event was opened to all Prop 99 funded groups. Highlights from the 2005 event include insights from Assembly Member Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), Jim Sweeney, Bureau Chief for Copley News Service, and Debra Gravert, Chief of Staff for Assembly Member Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills)