The 2018 KHTS Sacramento Road Trip set out early Monday morning, as a charter bus full of Santa Clarita educators, politicians, community leaders and energetic residents rolled out of the Newhall Metrolink station.

Following in the yearly tradition that began more than a decade ago, the 13th annual KHTS Sacramento Trip brought 112 Santa Clarita residents to the capitol to meet lawmakers on-the-hill and talk state policy.

“It amazes me that no other community does anything like it in the country. Our KHTS Sacramento Road Trip makes a huge impact with key legislators who are used to groups from one organization communicating with them,” said Carl Goldman, KHTS co-owner and the organizer of the event. “Our trip is so different because of the incredible diversity we bring to the discussion from participants who are advocating for our valley and not just the issues they represent.”

The trip up — consisting of 56 travelers sharing a five-hour ride — allowed those in attendance to meet and greet, as well as give individuals, such as Saugus Union School District Superintendent Joan Lucid and William S. Hart School District Spokesperson Dave Caldwell, a chance to discuss school safety over the bus intercom.

Furthermore, as the bus drove north through the Central Valley, riders on the bus sat down with KHTS’ Caleb Lunetta for an interview about why they make the long trip.

Those interviews will be available at hometownstation.com by the end of the week.

Upon arriving in the capitol, attendees piled off the bus, walked to the Legislative Building adjacent to the Capitol Building and heard presentations from State Senators 

Scott Wilk and Henry Stern, State Assemblyman Dante Acosta and Los Angeles Times Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers.

“For as important as the politics are, everybody has their little concentric circle that discusses what impacts them,” said Myers. “Right now is workhorse time: this is the point where all the bills are most interesting and we get to see what the bills are actually about.”

During a discussion of his “horses” that are scheduled to be scrutinized by their relevant legislative committees, Senator Wilk discussed a number of his goals for 2018, which have a special interest on aerospace education and hemp.

“This year I’m looking to improve the California Institute of Aerospace, a program which trains people in an industry that is bigger than agriculture and film combined,” said Wilk. “We want to keep that talent here and we want that talent to benefit the entire region.”

The program is run through UCLA and the United States Air Force, and is hosted at Antelope Valley City College. It helps educate locals interested in joining the industry, according to Wilk.

Wilk also revealed that a bill he and his office are currently working on involves a subject he never thought he would address: hemp.

“(The Antelope Valley) just finished 16 years of litigation that resulted in a 50 percent cut in water allocation over the next five years,” said Wilk, who represents a district that contains a large population of industrial hemp farmers. “And this is going to hurt those farmers even though the stuff you can do with hemp is amazing. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp; Betsy Ross’ flag was made of hemp; if you drive a BMW the material on the inside of your doors is made of hemp.”

Wilk ended his presentation by discussing his fight against the CEMEX sand and gravel mine near Sand Canyon, whose executive leadership has decided to sue the city due to government officials annexing the mine.

“CEMEX is the biggest aggregate mine in California, and adds issues to air quality, traffic and water,” said Wilk. “Cemex has been up here with their powerful lobbyists and executives from Texas telling legislators about how great this project is.”

But despite the presence of influential interest groups and interested parties, Wilk once again spoke on his resolve to impede the mine’s detrimental actions.

“If you think this fight is over, you’re wrong,” said Wilk.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!