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As Gov. Jerry Brown (right) enters the Assembly chambers for a swearing-in ceremony in December of 2014, he shakes hands with Pasadena native and state Assemblyman Chris Holden, while Chris’ father, Nate, looks on. Brown has worked with each of the Holdens during his two terms as governor (Nate was a state senator in 1974-78).

The nasty side of politics includes forgotten promises, backroom deals and leaders pushing personal agendas, even when it means pushing constituents into harm’s way.

But local politician Chris Holden’s first-hand knowledge of those types of dealings didn’t come from the state Assembly floor, where he serves today. The son of a longtime local politician, he learned those lessons the hard way on the hardwood, when politics pushed the big man to the back of the bench.

California is facing an affordable housing crisis. As property values continue to skyrocket across our state, it won’t simply be apartment dwellers and fresh-out-of-college millennials feeling the squeeze.

Seniors and Californians living with disabilities, or any other Californian on a fixed income, will soon feel the pressure of California’s growing property values. While I am thrilled to see California’s economy and home prices rebound from the recession of 2008, we cannot leave those Californians on a fixed income behind.

As the battle over improving public education continues, students have been left behind. We are all to blame, and have to do everything we can to ensure that our children are prepared for the workforce of the 21st century.

That is why we are working in a bipartisan effort on a proven approach – concurrent or dual enrollment. With the introduction of Assembly Bill 288, we hope to expand opportunities for students to take community college courses while still in high school.

If McDonald’s franchisees have a champion, it’s Kathryn Slater-Carter, who, along with her husband, owned McDonald’s franchises in Daly City, Calif. for almost 35 years.

But Slater-Carter’s role as franchisee of two McDonald’s restaurants came to an end a few years ago. McDonald’s did not renew its lease with the Serramonte Center mall, where one of Slater-Carter’s restaurants was located. The restaurant was, in effect, shut down. In response to that incident, Slater-Carter and her husband decided to sell their second location.

(Calif.) Long considered the pathway to high-paying jobs in the tech industry, STEM curriculum has also often been difficult to access at low-income schools.

Assembly Bill 252, authored by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, would create a grant program to bring Advanced Placement course options in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, to underserved schools in order to increase participation by low-income and minority students in these subjects.

Local and state officials Friday painted a dire portrait of what's to come as the state moves into what they say will be one of the worst fire seasons ever. 

With California in the grip of a prolonged drought that has only worsened in recent months, the start of summer this weekend has fire safety officials sweating.

"The drought has created a tinderbox," Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) said at a news conference Friday.

Used kitchen grease has become a hot commodity, so hot that oil rustling has become big business  in California. NBC News Los Angeles talks with Asm. Holden about his legislation to stop the growing number of grease thefts.

There could financial relief on the way for military members living in California.

Assemblyman Chris Holden’s legislation to give service members a tax break when they are transferred to California has been approved by the state Legislature and now goes to Governor Brown for signature. Joining us to talk about the bill is Assemblyman Chris Holden.

The state of California Legislature has unanimously passed a bill to improve the state’s program for small business loans.