KABATALKS

Brian and John Kabateck
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Politics
  • Updated Bimonthly

Brothers Brian and John Kabateck take a unique approach to discussions affecting business and consumers alike in the state with a discussion that is presented with humor and conflict from brothers of typically differing opinions. Brian Kabateck is Founding and Managing Partner of Kabateck, LLP. A legal firm defending consumers rights and protections. Brian was also President of the Consumers Attorneys of California. John Kabateck, is President of Kabateck Strategies, LLP. His firm keeps the voices of mom and pop businesses heard in the State Capitol. He represents such trade organizations as the NFIB, Associated Builders and Contractors of Northern California and The California Restaurant Association to name a few. This program will be like no other and is intended to shed light on difficult issues surrounding both political and consumer concerns as they make their way into California's Capitol, with a style and delivery that can be unpredictable yet informative and entertaining.

  1. Sep 9

    Episode 49: Gut, Amend, and Run — How Sacramento Is Rushing to Protect Utilities Over Wildfire Victims, and the ADA Reform That Almost Made It

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John tackle two end-of-session battles as Sacramento races toward its August 31st deadline. First: a late push to limit how wildfire victims and their insurers can pursue Southern California Edison, which has all but admitted to causing the Eaton Canyon fire. The proposals include caps on pain and suffering and wrongful death damages, changes to strict liability standards, and a ban on insurance subrogation that would shift Edison's costs onto California policyholders already paying too much. Both brothers agree the victims are being kept in the dark and used as pawns. Then they turn to a bipartisan ADA reform bill authored by newly-named Senate Republican leader Roger Niello with Democratic co-authors — that would give small businesses 120 days to fix compliance allegations before facing suit. It passed the Senate without debate. It died in the Assembly. John is furious. Brian had reservations too, but for different reasons. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  2. Sep 9

    Episode 48: The Billionaire Tax That Isn't, and the Two-Thirds Rule That Could Change Everything

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In a rare episode where Brian and John agree on both topics, the brothers break down two major measures on California's November 2026 ballot. Proposition 40 — the SEIU-backed wealth tax imposing a one-time 5% levy on Californians worth over $1 billion. Sounds simple, but both brothers call it a trojan horse. John warns it gives the legislature power to expand to savings, home equity, and retirement accounts, lower the threshold, and make it annual. Even Newsom and Becerra oppose it. Both predict it fails, but not by a landslide. Then there's Proposition 43, the Local Taxpayer Protection Act backed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. It would close a court-created loophole allowing citizen-initiated special taxes to pass with a simple majority rather than two-thirds. John calls it a game changer. Both predict it passes. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  3. Sep 9

    Episode 47: $11,000 at a Dive Bar, Two Affairs, and the California Assembly Republicans Nobody Was Watching Anyway

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John have some fun at the California Assembly Republicans' expense, which, given that they hold 19 out of 80 seats, is not a difficult target. The story: Heath Flora, the Republican Assembly minority leader from Modesto, was ousted amid FPPC investigations into alleged campaign fund expenditures at a Sacramento dive bar called Chargins — including an $11,000 tab — and allegations of multiple extramarital affairs. One was with a lobbyist who lobbied a committee he led. The other involved someone named Pebbles. The real kicker: the lobbyist affair became public in 2022. Republicans elected Flora their leader in 2025 anyway. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  4. Aug 10

    Episode 46: Becerra vs. Hilton — Unicorns, Leprechauns, and the Governor's Race Nobody's Actually Watching Yet

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John get into the nuts and bolts of the California governor's race and agree on more than you'd expect. The central question: is there any realistic scenario where Steve Hilton wins? John calls it a steep climb. Brian asks him to rank it against a unicorn carrying a leprechaun and Brian himself pitching for the Dodgers. The ranking speaks for itself. But beyond the horse race, both brothers push on the harder problem: neither candidate is telling voters how they'll actually do what they're promising. Becerra says he'll make California more affordable, tackle insurance, utilities, childcare, groceries. Hilton says he'll get gas to $3.  They also debate whether Becerra is a potential Pat Brown-level game-changer or just a caretaker — and whether California voters, worn out by Newsom's wars, might actually be ready for someone a little less combative. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  5. Aug 10

    Episode 45: Immigration — Methods, Myths, and the Compromise Nobody in Washington Will Touch

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John tackle one of the most charged issues in American politics — immigration — and find more common ground than either probably expected. They start with the numbers: a majority of Americans support deporting undocumented people, but more than 60% in some polls also say the Trump administration has gone too far. John isn't surprised by either figure. Brian thinks the rhetoric has badly distorted the reality of who undocumented workers actually are and what they contribute — in hospitality, agriculture, construction, and households. Both brothers acknowledge that multiple administrations, Democrat and Republican, share decades of blame for a system nobody fixed. Brian walks through George W. Bush's pre-9/11 work with Mexican President Vicente Fox on a guest worker program that nearly happened, and never did. He lays out what a reasonable compromise might look like: fast-track removal for recent arrivals, but a clear pathway to citizenship for people with long roots, U.S.-born children, jobs, tax records, and clean records. John agrees the methods matter — even if he won't put it all on Trump — and suggests Marco Rubio, if given room to lead, could be the unexpected hero of a real immigration deal.  If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  6. Aug 10

    Episode 44: Why Democrats Keep Fumbling the Best Opening They've Had Since Nixon

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John zoom out from California and ask the bigger question heading into the midterms: are Republicans actually winning elections, or are Democrats just failing to capitalize on the best political opening they've had since Watergate? Brian's theory — Trump's disapproval is north of 60% nationally, independents are at 25–37% approval, and yet Democrats can't close. John thinks Republicans are simply better at uniting around core issues, while Democrats fight amongst themselves and struggle to say what they actually stand for. They run through the issues dragging on the national mood — inflation, the economy, the Middle East, tariffs, immigration, healthcare, and Brian notes that Trump is starting to run out of runway on blaming Biden. They also dissect the Maine Senate race as a case study in Democrats knowing about a candidate's problems and running him anyway, in a seat that was winnable. On the midterms: Brian thinks Republicans likely lose the House and that the Senate is an uphill climb for Democrats without stronger leadership out front. John isn't ready to give up on Congress staying red, but worries about voter turnout. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  7. Jun 30

    Episode 43: Newsom Under the Microscope, Becerra's Moment, and the Investigation That Won't Stick

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John dig into two criminal investigations swirling around California's most powerful figures and what they actually mean heading into November. First up: the murky federal probe touching Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, her nonprofits The Representation Project and Girls Club Entertainment, and questions about where the money went. Brian thinks there's no evidence and smells a Trump enemies-list operation. John thinks voters are rightly skeptical about nonprofit money, and that Newsom still has a real shot at 2028 if he survives it. Then they pivot to Xavier Becerra, and the fraud case that took down three people in his orbit: former chief of staff Sean McCluskey (guilty plea, November), former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson (guilty plea, May), and lobbyist Greg Campbell. Becerra himself isn't implicated, but Brian raises the October surprise scenario: could Trump use the DOJ to smear Becerra right before the election? Both brothers agree it would probably backfire in California. And in a rare moment of bipartisan clarity, John says Becerra might actually be pretty good at the job — as long as he doesn't drift too far left. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

  8. May 29

    Episode 42: Spencer Pratt for Mayor, Trump's Revenge Tour, and the Billionaire Tax Nobody Wants

    Send us a text to let us know what you think of this episode. We would love to hear from you. In this episode, Brian and John tackle four stories colliding at once in California and Washington. First up: the Los Angeles mayor's race, where reality TV personality Spencer Pratt (married to Heidi Montag of The Hills), who lost his Palisades home in the January 2025 fires has emerged as a legitimate polling threat to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, alongside progressive council member Nithya Raman. The brothers debate whether his populist momentum is real, whether Trump's endorsement helps or kills him, and why Brian thinks Bass is quietly praying Pratt makes the runoff. Then the conversation shifts to Trump's political revenge machine: the primary defeats of Senator Cassidy and Representative Massie, and what it means for Republicans heading into the November midterms. Back in California, they size up the governor's race with ballots days away, Becerra rising, Steyer spending $100 million to go nowhere, Hilton hiding his British accent in his own ads, and Chad Bianco fading fast. And they close on the proposed billionaire's wealth tax headed for the November ballot — a rare moment where Brian and John actually agree: it's a bad idea, and it probably fails. If you enjoy hearing what we have to say, albeit somewhat irreverent and rarely do we agree, please subscribe or follow and us and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you. To learn more about John Kabateck's firm visit Kabateck Strategies To learn more about Brian's firm visit KBK Law

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Brothers Brian and John Kabateck take a unique approach to discussions affecting business and consumers alike in the state with a discussion that is presented with humor and conflict from brothers of typically differing opinions. Brian Kabateck is Founding and Managing Partner of Kabateck, LLP. A legal firm defending consumers rights and protections. Brian was also President of the Consumers Attorneys of California. John Kabateck, is President of Kabateck Strategies, LLP. His firm keeps the voices of mom and pop businesses heard in the State Capitol. He represents such trade organizations as the NFIB, Associated Builders and Contractors of Northern California and The California Restaurant Association to name a few. This program will be like no other and is intended to shed light on difficult issues surrounding both political and consumer concerns as they make their way into California's Capitol, with a style and delivery that can be unpredictable yet informative and entertaining.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian and John Kabateck
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 KABATALKS
  • Show Website
    KABATALKS