With a decade of state legislative experience, Baltazar Cornejo has deep expertise in California’s lawmaking process and managing high-pressure projects. He advances the legislative and regulatory priorities of public agencies, businesses, cannabis operators, nonprofits, and energy and transportation companies, working closely with the firm’s legal and policy teams for well-rounded advocacy.
During his time at the state capitol, Baltazar was known for capably working with both parties, business interests and labor organizations. He successfully maneuvered many bills into law while working in the legislature, including the creation of groundwater agencies, establishing provisional cannabis licenses, outlining how a consolidated public water agency would seat its board, and revising state industrial hemp regulations to conform to the federal 2018 Farm Bill.
Baltazar was previously legislative director for then-Senate Republican Minority Leader Scott Wilk, coordinating caucus policy and budget priorities as well as working with Democratic leadership, building on his reputation as a trusted but effective political and policy operative among both parties. He also served as Wilk’s senior legislative aide, a state Senate campaign field director, and legislative aide and Senate fellow to former state Sen. Anthony Cannella.
Known for his common sense approach to policy work, Baltazar lobbies the state legislature, municipalities and state regulatory bodies on behalf of local public agencies, business entities, cannabis operators, non-profit organizations, and energy and transportation companies. He has worked extensively on climate emissions reporting, extended producer responsibility, PFAS, cannabis testing, veterans’ issues, intellectual and developmental disabilities services, among other issues. In 2024, Baltazar successfully led a large stakeholder coalition of local public agencies and member associations to pass urgent legislation protecting agencies against Prop 218 litigation costs. He is also fluent in Spanish.