[KHTS] – Santa Clarita Valley community leaders and representatives met with a host of lawmakers Monday on the first day of the two-day KHTS Sacramento road trip.

Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, who helped arrange the meetings with Santa Clarita Valley legislators, gave the opening remarks.

Wilk’s remarks were followed by a presentation on education by Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, a Republican from the Central Valley.

Photo: KHTS

The trip, which is as much about Santa Clarita Valley community leaders networking as it is about meeting with influential lawmakers and those who drive policy in Sacramento, has more than 110 attendees this year. More than 60 attendees took the bus trip up to Sacramento.

Olsen talked about challenges facing the educational system, as well as how the state’s recently adopted Local Control Funding Formula will affect school districts like those in the Santa Clarita Valley.

H.D. Palmer, deputy director for external affairs at the California Department of Finance, serves as a principal spokesman for the administration on budget and fiscal issues, according to the state’s website.

Palmer served in the same position under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2003 to 2010.

Palmer was appointed by Governor Brown in January 2011, and spoke about the state’s budgeting process.

Assembly Speaker John Perez is scheduled to be the keynote speaker Monday night at the Firehouse, a longtime, well-known Sacramento eatery.

Perez, recently announced his intention to run for state controller.

He’s introduced in numerous pieces of high profile legislation, such as AB 29, which created GoBiz.