Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at Capitol Weekly’s conference The Resistance: California vs. Donald Trump, which was held in Sacramento on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. This is Panel 3 – Immigration.
Panelists: Senator María Elena Durazo; Luis Alvarado, Luis Alvarado Public Affairs; Kevin R. Johnson, UC Davis School of Law; David Trujillo, ACLU California Action. The discussion was moderated by Andrea Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
Micheli Minute
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
CA120
California Gov. Gavin Newsom released the first episode in his new podcast “This is Gavin Newsom,” in which he vows to “to have honest discussions with people that agree AND disagree with us.” On that last point his first guest was conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk. While some in and out of the Democratic Party praised Newsom for his effort, a majority were not happy in the least.
Experts Expound
Governor Newsom’s initial podcast was…very interesting to say the least. And so with that for inspiration, we asked our panel of experts for their reaction to the governor’s podcast. NOTE: All opinions expressed here are solely those of our expert panelists.
News
Republicans have basically become irrelevant in California state politics as Democrats have achieved and held a supermajority in the legislature and the threshold for passing a budget has dropped to a simple majority, making Republican votes unnecessary for most bills. So is it even possible that a Republican candidate could follow Gavin Newsom into the governor’s office?
Micheli Files
We’ve all heard the expression “The rules are the rules.” But when it comes to making rules in the state of California, the process has its own labyrinth of, well, rules to guide the process.
Rising Stars
At just 24, Rida Shaikh has already found her footing in Sacramento, overseeing operations of the Senate Elections Committee. But her path to the Capitol wasn’t straightforward – it was a journey of persistence and defiance of expectations.
Opinion
OPINION – As the legislature begins deliberations on cap-and-trade reauthorization, two questions are paramount: Has the cap-and-trade program accomplished its initial goals, and what should be its goals going forward?
School cellphone ban policies. Image by wildpixel via iStock. 
