Election Day Episode with Paul Mitchell

Spending on lobbying firms topped $550 million through 21 months of legislative cycle

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by BRIAN JOSEPH posted 11.04.2024

Special interest groups, or “lobbyist employers” as they’re known in the parlance of the California Secretary of State’s office, paid lobbying firms more than $84 million to lobby members of California’s state government in the third quarter of 2024, the most of any quarter thus far during the 2023-24 legislative cycle, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports. 

CA 120: Understanding the polls

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, image from Associated Press

by PAUL MITCHELL posted 10.30.2024

There is likely nothing more confusing to voters than the avalanche of polls that spill forth every election year. With what many consider to be America’s most crucial election in generations just days away, this lengthy piece from pollster and election data analyst Paul Mitchell is a valuable guide to understanding how polls are conducted and presented to you, the voters. 

People with disabilities are key to our workforce strength

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by JEFF DERN posted 11.06.2024

OPINION – It’s no secret that the economy was a top concern for voters this election season. As the nation, and California in particular, continues to bolster our position in the global marketplace, we must recognize a vital population that will help get us there: people with disabilities. Their contributions to California’s economy alone have

Lobbyist and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.

Capitol Spotlight: Katie Talbot, CA Department of Fish and Wildlife

Katie Talbot, photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly

by LISA RENNER posted 10.29.2024

What state government staff want and what reporters want is often not the same. But California Department of Fish and Wildlife communications strategist Katie Talbot has found a way to work with both effectively.

The Republican who emptied the asylums

Photo via Lanterman House

by DAN MORAIN posted 10.24.2024

Frank Lanterman won an assembly seat in 1950 with one goal: securing a steady water supply for his family’s land holdings and subdivisions in the Verdugo hills community of La Cañada outside Los Angeles, a task he completed in his first year in office. In the years to come, his influence would expand far beyond his hometown and he would become one of the most consequential legislators of his time by leading the effort to transform how California cares for people with severe mental illness.

No matter who is in the White House, California will still dominate climate policy

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by PATRICK GEORGE & OLIVIA WRIGHT posted 11.05.2024

OPINION – Whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris sits in the Oval Office in 2025, one thing is certain: California’s influence on U.S. climate policy will continue. The state, long a trailblazer in environmental regulation, is setting a blueprint for national policy.

Selected rules of statutory interpretation in California

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by CHRIS MICHELI posted 11.01.2024

There are numerous rules of statutory construction used by the courts in California. Those involved in the development and implementation of state legislation should be aware of some of these principles.