Gov. Gavin Newsom. Image by AP.It was another busy week around the Capitol, with the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final May budget revision, the clearing of the Suspense Files in both Appropriations Committees and yet more controversy in the ongoing battle over sexual abuse claims against L.A. County.
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Image by Phimprapha Kitaiamphaisan. California lawmakers are responsible for shaping mental health policy for millions — deciding how the state responds to crisis, expands treatment and addresses stigma. But when it comes to their own mental health, many say the reality is far less structured
The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)Today is a big day in the Legislature – suspense file hearings in the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees. But what exactly is the suspense file procedure? We’re glad you asked. Allow Capitol Weekly contributor, lobbyist and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli explain all for you.
Image by Zhanna Hapanovich. AB 1776, otherwise known as the Competition and Opportunity in Markets for a Prosperous, Equitable and Transparent Economy (COMPETE) Act, seeks to expand the scope of California’s antitrust law to include the conduct of a single business to restrain trade.
Capitol Weekly Editor Rich Ehisen (L) with Randle Communications CEO Jeff Randle. Photo by Tim Foster, Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Jeff Randle has been one of the Capitol community’s go-to political campaign strategists for decades. He has been a top advisor on five gubernatorial campaigns as well as serving as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Pete Wilson from 1991-1998. This year his firm Randle Communications celebrates its 25th anniversary so we figured it was a great time to have him joins us to share his perspectives on this year’s gubernatorial races and perhaps to share a war story or two.
Girl making some exercises on the blackboardOPINION – About 20% of our students are emergent bilinguals, with their language diversity on the rise –Spanish is most common, followed by Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, and Persian. While future teachers who receive their teaching credential in California are required to take specific courses on how to support language learners, the actual content varies widely.
US visa, Visa in passport, fee for US visa, tour of the USA, airport, customs, checkpoint, illegal immigrants, closed borders, nationality H-1B visa. Macro photo. High quality photoOPINION – We need a modern system that aligns legal pathways with workforce needs and provides an earned path to legal status for long-term contributors. Without it, we are placing California’s economic stability at risk.
Neighborhood crime watch sign on a fenceOPINION – California has the opportunity to follow Richmond’s model, potentially leading to huge reductions in gun violence across the entire state. A bill called AB 2378 would create a statewide Office of Community Violence Intervention, installing a director to provide unprecedented support for violence intervention infrastructure and field needs.
California Capitol Building in Sacramento. Image by bbourdagesOPINION – California stares down an $18 billion budget problem for 2026–27, $5 billion larger than the Newsom administration admitted last June. Revenue gains from the AI boom? Almost entirely erased by Proposition 98 education mandates and Proposition 2 debt payments.