California State Capitol building in the warm light of the setting sun. Image by rschlieThis week was the legislative spring break so there’s not a lot to report on, but we do have a few nuggets for you…in brief.
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Image by romkaz. If a bill by Assemblymember Diane Dixon becomes law, tattoo artists would join a long list of professionals required to be trained in spotting signs of human trafficking, including first responders, healthcare workers, educators, hospitality staff, transportation workers, social workers and more.
Image by ismagilov. Faced with growing concerns that California’s higher education system is outdated and unresponsive to the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, lawmakers are considering more structural changes to the state Master Plan’s vision of university and college education.
Image by Love Employee. OPINION – Modern GLP-1 medicines are evidence-based therapies that help patients achieve meaningful, sustained weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and orthopedic complications. For many patients, these medications can change the course of their health and prevent the very surgeries I perform.
The Langenhop family. Photo courtesy of the Langenhop family and the CIRM. After 21 years of “prospecting,” the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has fetched up its first “nugget” – federal approval of a one-and-done gene therapy for a life-threatening disease.
The California Assembly in session. Photo by APOn occasion, if you listen to the proceedings on the Floor of the California State Assembly, you may hear either a legislator seeking “permission to read on the Floor,” or you might hear a legislator raise a point of order that a colleague is reading on the Floor. What is the basis for either of these two statements?
Image by Zhanna Hapanovich. OPINION – If you want a front-row seat to how a civilization commits fiscal suicide while congratulating itself on its values, Sacramento is playing a sold-out show. Playing fast and loose with other people’s money has a name in my world: breach of fiduciary duty. In California, they call it governance.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Membership in California labor unions grew by over 100,000 members between 2024 and 2025. Our guest today is one of the reasons for those gains. Former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez is the President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, which is made up of more than 1,300 unions, representing 2.3 million members. We spoke with Gonzalez about the status of the labor movement, the threat – and opportunities – of AI, and the impact of Cesar Chavez’ sudden downfall.
Image by Arseniy45. OPINION – California’s gas prices have risen by over a dollar since the start of Trump’s war in Iran, with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply blocked at the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the oil industry has called for the state to substantially weaken and possibly delay climate regulations, notably the state’s backbone climate policy, cap-and-invest.