The Top 100 Hall of Fame 2026

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

Why California just gave the Delete Act real teeth

Image by DIY 13.

by RICHART RUDDIE posted 08.10.2026

Registered data brokers were required to begin accessing the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform on Aug. 1.

Capitol Briefs: Meet the new boss, not the same as the old boss

Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo. Photo by AP.

by CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF posted 08.07.2026

It was another busy week around the Capitol filled with intrigue and infighting as lawmakers lurch toward the end of session.

Special interests spent nearly $530 million on lobbying firms this cycle

The state Capitol in Sacramento. Photo: Feoktistoff, via Shutterstock)

by BRIAN JOSEPH posted 08.05.2026

Special interests paid contract lobbying firms more $93.4 million to lobby state government in the sixth quarter of the 2025-26 cycle, the most spent in a single quarter since Capitol Weekly started analyzing lobbying firm reports at the beginning of the last cycle.

For Republicans fundraising is…complicated

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. Photo by AP.

by DAN MORAIN posted 08.03.2026

The Republican National Committee is rolling in money, while the Democratic National Committee struggles. Not so in California.

Journal letters cannot substitute for bill amendments

Letter from the 9/12/25 Senate Daily Journal. Image courtesy of Chris Micheli.

by CHRIS MICHELI posted 08.06.2026

Because bills cannot be amended in the final three days of the Session, authors and interest groups have been utilizing letters to the Assembly and Senate Daily Journals in an effort to modify their “intent,” or even address concerns with explicit bill language that cannot be amended. Unfortunately, the use of these letters cannot be a substitute for making actual changes to the proposed statutory language.

Paula Treat: Top 100 Hall of Fame

by CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF posted 08.03.2026

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: On the podcast we often joke about our “very special guests” but legendary California lobbyist Paula Treat truly fits the bill. Treat was one of our very first, and one of our most frequent, guests on the Capitol Weekly Podcast. Next week she will be inducted into the Top 100 Hall of Fame, so we invited her to talk about her Hall of Fame-worthy career, and about the other members of the Class of 2026: Allan Zaremberg, Bob White, Scott Lay, Robbie Hunter and Carmela Coyle.

Rising Stars: Annika Bjork, Calkin Public Affairs

Anika Bjork. Photo by Sydney Laird, Capitol Weekly

by OLIVIA BYE posted 07.22.2026

Although Annika Bjork’s professional entry into the California Capitol community began just last year, it is a role our newest Rising Star has been preparing for their entire life.