Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Lia Lopez

28. Lia Lopez

Lia Lopez is another one of those vital Capitol aides who is anonymous to the general public but invaluable to those inside the Legislative machine. As the Chief Administrative Officer for the Assembly Rules Committee, Lopez oversees that chamber’s administrative business and assigns bills to other committees. That might sound wonky – okay, it is – but her job could very accurately be She Who Makes the Trains Run on Time. The Rules Committee decides what bills go where, but is also responsible for ensuring the business of the chamber gets done on time and with maximum efficiency, and that it plays nice with the Senate. Maybe most important of all, Lopez will be a key figure – maybe THE key figure – in getting the chamber ready to handle the unionization of legislative staff, set to happen next year. It will be a huge change for everyone, and there will no doubt be more than a few mud puddles to navigate. How well they do could hinge on how well Lopez manages this transition.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025