No. 83. John Myers
John Myers, the Los Angeles Times bureau chief, is something of an oddity in Sacramento journalism. He isn’t one of the ticket punchers looking to fill a resume for an assignment in Washington. His two-decades-plus of longevity shows in the depth of his coverage: This isn’t his first rodeo or even
Illustration by Chris SharyNo. 56 C. Duane Dauner Duane Dauner and his California Hospital Association have a lot going on this year. They are taking a lead role in supporting Proposition 52, which requires that the money generated by certain fees levied on hospitals – and federal matching funds — go to hospital care for Medi-Cal patients, including
No. 57 Chris Tapio
A 20-year veteran of capitol politics, strategist Chris Tapio is best known as a consultant and adviser to the moderate Democrats in the Legislature, a role that has brought him increased visibility – and juice – as the Mod Dem caucus has grown. Since the advent of Top Two elections, the
20. Chris Woods
Chris Woods is the Capitol’s budget Yoda, the Jedi Grand Master of all things related to California’s complicated budget process. Like Yoda, he has not come upon this wisdom lightly. Woods has in fact been involved in the creation of more state budgets than the governor and all of the legislative leaders
No. 44 Jodi Remke
As chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, which enforces campaign ethics laws, Jodi Remke is in charge of making sure everyone plays fair amid the roar and clash of the state’s often-supercharged political campaigns. Remke is judged by most observers as a fair umpire, but some of her decisions have
The execution chamber at San Quentin prison. (Photo: CDCR)Will November mark the death of the death penalty? This fall, Californians will be asked yet again whether they would like to abolish capital punishment. Voters last faced the issue in 2012, a presidential election year, and rejected the idea.
100. Daniel Borenstein Moraga Orinda Fire District Chief Peter Nowicki probably never expected his name to become synonymous with pension spiking, but thanks to Bay Area News Group columnist and editorial writer Dan Borenstein, that’s exactly what happened.Borenstein’s 2009 article revealed that the 26-year department veteran had traded his $185K annual salary for a $241,000 per year
Illustration by Chris Shary76. Michael Weinstein
Michael Weinstein once described himself to the New York Times as being akin to “gum on your shoe,” a reference to his relentless efforts to get voters to endorse the ballot initiatives he is famous for sponsoring through his organization, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. His critics describe him in terms we can’t
Illustration by Chris Shary97. Janelle Beland Janelle Beland, undersecretary of the state’s Natural Resources Agency, has been described as one of Jerry Brown’s most trusted advisers, aggressively ensuring that the governor’s views are represented in decisions affecting California’s resource strategy. Her responsibilities range from the Delta smelt to marine plastic pollution to coastal issues. Beland’s most high-profile recent
Illustration by Chris Shary96. Mark Baldassare Anyone who writes about politics and public policy in California has an ally and resource in Marc Baldassare’s Public Policy Institute of California. Calm, authoritative, far-ranging, impartial and always accurate, the PPIC is invaluable — and that’s understating the case. Baldassare, president of the Institute, maintains a high level of interest in California