Illustration by Chris Shary92. Scott Rodd
In just over two years covering politics at the Capitol, Scott Rodd’s work has shown that he and his employers at Sacramento’s Capital Public Radio won’t settle for pedestrian daily coverage. Rodd’s investigation into California’s failed wildfire prevention efforts led to a $500 million increase in this year’s state budget— not bad for
Illustration by Chris Shary39: Kristin Bertolina Faust
To rise to Gov. Newsom’s level, you need to do a lot of fundraising. And indeed, the governor employs some fantastic fundraisers in Stefanie Roumeliotes and Ryan Baukol. But his top overall rainmaker is Kristin Bertolina Faust, who has also raised big bucks for Kamala Harris and served as campaign manager
Illustration by Chris Shary66: Mandy Lee
To call Mandy Isaacs-Lee a rising star in Sacramento really doesn’t seem appropriate anymore because she has already arrived in full force as a power player in California politics. She’s the founder and principal of Omni Government Relations, a serious firm representing serious clients like Tesla, CVS and Kaiser and a suite
Illustration by Chris Shary100: Alexei Koseff
Fodder for national pundits, ambitious Republicans and a Saturday Night Live skit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attendance at a maskless birthday party for lobbyist Jason Kinney (see No. 65) at The French Laundry was the game-changing California politics story of 2020, thanks to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Alexei Koseff. It provided fuel
A sign in Yorba Linda advocating Gov. Gavin Newsom's recall. (Photo: Matt Gush.)Deeply divided California voters will go to the polls on Sept. 14 — earlier, if they vote by mail — to decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom should be recalled and who should replace him. The polls are tight. A July 24-27 poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies has 47 percent of those most likely to vote wanting to boot Newsom out of office, while 50 percent want to retain him. So what helps Newsom and what doesn’t?
Allen Zaremberg, president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, on Monday announced his retirement. (Photo: Cal Chamber file)Allan Zaremberg, the top executive at the California Chamber of Commerce for more than two decades, announced Monday he was stepping down. He is expected to stay in place through the end of the year.
The Lava Fire burns in June on the northwest side of Mt. Shasta. (Photo: Trevor Bexon, via Shutterstock)
The statistics are terrifying, the damage heartbreaking and California wildfires continue their rampage. “We’re at a pivotal moment in California history as we choose how to spend billions of dollars for climate resilience and wildfire preparation in the state budget,” said state Sen. Henry Stern, chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management.
Ballots that will be mailed to voters across California for the Sept. 14 recall election. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald, via Shutterstock)A million-dollar donation to fight the recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom came from Washington state, not California, and from a name familiar in the world of finance and high tech. Connie Ballmer, who is married to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, contributed $1 million to Newsom’s campaign, the second-largest donation thus far to the anti-recall effort.
An April 2021 demonstration in Los Angeles against masks and vaccination requirements. (Photo: Michael Gordon via Shutterstock)A proposal sailing through the California Legislature that aims to stop people from getting harassed outside of vaccination sites is raising alarms among some First Amendment experts. The measure was introduced after protesters briefly shut down a mass vaccination clinic at Dodger Stadium in January.
Low water during at Lake Shasta reservoir during an earlier drought. (Photo: David Greitzer, via Shutterstock)When asked to name the most important environmental issue facing the state today, Californians are most likely to mention water supply and drought—a shift from a year ago. About six in ten Californians approve of Gov. Newsom’s handling of environmental issues, and a similar share approve of President Biden on the environment. Overwhelming majorities of Californians—including majorities across partisan groups—believe that developing alternative energy sources should be prioritized over expanded use of oil, coal, and natural gas in the nation’s energy supply.