Image by Viktor Hanacek. CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: The Capitol Weekly crew look at the California Primary. How did Proposition 50 impact the races, what did billionaires get for their money, and will the generation gap be a defining factor in November? Plus, Who had the Worst Week in California Politics?
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: If you have noticed that the state now has less “rolling” blackouts, former state senator Nancy Skinner’s AB 2514 is a big part of the reason. Skinner is serving her first term on the California Energy Commission after serving as a state senator and member of the Assembly. Her legislation created requirements for electrical energy storage systems – she spoke with us about AB 2514, about the Trump Administration’s opposition to California’s climate goals, the challenges (and opportunities) presented by Data Centers, and her landmark Name Image and Likeness legislation, SB 206, which changed college sports across the country. And, with the Primary behind us, we have a long list of candidates for Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Steve Frisch, President and CEO of the Sierra Business Council (SBC) and a founding member of the Wildfire Solutions Coalition. With the devastating impacts of wildfire becoming more evident with each fire season, the Coalition advocates for funding and implementation of wildfire resilience strategies. While acknowledging California’s budget woes, he argues that preventing fires will save the state money, and that “this is not the year we should be reducing wildfire funding.”
Image created by The Poison PenCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: California’s Top Two Primary, also known as a Jungle Primary, was approved by voters as Proposition 14 in 2010. Sixteen years later, California voters are beginning to sour on Top Two. Fears of a GOP – or Democratic – lockout in this year’s race for governor have led many to call for a change. Recent polling by Capitol Weekly found the 79% of respondents wanted to revise or repeal the jungle primary. Longtime Democratic consultant Steve Maviglio has heeded that call, filing a ballot initiative proposing to repeal Prop. 14. He joins us today to talk about the race for governor, the legacy of the Top Two and why it needs to change.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Emmy Award winning journalist, producer, documentary filmmaker and podcaster Soledad O’Brien. O’Brien got her start in broadcast TV in 1991, and has held a wide variety of positions, ranging from on-air reporter, to anchor, to producer. Her work has been recognized with four Emmy awards, three George Foster Peabody Awards; she has also received the Gracie Award, which honors women in media. O’Brien joined us to talk about the state of journalism today.
Capitol Weekly Editor Rich Ehisen (L) with Randle Communications CEO Jeff Randle. Photo by Tim Foster, Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Jeff Randle has been one of the Capitol community’s go-to political campaign strategists for decades. He has been a top advisor on five gubernatorial campaigns as well as serving as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Pete Wilson from 1991-1998. This year his firm Randle Communications celebrates its 25th anniversary so we figured it was a great time to have him joins us to share his perspectives on this year’s gubernatorial races and perhaps to share a war story or two.
Photo by Joha Harrison for Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: On this week’s podcast we share a lively and very candid discussion on affordability between two of the Capitol community’s most notable members – longtime political strategist, author and commentator Mike Madrid and former Assemblymember and current president of the California Federation of Labor Unions Lorena Gonzalez.
Photo by Joha Harrison for Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at Affordability: The Cost of Living in California, which was held in Sacramento on April 30, 2026.
This is Panel 1: Energy Costs
Photo by Joha Harrison for Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at Affordability: The Cost of Living in California, which was held in Sacramento on April 30, 2026.
This is Panel 2: Food Costs
Photo by Joha Harrison for Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at Affordability: The Cost of Living in California, which was held in Sacramento on April 30, 2026.
This is Panel 3: Accountability