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
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest is Darcy Totten, Executive Director at the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. The Commission was established by the legislature in 1965 for the purpose of developing recommendations “which will enable women to make the maximum contribution to society.” In 1971 Governor Reagan made the Commission a permanent, independent agency. Totten joined us to talk about the history of the organization, the challenges women and girls face today and what the future might look like.
Debbie Cox Bultan of NewDEALCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan has spent more than three decades in Democratic politics and public policy, including 15 years at the Democratic Leadership Council, including serving as National Political Director and Chief of Staff, helping shape strategy for state and local elected officials across the country. We spoke with her on today’s show about NewDEAL and her work with leaders like San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan and Senator Alex Padilla, as well as a national network of leaders focused on pragmatic economic policy and opportunity.
Fiona Hutton, of Fiona Hutton and AssociatesCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: There was an old ad slogan for a well-known brokerage firm: When EF Hutton talks, people listen. The sentiment survives today, with a slight modification: When Fiona Hutton talks, people listen. Hutton runs one of the state’s premiere public affairs firms, with a score of employees handling strategic planning, research & insights, media relations and more for a host of high-powered clients. Fiona Hutton and Associates celebrates their 25th anniversary this year, and Hutton joined us to talk about her early years as a one-woman (and a baby) shop, what it’s like to do this work in LA, and the challenges of being a woman in this business.
Rich Ehisen (L) and Lia Russell (R) in the Capitol Weekly office. Photo by Tim FosterCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Today’s guest is Sacramento Bee reporter Lia Russell. Russell covers the governor for The Bee’s Capitol Bureau, and was part of the team that broke the story of Dana Williamson’s arrest last year. We asked about that story, covering the capitol, and what it was like to cover politics in their earlier gigs in Bangor, Maine and Baltimore, Maryland.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Membership in California labor unions grew by over 100,000 members between 2024 and 2025. Our guest today is one of the reasons for those gains. Former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez is the President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, which is made up of more than 1,300 unions, representing 2.3 million members. We spoke with Gonzalez about the status of the labor movement, the threat – and opportunities – of AI, and the impact of Cesar Chavez’ sudden downfall.
Modified photo from The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs DivisionCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: The New York Times’ bombshell report on allegations of sexual abuse of young girls by Cesar Chavez, coupled with UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta’s disturbing story of rape at his hands toppled the legacy of one of the most significant figures in California history. Our guest, POLITICO’s Melanie Mason, joined us to reflect on the Chavez allegations, the impact of We Said Enough, and the difficulties survivors face in coming forward.