End of an era: Farewell John Howard – Hello Rich Ehisen

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This week marks a huge change at Capitol Weekly, and the end of an era in Sacramento: editor John Howard is retiring.

John arrived in the AP’s Sacramento Bureau in 1980 and became their California state politics reporter in 1982 – Jerry Brown was governor, and Willie Brown was about to become Speaker. He has covered the capitol every day since, first for AP, then for a variety of publications including the Orange County Register and California Journal. In 2005 he became Managing Editor for the newly-revamped Capitol Weekly. Under then-Editor Anthony York, Capitol Weekly had been reimagined as the Golden State’s answer to Roll Call – covering politics in the state capitol with a staff that included Shane Goldmacher and Malcolm MacLachlan. Soon, York went to the Los Angeles Times, and John took over the Editor’s chair, where he’s been ever since.

Rich Ehisen, who took over as Editor at the beginning of the year, also worked for the late, great California Journal, and has been Editor of the State Net Capitol Journal for just over two decades. Where we have had to follow the ups and downs of one state capitol, Rich has had to follow legislation and politics at 50 capitols simultaneously.

This week John handed the baton the Rich, and the two editors sat down with Tim Foster to talk about their careers, their plans for the future – and, as always, discuss Who Had the Worst Week in CA politics.

Show Notes:

:46 John’s last day as editor

2:33 Welcome Rich Ehisen

4:48 There are so few journalists covering California

8:10 Stormy weather

9:42 Obligatory John Myers reference

12:32 Sacramento is a flood town

14:31: John, what will you miss?

16:35 Sacramento’s best networker

18:34 A little praise

22:54 Most memorable stories?

32:09 “So, are you going to come in and make a bunch of changes?”

33:02 #WWCA: Emergencies, budget cuts, legal settlements, or the Guinness Book’s ‘Biggest Loser’