News

CA primary: Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy night

A Sacramento political rally for presidential contender Pete Buttigieg, who has since dropped from the race. (Photo: Chris Allan, via Shutterstock)

For the past year, we’ve been conducting tracking polling of the dozens of candidates for the Democratic nomination.  A consistent thread in those surveys was change: The front runners shifted from former Vice President Joe Biden to Massachusetts Sen.Elizabeth Warren to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Yet, everything has changed in the last 36 hours, and we are now set for one of the most tumultuous California election nights in recent history.

Podcast

Capitol Weekly Podcast: David Panush prescribes Remedy 7

David Panush, a longtime Capitol staffer and one of California’s top experts on health care policy, is invariably one of our first calls when we’re trying to figure out a complex health care story. But after dark David sheds the coat and tie and heads up a rock group called Remedy 7 (even the band name is healthcare-related!) The other members of the group are an eclectic mix, including a lobbyist, a water policy wonk and an Assembly chief of staff.

News

in California’s elections, progressives try to elbow in

Emanuel Gonzales, a progressive candidate, campaigns in the 32nd Congressional District. (Photo: Gonzales campaign)

There are a growing number of candidates who describe themselves as progressives. They have varied backgrounds but have one thing in common — their chances of actually winning are very, very small. Across California, more and more people are opting to run for higher office, seizing onto the theories of change spearheaded by progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

News

CA120: In the primary, mixed signals from early turnout

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - February 15, 2020: Voting Season Starts for California Democrats - Kevin McGovern, Shutterstock

Voters in California have been casting ballots for nearly a month.  In total, more than 2.5 million voters have returned ballots, and in-person voting has begun in 15 counties. The big question is what these early numbers mean for turnout.

News

California health authorities eye coronavirus threat

A passenger aboard a Princess Cruise ship in San Pedro harbor in Los Angeles. (Photo: Mary T-Comms, via Shutterstock

California public health officials are doing their best to calm fears about COVID-19, the disease causing the global outbreak of coronavirus. There have been 15 confirmed cases of the disease in the state as of Feb. 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  the health risk to the general public here remains low, the California Department of Public Health reported.

News

November ballot plan seeks new school money, would alter Prop. 13 of 1978

A California school classroom. (Photo: Monkey Business Imagesd, via Shutterstock)

An initiative to reclaim up to $12 billion for California public schools and local communities could make its way onto the ballot in November 2020. Proponents of the measure say it will force large corporations to pay their fair share in property taxes. The Schools & Communities First initiative would amend the current property tax law established under Proposition 13 in 1978.

Podcast

Capitol Weekly Podcast: Jeff Randle on Digital Influencers

Jeff Randle in front of the spectacular view from his office. Photo by Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly

Randle Communications recently released their third annual Digital Influencer Report, tracking digital advocacy trends in 2019. Sad to say that the Capitol Weekly Podcast didn’t make the list, but we won’t hold that against them.

News

Two million and counting: California’s early voters

An iillustration of California's official voter information for the March 3 ballot. (Photo: Wild as Light, via Shutterstock)

The March 3 primary is right around the corner, but nearly 2 million California voters have already cast ballots. As these voters return their ballots, many are receiving an email to participate in a Capitol Weekly survey asking about their experience, who they voted for and why. This survey, conducted since the beginning of the early voting period, has reached more than 7,500 voters, nearly 6,000 who participated in the Democratic presidential primary.

News

Following the money — in cash

Counting the cash. (Photo: NATNN, via Shutterstock)

When Steve Swanson decided to stop accepting cash at his longtime chain of Sacramento area dry cleaning stores, it seemed to make all the sense in the world.  “Cash was such a small portion of our operation,” he says. “Some days we might have only a few dollars for a whole day.” But soon he might not have a choice.

News

Poll: Slim majority supports school facilities bond

A middle school in Marin County. (Photo: Osaze Cuomo, via Shutterstock)

PPIC: A March ballot measure to authorize state bonds for public education facilities is supported by slightly more than half of voters. Seven in ten Californians approve of Governor Newsom’s proposal to spend $1 billion to address homelessness. These are among the key findings of a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California.

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