The CalPERS headquarters in Sacramento. (Photo: Kit Leong, via Shutterstock)Once CalPERS could shrug off low funding and rising employer costs as just another downturn, staying the course in the long-term strategy of getting most of its money from market investments that go up and down. This time is different.
Photo by Jeff Turner. Top 100 illustration by Judd Hertzler, Capitol Weekly.A lot has changed in California politics over the last ten years. We have gone from a novice celebrity governor to a seasoned hand to our first Gen X executive. We’ve seen record budget deficits and record surpluses. We have transitioned to a plurality Latino state and have seen the gap between haves and have-nots grow larger than ever before.During that time, Capitol Weekly has changed, too. We’ve gone from ‘that print rag that publishes everyone’s salary’ to ‘that Web site that publishes the list.’
Kickoff campaign rally for presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Oakland in January. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald, via Shutterstock)With the second release of the Capitol Weekly 2020 Tracking Poll we can dive into some details of the survey. Each month we will strive to find something in the data that speaks to a major topic targeted by policy wonks, pundits and political strategists, and we’ll look at the data from California respondents.
Pump jacks at sunset, extracting up to 40 liters of oil and water emulsion with each stroke. (Photo: Ronnie Chua, via Shutterstock)California has long been a top producer of oil. But that may change. Some hope that change will accelerate under Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has called for a decrease in the demand and supply of fossil fuels. A recent massive spill in Chevron’s Cymric oilfield in Kern County, about 35 miles west of Bakersfield, could bolster that view.
A young boy watches as he is vaccinated. (Photo: JPC-PROD, via Shutterstock) A contentious, heavily amended attempt to tighten California’s mandatory vaccination law remains stalled in the Legislature with the deadline less than four weeks away. The measure would crack down on doctors who write fake medical exemptions for children.
Gov. Gavin Newsom presents his state budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Image: Frame capture from Cal Channel broadcast.)The California Channel, a decades-old public broadcaster that has historically provided on-demand video access to the Legislature, the state Supreme Court and the Capitol community, will cease operations in October. Supported by the California Cable and Telecommunications Association since 1993, it’s one of the few services that offer one-on-one interviews with all candidates for the state’s elected offices.
Pacific Ocean waves lap against beach front properties in Malibu. (Photo: Elliott Cowand Jr., via Shutterstock)While wildfires have gotten much of the attention in California as consequences of climate change, it’s really rising sea levels that will likely wreak the most damage. With more than 25 million people living near the coast, some $150 billion worth of property is at risk.
Rusty Hicks, new chair of the California Democratic Party, at the party's June convention in San Francisco. (Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press)California’s Democratic Party is enjoying unprecedented prosperity, with command of the Legislature, all statewide offices, most of the state’s congressional delegation and a heavy registration advantage. And the party’s new leader wants to spread the wealth. “California will play an ever more important role nationally because of our early primary,” said newly elected Chairman Rusty Hicks.
14. Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams, Gov. Newsom’s legislative affairs secretary, was one of the governor’s earliest appointments. With the Legislature now running on only two cylinders, being the legislative secretary must be really hard or really easy. “I mean, how hard can it be?” a lobbyist very familiar with the Capitol asked us recently. But
Richard Figueroa. Illustration by Chris Shary8. Richard Figueroa
Being a health expert during a pandemic means you have a lot on your plate, and that’s certainly true with Richard Figueroa, who is a key health adviser to Gov. Newsom, responsible for sorting through the proposals of rival health interests. He works closely with Mark Ghaly (No. 3). In one way