Micheli Minute
The Micheli Minute for September 1, 2025
Lobbyist, professor, and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Micheli Files
Considering fiscal measures and the suspense file process
Cut down day. Image by :Pla2na. The two Appropriations Committees in the California Legislature have a unique procedure they each use called the “Suspense File.” Basically, any bill which has been keyed “fiscal” by the Legislative Counsel is referred to the fiscal committee in each house,
News
Stern bill shows struggle to find agreement in genocide education
Sen. Henry Stern, photo by AP. There seems to be general agreement that it is a good thing to teach students about the horrors of genocide. But SB 472, Sen. Henry Stern’s genocide education bill currently making its way through the Legislature, illustrates how hard it can be to gain consensus on what to cover and how to do it.
Podcast
Mapmaker Paul Mitchell on California’s emergency redistricting proposal
Governor Newsom, flanked by Democratic allies, announces his push for the Election Rigging Response Act. Screen capture from livestream of press conferenceCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Governor Newsom and Democratic allies announced Thursday that they will propose a constitutional amendment — The Election Rigging Response Act — to counter Texas and other Red states’ mid-decade redistricting plans. Our guest today is California political data and redistricting whiz Paul Mitchell, who was tasked with coming up with the new maps just two weeks ago. Mitchell described the process of drawing the new maps, why the redistricting effort was necessary, and tells us which seats will see the most changes.
Capitol Spotlight
Capitol Spotlight: Niesha Fritz, Lucas Public Affairs
Niesha Fritz, photo by Joha Harrison. Niesha Fritz’s career path began when she was young, with an electric typewriter gifted to her by her late grandfather and a pension for asking questions. Polishing her writing skills through contests her mother encouraged her to apply for, Fritz eventually settled on journalism. “It was the storytelling I really enjoyed, the process of gathering the details, and then sitting down and weaving them together into something that could be compelling,” she said. “I just sort of fell in love with the craft of it.”
Capitol Briefs
Capitol Briefs: Redistricting, cardrooms and shameless self promotion
Newsom bill signing. Image via YouTubeThis week was overwhelmed by the battle over redistricting, but there were other things going on as well.
Micheli Minute
The Micheli Minute for August 25, 2025
Lobbyist, professor, and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Micheli Files
Bill Volume of California legislative committees – 2025 Session
The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)The California Legislature has a combined 55 standing committees, with 32 in the Assembly and 23 in the Senate. In today’s Micheli Files lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli breaks down the original bill referrals to policy committees during the 2025 Session (meaning the first committee that received a bill from the Rules Committee).
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Capitol Weekly’s Top100: Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian
Illustrations by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 100 Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian
Like Nick Gerda, these two intrepid Los Angeles Times investigative reporters produced work in the last year that has spurred legislation. In this case, Gutierrez and Tchekmedyian exposed an underground market of dogs
News
Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: April Manatt
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 99 April Manatt
Bipartisanship in the Legislature is like the probably apocryphal line credited to Mark Twain: “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Well, you can’t say that about April Manatt, who is most