Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.

Uncertainty clouds future of legislative gender parity

Image by Thapana Onphalai.

by LISA RENNER posted 11.25.2025

A little less than a year after the California Legislature achieved near gender parity, uncertainty clouds the next chapter. Will the 2026 elections preserve the historic gains, or will the Capitol slide backward? 

Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.

Graham Knaus: California State Association of Counties

Photo by Ben Adler

by CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF posted 11.24.2025

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Few know the impacts of federal and state actions better than local governments, who are often tasked with implementing those policies. Our guest today is Graham Knaus, CEO of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), which advocates on behalf of all 58 of California’s counties.

Battle of the press releases: Newsom v. Trump by the numbers

Photo by AP.

by BRIAN JOSEPH posted 11.21.2025

While both Gov. Gavin Newsom and his political nemesis President Donald Trump heavily use social media and podcasts to speak directly to voters, their communications teams also produce an avalanche of traditional press releases, advisories and briefings for the news media, an average of nearly seven pieces of written material every day of the year through Nov. 15 from the pair, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis.

Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.

Jim Wunderman: From Bay Area Council to California Forever

by CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF posted 11.17.2025

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Jim Wunderman, who has been at or near the center of Bay Area Politics for four decades, starting with his time working in the office of then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein taught Wunderman to think of the larger San Francisco region as one interconnected entity, an approach that ultimately made him a perfect fit as the head of the Bay Area Council. Last month he announced that he will be leaving the organization to head up public affairs for California Forever, the ambitious project to create en entirely new European-style city on what is now cow pasture just outside of Rio Vista.

More insights on drafting legislation in California, Part III

California State Capitol building on a sunny day in Sacramento. Image by miroslav_1.

by CHRIS MICHELI posted 11.20.2025

During his recent review of the more than 900 bills sent to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, intrepid McGeorge law professor, Capitol lobbyist and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli compiled a number of legislative drafting notes and decided to share them with our readers. This is the third of three parts. Part I can be found here and Part II can be found here.

Bracing for the fallout from weed tax suspension

Image by Diy13.

by LEAH O’TARROW posted 11.13.2025

When voters approved Proposition 64 and legalized adult use of marijuana in the state, there was hope that the illegal market would cease to exist and tax dollars would flow into the state to fund youth education programs and more. Seven years later, the industry says it’s struggling to stay afloat.