Attorney General Rob Bonta (Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)News that Attorney General Rob Bonta had ruled in early July that daily fantasy is illegal in California sparked a flurry of one-day stories about the opinion and reactions to it, most notably Gov. Gavin Newsom’s blunt disagreement with the AG. The dynamics of the situation, however, are far more complex and nuanced than those basic narratives.
Image by yhelfman.With more and more lobby days taking place in the California State Capitol (and its Swing Space), law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli is joined today in a special edition of the Micheli Files by Capitol schedulers Megan Garrison and Tisha Simpson to present a series of suggestions for conducting a successful lobby day.
Janeth Rodriguez, California Faculty Association, Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol WeeklyIt’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Janeth Rodriguez started on the path that led her to become the new executive director of the California Faculty Association. Even she hesitated when she was asked to tell her story.
Lobbyist, professor, and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Jennifer PierreCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We won’t use that old Mark Twain quote (that he probably never wrote anyway) but fighting over water has been California’s favorite pastime for at least 175 years. If you think norcal/socal baseball rivalries are bitter – try the socal vs. Delta water wars. One of the people tasked with managing that aqua drama is Jennifer Pierre, General Manager for the State Water Contractors – a statewide, non-profit association of the public water agencies that contract with the Department of Water Resources to receive water from the State Water Project. The SWP provides water for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. Photo by Scott DuncanIn our latest survey conducted in partnership with Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., we polled thousands of Capitol denizens on their favorite and least favorite legislators. As with the Top 100, this is sure to spark some controversy.
California and AI, Panel 1: Robin Epley, Sacramento Bee; Camille Crittenden, Ph.D., CITRIS; Ramesh Srinivasan, UCLA School of Education & Information Studies; Jonathan Mehta Stein, California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED); Mona Pasquil Rogers, Meta. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at the California and AI, which was held in Sacramento on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. This is Panel 1: The Here and Now: A Levelset, featuring Mona Pasquil Rogers, Meta; Jonathan Mehta Stein, California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED); Camille Crittenden, Ph.D., CITRIS; Ramesh Srinivasan, UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. The panel was moderated by Robin Epley of the Sacramento Bee
Lobbyist, professor, and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Dominique Donette, photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly. If anyone could claim a rags-to-riches story, it’s Dominique Donette. The 38-year-old director of government affairs for a reconstituted EdVoice began her life at a disadvantage. By the time she was 18, her mom had spent 10 years of her life in prison, and she had yo-yoed between her biological family and foster families throughout California and in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington.
Image by Wallentine. What are the recesses conducted by the California Legislature? And what is the purpose of Interim Study? There are actually joint recesses after both years of the 2-year Session.