News
In California, court hearings are regularly held without a verbatim or near-verbatim record ever being created. Some legal advocates say that’s a violation of basic constitutional protections and blame an unusual state law for the problem.
Micheli Minute
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Today we welcome Stephanie Roberson, of Stephanie Roberson Strategies. Roberson formed SRS, a boutique, black-owned single member firm, in late 2022 after 15 years representing the California Nurses Association. During Roberson’s tenure, the Nurses waged fierce battles in the capitol over guaranteed universal healthcare, and confronted the COVID epidemic. She sat down with us to talk about her decision to go out on her own, her experiences with CNA and her mentors and role models.
Micheli Files
Definitions can play an important role in legislation. Defining words or phrases is done to provide the reader of the legislative text with clear guidance regarding how those words or phrases are to be understood. Where there are multiple definitions, they are most often found near the beginning of legislative text.
Capitol Briefs
Trump 2.0 is already in full swing and California leaders are as well. Budget bills related to the L.A. fires are ready to go, and the Capitol says goodbye to an old friend.
Micheli Minute
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
News
Stuart K. Spencer, the California political strategist who guided Ronald Reagan’s ascent from Hollywood to the governor’s mansion, and ultimately to the presidency, has died at age 97.
Micheli Files
In the California Legislature, there are several types of amendments that can be made to measures, including bills, resolutions and constitutional amendments. To begin, an amendment is defined by Legislative Counsel as an alteration to a bill, motion, resolution, or clause by adding, changing, substituting, or omitting language.
News
Just days after several gaming tribes filed suit to block “California Blackjack” and other Las Vegas-style games in cardrooms, the tribes requested a temporary restraining order on Tuesday to prevent the cardrooms from erasing any security videos of allegedly illegal games being played at their facilities.
Micheli Files
With Governor Gavin Newsom proposing two new state agencies (both a new Consumer Protection Agency and a Housing and Homelessness Agency) to be created as part of the 2025-26 budget, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at how a Governor’s Reorganization Plan (GRP) is enacted.