Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 42 Toks Omishakin
Seriously, is there a more thankless job than being the Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, especially now when it seems every highway in the state is undergoing a forever-and-a-day rebuild? People who commute probably wake up cursing your name, or would if they knew who you are. But rest
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 41. Steve Wertheim
This will be remembered as the year of the most significant CEQA reform in the law’s 55-year history, a tectonic shift that will long be credited to the work of Buffy Wicks, Scott Wiener and Gavin Newsom. But insiders also give copious credit to Steve Wertheim, Wicks’ top advisor on housing
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 21 Steve O’Mara
Steve O’Mara is another of those quiet folks who just gets things done behind the scenes. Some observers call him a “policy and political smarty pants,” though we doubt that is on his CV. A well-known team builder and a genuinely nice guy, he also has nerves of steel, critical for
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 18 Kim Johnson
Following someone as substantial as Dr. Mark Ghaly as California’s Secretary of Health and Human Services is like being asked to pinch hit for Babe Ruth. It’s hard to find anyone around the Capitol community as widely respected as Ghaly, but the governor didn’t just pluck Johnson off a park bench
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 6 Dave Sapp
If suing the Trump administration was currency California wouldn’t have a budget deficit. When Gavin Newsom needs legal advice in his efforts to counter The Donald, he turns for guidance to his in-house lawyer, Legal Secretary Dave Sapp. Sapp oversees any litigation the governor or the state is involved in, but
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 1 Nathan Barankin
How could it be anyone else in this position? Being Chief of Staff to the governor is probably the hardest job in California politics, and maybe doubly so for this governor, who is not exactly known for being a ray of sunshine. There’s a reason he goes through chiefs on the
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 4 Nani Coloretti
Ann Patterson will eventually be out, so we have to turn our focus toward her replacement. Nobody is accusing Coloretti of needing training wheels, but we have traditionally not added folks to this list who are this new to the job. That said, Coloretti’s CV is…awesome. She came to Newsomworld from
Lobbyist and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.
California Mass Deportation Protest, photo by AP. While redistricting has taken center stage for the moment, when lawmakers return next week they will also have a full package of bills addressing interactions with the federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to consider forwarding to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
View of the Senate in the California State Capitol building. Image by Sundry Photography. With the final weeks of Session upon us, several procedural items that regularly occur on the Floors of the California Legislature may be in order.