Reporter's Notebook
Kevin McCarthy: the Benjamin Button of California politics
Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button. Image via YouTubeKevin McCarthy is the Benjamin Button of California politics. Began his career as an adult. Ended it as a baby.
Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button. Image via YouTubeMicheli Files
Volume of Daily Journal letters submitted by bill authors – 2023 update, part I
Chris Micheli photo by Scott DuncanOne of the main avenues for California legislators to clarify their bills or, most often, to express their intent behind their legislation, is to submit a formal letter to the Assembly Chief Clerk for Assembly Bills or the Senate Secretary for Senate Bills.
News
Proposed changes to gaming regulations spark outrage from both cardrooms and tribal casinos
The Commerce Casino, image by Steve CukrovThe California Bureau of Gambling Control has unveiled draft language for potential new regulations that could effectively turn the card room industry – and the cities that depend on the revenue they generate – on their heads. Not surprisingly, card rooms are incensed. But so are their biggest rivals – tribal casinos.
Micheli Files
Resignations and vacancies in the California legislature
Image by WallentineVacancies are nothing new in the California Legislature, and as with most things in that body there are a suite of rules and procedure to follow to fill those empty positions.
News
No, Newsom can’t just name a replacement for Kevin McCarthy
Image by Consolidated News PhotosWhen U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in late September, there was immediate speculation as to who Gov. Gavin Newsom would appoint to fill out much of the remainder of her term. But when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced today that he will be leaving Congress at the end of the year, the talk has all been about who will run in the special election to replace him. Wait. Why wouldn’t the governor appoint a temporary replacement for McCarthy too? Today, 37 states have opted to temporarily fill Senate vacancies through gubernatorial appointment. The remaining 13 have not taken that option; they may only fill vacancies through special elections, like in the House.
Experts Expound
Experts Expound: The impact of the budget shortfall
Image by zimmytwsIt is shaping up to be a very tough budget year in Sacramento, with the Legislative Analyst’s Office predicting the Golden State could be facing a $68 billion budget shortfall. With that in mind, we posed the following question to our panel of experts and let them expound.
Podcast
The death of the American Dream?
Sailing card for the clipper ship California, depicting scenes from the California gold rush.CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: A new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that many Californians no longer believe the American Dream holds true, or believe that the dream is harder to achieve in California than in other states. We’re joined by Dean Bonner, associate survey director and research fellow at PPIC, to talk about the results of the survey, how they compare to earlier iterations, and about the survey process itself.
News
With CIRM funds, UCD stem cell ‘fairy godmother’ leads fight against spina bifida
Emily and Robbie with UCD's Diana Farmer. Photo courtesy of UCDThe California stem cell agency had a $9 million moment last week that involved a “stem cell fairy godmother,” two English bulldogs named Darla and Spanky, four lambs and a baby from Texas named Robbie. While it took the agency only moments to hand out the $9 million, it took the fairy godmother more than 25 years to make it happen.
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Rosalynn Carter: A lifetime voice for improving mental health care
First Lady Rosalynn Carter, photo courtesy of APTributes to First Lady Rosalynn Carter invariably cite her lifelong commitment to improving care for people with severe mental illness. As she stumped for her husband during the closing days of the 1976 presidential campaign, she brought that advocacy to the unlikely locale of Bakersfield.
News
The tangled web of California cardrooms and third-party proposition players
Image by Netfalls Remy MusserConfusion and complexity are features, not bugs, of the bizarre subculture of California cardrooms and their related entities, third-party proposition players (TPPPs), which tie cardrooms together into sprawling networks of interwoven gaming businesses that seem to work in concert with one another. But while the TPPP system is perfectly legal, some question where it is ethical.