California Death Row. Photo by the Associated Press. As his time as governor comes to an end, Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a life-or-death decision: whether to commute the sentences of the 547 men and 18 women in state prison who have been condemned to death. There is good reason to believe Newsom will take that step, and there is reason to believe he won’t. Neither he nor his aides are telegraphing his plan.
California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, California. In reviewing legislation during the last month of the 2026 California Legislative Session, I have come across a number of examples of excellent bill drafting and wanted to draw attention to them to serve as guides in the upcoming 2027 Legislative Session.
Image by Thanakorn Lappattaranan. A bill that would have allowed drivers to opt in to usage-based insurance was held under submission by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month, leaving California as the only state not to allow car insurance rates based on driving data
Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.
The Great Seal of the State of California on the floor of the State Capitol Building. Image by Sundry Photography.When interpreting ambiguous statutes in California, the courts of this state may examine the legislative history of an enacted statute in order to try and effectuate the intent of the Legislature. In such a case, it is important for legislators, staff, and interest groups to better understand the need to provide adequate legislative history.
Image by cmannphoto. Left in limbo by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom, California’s private foster agencies say they’re struggling to stay afloat until the new year, when they hope a new governor will help them navigate an ongoing insurance crisis that threatens their existence.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo has worked for a number of political candidates in his long career, including heavyweights like Hillary Clinton and Antonio Villaraigosa. He joins us on the Capitol Weekly podcast this week to talk about life in the political arena, the ongoing civil war within the Democratic Party, his role in the downfall of former Congressman and aspiring gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell and…breakdancing.
Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.
Multitasking. Image by CreativaImages. The latest question posed to our panel of experts: “Should there be a hard limit on the number of committees a legislator can serve on?”
Image by Baris-Ozer. A little more than three dozen large, stable lobbying firms dominate the Capitol market. According to lobbying disclosures filed through the fifth quarter of the current cycle, the top 40 firms analyzed by Capitol Weekly received 57% of the more than $436 million spent on lobbying firms in 2025 and 2026.