Sen. Scott Wiener. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol WeeklyNobody can ever accuse Sen. Scott Wiener of only taking on the easy fights. The San Francisco Democrat has in fact developed a reputation as someone almost allergic to tackling any bill – from housing to health care, from psychedelics to artificial intelligence – that doesn’t promise a bare-knuckles brawl to get passed.
April Manatt and Rich Ehisen. CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our 400th episode! On today’s show we welcome April Manatt, Executive Director of the California Problem Solvers Foundation and former head of the the California Legislative Staff Education Institute. Manatt spoke with us about her work in both of these organizations, the importance of bipartisanship in policy making, and bridging the divide.
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Image by DesignRageSpecial interests, or as the California Secretary of State calls them “lobbyist employers,” paid lobbying firms more than $66 million to lobby state government in the first quarter of 2025, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Erica Costa. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly. The Capitol’s Fellows programs are considered some of the toughest to break into, and Erica Costa is no stranger to that challenge. A graduate of the Assembly Fellows Program, followed by over 15 years of public service experience, she was recently named director of the Senate Fellows Program at the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State University.
Image by designer491. Drafting criminal or penal code statutes is an important undertaking for any bill drafter because of the consequences for those who violate such statutes and because courts strictly construe these types of statutes. As a result, those who draft criminal laws must have taken a number of issues under consideration.
Activist Ebony HarperCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: First up, we chat with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber about The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, proposed federal legislation that would require all Americans to reregister to vote, in person, with either a birth certificate or passport. We also spoke with Trans activist Ebony Harper, founding executive director of California TRANScends, and the author of The Trans Manifesto.
Sky Rock Petroglyphs in Bishop California. Image by Bakstad. An intense dispute between federally- and non-federally recognized California Native American tribes over a bill intended to give tribal governments more control over development that encroaches on their sacred lands has convinced the author to pause the measure.
Business in cannabis. Image by Yarphoto. California’s legal cannabis industry has struggled under heavy regulation and taxation while the black market has thrived. In an attempt to turn the tide, Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, has authored legislation to take some of the pressure off of California’s legal cannabis operators.
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.