65. Kimberly Rodriguez
It’s been a tough year in the Senate. Okay, longer than that. Which is maybe why there was a palace coup in June that will eventually unseat Senate pro Tem Mike McGuire in favor of incoming pro Tem Monique Limón. We’re not sure what it will all mean for Kimberly Rodriguez, who
7. Tia Orr
We are close to running out of superlatives to describe SEIU California Executive Director Tia Orr. She was probably never going to repeat her epic 2023, the year it seemed the 700,000-member union she leads got everything it asked for and more, but don’t make the mistake of thinking Orr has lost
14. Anthony York
Anthony York has solid journalistic chops – Salon, McClatchy, LA Times and, most important of all, Capitol Weekly – but in his current role he occupies what newsies traditionally call the “dark side.” He’s the governor’s top communications advisor, helping him navigate a media landscape characterized by hyperbole and gotcha. He’s invariably
22. Liane Randolph
It has been a rough year for Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, one of the most powerful and far-reaching agencies in California government. The Trump administration came into office foaming at the mouth over California’s grand climate change mitigation plans, and shortly after Republicans took total control of Congress
16. Andrew Meredith
Andrew Meredith is another new name on this list, heading the State Building and Construction Trades Council, or BCTC. The top-tier labor group is affiliated through local unions with 450,000 workers focused mostly – but not entirely – on large commercial and government projects. Meredith took over in January replacing the feisty
10. Ben Chida
Ben Chida is a new name on this list, but you might as well get used to him – he’s going to be around awhile. Chida, 36, currently (it may change before we go to press) is the governor’s Senior Policy Adviser for Cradle to Career, and in the flow chart he’s
9. Lauren Sanchez
Lauren Sanchez is Gov. Newsom’s senior climate adviser, a position that didn’t even exist – either in title or substance – until relatively recently. Her title includes “senior” – a real stretch, since she’s only 32 years old – and she is the governor’s go-to political staffer on climate change. Sanchez, a
2. Joe Stephenshaw
The budget is almost always the most important thing in any governor’s world, and in a state like this one where the budget is an annual feast or famine proposition there is a serious need for a cool, calm and collected Finance Director. Since 2022, Joe Stephenshaw has been that person. The
Plastic Water Bottle Floating in Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica, California, USA. Photo by Danita DelimontCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: On June 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB54, what most stakeholders characterized as the most aggressive plastic packaging recycling/reuse law in the United States. Lobbyist Jennifer Fearing, was a key player in the negotiations; She walks us through the compromise, explains what SB54 will actually do, and talks about the differences between the ballot proposal and the final bill.
A tangle of glass and plastic beverage bottles at a Santa Monica recycling site. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)After a nice dinner with your loved ones, make sure to keep the wine and spirit containers alongside the recyclable bottles. The state Senate passed Senate Bill 1013 on a 39-0 vote and sent it to the Assembly just before lawmakers left for their summer recess.