California's historic Capitol dome. Image by :WallentineWe are marching quickly toward the Capitol’s summer recess, but we’re not there yet. This week’s Capitol Briefs are here.
Senator Scott Wiener delivers the Keynote at the California and AI conference on July 8, 2025. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol WeeklyAt the latest Capitol Weekly-University of California Student and Policy Center conference this week, “California and AI,” panelists explored the policy implications of the transformative technology sweeping the globe and embraced by fields as diverse as medicine and hospitality.
Image by hapabapaAs I make my way through bills in the second house policy committee, I continue to run across interesting provisions contained in these bills. Here is a short explanation of some recent examples from 2025 bills that the “legislative geek” in me finds interesting.
Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-AshtariCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’re joined today by Christina Snider-Ashtari, Tribal Affairs Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom and head of the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. Snider-Ashtari was first appointed to the position in 2018 by Governor Brown and previously served as Executive Secretary of the California Native American Heritage Commission. We spoke to her about both governors’ approaches to Tribal policy, about the California Truth & Healing Council, and about the deep Native history on Alcatraz, which President Trump has suggested might be returned to use as a federal prison.
Ride share driver in car using the rideshare app in mobile phone. Image by Tero Vesalainen. AB 1340 represents roughly a decade or more of work by labor in the state. Ever since Uber launched in 2009, there’s been an ongoing, global debate on whether rideshare drivers are indeed independent contractors, as claimed by the apps, or bona fide employees, as claimed by workers and labor advocates.
Lobbyist, professor, and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Image by Minwan. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. But while the Legislature may state the costs associated with a bill do not need to be reimbursed, it is actually the State Mandates Commission that decides the question.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Chris Lehane has a solid gold resume in professional politics: consultant and oppo research in the Clinton White House, Press Secretary to VP Al Gore, and the source of the report on the “vast right wing conspiracy” so infamously cited by Hillary Clinton. Since 2024 he has been VP of Global Affairs and a member of the executive team at OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence organization based in San Francisco. Lehane joined us to talk about the opportunities and dangers of this fascinating new technology and to make the case for the importance of California maintaining its role as a global leader in AI.
Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento.
Mauricio Torres. Photo by Ellie Appleby for Capitol Weekly. Whether he’s deciphering complex policy language or hiking renowned trails like the Inca Trail or the W Trek in Patagonia, Mauricio Torres Jr. approaches it all with confidence, curiosity and a deep connection to the communities he serves.