Governors Gavin Newsom and Tim Walz, from the This is Gavin Newsom podcastIf we have learned anything over the past several years, it’s that controversy brings eyeballs. And that may have been the plan all along with the This is Gavin Newsom podcast.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, image by Associated Press Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new podcast has sent shockwaves through California’s political world. But is there more to Newsom’s efforts than meets the eye?
School cellphone ban policies. Image by wildpixel via iStock. Last year, California joined at least seven other states (Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia) in adopting or expanding rules to reduce the use of cell phones by students in schools when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3216 by Assemblymember Josh Hoover (D-Folsom) into law. But while these policies enjoy bipartisan support, enacting them may prove challenging.
Modified screen cap from This is Gavin Newsom PodcastCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom released the first episode in his new podcast “This is Gavin Newsom,” in which he vows to “to have honest discussions with people that agree AND disagree with us.” On that last point his first guest was conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk. While some in and out of the Democratic Party praised Newsom for his effort, a majority were not happy in the least.
Richard Grenell, photo by Associated PressRepublicans have basically become irrelevant in California state politics as Democrats have achieved and held a supermajority in the legislature and the threshold for passing a budget has dropped to a simple majority, making Republican votes unnecessary for most bills. So is it even possible that a Republican candidate could follow Gavin Newsom into the governor’s office?
Rida Shaikh. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol WeeklyAt just 24, Rida Shaikh has already found her footing in Sacramento, overseeing operations of the Senate Elections Committee. But her path to the Capitol wasn’t straightforward – it was a journey of persistence and defiance of expectations.
Image by :smolaw11Just days after three major Jewish organizations announced that an Orange County school district had agreed to settle a lawsuit over controversial ethnic studies courses, 31 Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate introduced a bill intended to prevent situations like that from happening again.
Sen. Jesse Arreguín. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly Jesse Arreguín became Berkeley’s mayor just as Donald Trump first took the White House. Now, as the Democrat enters the California Senate representing District 7, he’s preparing to face similar challenges on a much bigger stage.
Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. Photo by Associated PressIn the latest Capitol Weekly poll we wanted to get a sense from voters about how they are responding to the outcome of the presidential election. We surveyed nearly 1,200 California voters and found an electorate that is just as divided as ever and Democrats, in particular, in a funk.
Image by Darylann Elmi Ballot curing has added an entire new layer to the already complex and stressful campaign and elections process, for both candidates and staffers. It will also now be a fact of life any time a race is close.