Photo from Steyer for Governor website. Sharp-eyed members of the Capitol community may recognize that an anti-Tom Steyer PAC has a virtually identical to the name of a public education campaign organized by a group of progressive housing justice organizations.
Assemblymember Laurie Davies. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly. From the start of her career in local government, Assemblymember Laurie Davies has taken a hands-on approach to problem solving. That perspective still shapes how she operates in Sacramento, where Davies has built a reputation as a pragmatic lawmaker focused less on ideology and more on how policies affect the people she represents.
Image by it:Arseniy45. As the California Governor’s race enters the last several months, those millions of dollars that have been raised by candidates are starting to get spent. A new website collects digital ads, broadcast television and radio ad buys: on the digital side, you can watch the ads, see how much was spent to promote them, what geography was served and what age/gender groups were targeted. In the Broadcast TV and Radio sections you don’t see the ads themselves, but you can see all the complete buys, including what stations, dates, amounts spent, and even what TV programs were bought.
Image by JubJob.OPINION – California voters have a right to know whether their next Governor will stand up for a program that has delivered some of the most success in reducing homelessness, despite costing less than half a percent of state spending.
Image by monkeybusinessimages. OPINION – As the Legislature and Governor finalize California’s 2026-27 state budget, we face a consequential decision: whether to sustain one of our most effective tools for strengthening the teacher workforce, or allow it to wither just as it is delivering meaningful results
Image by Shutter2U. OPINION – The budget is a statement of who we choose to stand with. This year, let it stand with the workers, seniors and children who built this state — and with the fiscal responsibility that comes from investing in prevention rather than paying for crisis.
Capitol Weekly Editor Rich Ehisen interviews Asm. Buffy Wicks at a Conference on Housing, Feb. 24, 2026 in Sacramento. Photo by Joha HarrisonPanelists grappled with California’s housing crisis Tuesday at Capitol Weekly’s first conference of 2026, painting a discouraging picture of the current state of affairs in the Golden State. Panels explored permitting reform, the impact of environmental concerns and new ideas for addressing affordability, punctuated by a keynote address from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who acknowledged the loads of work that still needs to be done but also sounded an optimistic note that things could improve in California.
Image by Lawrey. OPINION – Governor Newsom, with his Presidential aspirations hidden from no one, ought to seize this opportunity on immigration. Specifically, he should make a point to call out the Trump administration with facts, clarifying the reality of this complicated issue to potentially earn the support of an energized population.
Image by Dadan. Urgency statutes, fiscal emergency statutes, right of public access, local or special statutes, and reimbursement disclaimers utilize explanatory statements. Several of these three types of measures are actually required to do so by the state Constitution.
Diverse people in a support groupOPINION – California still lacks a clear, enforceable, statewide certification for recovery residences—one that is distinct from treatment and grounded in nationally recognized standards. Without that clarity, recovery housing exists in a policy gray zone.