Image by SergZSV. Special interests paid lobbying firms more than $91 million to lobby state government in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Lobbyists crowd around video screen to watch the floor votes on the last night of the Legislature's session. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP)What should your lobby day participants know about California government before they embark on their lobby day at the State Capitol in Sacramento? This article sets forth those key items for them to get acquainted with regarding the Legislature and the legislative process.
Image by ohmygouche. Special interests, AKA “lobbyist employers” as the California Secretary of State calls them, paid lobbying firms more than $91 million to lobby state government in the third quarter of 2025, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Flag of State of California, image by Arseniy45.Special interests paid lobbying firms more than $89 million to lobby state government in the second quarter of 2025, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Image by yhelfman.With more and more lobby days taking place in the California State Capitol (and its Swing Space), law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli is joined today in a special edition of the Micheli Files by Capitol schedulers Megan Garrison and Tisha Simpson to present a series of suggestions for conducting a successful lobby day.
Image by ericb007There are rules for those leaving government service, which we refer to as the “revolving door” between the public and private sectors. These provisions of the California Government Code are found in the Political Reform Act of 1974, which places restrictions upon legislators and other public officials when they leave government service.
Image by Love EmployeeOPINION – Technology, though imperfect, is better than the human brain at many things: remembering passwords or counting the steps we take each day. But in a courtroom, where the accuracy of testimony can determine a person’s fate – overreliance on flawed technology can have dire consequences.
Two connected puzzle pieces with the words politics and money, representing the influence of wealth in elections.Special interests, otherwise known as “lobbyist employers,” paid lobbying firms a little more than $76 million to lobby California state government in the first quarter of 2024, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Image by Cagkan SayinLobbyist employers, otherwise known as special interests, paid firms a little more than $77 million to lobby California state government in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports. That figure doesn’t include all of the funds spent on lobbying during the fourth quarter. Lobbying firm disclosure reports don’t include wages and expenses for in-house lobbyists, for example.
Image by PeshkovaSpecial interests paid firms more than $77 million to lobby California state government in the third quarter of 2023, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports, representing roughly a 4 percent increase in spending over the second quarter of 2023 and a 9 percent increase over the first quarter.