Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol WeeklyIt’s late March and lawmakers are gearing up to fast track housing development reforms, regulate AI and implement Proposition 36. All this and a brief look at what’s happening in other states…and one very tall, very naked metal woman.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblymembers Rick Zbur (left) and Kevin McCarty (right). Photo by Rich EhisenPerception is often reality in politics and, fairly or not, a series of viral videos showing criminals brazenly shoplifting from California stores has some people thinking the Golden State has become lawless. So with law enforcement and retail interests eyeing another ballot measure to reform Proposition 47, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats have opted to take on the state’s perception problem themselves, and they’re inviting Republicans along for the ride.
Cynthia Moreno, photo by Scott Duncan PhotographyWhen she was working as a journalist, Cynthia Moreno rejected the possibility of ever working in government communications. When the idea was suggested to her, it was a “hard no,” she said. “That’s the dark side,” she thought. But today, she is Press Secretary for Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas and considers it a dream job – one of the best positions she’s ever had.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: KQED’s Marisa Lagos joins us for a look back at the biggest stories of the past year. Lagos is a correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-hosts a weekly show and podcast, Political Breakdown. We discuss Governor Newsom’s year, hot labor Summer, the success of the YIMBY movement, the death of Dianne Feinstein and arrival of Laphonza Butler, and much, much more.
Capitol Weekly's Top 100 2023When I took over as editor of Capitol Weekly back in January, the first thing most people wanted to know was what kind of changes I was going to make. My very honest response was that I wasn’t planning any major changes at all. To quote the old colloquialism, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t freshen it up from time to time. And with that thought in mind, welcome to the 15th edition of the Capitol Weekly Top 100 list.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Each year, Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 names the most powerful movers and shakers in California politics. For this episode, Rich Ehisen and Tim Foster reversed their usual Podcast roles, with Tim interviewing Rich about this year’s list, about the strategy for putting it together, the new names this year, and who is not on this time around.
Chris HoeneCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Facing the first deficit in a decade, legislators finished hammering out a Budget deal with the governor this week. Our guest today is Chris Hoene, Executive Director of the California Budget & Policy Center. Hoene has been a Budget-watcher for decades, and helps us dig into the new Budget Deal.