Posts Tagged: Sacramento

Rising Stars

Rising Stars: Mauricio Torres

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.

Capitol Briefs

Capitol Briefs: Weed, wildfires, classic cars and Hollywood

The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)

This was crossover week, and both chambers considered hundreds of bills that only a few days before had cleared their respective suspense hearings. Here is a smattering of some of the significant action under the dome this week. 

Capitol Briefs

Capitol Briefs: The week that was

California State Capitol building. Image by rschlie

Lawmakers returned from their spring break bills in hand and loaded for bear. This week’s edition of Capitol Briefs takes a look at some of those measures.

Opinion

Sacramento’s tepid MLB audition

Image by Feverpitched

OPINION – Major League Baseball is officially couch-surfing in Sacramento. The sport’s nomads, the Athletics, opened the 2025 season last Monday and now will spend the next three years at Sutter Health Park, pristine home of the Pacific Coast League’s Sacramento River Cats.

The A’s don’t need a room, thanks; the sofa’s fine. They don’t

Micheli Files

The rulemaking process in California: Part II

Image by ogichobanov

California’s official rulemaking process is, to say the last, incredibly complex. In this second of a two-part Micheli Files, lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli examines more aspects of that process. Part I of can be found here. 

CA120

CA 120: Gavin Newsom’s podcast, Part I

Modified screen cap from This is Gavin Newsom Podcast

California 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.

News

Schedulers: The California Capitol’s unsung heroes

Scheduler Anna Esparza. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly

Getting a meeting with a lawmaker at the California State Capitol is often an exercise in patience and flexibility, one that generally has multiple moving parts. And no matter who is doing the asking, the process almost always starts with the same person – the scheduler.

Capitol Briefs

Capitol Briefs: And so it begins

Capitol and flag, by Karin Hildebrand Lau

Trump 2.0 is already in full swing and California leaders are as well. Budget bills related to the L.A. fires are ready to go, and the Capitol says goodbye to an old friend.

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