Experts Expound: Halloween

Unchecked prosecutorial power, expanding parole — why crime victims need a voice

Image by Pranithan Chorruangsak, iStock Images.

by RON MATTHIAS posted 10.21.2026

California law declares that “for every wrong there is a remedy.” That’s not true for crime victims.

Eloy Oakley: Postsecondary education is a key to building California’s economy

by CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF posted 10.19.2026

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Eloy Oakley, the President of the College Futures Foundation. He earlier served as Chancellor of California’s Community Colleges and was on the Board of Regents for the University of California. Oakley himself is a community college success story – he attended Golden West College before transferring to UC Irvine where he earned a BA and MBA. He argues that postsecondary attainment isn’t just an education issue, it’s an economic one. The research backs him up: studies suggest that California could unlock trillions of dollars in long-term economic gains by better developing the talent that’s already here.

Old warriors gather and bury hatchets, not in one another

Pete Wilson and Jim Costa. Photo by Dan Morain.

by DAN MORAIN posted 10.16.2026

In the gauzy passage of years, politicians who once fought bitterly spoke of respect for the loyal opposition, and mostly meant it.

Latino voters may be the key to ballot measure battles

Image by Alan Mazzocco, iStock Images.

by DANIEL ALEGRE posted 10.20.2026

Latino voters have the potential to shape the outcome of ballot measures, yet many are approaching Election Day with limited information about their choices.

Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.

California must teach students the tools to guide their own learning

Image by Ridofranz, iStock Images.

by SHANNON LYONS posted 10.19.2026

General education classrooms can build executive function skills into assignments and grading.

Why the Insurance Commissioner race is about more than insurance

Insurance Commissioner candidates Jane Kim, left, and Ben Allen, right, during the “Can California Fix Its Insurance Crisis? event co-hosted by CalMatters and UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento on Oct. 8, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves, CalMatters

by BRIAN JOSEPH posted 10.15.2026

As the only statewide race pitting two Democrats against each other, the contest for insurance commissioner offers more than just election-night drama among a slate of otherwise predictable constitutional officer campaigns. It arguably serves as something of a proxy fight for the soul of the California Democratic Party.

My journey from neurologist to patient with ALS and why I’m supporting ‘yes’ on Prop 38

Image by Andrzej Rostek, iStock Images.

by DR. CHRISTOPHER CAMPOS posted 10.16.2026

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