Image by Png-Studio. California’s jungle primary was as wild as a name like that sounds, but now the fall races are set. Voters turned out big, almost as big as Democrat Xavier Becerra’s lead over Republican Steve Hilton.
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Big City Mayors Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, Matt Mahan, Karen Bass, Larry Agran, Daniel Lurie, Jerry Dyer, Rex Richardson. Photo courtesy of Big City Mayors coalition. Mayors from several of California’s largest cities gathered on Wednesday for the Capitol Weekly Big City Mayors Forum to discuss some of the state’s most pressing challenges, including homelessness, housing affordability, economic development, regulatory reform and the evolving relationship between local governments and Sacramento.
Marie Liu. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol WeeklyAn accidental encounter with a California Senate Fellows brochure launched a career that would take Marie Liu deep into the halls of the Capitol, where she spent more than two decades helping shape California’s environmental policy.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: If you have noticed that the state now has less “rolling” blackouts, former state senator Nancy Skinner’s AB 2514 is a big part of the reason. Skinner is serving her first term on the California Energy Commission after serving as a state senator and member of the Assembly. Her legislation created requirements for electrical energy storage systems – she spoke with us about AB 2514, about the Trump Administration’s opposition to California’s climate goals, the challenges (and opportunities) presented by Data Centers, and her landmark Name Image and Likeness legislation, SB 206, which changed college sports across the country. And, with the Primary behind us, we have a long list of candidates for Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.
Image by Alexander Sikov. We’ve all heard about the separation of powers kin government, but what does it actually mean? In today’s Micheli Files intrepid Capitol lobbyist and McGeorge law professor lays it out for you.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara at California Insurance Crisis, May 14, 2025. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol WeeklyOur Capitol insiders are back to answer another pressing question: Should California return to having the Insurance Commissioner be an appointed position rather than being chosen by voters?
Image by SCM Jeans. As the popularity of e-bikes has grown, so too have the instances and severity of crashes involving the motorized bicycles. With that in mind, lawmakers this session have pondered several bills seeking to balance expanding e-bike use and road safety.
Image by Volkan ISIK. Due to a massive backlog in our queue, effective immediately Capitol Weekly is imposing a moratorium on new op-ed submissions through at least June 24th.
Pediatrician using a medical device to examine the ear of a baby lying on a changing table in a medical officeOPINION—In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new “first-in-the-nation” effort to lower costs for California families with newborns. Supporting young families matters. And as California celebrates programs for diapers and baby supplies, thousands of families raising deaf and hard of hearing children are still fighting for something equally fundamental: access to sound.