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.
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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.
Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome.
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.
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Tolowa Dunes State Park
©2015, California State Parks.
Photo by Brian BaerOPINION—For the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Yan’-daa-k’vt is the center of our world—where our people have gathered, prayed and lived since time immemorial. It is a living landscape that continues to shape our culture, our identity and our responsibility to care for the land.
California Assembly. Photo by Capitol Weekly. In his continuing review of 2026 legislation in the California Legislature, intrepid legal scholar, lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli offers some additional observations on the dos and don’ts of drafting legislation.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Steve Frisch, President and CEO of the Sierra Business Council (SBC) and a founding member of the Wildfire Solutions Coalition. With the devastating impacts of wildfire becoming more evident with each fire season, the Coalition advocates for funding and implementation of wildfire resilience strategies. While acknowledging California’s budget woes, he argues that preventing fires will save the state money, and that “this is not the year we should be reducing wildfire funding.”