Pete Wilson and Jim Costa. Photo by Dan Morain. In the gauzy passage of years, politicians who once fought bitterly spoke of respect for the loyal opposition, and mostly meant it.
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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, CalMattersAs 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.
Photo by AP. As late as April 2025, the leaders of DraftKings and FanDuel effectively bent the knee to gaming tribes, appearing on stage with one of the tribe’s most outspoken advocates and declaring that sports betting wouldn’t happen in California without the tribes’ cooperation. Oh, how the sands have shifted since then.
Image by Andrzej Rostek, iStock Images.Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics. Please read our guidelines for opinion pieces before submitting an Op-Ed. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered for publication.
OPINION — In my
Photo courtesy of Origins Council.California cannot defeat an illicit market merely by regulating the legal market harder.
Image by Yuliya Hrelik, via iStock.For the past 14 years California has been experimenting with a version of the Open Primary in which the top two vote getters, irrespective of party, advance to the General Election. In theory, the thinking of voters in these races should be simple. They should be asking themselves “which one is the closest to my views?” and voting for that candidate. But, in practice it’s not that simple.
Image by Suriyawut-Suriya, iStock Images.We have to ask a fundamental question: Where does a person go when they need help today?
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: In this episode we discuss two very different aspects of family. First up is our conversation with former Sacramento Bee editorial columnist Tom Philp, who joins us to talk about his moving five-part series examining how California’s mental health system is failing the families who need its help the most. Then we are joined by Ken Monroe, chairman of the Family Business Association of California, who highlights some of the challenges and opportunities facing California’s family-owned businesses.
Image by BrianAJackson via iStock. There have been many court decisions over the past one hundred plus years interpreting key provisions of the Government Code. The following cases highlight some of the key decisions interpreting these statutory provisions related to the legislative process.