Capitol Weekly
LightNews LightNews
banner
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Capitol Weekly
@capitolweekly.bsky.social
1.3K followers 370 following 410 posts
Nonpartisan, nonprofit news outfit targeting California government and politics. Editor Rich Ehisen. What could possibly go wrong?

https://capitolweekly.net
Posts Replies Media Videos
capitolweekly.bsky.social
What do our "experts" say about Matt Mahan's possible entry into the gov's race? He "could have a profound impact because of the top-2 rule. It’s not inconceivable that this gaggle of Dems could so split the vote that the top 2 might both be Republicans”
capitolweekly.net/experts-expo...
Experts Expound: The Mahan Question - Capitol Weekly
Kamala Harris, Alex Padilla, Rob Bonta and Rick Caruso have all opted out of the governor's race. That leaves San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan as the last notable potential candidate still waffling about get...
capitolweekly.net
January 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
PODCAST: As consultant for the Sen. Democratic Caucus, Brian Green prepared talking points & issue updates, recorded videos, set up press conferences, etc.. One year into retirement, he has launched his own podcast, “California Voices, with Brian Green”
capitolweekly.net/brian-green-...
Brian Green and California Voices - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We're joined today by longtime capitol consultant - now retired - Brian Green, who worked in communications for the Senate Dem Caucus from 2011 until last year. As principal co...
capitolweekly.net
January 26, 2026 at 5:47 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Kamala Harris, @padilla.senate.gov @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov & Rick Caruso have opted out of the governor’s race. @mattmahansj.bsky.social is the last notable potential candidate still waffling about getting in - how would his entry impact the race? Our experts expound
capitolweekly.net/experts-expo...
Experts Expound: The Mahan Question - Capitol Weekly
Kamala Harris, Alex Padilla, Rob Bonta and Rick Caruso have all opted out of the governor's race. That leaves San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan as the last notable potential candidate still waffling about get...
capitolweekly.net
January 23, 2026 at 7:16 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Urgency statutes, fiscal emergency statutes, right of public access, local or special statutes & reimbursement disclaimers utilize explanatory statements. Several of these measures are actually required to do so by the state Constitution - @chrismicheli.bsky.social
capitolweekly.net/some-types-o...
Some types of bills require specified statements - Capitol Weekly
Urgency statutes, fiscal emergency statutes, right of public access, local or special statutes, and reimbursement disclaimers utilize explanatory statements. Several of these three types of measures a...
capitolweekly.net
January 22, 2026 at 4:26 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
PODCAST: Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist
@jackohman.bsky.social joins us to talk about being the youngest syndicated cartoonist ever, getting flamed by Ted Cruz, his desire to be governor of Minnesota, Dilbert, and the great Thomas Nast
capitolweekly.net/jack-ohman-c...
Jack Ohman: Politics, cartooning and the new media landscape - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Jack Ohman has been a political cartoonist for 48 years; he got his start at the Minnesota Daily when he was still a college student, and at 19 he became the youngest-ever synd...
capitolweekly.net
January 20, 2026 at 4:53 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
PODCAST: The @sfchronicle.com's @jackohman.bsky.social has been a political cartoonist for 48 years; at 19 he was the youngest-ever syndicated cartoonist. He spoke with us about the news biz, the state of editorial cartooning, the death of Scott Adams & much more
capitolweekly.net/jack-ohman-c...
Jack Ohman: Politics, cartooning and the new media landscape - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Jack Ohman has been a political cartoonist for 48 years; he got his start at the Minnesota Daily when he was still a college student, and at 19 he became the youngest-ever synd...
capitolweekly.net
January 19, 2026 at 4:28 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
A ceasefire over sports betting in California may be ending after DraftKings and FanDuel recently adopted business models that threaten the political power of the state’s gaming tribes
capitolweekly.net/predictive-m...
Predictive markets set to make sports betting a big issue again - Capitol Weekly
A ceasefire over sports betting in California may be ending after DraftKings and FanDuel recently adopted business models that threaten the political power of the state’s gaming tribes.
capitolweekly.net
January 15, 2026 at 6:34 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We're joined by Clarissa Laguardia, Executive Director of @calcenter.bsky.social, a Sacramento-based non-profit organization that has for 44 years worked to engage young people in the democratic process.
capitolweekly.net/clarissa-lag...
Clarissa Laguardia: Getting young people engaged in the democratic process - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We're joined today by Clarissa Laguardia, Executive Director of the California Center for Civic Participation (CalCenter). CalCenter is a non-profit organization that works to ...
capitolweekly.net
January 12, 2026 at 5:08 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Tonight: District 11 candidate forum with @scottwiener.bsky.social
Saikat Chakrabarti and @conniechansf.bsky.social - link to watch online in article.
January 7, 2026 at 7:26 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
The Capitol kicked back into gear with the ceremonial swearing in of new Senate pro Tem Monique Limon & a smattering of bill introductions & info hearings. Now all eyes are on focused on @cagovernornewsom.bsky.social's State of the State - & Friday’s budget reveal
capitolweekly.net/capitol-brie...
Capitol Briefs: Offshore drilling, LA sexual abuse and tax revenues - Capitol Weekly
The Capitol kicked back into gear this week with the ceremonial swearing in of new Senate pro Tem Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara) and a smattering of bill introductions and information hearings. But o...
capitolweekly.net
January 7, 2026 at 7:22 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
People who menstruate use thousands of tampons and pads over their lifetimes, yet the safety and accessibility of these products have received relatively little regulatory attention. California lawmakers are changing that.
capitolweekly.net/lived-experi...
Lived experience drives push for menstrual product safety - Capitol Weekly
People who menstruate use thousands of tampons and pads over their lifetimes, yet the safety and accessibility of these products have received relatively little regulatory attention. Since 2017, Calif...
capitolweekly.net
January 7, 2026 at 4:09 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
When Toni Atkins launched her campaign for governor in early 2024, she had her friend of 20 years introduce her - that friend was Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Weber names Atkins as her mentor; Atkins says, “Oh no, no, no, Shirley, you are my mentor”

capitolweekly.net/the-enduring...
The enduring friendship between Toni Atkins and Shirley Weber - Capitol Weekly
When former Senate pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) launched her campaign for governor in early 2024, she had her friend of 20 years introduce her. That friend was Secretary of State Shirley Weber.
capitolweekly.net
January 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
PODCAST: @missionlocal.org 's @esksf.bsky.social joins us to look back over Mayor Daniel Lurie's first year, the race to replace Nancy Pelosi, and the effort to form a municipal power company that would take over PG&E's SF electrical grid via eminent domain
capitolweekly.net/a-look-at-sa...
A look at San Francisco with Joe Eskenazi - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY  PODCAST: We're joined today by Mission Local Managing Editor and columnist Joe Eskenazi, who looks back over Mayor Daniel Lurie's first year, and gets us up to speed on other San Franc...
capitolweekly.net
January 6, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
oldmanfoster.bsky.social
Rich was out of office last week so I hosted the podcast this week - learned a lot from @esksf.bsky.social !
January 5, 2026 at 6:18 PM
capitolweekly.bsky.social
PODCAST... A look at SF politics w/@missionlocal.org's @esksf.bsky.social: Mayor Daniel Lurie's first year & the race to replace Nancy Pelosi. Eskenazi will co-moderate a forum with @scottwiener.bsky.social Saikat Chakrabarti and @conniechansf.bsky.social on Weds.
capitolweekly.net/a-look-at-sa...
A look at San Francisco with Joe Eskenazi - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY  PODCAST: We're joined today by Mission Local Managing Editor and columnist Joe Eskenazi, who looks back over Mayor Daniel Lurie's first year, and gets us up to speed on other San Franc...
capitolweekly.net
January 5, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
And, our MOST-READ article of 2025: @paulmitche11.bsky.social's look at how voters perceived @cagovernornewsom.bsky.social's foray into podcasting, starting with his first guest, Charlie Kirk.

Happy New Year, and as always, thanks for reading Capitol Weekly!

capitolweekly.net/ca120-gavin-...
CA 120: Gavin Newsom’s podcast, Part I - Capitol Weekly
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...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our second most-read story of the year: Our report of the indictment of former Newsom Chief of Staff Dana Williamson and three others.
capitolweekly.net/dana-william...
Dana Williamson, Newsom's former Chief of Staff, three others, indicted for corruption - Capitol Weekly
Dana Williamson, Gov. Newsom's former Chief of Staff, who stepped down in December last year, was indicted by federal officials today, charged with corruption.  Also cited in the indictment were Democ...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our third most-read story of 2025 - our annual Top 100 list of California political power players
capitolweekly.net/top100-2025/
The Top 100: Sixteen Years, Seventeen Lists - Capitol Weekly
Hello everyone and welcome to the 17th edition of the Capitol Weekly Top 100. Unlike the heroine of Janis Ian’s classic song about the cruelties life can visit upon us at such a tender age, I’m lookin...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our 4th most popular story of 2025: The podcast and transcript of @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov's Keynote address at our live event: The Resistance, California vs. Donald Trump
capitolweekly.net/special-epis...
Special Episode: CA vs. Donald Trump - Keynote by California Attorney General Rob Bonta - Capitol Weekly
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Capitol Weekly presented an online conference, The Resistance: California vs. Donald Trump. In this episode we present The Keynote, by one of t...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our 5th most-read story of the year: @bjoseph1.bsky.social asked: could a Republican follow Gavin Newsom into the governor's office?
capitolweekly.net/could-a-repu...
Could a Republican actually be the next California governor? - Capitol Weekly
Republicans have basically become irrelevant in California state politics as Democrats have achieved and held a supermajority in the legislature and the threshold for passing a budget has dropped to a...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
#6 most-read story of 2025: For our Insider Survey (conducted in partnership with @paulmitche11.bsky.social of Political Data Inc) we polled thousands of Capitol denizens on their favorite and least favorite legislators. Unsurprisingly, this sparked some controversy
capitolweekly.net/capitol-week...
Capitol Weekly Insider Survey: The best and worst legislators of 2025 - Capitol Weekly
In our latest survey conducted in partnership with Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., we polled thousands of Capitol denizens on their favorite and least favorite legislators. As with the Top 100, ...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Coming in at #7: A status report on Cecilia Aguiar-Curry's bill, #AB52, intended to give tribal governments more control over development that encroaches on their sacred lands. From @bjoseph1.bsky.social and @wordsmith24.bsky.social
capitolweekly.net/tribal-clash...
Tribal clash stalls CEQA consultation reform bill - Capitol Weekly
An intense dispute between federally- and non-federally recognized California Native American tribes over a bill intended to give tribal governments more control over development that encroaches on th...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our 8th most popular article of 2025, from @paulmitche11: We polled voters about how they were responding to the outcome of the 2024 election. We found an electorate just as divided as ever and Democrats, in particular, in a funk.
capitolweekly.net/ca-120-dems-...
CA 120: Dems in a funk, but Harris and Newsom could still shine - Capitol Weekly
In the latest Capitol Weekly poll we wanted to get a sense from voters about how they are responding to the outcome of the presidential election. We surveyed nearly 1,200 California voters and found a...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
Our 9th most-read story: Court hearings are regularly held without a verbatim or near-verbatim record ever being created. Some legal advocates say that’s a violation of basic constitutional protections and blame an unusual state law for the problem.
capitolweekly.net/court-report...
Court reporters and the new front in the war over electronic recording - Capitol Weekly
In California, court hearings are regularly held without a verbatim or near-verbatim record ever being created. Some legal advocates say that’s a violation of basic constitutional protections and blam...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Capitol Weekly
capitolweekly.bsky.social
It's time for a look back at our top 10 most-read stories of 2025! At # 10: A report on DraftKings and FanDuel appearing at an Indian gaming conference, spotlighting their desire to partner with tribes to bring sports betting to the state
capitolweekly.net/odds-getting...
Odds getting better for legalized sports betting in California - Capitol Weekly
In the clearest sign yet that tensions are thawing on sports gambling in California, leaders of DraftKings and FanDuel spoke at an Indian gaming conference Monday about their desire to partner – not c...
capitolweekly.net
December 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM