Capitol Weekly Podcast

Hosts Rich Ehisen and Tim Foster are joined by Politico’s Chris Cadelago for a look back at the Top 10 California political stories of 2025 – and a look at what's coming next year.

:41 Chris Cadelago

2:10 Leah O'Tarrow

2:41 Los Angeles fires

10:00 Donald trump vs. California

21:16 The firing of Cynthia Moreno and subsequent lawsuit

28:10 Artificial Intelligence

36:55 CEQA reform

42:29 Pharmacy Benefit Managers

47:15 The Governor's race

56:54 Governor Newsom's media blitz

1:02:46 Prop. 50

1:10:16 Other stories: Pelosi retirement, cannabis tax, etc...

1:11:11 Dana Williamson scandal

1:19:33 Closing thoughts

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Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

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Brian Ebbert, Chris Micheli and Alex Vassar may not be household names to the average Californian, but in the Capitol Community, they are approaching celebrity status for their deep knowledge of legislative history and state government procedure. Putting that knowledge to good use, the trio has just published The California Capitol Cocktail Trivia Book, a lively and engaging collection of little-known facts, anecdotes, and curiosities drawn from the rich history of California’s state government. They joined us to talk about the project and shared stories from the book.

We're also joined by Luke Wood, President of California State University, Sacramento. Wood has seen notable successes during his tenure - notably increased enrollment and the school's highest-ever graduation rate. His leadership is not without controversy - he has received significant criticism for his plan to implement a rule that Starting in 2026, Sac State freshmen must live two years on campus.

Plus, who had the Worst Week in California politics?

:50 Capitol ink

3:47 Planned Parenthood cuts

4:45 Santa's take on California politics

7:48 Capitol trivia

10:41 POLITICO trivia night

12:28 Detour to a topless bar

13:55 The capitol's speakeasy

16:18 Scandals

18:11 How to buy the book

19:51 Luke Wood

20:58 What is the feeling of the student body right now?

24:38 Live on campus rule

28:42 Impact of Nancy Skinner's NIL bill

35:29 Downtown Capitol Center

39:09 #WWCA

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Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

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December 15 is Bill of Rights Day - it is also the launch date for a new organization comprised of over 40 retired state Supreme Court Chief Justices committed to educating the public about the role of the judiciary and protecting the constitutional balance put in place by the Founders. The Alliance of Former Chief Justices is a project of Keep Our Republic, a non-partisan civic education organization committed to "strengthening the vitality of America’s democracy by promoting trust in elections, the rule of law, and the constitutional system of checks and balances."

We're joined today by former California Supreme Court Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who was appointed to the high court by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010 and served until January 2023.  Following her term on the Supreme Court she has served as the President and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. The launch of the new organization comes at a fraught time, as judges across the nation face heightened political pressure and public attacks. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye spoke with us about the need to bolster the public's understanding of the judiciary and the crucial role the judiciary plays in the separation of powers that is a hallmark of the American system of government.

2:20 In the future, everyone will be on the Capitol Weekly Podcast for 15 minutes

3:16 A proposed amendment to limit traffic accident payouts

4:57 Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye

7:43 How is this going to work?

9:00 A visit to SCOTUS

11:42 When CA's Supreme Court went live

14:02 How to introduce civics education to young people?

15:19 The judiciary: least understood, most criticized branch of government

15:35 Are the courts more politicized than before?

20:50 The structure of the Alliance

24:30 Court funding

28:08 #WWCA

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Congressman Eric Swalwell announced last month that he was joining the crowded race to replace California governor Gavin Newsom. The Dublin lawmaker enters a fluid contest with no overwhelming favorite. Recent polling shows Swalwell - along with former house member Katie Porter and Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton - in the 10-15% range, with a small fleet of other candidates struggling to break out of the single digits.

Swalwell has been one of President Trump's most vocal critics in the House and served as impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment. While that visibility likely increases his favorability with Democratic voters, it comes at a cost: he has been hit with allegations of mortgage and tax fraud by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Pulte, an ally of President Trump has made similar claims against two other Trump antagonists, New York AG Letitia James and Federal Reserve Board of Governors Member Lisa Cook. Swalwell strongly disputes the allegations and filed a suit against Pulte on November 25. Looking at the polls, the allegations don't seem to have dented his star with potential Primary voters.

Swalwell joined us on Thursday for a conversation about his candidacy, how he plans to address the state's affordability crisis, his experiences as a local official, navigating familial political divides, the temperature in congress, the Democratic Party brand, and much, much more.  Plus - Who had the Worst Week in California Politics?

:29 View from the continent

2:58 Capitol Weekly update

3:55 A Conference on Housing

6:26 Eric Swalwell

8:57 Affordability/Cost Crisis

10:30 A Republican family

11:41 "No hat rule in place"

12:23 January 6

13:53 "A day after Trump"

17:28 How to rebuild the Democratic brand

19:24 What is it like being in congress right now?

21:19 The generational shift

25:05 How did you break both thumbs?

27:06 #WWCA

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Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

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CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Few know the impacts of federal and state actions better than local governments, who are often tasked with implementing those policies. Our guest today is Graham Knaus, CEO of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), which advocates on behalf of all 58 of California’s counties. He joins us today to discuss CSAC’s upcoming gubernatorial forum and the looming challenges counties face from both H.R. 1, a.k.a. President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” and the state’s ongoing budget shortfall. 

1:09 Capitol Weekly Podcast schedule

1:23 Graham Knaus

2:00 Impacts of H.R. 1 on health care

5:45 Impacts of H.R. 1 on CalFresh

7:01 Positive impacts of H.R. 1?

9:12 “The challenge is a political one.”

11:02 How much could be undone?

13:48 Challenges of Prop. 36

14:43 Homelessness crisis

18:45 CARE Court

20:30 Acting as one cohesive voice 

23:30 Upcoming gubernatorial candidate forum 

26:50 Looking ahead to 2026

28:30 “Counties are stewards of services…”

29:42 WWCA

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Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

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Our guest today is Jim Wunderman, who has been at or near the center of Bay Area Politics for four decades, starting with his time working in the office of then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein taught Wunderman to think of the larger San Francisco region as one interconnected entity, an approach that ultimately made him a perfect fit as the head of the Bay Area Council.  Wunderman served as the CEO of BAC for just over 21 years.

Last month he announced that he will be leaving the organization to head up public affairs for California Forever, the ambitious project to create en entirely new European-style city on what is now cow pasture just outside of Rio Vista.  California Forever is the dream of Jan Sramek, a Czechoslovakian emigre who sees the project as a major step in solving California's housing crisis. He's convinced a bevy of billionaires to back him - now it will be up to Wunderman to get California's political decision makers on board. 

1:17 Dana Williamson

6:40 Last week's WWCA winner: Kevin Kiley

7:45 Capitol Weekly news

9:20 Jim Wunderman

12:13 BAC's bipartisan success

15:36 CEQA reform

19:53 New leadership at BAC?

20:56 From Feinstein's office to BAC

27:12 "I met Nancy Pelosi in 1984..."

28:47 California Forever

34:34 Impact of Climate Change on project?

38:13 Timeline

41:43 WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

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After a lightning speed rollout and campaign, Proposition 50 passed decisively last week, with voters approving a partisan temporary gerrymander of the state's congressional districts - and handing California Democrats a major win. The new maps will shift district lines and upend the seats of five Republican members of Congress, throwing them into distinctly less friendly territory - if Prop. 50 survives the GOP legal challenge filed the day after the election.  Our guests today are two of the state's foremost redistricting experts, Matt Rexroad and Paul Mitchell. Rexroad is a former Yolo County Supervisor and longtime GOP consultant. Mitchell, a lifelong Democrat, is the state's best-known political data expert, and led the team that created Prop. 50's maps. They name the winners and losers in this epic political battle, walk us through the various legal challenges, and look ahead at what this means for redistricting reform in the long term.

Plus: our longest-ever list of Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics. They say that success has many fathers but in the case of Proposition 50 there appear to be even more losers than winners. We'll go over the list, but ultimately leave the final decision to you!

2:35 Lourdes Ayon

5:58 Paul Mitchell and Matt Rexroad

6:55 Biggest winners and losers

8:52 "Shaking up the ant farm"

9:53 Remember the Recall

13:35 Influencers

15:13 Politico story

15:45 Turnout

18:18 The opposition: What happened?

20:16 Lawsuits

30:29 How do California districts compare to other states?

33:05 Possible reforms?

36:23 Which districts are most likely to flip?

42:25 The bottom line

47:13 Redistricting overreach?

54:35 #WWCA  (click here to vote!)

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

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Adam Silver was appointed Chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission in March 2024. The FPPC was created in 1974 when California voters approved Proposition 9, The Political Reform Act, in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Five decades later, the FFPC is plenty busy. Silver joined us to talk about the Commission's work, the challenges posed by Cryptocurrencies and his path to the Chairmanship. Plus, a full slate of options for Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.

1:17 Leah O'Tarrow

2:09 SB41

3:48 Adam Silver

6:00 AI and emerging technologies

8:44 "If the FPPC is prosecuting everybody then that honestly is going to undermine the public trust"

10:37 2025 Legislation, AB953

16:53 A brief history of the FPPC

18:20 is it really legal for lawmakers to receive campaign donations in their offices?

21:56 Origin story

24:00 Capital Fellows Program

25:49 Biggest regulatory challenge?

32:34 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

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Today we welcome lobbyist Leah Barros of Barros Clay and Associates. Barros is a familiar face in Sacramento, having worked in the Capitol as a staffer and later as a lobbyist for various firms before launching her own shop. Among her notable wins was leading the lobbying effort to enact The CROWN Act, the first statewide law in the country to prohibit racial discrimination on the basis of natural hairstyles in the workplace and schools. That experience changed her perception of what she could - and should - do as an advocate. Plus - Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics?

1:00 Cap Weekly update

1:49 Capitol Weekly interns

6:35 Abuse survivors in LA County

7:20 Leah Barros

7:39 A look back at the session

10:01 Origin story

14:28 "My best friend Delilah Clay"

17:54 When session ends the work doesn's stop

20:10 Dealing with turmoil in #caleg

22:17 The CROWN Act

26:31 How to have a good relationship with clients

31:00 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

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On October 14, 2025, Capitol Weekly, CalMatters, and the University of California Student and Policy Center presented California Votes: Proposition 50 - Should Californians support mid-decade redistricting?

Proposition 50 would require California to use new congressional district maps through 2030. Use of independent Citizens Redistricting Commission maps would resume after that date.

Governor Newsom and Democrats in the legislature argue that the “Election Rigging Response Act” is a temporary, emergency proposal to counter mid-decade partisan gerrymanders underway in Texas and other red states that are designed to benefit President Trump and the Republican Party. Republicans counter that California should not return to partisan redistricting in which the party in power controls the maps.

Proponents from each of the campaigns offered their arguments in a debate moderated by Rich Ehisen of Capitol Weekly and Juliet Williams of CalMatters. Rusty Hicks, Chair of the California Democratic Party represented the Yes side. Patricia Sinay of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission represented the No side.

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

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