Today we welcome Randall Hagar, the Policy Consultant and Legislative Advocate for the Psychiatric Physicians Alliance of California. Hagar has been advocating for sound mental health policies for over 20 years and helped draft the language for the original Laura's Law, a landmark state law that allows for court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment. Hagar Joined us to talk about the growing numbers of mentally ill Californians that are either homeless or behind bars, and efforts to reform the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, the 1967 legislation that put strict limits on involuntary commitment. He also outlines the big difference between a Probate Conservatorship (i.e. what pop star Britney Spears has) and the mental illness conservatorships that exist under Lanterman-Petris-Short. Plus: Who had the #WorstWeekCA? Show Notes: 1:14 Mental health treatment is high priority for most Californians 2:08 Telehealth and mental health treatments 5:07 Stresses for psychiatrists under COVID 6:08 Laura's Law 8:26 Mental illness and homelessness 10:35 The Lanterman-Petris-Short Act 13:09 New bills to address shortcomings 16:59 Jails and Prisons: defacto treatment centers 24:55 Conservatorship vs. Conservatorship 27:44 The Worst Week in California Politics 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 Produced by White Hot

Capitol Weekly Podcast

Randall Hagar: Laura's Law, Lanterman and Britney Spears

We are joined this episode by Asm. Kevin McCarty of Sacramento, who walks us through some of the groundbreaking investments in education that are enshrined in the 2021-22 state budget, signed last Monday by Gov. Newsom. McCarty, a Democratic member of the Assembly Budget Committee, takes a victory lap, touting the unabashedly progressive education agenda outlined in the Budget - an unprecedented expansion of programs that will provide free meals for all K-12 students, increase access to Cal Grants, provide Transitional Kindergarten for all four year-olds, and make significant investments in building affordable student housing. Plus: Who got sentenced to a year in prison for the #WorstWeekCA? Show Notes: :44 Universal meal program for school children 3:36 Rainy Day fund 4:45 Universal Transitional Kindergarten 11:32 Affordable student housing and scholarships 13:20 Increasing admission slots in UC and CSU 14:52 Biggest disappointment in the Budget? 16:51 #WorstWeekCA 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 Produced by White Hot

Asm. Kevin McCarty on Big Bucks for Progressive Education Plans in New Budget

The Bash (AKA The Back to Session Bash) has been a Capitol tradition for close to two decades now. The 2020 edition - the biggest ever - was held as usual in January, before COVID was a concern. Twelve months later, a January 2021 Bash was out of the question. The question then was: cancel or postpone? Bash headmaster David Quintana (AKA Q) consulted with the party's sponsors and decided to schedule The Bash for July 14 - just before the legislature's Summer recess - and here we are. Quintana joined John Howard and Tim Foster this episode to talk about expectations and limits for Wednesday's event, doing shots with Lil Jon, Taiko drummers, Kings dancers, the best - and worst - moments in Bash history. Plus: Who had the #WorstWeekCA? Show Notes: .59 What's with The Bash this year? 8:29 Birthday buddy: Lil Jon 11:30 The vibe is different 14:39 The Worst 24:48 The Mexican national anthem 27:07 Shameless Top 100 Party plug 29:22 #WorstWeekCA 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 Produced by White Hot

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About The Bash 2021

Note that we're posting early on the holiday weekend - we are joined this episode by California Governor's Office of Emergency Services chief Mark Ghilarducci. Ghilarducci leads the state response to disasters of all kinds. Ghilarducci has extensive experience: he has served California governors since the Deukmejian administration and was the incident commander on the Oklahoma City bombing recovery effort. We asked him for his thoughts on the recent building collapse in Surfside, Florida as well as on California's 2021 fire season. Plus: Who had the #WorstWeekCA? Reporter Natalie Hanson joins us to explain what is happening on the Chico city council, which lost two councillors in the course of six days. Show Notes: 1:07 What happens when a building collapses? 3:44 "When we see the "big" earthquake out here in California..." 10:10 Search and rescue teams 11:31 What to expect for California this year 20:07 Will we continue to rebuild in fire-prone areas? 23:51 RE: CapRadio's report: What is really going on with fire mitigation? 29:19 #WorstWeekCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: https://capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Master of Disasters: California OES Chief Mark Ghilarducci

As John says in the episode: "When we think of solar energy, we think of Bernadette Del Chiaro." Bernadette is the executive director of the California Solar & Storage Association, whose mission is to promote the widespread deployment of local clean energy technologies. Rooftop solar has been one of the state's biggest clean-energy success stories: California has built the equivalent of five nuclear power plants-worth of rooftop solar in the past 15 years. Now, proposed changes to net metering could put the brakes on the state's rooftop solar expansion. Plus - Who had the #WorstWeekCA? Show Notes: 2:09 What is Net Metering? 6:58 What about AB1139? 13:43 "We don't have blackouts in the middle of the night" 15:25 Cost to install rooftop solar 21:04 What is the PUC's roll? 22:35 The #WorstWeekCA Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Talking Solar with Bernadette Del Chiaro

Longtime environmental advocate Annie Notthoff retired from the Natural Resources Defense Council last year but still has plenty to say about California environmental issues. We asked her about CEQA exemptions for housing, what to make of the budget and the drought. Plus: Who had the Worst Week in California Politics? Show Notes: 3:30 Benefits of an ally in the White House 6:07 Housing and CEQA 11:35 Taxes: "If Silicon Valley catches a cold, CA's in trouble" 12:35 The Drought 18:41 What's the difference between NRDC and other environmental orgs? 24:52: Post-pandemic thoughts? 28:56 The #WorstWeekCA Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

A chat with Annie Notthoff

Ken Jacobs, chair of the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, joined us to chat about a number of labor issues, including the ongoing uproar over at SEIU 1000 following the election of outsider candidate Richard Louis Brown; the latest fallout from Proposition 22; and The PRO Act: what is it, and how will it impact California workers if passed? Also: What the heck is going on at the Santa Barbara Citizen's Independent Redistricting Commission? We invited two of the state's top redistricting experts, Paul Mitchell and Matt Rexroad, to weigh in on our #WorstWeekCA. Show Notes: 1:34 How many workers voted in the SEIU 1000 election? 6:16 President Brown promises to eliminate political spending - can he? 8:52 Richard Louis Brown vs. Gavin Newsom 10:40 A 21% wage increase? 12:53: Shifting sands of Prop. 22 16:23 What is the PRO Act? 19:38 Is union membership making a comeback? 22:13 The #WorstWeekCA Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

California Labor Politics Update, and More

We are joined today by the Governor Newsom's Executive Secretary, (aka chief of staff) Jim Deboo. Deboo joined the governor's office in January, just as the pandemic surged in the wake of the holidays. Unemployment was at record highs, predictions for the state's economy were dire, and the Recall effort was gathering steam. Six months later, Deboo surveys a very different landscape: California leads the nation in COVID vaccinations, the economy is rebounding and an improbable budget surplus has made predicted service cuts largely unnecessary. The Recall, however, still looms. We spoke to Deboo about governing under such unpredictable circumstances, how the horseshoe works under lockdown rules, and asked him who HE'D put on the Top 100. Show Notes: 2:55 The team in the Horseshoe 4:24 How would you rank the horseshoe on the Top 100? 6:21 The Recall 13:00 "COVID. There was no playbook for that." 17:06 The Budget 26:24 What is your ultimate goal? 29:54 The #WorstWeekCA Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Inside the Horseshoe: A Chat with Jim Deboo

Since we posted FOUR new episodes this past week, we're offering up an abbreviated version of our regular podcast... this time we'll just look at who had the #WorstWeekCA. If you have been following the news, the answer should be pretty clear: SEIU 1000, home to 96,000 union state employees, saw a dramatic low-turnout election that unseated the longtime leader and replaced her with an outsider candidate who promised to cut all political spending, and told Gavin Newsom not to expect his union's help in the Recall. Tune in to hear the details!

#WorstWeek in CA Politics: SEIU 1000 Election Drama

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on May 26 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of A Conference on Housing Policy. Assemblyman David Chiu, Chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee delivers the Keynote address: "We Still Have a Housing Crisis." Asm. Chiu was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016, 2018, and 2020. During his first six years in the Assembly, Chiu has authored 64 bills that were signed into law by the Governor. His bills have addressed a wide spectrum of issues, including housing, homelessness and public safety. He is the author of AB 215, a proposed bill that would hold cities accountable for meeting housing production goals. This legislation seeks to address California’s housing shortage by targeting cities that are under-performing their housing production goals. He was introduced by John Howard, editor of Capitol Weekly.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Housing Policy - Keynote, Asm. David Chiu

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on May 26 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of A Conference on Housing Policy. After years of debate and fierce opposition from neighborhood associations, the support for single-family zoning is waning. Housing advocates like Sen. Scott Wiener have introduced legislation to encourage multi-family building statewide, and in February, the Sacramento City Council took the first steps toward allowing duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes to be built anywhere in the city. The Berkeley City Council soon followed suit. If these zoning changes become widespread throughout the state, how will they impact the cost and availability of housing, and will they bring gentrification with them? Panelists: Lori Droste, Berkeley City Council; Dan Dunmoyer, California Building Industry Association; Shajuti Hossain, Public Advocates; Isaiah Madison, Livable California Moderated by Erin Baldassari, KQED

SPECIAL EPISODE: Housing Policy - The End of Single Family Zoning?

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on May 26 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of A Conference on Housing Policy. Even a worldwide pandemic couldn’t slow California’s climbing cost of housing. The Golden State boasts the most expensive real estate market in the country – the median home price in California is nearly double the average for a home in the rest of the US. And, rents are equally excessive. Even inland areas that were once relatively affordable have seen double-digit growth: rents in Fresno have risen nearly 40% since 2017. What – if anything – can be done to slow the runaway cost of California housing? Panelists: Asm. Buffy Wicks; Jason Elliot, Senior Counselor to Governor Newsom; Adam Fowler, Beacon Economics; Jennifer Svec, California Association of Realtors Moderated by Manuela Tobias, CalMatters

SPECIAL EPISODE: Housing Policy - Housing Costs - Bubble or New Normal?

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on May 26 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of A Conference on Housing Policy. As people hunkered down, working from their homes, inventory tightened; home prices made an unexpected jump, driving prices even further out of range for many Californians. At the same time, many working people lost wages, creating a backlog of unpaid rents and mortgages; COVID-era eviction moratoriums protect them for now, but what happens when those protections are lifted? And, what of the low income Californians and communities of color who bore the brunt of the pandemic’s impact? Panelists: Helen Leung, LA-Más; Natalie Holmes, California Policy Lab; Shanti Singh, Tenants Together; Constance Griggs-Lazzeroni, California Association of Mortgage Professionals. Moderated by Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times

SPECIAL EPISODE: Housing Policy - The Pandemic Effect

With Memorial Day - one of the biggest camping holidays of the year - coming up next Monday, we thought we'd check in on the status of California's State Parks. We're joined this week by Gloria Sandoval, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for State Parks who tells us how to get into your favorite park - and offers tips on what to do if your first option is booked. As pandemic restrictions lift, Californians are returning to Parks in record numbers. California State Parks saw 75 million visitors a year, pre-COVID - based on early numbers, 2021 may shatter that number. Sandoval, and hosts John Howard and Tim Foster, share suggestions for unique State Park experiences, like camping on a beach, and the only town in California that is also a State Park!  Plus: Who had the Worst Week in California Politics? "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Update: California State Parks

Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D) represents the 64th Assembly District, which includes communities that are among some of those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic: Carson, Compton, Gardena, South Los Angeles, Torrance and Watts. Gipson is the chair of the committee on Infectious Diseases, and introduced AB1038, a bill to create a $180 million California Health Equity Fund that would address health and social inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. He joined us to talk about AB1038, and his other priorities, including AB490, the Angelo Quinto Act, which would ban the use of chokeholds by police.

A chat with Asm. Mike Gipson

The Capitol Weekly Podcast covers California politics and public policy, and features interviews with elected officials, staffers, advocates, analysts, newsmakers, and even, -gasp- journalists. Listen on SoundCloud, iTunes or at capitolweekly.net

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Capitol Weekly Podcast

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