The Press Club

Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty will discuss her acclaimed new book, The Triumph of Nancy Reagan. Tumulty has been one of the generation’s top political affairs reporters at the Post, Time magazine and the Los Angeles Times. While covering all the major political issues of the day, she spent five years working on the book, which includes a chapter on Nancy Reagan’s pivotal time in Sacramento as California’s First Lady. Tumulty will discuss her riveting biography of Reagan with Sacramento

In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 47, recategorizing some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Supporters said it was a necessary correction to a history of overly harsh criminal justice policy in the state. But in the decade since, critics have blamed the law for a rise in shoplifting, among other problems. Now voters may weigh in again in November on a new initiative to roll back elements of Prop 47. Join the Sacramento Press Club for a discussion about the imp

KCRA anchorwoman Edie Lambert will be interviewing First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the documentary filmmaker and wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, at the Sacramento Press Club’s May luncheon. The Press Club will also present the student recipients of its 2019 scholarships. Jennifer Siebel Newsom is an award-winning filmmaker, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit organization The Representation Project, which inspires individuals and communities to challenge limiting gender stereotypes and shift

The Sacramento Press Club expanded its annual college scholarship program this year. We are excited to hand out 11 scholarships totaling $57,000 — more than we ever have before — to local students who represent the best of the future of journalism. The reception will also feature a conversation with several local journalists who have won the Pulitzer Prize, the industry’s top award. Hear from The Sacramento Bee cartoonist Jack Ohman, investigative reporter Marjie Lundstrom and former editorial w

The Sacramento Press Club is proud to host author and journalist Jim Newton in conversation with KQED’s Scott Shafer about Newtom’s new book, “Man of Tomorrow: The Relentless Life of Jerry Brown.” For years, Newtom was one of the Los Angeles Times’ premier journalists, covering City Hall and the O.J. Simpson trial, and rising to the position of editorial page editor. He has written books on Dwight Eisenhower, Earl Warren and Leon Panetta. “Man of Tomorrow” was five years in the making. Newton, a

Two of California’s largest newsrooms have welcomed new editors in the past year. Colleen McCain Nelson was appointed in January as executive editor of the Sacramento Bee and regional editor for McClatchy’s California news organizations. Emilio Garcia-Ruiz joined the San Francisco Chronicle in August 2020 as editor in chief. The Sacramento Press Club is delighted to host them both for a conversation about their visions for the future of local news, moderated by Joyce Terhaar, an SPC board member

The Sacramento Press Club honors the winners of the 5th Annual Golden State Journalism Awards, which recognize California’s best public policy and political reporting of 2024.

The Sacramento Press Club welcomes back National Public Radio international correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson as our guest speaker at the club’s annual scholarships awards luncheon on May 22. Nelson, based in Berlin, will share some of her experiences covering central Europe and the Middle East for NPR since 2006. Before she joined NPR, Nelson was a reporter for the Orange County Register based in Sacramento and a member of the Sacramento Press Club. After opening the NPR Kabul bureau in 2006

The Sacramento Press Club is expanding its annual college scholarship program once again this year! Thanks to your generous support, we are excited to hand out 11 scholarships totaling $59,000 — more than we ever have before — to local students who represent the best of the future of journalism. Please join us to celebrate these talented scholarship recipients. The reception will feature a keynote address from Larry Lee, president and publisher of the Observer Media Group, about how local and et

Another hot, dry summer looms, which means more rolling blackouts may be on the horizon. The power shutoffs could disrupt millions of Californians’ lives — and pose a threat to Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall election. The Sacramento Press Club hosts a discussion on energy reliability and its political implications with: Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg, whose district has borne the brunt of many of the worst wildfires and blackouts in recent years. Elliot Mainzer, the chief

It’s been nearly four months since Alex Padilla was sworn in as California’s newest senator, the first Latino to ever represent the state in the U.S. Senate. What has he been up to since making the move from the secretary of state’s office to Capitol Hill? Find out when Padilla joins the Sacramento Press Club’s annual scholarship reception, where he will help hand out nearly $40,000 in scholarships to eight exceptional student journalists. Alexei Koseff, state Capitol reporter for the San Franci

The Sacramento Press Club will host a post-primary breakdown with Darry Sragow of Target Book, Paul Mitchell from Political Data Inc., Democratic consultant Katie Merrill and Republican consultant Jennifer Jacobs. Going beyond who won and who lost, our panelists will discuss trends, demographics and what the outcome means for the November general election. Darry Sragow is a veteran Democratic political strategist and attorney. He served as chief campaign advisor for the Assembly Democratic Caucu

The Sacramento Press Club will host a virtual forum at noon this Tuesday, June 9, focused on the future of Assembly Bill 5, the law that aims to require companies to reclassify hundreds of thousands of workers as employees, rather than independent contractors. AB 5 will be the focus of one of major ballot measure fights this coming November, as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Postmates have given $110 million to an initiative that would exempt their industry from the law. Debate at the Capitol is ongoi

A lot will be determined as Californians cast their ballots over the coming weeks, setting the top-two runoffs in races across the state and potentially choosing the winners in key local elections. After the big vote on June 7, four of California’s top political experts will make sense of the results and forecast what might happen next. This election recap will feature pollster David Binder and strategists Marva Diaz, Dana Williamson and Matt Rexroad. David Binder is a San Francisco-based pollst

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading voice on the Covid-19 pandemic, will participate in a Sacramento Press Club Facebook Live event at noon on Wednesday, June 24. Following Dr. Fauci’s appearance, the Sacramento Press Club will host a panel including Sen. Richard Pan, who has been at the forefront of state health care legislation; Dr. Sara H. Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health director, who was one of the first officials in the country to take action to contain the spread of the virus;

When Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire took over the role in February, he inherited some of the biggest challenges that California has faced in years, including a historic budget deficit and a collapsing home insurance market that has slammed his own district particularly hard. Has it dimmed the Healdsburg Democrat’s famously sunny demeanor? He’ll join the Sacramento Press Club to discuss his goals for the Senate, his leadership style and the state of journalism. (Did you know McGuire used t

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is the city’s first African-American mayor, and at 27, he is the youngest mayor in America to serve a city of Stockton’s size. He is grabbing headlines for his proposals to launch a pilot universal income program for Stockton residents, and to offer $1,000 stipends and intervention for residents most likely to be violent criminals. He has also inspired a recall petition. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez recently said of Stubbs: “There’s a difference between a

After a protracted battle, two dramatic votes and a lengthy transition, Robert Rivas takes over as the 71st Assemly Speaker next month. Join the Sacramento Press Club for a conversation with Rivas about his leadership plans and his priorities for a new era in the California Legislature. Laurel Rosenhall of the Los Angeles Times and Mathew Miranda of The Sacramento Bee will moderate. Rivas, a Democrat from the Central Coast, was raised by his mother and grandparents in Paicines, an hour south of

The Supreme Court ruling last month overturning Roe v. Wade is rapidly reshaping abortion access across the country. Join the Sacramento Press Club for a virtual discussion with reproductive health experts about how this changing landscape will impact California. CalMatters health policy reporter Kristen Hwang will interview Brietta Clark, professor at Loyola Law School; Jessica Pinckney Gil, executive director of ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE; and Jodi Hicks, CEO and president of Planned Parentho

The Sacramento Press Club is honored to have Rep. Karen Bass join us for a conversation on Facebook Live on Thursday, July 16, at 12:15 p.m. A familiar face to Sacramento as the former Assembly speaker, Bass has been in the headlines recently as a potential vice presidential candidate for Joe Biden and a leader on congressional action on police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As the San Francisco Chronicle noted in a recent profile, “Like many of the other women on Biden’s short list

Looking for a great read? Pick up Michael Connelly’s latest bestseller, “Fair Warning.” He’ll join the Sacramento Press Club for a Facebook live event at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, to discuss his new book. Joining Michael will be Myron Levin, founder and editor of the investigative news site FairWarning.org. Michael and Myron are friends from their days as reporters at the Los Angeles Times. Michael captures Myron’s unique personality in “Fair Warning,” as the protagonist, investigative report

Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a $6 billion plan to build a statewide, open-access fiber network. In Washington, President Biden and Congress are negotiating their own $65 billion broadband deal. Will these efforts actually provide “internet for all”? Now that the law has passed, what is the role of industry, the state and regulators? Join the Sacramento Press Club for a discussion on the next steps for bringing broadband to every California household. A panel of governmen

The Sacramento Press Club welcomes Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D) for a bicameral discussion about the Legislature’s agenda with Los Angeles Times Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers on Aug. 8. The Legislature’s to-do list when it returns in August for the final month of the 2018 session is as long as the temperatures are hot in Sacramento. Will it overhaul the state’s bail system, set new renewable energy mandates, or enact net neutrality rul