The Press Club

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

Revelations from the January 6 committee hearings dominated headlines for months this summer. Now is your opportunity to hear directly from one of the nine members of the select committee about its work investigating the events surrounding the attack at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Sacramento Press Club is pleased to present a conversation with Rep. Pete Aguilar, a Democrat from Redlands. Los Angeles Times political writer Arit John and The Sacramento Bee’s Jack Ohman will moderate the

During a historic moment for racial justice and equity in this country, Black journalists are not just covering the news — they are also pushing media organizations to confront how they have fallen short including diverse voices on their staffs and reflecting the communities they cover. Join the Sacramento Press Club for a conversation with Black and African-American journalists from California and across the country about racial equality in the newsroom, covering the latest Black Lives Matter p

The Sacramento Press Club welcomes Academy Award-winning actor, musician, photographer and philanthropist Jeff Bridges in his role as spokesman for No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization focused on ending child hunger in the United States. Bridges and Sen. Richard Pan be part of a panel discussion on child hunger moderated by KCRA-TV anchor Edie Lambert. In California, nearly 21 percent of children under the age of 18 live in households where they don’t regularly have enough to eat. Across the

Another severe drought is forcing state officials to make tough choices about who gets access to a dwindling supply of water. A recent emergency resolution will allow the state to block water diversions from major users, including farmers, in the state’s agricultural region. Californians up and down the state are being asked to conserve water. Los Angeles Times reporter Ian James and Sacramento Bee reporter Dale Kasler moderate a discussion on California’s drought and what comes next. Panelists

Michael Drake was appointed in July as the 21st president — and the first Black leader — of the University of California. Most recently serving as the president of The Ohio State University, he spent much of his career at UC, including a nine-year stint as the chancellor of UC Irvine. Drake takes over as the president of the ten-campus system at a moment of financial upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic and amid a moment of cultural reckoning over racial justice. John A. Pérez was appoint

California’s San Joaquin Valley long has been a source of rich and compelling stories. That’s why the Sacramento Press Club is honored to present Jessica Garrison in conversation about her new book, “Devil’s Harvest: A Ruthless Killer, a Terrorized Community and the Search for Justice in California’s Central Valley.” Jessica is a senior investigative editor at BuzzFeed News in San Francisco, and is a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she ran across the story of Jose Manuel Martine

Please join the Sacramento Press Club on Aug. 28 for a conversation focused on the future of water in California. Wade Crowfoot is California Secretary for Natural Resources, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in January 2019.  As a member of the governor’s cabinet, he advises Gov. Newsom on natural resources and environmental issues. He oversees an agency of 19,000 employees charged with protecting and managing the state’s forests and natural land, rivers and waterways, coast and ocean, fish and wi

Health care spending in California is up 30% from 2015. Californians with job-based coverage face higher out-of-pocket costs than ever, with more than half of workers now paying a deductible of $1,000 or more, compared to 6% in 2006. Last summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to create the Office of Health Care Affordability to combat these rising health care costs. While a handful of other states have similar commissions, California’s has the most regulatory authority. The office will be resp

Katie Hill was a rising Democratic star in Congress, having flipped a Republican seat in the 2018 blue wave. Then her personal life, including an affair with a campaign staffer, was exposed on the internet, and she resigned less than a year into her first term. She tells that story and more in her book, “She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality.” Please join the Sacramento Press Club as Ms. Hill is interviewed by Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee’s political cartoonist and

A pair of competing ballot measures to legalize sports betting in California is already setting campaign spending records and flooding the airwaves with ads months ahead of the election. One would expand gambling opportunities at tribal casinos and race tracks. The other would allow people to place bets online from their phones. Both are promising millions of dollars in new tax revenue for the state. Which approach will Californians embrace in this high-stakes showdown? Or will voters reject bot

Whether from his brief presidential run or his role as one of President Trump’s most vocal critics, you’ve surely heard a lot from Congressman Eric Swalwell in the past few years. The Bay Area Democrat is also a member of the House Intelligence Committee, where he had a front-row seat to the historic impeachment proceedings against Trump. He shares those insights in his new book, “Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump.” Please join The Sacramento Press Club as Congressman Swalwell i

With education once again topping the polls as the issue most important to California voters, the battle to be next California’s superintendent of public instruction has become one of the most-watched (and expensive) races on this November’s ballot. The two candidates, both Democrats, have clashed on issues such as charter schools, teacher pay and school funding. The superintendent of public instruction sets the tone for state educational policy. They are responsible for enforcing education law

With more than 90 lawsuits filed, on everything from clean air protections to the Affordable Care Act, Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been at the forefront of California’s resistance to the Trump administration. He is now a leading contender to be appointed to the U.S. Senate if Sen. Kamala Harris wins the vice presidency. Please join the Sacramento Press Club as The Sacramento Bee politics reporter Hannah Wiley, Capital Public Radio politics and government reporter Nicole Nixon and Fox40 m

In the end, it wasn’t close: The election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom was called within an hours of polls closing last night, as California voters appeared to hand the governor a landslide victory. So how did a race that once appeared within reach for Newsom critics turn into a blowout? Join the Sacramento Press Club for a virtual discussion on what happened and why, with the people who were there all along the way. The Sacramento Bee’s Sophia Bollag and the Los Angeles Times’ Phil Willon will m

With California once again burning, the Sacramento Press Club welcomes Lizzie Johnson, author of the fascinating and powerful new book, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, about the deadliest fire in California history. Lizzie wrote Paradise while reporting on wildfires for the San Francisco Chronicle, and she since has moved to The Washington Post. She will be interviewed by Robin Epley, an editorial writer for the Sacramento Bee who was part of the Chico Enterprise-R

More than a dozen major insurance companies have either left California or stopped writing policies. They blame climate change, inflation and an outdated regulatory process for their exit. The Legislature recently adjourned its session without taking any significant action this year, while revised regulations have just been announced by the Department of Insurance. Please join the Sacramento Press Club for a solution-focused discussion with leaders from industry, academia, and a consumer group o

This Sacramento Press Club lunchtime discussion will be a resource for journalists who increasingly find themselves reporting on demonstrations for racial justice and against police violence. Experienced reporters and experts will discuss covering protests and share advice for how to accurately and safely serve readers, listeners and viewers during street demonstrations. Nick Miller, managing editor of news at Capital Public Radio, the NPR affiliate in Sacramento, will moderate the panel. He has

California voters this year are being asked to decide whether to raise property taxes on big businesses. The contentious Proposition 15 would amend the state constitution so that commercial properties are taxed on their market value once every three years. Such a change would boost local funding for schools and local government. But critics say now is the wrong time for the biggest tax increase in California history, a move that would drive up rents and the cost of living. Please join the Sacram

Proposition 6 on the November ballot would repeal the 2017 gas tax increases that are expected to bring in $54 billion dollars in the next decade to fix roads, bridges, and freeways. But it’s about more than taxes and traffic jams. Fighting taxes is a standard platform for Republicans, and they are backing the campaign as a wedge issue to drive their voters to the polls. The Democrats see Prop 6 as a desperate attempt by the Republicans to stay relevant. Gov. Jerry Brown has said it’s a “flawed

California voters will decide this November whether to reinstate affirmative action in public university admissions, government hiring and contracting. The state previously banned the practice in 1996 when voters passed Proposition 209. To help you understand the initiative better, the Sacramento Press Club will host a debate on Proposition 16 moderated by Speaking for the initiative are:Eva Paterson, a civil rights advocate and attorney with over 45 years of experience fighting for equality, in

From Michael Phelps’ pool dominance in Beijing to the COVID-delayed games of Tokyo, The Sacramento Bee’s Paul Kitagaki Jr. has photographed nearly a dozen Olympics during his journalistic career, including the most recent edition this summer in Paris. Join us on as Paul shares some of his favorite images and the stories behind the highlights.

Please join Clarissa Ward, CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, in conversation about her new book: “On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist,” an unforgettable story of one extraordinary journalist — and of a changing world. Ward is the recipient of multiple Peabody and Murrow awards, and is a world-renowned conflict reporter. In this strange age of crisis where there is no clear front line, she has moved from one hot zone to the next. Ward will be in conversation with Markos Kounalakis

California voters nearly weighed in on their digital privacy rights two years ago, but proponents pulled the measure from the ballot when the Legislature passed the first major statewide protections in the country. That law, which extended new rights to consumers to control how their personal information online is used and sold, took effect earlier this year. The issue is back at the ballot box this November, however. With privacy advocates and business groups waging battle at the Capitol over w