Open California

Open California is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization formed in 2012 to continue – and expand on – the important public policy work done by Capitol Weekly.

Our Mission is to inform, enlighten and educate Californians about public policy and state governance, and to provide a platform for engagement with public officials, advocates and political interests. To meet this goal, Open California publishes continuing, in-depth, nonpartisan coverage of current policy and political issues, and hosts regular forums for public discussion of policy and California politics.

We believe that this model of a non-profit, multi-media platform will be a major part of public policy journalism in the future. We have seen the Sacramento press corp decline sharply, and the amount of coverage dedicated to state news is now minimal. Meanwhile, Sacramento decisions about infrastructure and regulations, education, health care, public safety and the environment are critical to the future of the world’s eighth largest economy – and to a democracy that relies on informed voters to make important ballot choices.

Our projects and publications include:

Capitol Weekly: For 25 years, this publication has been required reading for Sacramento insiders and government workers.

The Roundup: A daily e-newsletter that follows the latest developments in Sacramento for more than 6,000 subscribers around the state.

California Conferences: A quarterly series examining critical issues such as health care, climate change and elections. Each event includes bipartisan panels, a keynote luncheon speaker and is filmed for broadcast by the California Channel.

The Top 100: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 is a highly anticipated annual publication profiling the biggest, non-elected names in Sacramento.

Politics on Tap: A bi-weekly political talk show exploring timely Capitol issues and personalities. The program, broadcast statewide on the California Channel and posted online, is hosted by Capitol Weekly editor John Howard.

Internships: Capitol Weekly nurtures the next generation of public policy voices with more than a half dozen internships annually. Interns are mentored by Capitol Weekly’s editor and gain experience covering the major issues and personalities in Sacramento.

Open California Oral History Project: From blacklisted Hollywood writers and interned Japanese-Americans to women political activists and laborers in Southern California restaurants, oral histories of the prominent and the obscure tell the story of the state.

Political Pulse: A compendium of California political news mailed to subscribers throughout the state for more than 30 years.

We operate a lean but expanding office with several full-time staff and about a dozen contributors, including:

John Howard, editor in chief: John is the former political writer and news editor for the Associated Press in Sacramento, associated editor of the California Journal and Sacramento bureau chief of the Orange County Register. He has been covering California politics since 1980.

Tim Foster, Executive Director: Tim has worked in publishing for over 20 years with a focus on politics since starting at California Journal in 1996. He has been with Capitol Weekly since 2005 and also published and edited the Midtown Monthly from 2007-2012.

Jyoti Alexander, Office Manager

Open California Board of Directors

Molly Dugan, President

Professor of Journalism, California State University

Scott Lay, Vice President

Attorney, founding editor of The Nooner and The Roundup

Tom Gede, Secretary

Of Counsel, Morgan Lewis, LLP

Sheri Sadler, Treasurer

President, Sadler Strategic Media

Mike Belote

Legislative Advocate, California Advocates

A.G. Block

Associate Director, retired, University of California Center Sacramento

Brian Brokaw

Brian Brokaw Consulting

John Garcia

Vice President, Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente

Rob Gunnison

Former administrator, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Jodi Hicks

Executive Director, Planned Parenthood of Northern California

Fiona Hutton

Founder, Fiona Hutton & Associates

Jacob Mejia

Executive Director, TASIN

Kassy Perry

President, Perry Communications Group

Karen Skelton

President, Skelton Strategies