Capitol Weekly
By Capitol Weekly Staff
8/10/16
When we put out our first Top 100 list, we wanted to give a mischievous, behind-the-scenes view of players in state politics that the public usually doesn’t see. We succeeded, we had fun.
“Lists like the one you are about to read are a lot like most hairpieces: They’re probably a bad idea, but they do get a lot of people talking,” we wrote in 2009.
Seven years later later, we’re still having fun – okay, not as much as before – but we think this list has value and is becoming something of an institution. At least, that’s what people tell us.
Some use it as a primer for new staffers. Some send it to clients. Some send it back to us with curt advice about where to put it. Some wonder if we don’t have anything better to do with our time. Some send us lists of names of people who should be on the list. Some use it to make political points. Some avoid it entirely.
Clearly, this list is subjective – but not completely so. And we’re working on methods to make it more objective. More about those later. Finally, there’s this: For all those who were camping or hiking in the Sierra when they got phone calls from us seeking advice at weird hours, we say thanks. And a special thanks to Stockton artist Chris Shary, who produced those wonderful line drawings.
Now you have the Top 100 in your hands – and I’m leaving town, fast. See you next year…
John Howard
Editor
46 Jodi Remke
Jodi Remke, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, is the state’s political watchdog, enforcing campaign finance laws and lobbying rules. In July, she pushed through a regulation targeting so-called “shadow lobbyists,” consultants and others who communicate with lawmakers to influence policy but don’t register with the state. Remke has spent much of her adult life making sure that people follow the rules. Before joining the FPPC in April 2014, Remke served as presiding judge of the State Bar Court, part of a three-judge panel hearing appeals in attorney disciplinary and regulatory cases. She also represented the court to the Legislature and the governor’s office. Remke, an attorney, is no stranger to Sacramento. She was appointed by the Senate Rules Committee to serve as a trial judge on the State Bar Court from 2000-2006, and before that was counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee.