e-mail this page
Printer Friendly Version

August 31, 2004

16th California Conference:
Should we recreate state government?

Civic leaders, academics, journalists and others will debate the idea of a massive, fundamental reorganization of California government at the 16th annual Envisioning California Conference, Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at Sacramento’s Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. This year’s theme of “Refounding California” is an effort to meet the challenge by recently retired State Librarian Kevin Starr to “reanimate and refound state government.”

The conference is presented by the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento and the Center for Southern California Studies at California State University, Northridge.

Kevin Starr will present the opening keynote address on Thursday evening. Others scheduled to appear include Billy Hamilton, co-executive director of the California Performance Review; David Roberti, Senate President Pro Tem from 1982 to 1994; former Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy; Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund; Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of USC’s School of Policy, Planning and Development; Marty Smith, retired Sacramento Bee political editor; and Michael Stoll, associate director of the “Grade the News” project at Stanford University.

The panel sessions will include such topics as “Lessons from Earlier Refoundings,” “Private Ambitions and Public Business,” and “News Media and Refounding State Governance.”

The conference will also include the 10th annual California Journalism Awards. The awards, co-sponsored by the Center for California Studies and the Sacramento Press Club, honor excellence in media coverage of state government and politics They will be presented at a lunch from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., Friday, featuring a talk by Holly Heyser, state editor with the Orange County Register, president of the National Association of State Capitol Reporters and Editors and a Sacramento State alum.

Registration is $105 if postmarked by Sept. 14 and $125 after. Registration is also available for particular days or events, and Capital Fellow alumni and students with ID receive a substantial discount. Students may also attend panels at no cost.

For more information, visit www.csus.edu/calst. The Center for California Studies is at (916) 278-6906. Additional media assistance is available from Sacramento State public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

####