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🎙️ This Week on the So, Does It Matter? Podcast — Inside CalMatter’s New State Capitol Transparency Machine with Ryan Sabalow
This week on the So, Does It Matter? Podcast: I sit down with investigative reporter Ryan Sabalow of CalMatters to discuss one of the most important government-transparency tools most Californians have never heard of: Digital Democracy.
If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in Sacramento committee hearings — who said what, who voted, who stayed silent, and which special interests were in the room — this conversation is for you. CalMatters has built a system that uses AI to transcribe legislative hearings, track votes in real time, map campaign donations, and even measure how closely lawmakers vote with powerful lobbying groups. In plain English: the black box of the California Legislature just got a search bar.
Ryan explains how the platform lets you search every word spoken in hearings, follow a single bill from start to finish, and see when lawmakers dodge tough votes by staying silent. We also discuss how journalists use the system to uncover patterns—such as which legislators consistently side with specific interest groups —and how late-night “gut-and-amend” maneuvers can quietly transform legislation with little public scrutiny.
One of the most powerful features? A free “My Legislator” email that delivers a weekly, data-driven report on how your state senator and assemblymember voted — not just on the floor, but in committees where the real action often happens. It includes key votes, notable quotes from hearings, and summaries of campaign contributions. It’s the kind of unfiltered accountability tool that lawmakers can’t spin in a press release.
We also dig into how AI is helping newsrooms flag unusual political activity — from surprise bill rewrites to unexpected bipartisan splits — giving reporters across California leads they might otherwise miss. While the tech isn’t perfect, Ryan makes a compelling case that it’s already changing how state government is covered and understood.
If you care about transparency, accountability, and actually knowing what your elected officials are doing in Sacramento, this episode is a must-listen.
🎥 Watch the full conversation above — and find the video and podcast players below.
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