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Mid-June, and the surrounding hills are bathed in golden yellow/brown, with still a splash of color from wildflowers and patches of green that haven’t yet turned.

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CalMatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media.