Richard Ratcliff

Richard Ratcliff was fresh out of law school in 1960 when he was hired as a lobbyist in Sacramento for an association of irrigation districts. By his own admission, he had no idea what a lobbyist did. His knowledge of the Legislature was minimal.

In his career, Ratcliff saw legislative staff grow, tight restrictions imposed on lobbyists and term limits enacted by voters. He provides a fascinating inside look at how lobbyists actually work.

He was interviewed by Steve Wiegand, a longtime Capitol reporter for the San Diego Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and The Sacramento Bee. He is the author of several books, including “U.S. History for Dummies” and “Papers of Consequence.”