L.A. Times’ Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian Named in Capitol Weekly Top 100 List

Los Angeles Times staff writers Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian were named in the 17th edition of Capitol Weekly’s Top 100. The annual list, which was announced Aug. 26, features the most powerful movers and shakers in California politics and public policy.

Capitol Weekly staff wrote, “these two intrepid Los Angeles Times investigative reporters produced work in the last year that has spurred legislation.” They continued their praise, writing “Gutierrez and Tchekmedyian exposed an underground market of dogs and cats being brought into California by out-of-state mass breeders who then claim to be small local breeders. The series sparked the introduction of the three-bill ‘Stop the Puppy Mill Pipeline,’ which as of this writing was well on its way to the governor’s office. All three sponsoring lawmakers (Sen. Tom Umberg and Assembly members Marc Berman and Steve Bennett) credited the Times for inspiring their bills.”

Gutierrez is a veteran Capitol reporter, having covered state government and politics for The Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee, where she has written dozens of government accountability stories on topics such as wasteful spending, pension spiking, rape kit backlogs and failures in the foster care system. Before joining The Times’ investigation team, Tchekmedyian covered the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Prior to The Times, Tchekmedyian reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader.

To learn more about the Capitol Weekly Top 100 and see the full list, visit capitolweekly.net.