Home is where the redistricting committee says it is

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Friday Dec 10,2021 02:16 pm

Dec 10, 2021

By Jeremy B. White, Isabella Bloom and Graph Massara

THE BUZZ — DRAWING THE BATTLE LINES: Scarcity breeds conflict, and that’s especially true in legislative politics.

The volatility of California’s current political moment has been a running theme of California Playbook lately. Redistricting is the key culprit as the Citizens Redistricting Commission redraws the contours of power in real time in public view. The uncertainty enshrouding the legislative map is preoccupying incumbents, campaign managers and bit-champing prospective challengers. Most everyone is on edge and exploring options, but members of California’s House delegation and of its Legislature face distinct but related challenges.

Specific to Congress members is the loss of a House seat. California’s delegation is shrinking from 53 to 52 seats, which means at least one incumbent will be stranded. Just as California’s languishing growth — particularly in shrinking Los Angeles — has forced that change, so must the mapmakers adapt districts to reflect which areas have lost population and which have gained new residents, while still trying to keep communities of interest intact.

It’s personal for state lawmakers: Unlike House members, state legislators must reside in the districts they represent. Some incumbents could see the places they live no longer in the area they seek to represent, and initial map projections would place numerous sitting lawmakers in overlapping areas. Both scenarios would require calling in moving trucks or plunging into bitter Democrat-on-Democrat strife.

And then there’s the issue of ensuring minority communities are represented. Black, Latino, Asian and LGBTQ groups are vying to ensure they don’t see fewer people who share their identities in the halls of power, and redistricting committee members have been hard-pressed to keep those blocs sufficiently empowered in specific districts.

Black elected officials have long sounded the alarm about their numbers dwindling — a critique that in part reflects ongoing demographic change, with historically Black districts becoming more heavily Latino. The frustration was palpable in a scathing op-ed that state Sen. Steve Bradford and Rep. Karen Bass published this week warning redistricting was putting Black lawmakers “under attack.”

The cascade of changes could alleviate some of those fears by opening up more seats. Witness the ever-growing list of Assembly incumbents who are headed out the door by securing an appointment, running for another seat or deciding against running for r-election — a cohort that gained yet another member yesterday. But this situation is still fluid — and ripe for conflict.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Every day seems to bring a new rumor of a retirement or a new bid for something lately. A gentle reminder that we’re always happy to listen.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The new maps prepared by the appointed government officials responsible for drawing new district lines can best be described as an onslaught against Black elected officials in L.A. County. … Your vote on legislative matters is about to be snatched from you. Your voice in our state and national corridors of power will be silenced unless you speak up now to halt this brazen attack on our trusted, experienced, and respected Black elected leaders.” Bass and Bradford scorch redistricting plans for L.A.

TWEET OF THE DAY: @SenAlexPadilla telegraphs that crime issues have caught federal attention: “Just spoke with @AGRobBonta about efforts to combat the recent uptick in organized retail crime across California. I offered my support and will ensure federal agencies continue to partner with the state to keep Californians safe this holiday season”

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

JOIN TUESDAY FOR A WOMEN RULE 2021 REWIND AND A LOOK AHEAD AT 2022: Congress is sprinting to get through a lengthy and challenging legislative to-do list before the end of the year that has major implications for women’s rights. Join Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph and POLITICO journalists Laura Barrón-López, Eleanor Mueller, Elena Schneider and Elana Schor for a virtual roundtable that will explore the biggest legislative and policy shifts in 2021 affecting women and what lies ahead in 2022. REGISTER HERE.

TOP TALKERS

ON AND ON — Bill Quirk to retire, joining Assembly exodus, by POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: The East Bay legislator will join a lengthy and growing roster of Assembly Democrats who are leaving the Legislature by stepping aside, running for new seats or securing appointments.

STARKEST DISPARITY — “Young Latinos are dying of COVID at an alarming rate — the effects could be felt for generations,” by the LA Times’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde: “As more people get vaccinated, pandemic restrictions lift and the economy rebounds, the families of the young Latinos who died will feel the loss for decades to come — not just the grief but the long-term financial hardships. It will be harder for their children to get an education and achieve upward mobility, potentially widening the class divide in the coming decades.”

CLEAN AIR — “Landmark California smog rules target lawn equipment, big rig trucks ,” by CalMatters’ Rachel Becker: “California’s air board enacted two first-of-their-kind smog rules for trucks and lawn equipment. They’ll cost billions but cut tons of emissions.”

VAXX — "Anti-vaccine group targets California’s medical director," by the AP's Olga R. Rodriguez: "The president of California’s medical board, which issues medical licenses and disciplines doctors, says a group of anti-vaccine activists stalked her at home and followed her to her office — where four men confronted her in a dark parking garage in what she described as a terrifying experience."

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

CAREFUL OUT THERE — “LA County Moved Back Up To 'High' COVID Transmission,” by LAist’s Jackie Fortiér.

— “ Omicron COVID variant detected for first time in Sacramento area, officials say,” by The Sac Bee’s Michael McGough.

— “Judge halts California ban on ‘pay to delay’ pharma deals,” by Courthouse News Service’s Nick Cahill: “The law outlaws a common industry practice known as “pay-for-delay” where large pharmaceutical companies pay or incentivize a competing company to keep cheaper generic drugs off the market. Critics say the backroom deals choke competition and force Americans to pay more for prescription drugs.”

— “California pension fund sunk $340 million into its headquarters before COVID. Was it a mistake?” by The Sac Bee’s Randy Diamond: “The reality of a depressed COVID-19 commercial real estate market is testing the California State Teachers’ Retirement System’s plan to pay for a $340 million expansion of its headquarters in part by renting out space to commercial tenants.”

MIAMI TO LA — Los Angeles Unified names Carvalho as next superintendent, by POLITICO’s Mackenzie Mays: The Los Angeles Unified school board unanimously voted Thursday to make Alberto Carvalho, a well-known Florida schools leader, the next superintendent of the nation's second largest district. … Carvalho is coming to a district that generally aligns with the Covid-19 policies of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a reversal after his Miami-Dade district sparred with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis when it wanted to keep a mask mandate.

PROP 47 — “ After smash-and-grab thefts across California, is it time to reconsider Proposition 47?” opines the LA Times’ George Skelton: “Under 47, the crimes of petty theft, receiving stolen property and writing bad checks were lowered to misdemeanors when the value was less than $950. No prison time. In some counties, maybe a short time in jail or a wrist slap.”

WATER DEBT — “ Water shut-offs loom for thousands of Californians after agencies failed to apply for millions in relief,” by the SF Chronicle’s Kurtis Alexander: “More than a half-million Californians struggling to pay their water bills during the pandemic will probably have their debt paid off by the state. … Still, even with the windfall of cash, hundreds of thousands of people are likely to continue carrying burdensome water debt — and at a particularly bad time. A California law preventing utilities from shutting off water to delinquent customers, put in place because of COVID, expires at the end of the month. It’s not expected to be renewed.”

WORM FOOD — “ California pushes composting to lower food waste emissions,” by the AP’s Kathleen Ronayne: “Banana peels, chicken bones and leftover veggies won’t have a place in California trashcans under the nation’s largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program that’s set to take effect in January. … California plans to start converting residents’ food waste into compost or energy, becoming the second state in the U.S. to do so after Vermont launched a similar program last year.”

ANTI-POLLUTION GAIN — "California’s heavy-duty trucks don’t have to get smog-checked. Why that’s about to change," by The Sac Bee's Dale Kasler: "Air board officials said trucks represent just 3% of California’s vehicles but account for about half of the NOx and particulate-matter emissions produced by the transportation sector. NOx and particulate-matter are key to the formation of smog, which can cause asthma and other ailments. Officials estimated that 145,000 trucks could fail their smog tests."

— “Mayor Breed looks to delay parklet rebuild timeline for S.F. restaurants following ‘messy’ rollout,” by the SF Chronicle’s Janelle Bitker: “The move comes three days after The Chronicle published a story about panic in the restaurant industry, with many owners feeling like they had to tear down their parklets to meet new safety requirements. Several owners previously told The Chronicle that the rollout of the new rules was ‘messy’ and ‘confusing.’”

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

JAN. 6 COMMISSION LATEST — “Mark Meadows is suing Nancy Pelosi and the House Jan. 6 committee,” by NPR’s Rachel Treisman.

CAMPAIGN MODE

— “Lyft won’t require a return to the office until 2023 at the earliest,” via Bloomberg: “Many companies are changing their return dates yet again, this time in response to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, but few have gone as far as Lyft’s full-year reprieve. Google informed employees last week that it won’t enforce its January deadline and will reassess after that. Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft’s main rival, made a similar move.”

— “We Need Less Talk and More Action From Congress on Tech,” opines NYT’s Kara Swisher: ”Doesn’t it feel like some of the outrage over the revelations in the Facebook Papers has already passed us by?

HOLLYWOODLAND

SPOILER ALERT! — “Peloton blames shocking ‘Sex and the City’ death on character’s ‘extravagant lifestyle,’” by the LA Times’ Meredith Blake.

— “ Dr. Oz's Political Bid Will Give Sony and Oprah a Headache,” by the Hollywood Reporter’s Eriq Gardner: “Political winds plus the discourse around cancel culture could transform entertainment companies into unwitting pawns of a larger power struggle. The only real question is whether it makes much of a difference.”

MIXTAPE

— “Compton rapper Slim 400 shot and killed in Inglewood at age 34,” by the LA Times’ Christi Carras.

THROWING FISTS — “ California mom charged in case of kid hitting sports rival,” by the AP’s Christopher Weber.

— “BMW-driving burglars steal 40 firearms from Garden Grove gun shop,” by the OC Register’s Hunter Lee.

— “ S.F. City Hall corruption probe: Community benefits program failed promises, vulnerable to abuse,” by the SF Chronicle’s Mallory Moench.

RHYMES WITH ‘LONG PEACH’ — This California city just knocked S.F. off list of top 5 least affordable in U.S.,” by the SF Chronicle’s Danielle Echeverria.

— “How Erewhon made luxury groceries a lifestyle: ‘We’re gonna get high off the good stuff!’” by the LA Times’ Andrea Chang.

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