Shuffling Sacramento’s line of succession

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Wednesday Feb 02,2022 02:20 pm
Jeremy B. White’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State
Feb 02, 2022 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook

By Jeremy B. White, Chris Ramirez, Juhi Doshi and Graph Massara

THE BUZZ — LIEUTENANTS TO THE FRONT: Last year’s campaign to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom may end up empowering his second in command.

Newsom had scarcely prevailed over last year’s recall when legislative Democrats began clamoring to alter the recall process — a process Secretary of State Shirley Weber vowed to assist. Weber has outlined various pitfalls and potential changes throughout a series of joint committee hearings that will shape what Democrats seek to put before voters. In the final hearing on Tuesday, Weber said the priority should be changing the replacement process — and she endorsed a system that would make the lieutenant governor next in line.

Weber urged lawmakers to separate the up-or-down recall question — should the governor stay, yes or no? — from the choice of who should succeed them. Gubernatorial recall ballots currently include both questions, to be voted on simultaneously.

“I would definitely make sure that the recall question would be a single question on the ballot,” Weber said, arguing the current system shifts the focus from whether a recall is merited to whether the governor is better than any of the dozens of replacement candidates. That’s essentially what happened last year, when Newsom made the recall about repudiating Larry Elder and the Trump-linked right.

So what would work better? Weber suggested having lieutenant governors automatically succeed their recalled governor. That’s an idea that current Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has rejected, arguing it would create an incentive for ambitious LGs to undermine their governors. Weber acknowledged Kounalakis is “not excited” about the idea but argued that LGs exist as a “failsafe.”

Legislators are poised to consider this very idea. Recalled-then-reelected state Sen. Josh Newman has long since floated a constitutional amendment to have lieutenant governors fill out the terms of recalled governors. A separate but related idea Weber also floated: having “the governor and the LG on the same ticket,” as opposed to the current setup of running separately. We’ll see if that idea makes it into bill language.  

TO THE POLLS: Any change to California’s constitutionally defined recall process would need to go before voters. And as luck would have it, we can gauge where the electorate stands: half of voters support having lieutenant governors take over, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll snippet released on Tuesday. Democrats far prefer the idea to Republicans.

So when will voters get the chance to weigh in? Now that the informational hearings have concluded and Weber has expressed her preference, the onus falls on legislators. We’ll see what kind of plan can secure the two-thirds margin to pass.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Lawmakers are examining how shipping snafus have affected California’s agricultural exports today. The Assembly hearing kicks off at 9 a.m.

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

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I guess there are a lot of people who think, ‘That guy is a psychopath, he likes killing pigs.’ I don’t enjoy killing them. But they are terrible animals.” Lafayette pig-trapper Chris Davies on proliferating porcine perile, via NYT’s Thomas Fuller.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Democratic Sen. @Scott_Wiener on AB 1400’s demise: “@Ash_Kalra took on a tough bill — single payer (I proudly co-authored) — & fought hard. The votes weren’t there & he made the hard call 2 pull it rather than set the idea back w/ a floor rout. Instead of targeting him, let’s create an environment where CalCare can actually pass.”

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

 

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER:  The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

 
 
Top Talkers

INFLUENCE— Teachers union dominates CA lobbying for 2021 , by POLITICO’s Susannah Luthi: The California Teachers Association was Sacramento’s top spender last year, pouring nearly $4.6 million to sway education policy in the state, according to the final tally of lobbying disclosures for 2021.

MASK UP?—“ L.A. County mask rules under scrutiny after Newsom, Garcetti seen maskless at game,”by LA Times’ Rong-Gong Lin and Luke Money: “The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is defending its mask-wearing order, which is being criticized after Gov. Gavin Newsom and the mayors of L.A. and San Francisco were photographed without face coverings at Sunday’s NFL playoff game at SoFi Stadium.” 

UNDER INVESTIGATION — “ California AG to review sheriff’s cases county lawyers call ‘politically motivated,’” by the LA Times’ Alene Tchekmedyian: “California’s attorney general will review several investigations conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department amid allegations by county officials that Sheriff Alex Villanueva is abusing his power by investigating his critics.”

— “ LAPD considering new limits on ‘pretextual stops’; police union objects,” by the LATimes’ Kevin Rector: “The proposed policy, which went before the civilian Police Commission on Tuesday over the objections of the union that represents rank-and-file officers, would bar such stops from being conducted “unless officers are acting upon articulable information” about a serious crime.”

71 PERCENT JUMP — “ Hate crimes in L.A. and other U.S. cities jump to levels not seen in decades, study finds,” by the LATimes’ Richard Winton:  “Data gathered by the Center for Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino show there were 615 hate crimes reported to police in Los Angeles city in 2021 — the third-highest annual total in any U.S. city since the 1970s.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

BLOOM BOWS OUT: Assemblymember Richard Bloom has dropped out of the LA supervisors race and intends to seek another Assembly term. But the Supes contest will still involve multiple state legislators, with Democratic Sens. Bob Hertzberg and Henry Stern both vying for the spot.


CLOSE COMPETITION — “ First fundraising numbers in Peninsula congressional race show competitive field,” by SF Chronicle’s Tal Kopan: “Despite locking up the endorsement of retiring Rep. Jackie Speier, the San Mateo Democrat he’s seeking to replace, Assembly Member Kevin Mullin came in at the back of the pack, raising just $220,000 in the fourth quarter of last year that included $40,000 of his own money.”

MONEY MOVES—“ First fundraising numbers in Peninsula congressional race show competitive field,”by the LA Times’ Benjamin Oreskes and Maloy Moore: “Rep. Karen Bass raised nearly $2 million after launching her campaign in the fall to become Los Angeles’ next mayor, demonstrating an early base of support and enthusiasm as she far outpaced her rivals in the crowded field.

Campos Falters as Mahmood, Haney Lead in Assembly District 17 Fundraising,” by the SF Standard’s Sarah Wright: “New campaign finance numbers filed Monday show former San Francisco Supervisor David Campos’s campaign falling behind in fundraising in the state Assembly District 17 race, while startup founder Bilal Mahmood and current Supervisor Matt Haney appear to be pulling away from the pack.”

THAT WAS FAST: Hours after Assemblymember Autumn Burke announced her resignation, her district director and Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles announced a run for Burke’s Los Angeles seat.

QUARTEY QUEST: California House Democrats are picking veteran Quaye Quartey to unseat Rep. Mike Garcia in battleground CA-27: Both Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Eric Swalwell have endorsed Quartey rather than former Assemblymember Christy Smith, who lost twice to Garcia last year.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

LICENSE TO BURN — “ PG&E receives safety certificate ahead of critics’ meeting with Newsom staff,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel: While the outcome was expected, the issuance still provides assurances to PG&E it can access the state’s $21 billion wildfire insurance fund and avoid stricter sanctions from the PUC.

COVID— “ Epidemic among the unvaccinated’ in a California COVID ICU ,” by SF Chronicle’s: Nanette Asimov: “Doctors say that about 90% of critically ill COVID patients are unvaccinated. The rest are usually transplant patients or have other conditions — obesity and diabetes most commonly — that make them especially vulnerable.”

— “ California’s first surgeon general resigns ,” by the SF Chronicle’s Lauren Hernández: “Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who was appointed as California’s first-ever surgeon general in 2019, has resigned, governor’s officials said on Tuesday.”

DRY SPELL Dry January means less water than normal in California snow,”by the AP’s Kathleen Ronayne: “The water contained in California’s mountain snow is now lower than the historical average after a January without significant rain or snow — a dramatic reversal from December that demonstrates the state’s challenges in managing its water supply.”

—“ Could the L.A. River dry up? Fears grow as cities work to recycle more wastewater,”by the LATimes’ Louis Sahagún: “While melting snowpack and torrential rains send water coursing along the river from time to time, most of the water here originated from the sinks, dishwashers, bathtubs, toilets and washing machines of millions of homes and businesses before it was treated in sewage plants and released into the river.”

WATER STORAGE— “ With budget surplus, now is the time to fund vital water projects,” byState Sen. Jim Nielsen and State Sen. Andreas Borgeas in CalMatters: “Without substantial new investments and commitments to capture, store and move water throughout the state, whole communities will be subject to water scarcity and farmers will be unable to produce adequate food supplies, threatening food and national security.”

— “ Why Fed Up Afghan Refugees Are Leaving US Bases And Coming To SoCal,”byLAist’s Leslie Berestein Rojas: “Local agencies that work with refugees say this has become a familiar story: several thousand Afghans who were evacuated to U.S. military bases have left before being connected with an organization that could relocate them.”

HOUSING — “ S.F. approves spending $34.8 million to turn 114-unit hotel into housing for homeless people,” by the SF Chronicle’s J.D. Morris: “Supervisors’ approval of the deal comes after city officials tried and failed to buy another hotel less than a mile away in Japantown for the same purpose. That sale did not proceed after the owner backed out because of intense backlash from local residents and businesses, many of whom were concerned about the prospect of losing one of the neighborhood’s tourist hotels.”

— “ About 40K SF Dwellings Are Unoccupied. A Residential Vacancy Tax Could Change That,” by the SF Standard’s Kevin Truong: “While municipalities in California are largely prohibited from instituting a similar policy to Vancouver due to Prop. 13, the budget analyst found a tax of comparable scale could have the effect of activating 4,560 units within two years. That is equivalent to around 90% of the average number of new housing units added in the city over the past five years.”

 

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

 
 
SILICON VALLEYLAND

BATTLE OVER BIG TECH— “ California senators confront Democrats over tech antitrust effort ,”bythe LA Times’ Jennifer Haberkorn: “California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, both Democrats, supported the leading tech antitrust bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, but demanded significant changes if it is to get their support on the Senate floor. That bill, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, would prohibit the dominant technology companies from boosting their own products versus competitors.”

CALL BACK —Tesla recalls nearly 54,000 vehicles that may disobey stop signs,” by Reuters’ David Shepardson: Tesla “will recall 53,822 U.S. vehicles with the company’s Full Self-Driving (Beta) software that may allow some models to conduct “rolling stops” and not come to a complete stop at some intersections posing a safety risk.”

Is the Bay Area still the best place to start a tech company? Why one startup’s COO says maybe not,” by SF Chronicle’s Chase Difeliciantonio: “ A dispersing tech workforce has also loosened the bonds between much of the venture capital firmly rooted in the Bay Area and the need for companies like Fast, founded here largely to access deep wells of cash and tech talent, to set up shop in the area.”

Woman Says She Was ‘Virtually Gang-Raped’ in Facebook’s Metaverse,” by VICE News’ Carter Sherman: “Reports of sexual violence are already proving to be a problem in the metaverse.”

HOLLYWOODLAND

A documentary about Rep. Barbara Lee, “Truth to Power,’” premiered this week on STARZ Network.

MEDIA MATTERS

— Alice Su, formerly of the LA Times, has been hired by The Economist to be a senior China correspondent.

MIXTAPE

—“Shooting at spa near Lake Merritt leaves 1 dead, 1 in critical condition, police say,” by the SF Chronicle’s Jessica Flores.

— “ Lawsuit over Santa Monica parking garage tossed out on a technicality,”by Courthouse News Service’s Hillel Aron.

COUNTING BUTTERFLIES — “ How community science might be key in saving California’s monarch butterfly migration,”by CapRadio’s Manola Secaira.

— “ Column: Liberal Santa Monica versus the street vendors ,”by LA Times’ Gustavo Arellano.

EYES ON A HIGHRISE — “ Big teacher’s retirement system eyes new downtown Oakland tower,” by the East Bay Times’ George Avalos. 

— “ Former UCLA lecturer threatened to ‘hunt’ female professor,”by the AP’s Stefanie Dazio and Colleen Slevin. 

TRANSITIONS


Steve Burns will be the new chief of public policy for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

BIRTHDAYS


Larry Agran Nika Nour … L.A. Times’ Ben Oreskes … Facebook’s Sean Evins Jen Duck


CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this -only service offers,click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

 

Follow us on Twitter

Jeremy B. White @JeremyBWhite

POLITICO California @politicoca

 

Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family

Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook

View all our political and policy newsletters

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Listen on Apple Podcast
 

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to .

More emails from POLITICO California Playbook

Feb 01,2022 02:28 pm - Tuesday

Single-payer plan flatlines in Sacramento

Jan 27,2022 02:34 pm - Thursday

Californians await a Justice Kruger

Jan 26,2022 02:27 pm - Wednesday

New solar rules could cast long shadow

Jan 25,2022 02:20 pm - Tuesday

Vax Wars: Episode III

Jan 24,2022 02:18 pm - Monday

2022 is looking quiet. Too quiet.