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Presented by CVS Health: Jeremy B. White’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Chris Ramirez, Juhi Doshi and Graph Massara | Presented by CVS Health | THE BUZZ — ROLL UP THOSE SLEEVES: From shots in schools to inoculations in the office, vaccine politics are poised to dominate Sacramento’s 2022 agenda. Long-awaited workplace coronavirus vaccine mandate legislation drops today. The sweeping bill from Assembly member Buffy Wicks would apply to all employees and independent contractors, regardless of how big their employer is, and threatens penalties to noncompliant businesses. It would remain in effect until the CDC says coronavirus shots are no longer critical for public safety. And there would be no testing opt-out option, other than for narrow medical or religious exemptions. Read about the proposal here. This was months in the making. Wicks and other lawmakers explored a similar bill late last year, before the Greek letter omicron had infiltrated our shared vocabulary. That effort faltered, but Wicks and other fervently pro-mandate lawmakers are picking up where they left off. State Sen. Richard Pan has already introduced contentious legislation requiring students to get their shots if they want to enter classrooms, and lawmakers are contemplating a separate consumer vax mandate bill — meaning Sacramento could push these requirements into multiple spheres of day-to-day life. The redoubled vaccination efforts come as California and other states move away from other stringent Covid safeguards. Gov. Gavin Newsom cited the state’s plummeting infection and hospitalization rates this week in letting a statewide indoor mask mandate lapse next week. He’s still not ready to end the state’s school mask mandate, as other blue states have done. The Legislature is speeding through Newsom’s emergency Covid funding ask. People are still dying of Covid en masse in L.A and Orange County. But a sea change beckons: Newsom has said we are approaching the endemic phase of Covid-19
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Buffy Wicks. | AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli |
Wicks told POLITICO that an ebbing Omicron wave shouldn’t lull us into complacency. “It has seemed like things are moving in the right direction many times before with this virus, and yet there we were with another wave,” Wicks said. She said business groups have pushed for a uniform standard that allows them to avoid slogging through a volatile “political conversation” when they issue workplace rules. “I think many businesses will have a sense of relief,” Wicks added, and she hopes organized labor will rally behind the workplace safety argument.
WHAT’S AHEAD: After Newsom defeated the recall with a closing message focused on combating the coronavirus, a consensus coalesced around the idea that tough Covid countermeasures are good politics in California. That may be so for Wicks and other members of the Legislature’s informal vaccine working group, all of whom represent reliably Democratic seats. But the calculus may be different for more politically vulnerable members, whose constituents are chafing under the endless grind of pandemic rules. The vote count on these bills should be revealing. BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. After Newsom’s behavior during the NFC championship game at SoFi stadium two weekends ago made national news and spurred some Assembly floor trolling (more on that below), we’ll see what photos of high-profile Californians emerge when Los Angeles hosts the SuperBowl on Sunday. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think of it [as] less of a political issue, but I think it’s where the public is. A lot of purple districts are suburban districts. And in suburban districts, there is a prominent feeling of wanting to get our lives back.” California Democratic California Rep. Ami Bera on easing mask rules. TWEET OF THE DAY:The Dispatch reporter @AudreyFahlberg with quite the thread: “Just asked Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision Monday to lift the state’s indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people, set to go in effect Feb. 15. “I didn't know he did. When is that? When was that?”” WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! In 2018, California enacted a law requiring at least one woman on the board of every company based in the state. Did this law affect you? If yes, let us know via the form here. We want to hear from readers who have had personal experiences with the law and how it changed business and women’s careers in the state. | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in communities across the country, CVS Health has been there. We’ve opened more than 4,800 COVID-19 test sites, administered 41 million tests and given 50 million vaccines. We’ve expanded access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine, increased remote access to mental health services and invested in affordable housing to help build healthier communities. We’ve been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. Learn more. | | | |  | Top Talkers | |
MASK SPLASH, via Susannah Luthi: GOP Assembly members came out to troll on Thursday, donning masks imprinted with the photo of maskless Newsom and basketball legend Magic Johnson at last week’s Rams-49ers playoff game. The caucus brought out the face coverings during floor session as they tried to force a vote to end the state’s pandemic emergency declaration. Assembly Republicans had them made after Johnson’s photos from LA’s SoFi stadium went viral — and showed Newsom along with SF Mayor London Breed and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti hobnobbing maskless with celebrities and high rollers in a special luxury box.
The masks made a splash in Covid-weary corners of the Twittersphere. Assemblymembers spotted with the masks included Randy Voepel, Kevin Kiley, Steven Choi and Devon Mathis. The caucus doesn’t have plans to market them to the general public, but Assembly GOP spokesperson Jim Stanley noted they were a hit, “so if some other enterprising person sees it and runs with it I wouldn’t be shocked.” GORILLA WARFARE — “ Animal Rights Org Bares Teeth in Faceoff With Elon Musk Over Brain Research,” by The Daily Beast’s Noah Kirsch: “Some of the animals, the group claims, received as many as 10 craniotomies, were strapped into chairs for up to five hours per day, or ‘underwent terminal (fatal) procedures.’” BEEN ON INSTAGRAM LATELY? — “Capitol staffers tell job gripes and slam bad bosses — anonymously,” by Capitol Weekly’s Will Shuck: “California staffers promptly obliged with a litany of real and perceived abuses. They laid out streams of miserable moments with difficult members. They described drunken misconduct, verbal abuse, psychological exhaustion and a range of sexually inappropriate interactions.”
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MASK OFF — “L.A. County on track to relax some outdoor mask rules as COVID hospitalizations drop,” by the LA Times’ Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin II: “Should COVID-19 hospitalizations remain under this threshold for seven consecutive days, county health officials will lift face covering requirements at outdoor “mega events” — including those at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and outdoor spaces at K-12 schools and child-care settings.”
PROTECT THE PACK — “ Gray wolf again protected after judge ditches Trump-era endangered species rollback,” by the SF Chronicle’s Kurtis Alexander: “California, like some states, has enacted state-level protections for the canines, but wildlife experts say the piecemeal regulation accomplishes only so much.” ROADBLOCKED — “ S.F. judge quashes effort to reopen Great Highway to car traffic full time,” by the SF Chronicle’s Ricardo Cano: “[Judge Richard B. Ulmer] said the courts should not be the ones to settle one of the city’s most caustic debates, if city leaders are already planning to make a decision on the matter.” — “ Price rises, again, for California high-speed rail,” by The Hill’s Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech: “The increase stems, in part, from new commitments to minimize community disruption like creating better noise barriers and moving train tracks farther away from the Cesar E. Chavel National Monument outside of Bakersfield, the outlet added.” — “ Navy Releases Timeline For Mysterious 2019 ‘UAS Swarm’ Involving Warships Off California,” by The Drive’s Adam Kehoe and Marc Cecotti: “ To our knowledge, this is the first publicly available document to use the term ‘swarm’ in relation to the incident.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — “Homeless initiative could force Sacramento to build more shelters. What else would it do?” by the Sac Bee’s Theresa Clift: “While the ballot measure would require the city to create enough shelter or Safe Ground camping spaces for the vast majority of the city’s unhoused individuals, the mayor’s version would require either shelter, Safe Ground spaces, or designated affordable housing.” DON’T JUST STAND THERE — “L.A. voters are angry, think elected officials aren’t equipped to solve homelessness, ” by the LA Times’ Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith: “Angelenos, the pollsters concluded, are angry over the condition of the streets, disturbed by the human suffering taking place on them and frustrated with the inability of government to do anything about it.”
| | | |   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | TIME’S TICKING — “Biden to meet with potential Supreme Court nominees ‘soon,’ senator says,” by the LA Times’ Nolan D. McCaskill: “‘The nomination of a Black woman is not mere symbolism; it is an essential step for our country’s promise of justice for all,’” the congresswomen said in a letter to Biden. — “Biden administration’s drug policy shift can prevent deaths,” via the SF Examiner’s editorial board: “Saving lives should be the ultimate goal of American drug policy — because there’s no point in being on both the losing end of the drug war and the wrong side of history.” — “Sen. Alex Padilla Calls Out GOP Colleagues For Racist Treatment Of Biden’s Court Picks,” by HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery: “The California senator made his comments as the committee was preparing to vote on advancing an African American nominee, Andre Mathis, who is Biden’s pick for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in Tennessee.” | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | PRIME SECRETS — “Top Breed Appointee Failed To Disclose Potential Conflict on Amazon Project,” by the SF Standard’s Chris Roberts: “The omissions in disclosure forms filed by OEWD Director Katie Sofis came to light after The Standard revealed in late January that she signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Amazon that governs negotiations for the proposed 7th St. delivery center project.”
— “City attorneys question Uber about discrimination against transgender drivers,” by Bay City News: “According to press release from Chiu, drivers have reported being permanently banned from the app simply because a government issued photo ID did not match more recent photographs submitted to Uber that reflect the drivers’ gender identity.”
— “California sues Tesla, alleging ‘pervasive’ racism at Fremont factory,” by the LA Times’ Dana Hull: “Tesla said in a Feb. 8 blog post — before the suit was filed — that the company ‘will be asking the court to pause the case and take other steps to ensure that facts and evidence will be heard.’”
— “New Apple Update Targets AirTag Tracking Concerns,” by WSJ’s Dalvin Brown: “The company, in a newsroom post on Thursday, acknowledged reports of ‘bad actors attempting to misuse AirTag for malicious or criminal purposes.’” | | | | 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. | | | | | | | HOLLYWOODLAND | |
— “Touchdown or fumble? Check out the celebrities who star in the 2022 Super Bowl ads,” by the LA Times’ Nardine Saad: Among the many other Hollywood stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
| | MIXTAPE | | — “A text message that ‘all Asian people need to die’ has Occidental College in an uproar,” by the LA Times’ Jeong Park. — “ Encampment fire in S.F.’s Bayview-Hunters Point sent plumes of smoke soaring before being contained,” by the SF Chronicle’s Jessica Flores. — “Where we love to eat near SoFi Stadium,” by the LA Times Staff. — “Sacramento County to close 3 Roomkey motels serving hundreds of unhoused people,” by the Sac Bee’s Theresa Clift. — “ ‘A change in narrative’: Ethnic studies program helps incarcerated youth navigate identity,” by CalMatters’ Emma Hall. — “‘What is Oakland?’ Amy Schneider, Jeopardy! champ, on the city she loves,” by The Oaklandside’s C.J. Hirschfield. — “Former Stockton mayor launches nonprofit to end poverty in California,” by CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.
| | Transitions | | — Josh Richman is leaving Rep. Eric Swalwell’s office to be media relations director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco. — Allie Nelson is now chief of staff at the Blockchain Association. She previously was director of operations for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Hannah Lindow … Brightspot’s Michelle Zar … Miranda Ratner … HBO’s Ashley Morton ... James Gleeson… Rob Hendin … Casey Aden-Wansbury
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