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Presented by Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte, Juhi Doshi and Chris Ramirez | Presented by Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support | THE BUZZ: Is 2022 the year Sacramento forges a sustained truce in the housing labor wars? Workforce disputes have for years stymied bills seeking to accelerate housing construction. A growing bloc of Democratic lawmakers want to make it easier to plan and build multi-unit housing, seeing a burst of new homes as critical to resolving the intertwined housing and homelessness crises that are top of voters’ wish lists. The formidable State Building and Construction Trade Council of California has maintained that any state actions to boost supply must bring commensurate benefits to the workers doing all that building. Legislation unveiled yesterday offered a glimmer of compromise. Both housing developers and the California Conference of Carpenters have signed on to Assembly Buffy Wicks’ bill to expedite building on commercially zoned land or near commercial corridors . In return, projects would need to guarantee prevailing wage and health benefits, give unions new tools to pursue wage violations and — perhaps most critically — require builders to either use or seek out members of apprenticeship programs, which effectively means union members, or equivalently compensated laborers. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon lent his support. But winning over the Carpenters doesn’t mean persuading the Trades. The umbrella union blasted the bill in a formal letter of opposition as "anti-worker and anti-community Trojan horse” that would “eviscerate working-class communities by sacrificing the interests of the construction workforce that developers will exploit for profit.” (It’s not opposition all the way down: the Trades are sponsoring a measure from sometimes antagonist Sen. Scott Wiener to increase student housing). Those types of fractures narrow the measure’s path to passage. “We believe this is a very powerful labor bill. We’re not giving up the ghost here,” said California Conference of Carpenters President Danny Curtin, but he acknowledged that when there’s controversy elected officials would much, much prefer to have a unified position in labor.” Getting the Trades on board, or at least to neutral, Curtin said, “used to be the million-dollar question. It’s probably more of a billion-dollar question by now.” California elected officials are under intense pressure to demonstrate progress on housing. Disagreement about the balance between spurring more construction and ensuring good jobs is a central piece of that puzzle. So the fate of Wicks’ bill could indicate where things stand — particularly after longtime Trades leader Robbie Hunter stepped down. “I think it’s much more than a test case,” said California Housing Consortium Executive Director Ray Pearl , who helped craft the Wicks bill and has clashed with the Trades. “It is an honest attempt to bridge that gap, and we are hopeful that there is a breakthrough.” BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Happy 420 to all who celebrate. It can be stunning to recall (if your short-term memory functions well) how swiftly this issue has evolved. California voters rejected legalization by seven points in 2010 and then passed it by 14 points just six years later — and now lawmakers want to authorize interstate cannabis commerce. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Immediate success would be getting full self-driving [Tesla vehicles] off the road… I’d drop out if we got full self-driving off the road.” Self-funding California Senate candidate Dan O’Dowd on a campaign focused on lambasting business rival Tesla, via POLITICO. BONUS QOTD: “Hey, check it out: I need everybody to follow the fucking rules.” Assembly member Marc Berman gets heated during a hearing on a health misinformation bill that cleared its first committee. TWEET OF THE DAY: @elonmusk, trying to buy Twitter, shares his content moderation strategy: “A social media platform’s policies are good if the most extreme 10% on left and right are equally unhappy” WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. ON THURSDAY: Join us for a live discussion on California midterm races to watch. Tune into our Twitter Space on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. PT/ 2:30 p.m. ET as our reporters Lara Korte and Jeremy White break down the California midterm contests to keep an eye on this year. You can read their breakdown here.
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| OFF TO THE RACES: Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, POLITICO predicted how every single midterm race will go — and things are looking good for the GOP.
One of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents in the country is Rep. Mike Garcia in California’s 27th Congressional District. His district, north of Los Angeles, voted for President Joe Biden by 13 points. Want to see more on how California is looking? Use our Election Forecast to see which races you need to watch this year — and who we think will win each one.
| | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support: Our initiative is the only one on the November ballot that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to fight homelessness and fund mental health and addiction treatment in California. Nearly half of the country has legalized online sports betting, proving states can do so safely and responsibly - and generate significant tax revenue. Add your name to support a permanent funding solution to address California’s homelessness crisis. | | | |  | Top Talkers | | AN UNUSUAL CAMPAIGN — “Tech mogul on his quixotic Senate bid: It’s not just about eviscerating Elon Musk ,” by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago: In an interview Monday afternoon, O’Dowd confirmed a POLITICO report that he was planning to use his unorthodox Senate bid to lay waste to Tesla and its polarizing founder, calling its self-driving technology “unbelievably bad.” — “ Jacqueline Avant’s killer sentenced to 150 years in prison,” by the LATimes’ Richard Winton: “A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Tuesday sentenced the man convicted in the murder of Jacqueline Avant to more than 150 years to life in prison, saying he shot a “highly vulnerable” 81-year old woman in the back and then giggled about it afterward.” — “ Three current, former SFPD officers arrested for destroying evidence and possessing machine gun missing from evidence room,” by SF Chronicle’s Megan Cassidy: “Two San Francisco police officers and one retired officer were arrested Tuesday and accused of crimes including illegal possession of a machine gun and destroying evidence, department officials said.” | | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world’s most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO’s special edition “Global Insider” so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | SF SPECIAL: San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is poised to ascend to the Assembly, leading California Democratic Party vice-chair Davis Campos by 27 points as of last night in a runoff race to represent San Francisco’s east side – a campaign that has been dominated by housing issues, with the real estate industry (and organized labor) heavily backing Haney. Should Haney prevail, San Francisco Mayor London Breed will get to select his replacement on the Board of Supervisors. COPS FOR BONTA: Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta secured the endorsement of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association on Tuesday. CCPOA is one of the most prominent unions in the state and has more than $8 million in its various campaign accounts. Last year, it gave $1.75 million to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall defense campaign. In a statement, CCPOA president Glen Stailey praised Bonta’s work tackling gangs, human traffickers and illegal guns. CARUSO CASH: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso has given his campaign another $6 million, per a filing yesterday, as he seeks to capitalize on crime concerns in a suddenly competitive race. — “What would Nathan Hochman do as California attorney general?” by CalMatters’ Ben Christopher: “In a 70-minute interview, Nathan Hochman, a Republican former federal prosecutor, vows to end a “spiral of lawlessness” in California as he runs for attorney general. Hochman is seeking to finish in the top two in the June 7 primary against Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta.” — “Why can’t California produce a serious Democratic presidential candidate?” by Garry South for The Hill: “ So why has this behemoth of a nation-state, with its deep-blue politics (a Republican hasn’t won statewide office since 2006, hasn’t won a U.S Senate seat since 1988), been so impotent in producing one of its own to run for president as the Democratic nominee?” | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | ENERGY BEAT— “Atkins proposes new targets for California clean electricity procurement,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel: The effort, backed by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom has twice said that the state should explore accelerating its climate targets. While the proposal unveiled Tuesday doesn't touch the 2045 deadline for 100 percent of retail electricity sales to be renewable or zero-carbon, the legislation does add interim milestones of 90 percent by 2035 and 95 percent by 2040. CARE COURT PUSHBACK — “Opposition mounts against Newsom’s plan for court-ordered treatment of homeless people,” by the LATimes’ Hannah Wiley: “ Six weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a far-reaching effort to push more people into court-ordered treatment for severe mental illness and addiction, homeless advocates are calling it legally misguided and immoral as the proposal’s first public hearing at the state Capitol has been delayed.” — “California leads effort to let rivers roam, lower flood risk ,” by the AP’s Kathleen Ronayne: “The 2,100 acres (1,100 hectares) at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers in the state’s Central Valley are being reverted to a floodplain. That means when heavy rains cause the rivers to go over their banks, water will run onto the land, allowing traditional ecosystems to flourish and lowering flood risk downstream.” HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING — “ Yimby Movement Goes Mainstream in Response to High Housing Costs,” by WSJ’s Christine Mai-Duc: “A special election Tuesday for a state Assembly seat in San Francisco is largely centered around an increasingly potent issue in California: Which candidate wants to build more housing.” — “ PG&E wildfire victim trust lobbies Newsom, California lawmakers for $1.5 billion state loan,” by SacBee’s Dale Kasler: “The PG&E Fire Victim Trust says it needs a state loan of about $1.5 billion to help it fully compensate the nearly 70,000 survivors of the wildfires that drove California’s largest utility into bankruptcy in 2019.” TURF WAR — “Tesla Discloses Discrimination Probe by U.S. Civil Rights Agency,” by Bloomberg’s Dana Hull and Paige Smith: “Tesla Inc. revealed that it faced an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that predates a lawsuit by California’s civil rights agency accusing the company of ignoring “rampant racism” on its factory assembly line.” | | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — “Biden launches $6B effort to save distressed nuclear plants” by the AP’s Jennifer McDermott and Matthew Daly: “The Biden administration is launching a $6 billion effort to rescue nuclear power plants at risk of closing, citing the need to continue nuclear energy as a carbon-free source of power that helps to combat climate change.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | OFFER COMING SOON — “Elon Musk Races to Secure Financing for Twitter Bid,” by the NYT’s Lauren Hirsch: “ Mr. Musk is aiming to pull together a fully funded offer as soon as this week, one of the people said, though that timeline is far from certain. The people with knowledge of the discussions were not authorized to speak publicly because the details are confidential and in flux.” TWEET STORM— “Twitter co-founder Dorsey takes aim at board in series of tweets ,” by Reuters: “Dorsey, who is also a Twitter board member, added to the chatter on the micro-blogging platform last week when he said that Twitter's board has "consistently been the dysfunction of the company."” — “Why it’s so damn hard to make AI fair and unbiased ,” by VOX’s Sigal Samuel: “So what do big players in the tech space mean, really, when they say they care about making AI that’s fair and unbiased? Major organizations like Google, Microsoft, even the Department of Defense periodically release value statements signaling their commitment to these goals. But they tend to elide a fundamental reality: Even AI developers with the best intentions may face inherent trade-offs, where maximizing one type of fairness necessarily means sacrificing another.” NETFLIX NEWS — “Netflix is exploring lower-priced, ad-supported plans after years of resisting,” by CNBC’s Sarah Whitten: “After years of resisting advertisements on its streaming service, Netflix is now “open” to offering lower-priced tiers with ads, co-CEO Reed Hastings said Tuesday.” | | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | CANNABIS COUNTRY | | ROOTS OF 420 — “Looking back at the absolutely unexpected and totally wild origin of 420,” by the LATimes’ Christian Orozco: “ A secret no more, 420 has become a representation of cannabis culture — love it or hate it — and a day and time that is observed by cannabis enthusiasts around the world. It was even a recent “Jeopardy!” clue.”
| | MIXTAPE | |
SET ABLAZE— “San Jose: Authorities say man set Home Depot fire as diversion for tool theft,” by the Mercury News’ Maggie Angst.
— “Fontana settles with California AG over alleged environmental violations,” by the LATimes’ Tony Briscoe. — “ Oakland Coliseum kitties will stay, unlike the Raiders and Warriors,” by SF Chronicle’s Michael Cabanatuan. CONCERT NEWS — “Green Day, Post Malone, and SZA to headline Outside Lands ,” by A.V. Club’s Tatiana Tenreyro. | | IN MEMORIAM | |
ICYMI — "Phil Trounstine, former Mercury News political editor and Calbuzz.com co-founder, dies at age 72," by Bay Area News Group's Aldo Toledo: "Known for his incisive reporting and unapologetic criticism, Trounstine was a political animal respected and admired around Sacramento and the rest of the state for his deep devotion to journalism and fair political commentary."
| | BIRTHDAYS | |
BIRTHDAYS: POLITICO’s David Siders … Tess Whittlesey of Sen. Alex Padilla’s office (3-0) … Marc Rotenberg … Denise Gitsham
| | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support: Our initiative is the only one on the November ballot that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to fight homelessness and fund mental health and addiction treatment in California. Nearly half of the country has legalized online sports betting, proving states can do so safely and responsibly - and generate significant tax revenue. Our initiative will also provide millions each year and new economic opportunities for California Tribal nations. Add your name to support a permanent funding solution to address California’s homelessness crisis. | | |
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.
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