Picking a poison, water or oil

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Friday Aug 12,2022 01:16 pm

Aug 12, 2022

By Jeremy B. White , Lara Korte and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by SEIU California

THE BUZZ: Water and oil are mixing into a potent Sacramento to-do brew.

Gov. Gavin Newsom sipped some recycled water and then stood before a very flammable-looking hill of parched yellow grass yesterday to say California needs more H20. A punishing drought shows no signs of abating, straining supplies from plummeting northern California reservoirs to the shriveling Colorado River. Water scarcity has vaulted over wildfires to become California voters’ preeminent climate concern. That is forcing some tough decisions. “Mother nature is not providing us the budgets we all thought we could depend upon,” State Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel told reporters.

The governor was more focused on stretching supplies than on constraining Californians. He floated a multi-point plan to squeeze more water from recycling, stormwater capture, desalination and backing new storage projects funded by a voter-passed bond. He emphasized reducing the “ridiculous” and “absurd” permitting process. (Republicans accuse Newsom’s administration of stalling those reservoirs and said the governor could be expediting things himself).

A small stream runs through the dried, cracked earth of a former wetland, clouds blocking the sky with mountains in the far distance.

A small stream runs through the dried, cracked earth of a former wetland near Tulelake, Calif., on June 9, 2021. | AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File

But he’s still not ready to mandate residential water use cuts, continuing to defer to local water authorities. While Newsom didn’t rule out a statewide order if people don’t save enough — in which case, “we will be in a position where we will have no choice but to make that imposition across the spectrum” — he said consumer conservation shouldn’t be paramount: “A lot of folks really do feel they’ve done enough.”

He’s certainly ready to assign some responsibility to California’s oil industry. The broad consensus that climate change is exacerbating droughts (and flooding) means fossil fuel emissions tie directly to California’s water outlook. And Newsom’s late-session pursuit of climate legislation has energy companies on the defensive. The governor noticed the industry’s ads assailing his energy agenda, using a question about the legislative push to lambaste “big oil companies attacking this effort” and “running ads to try and trip this up again.” The Western States Petroleum Association’s response: “What could trip up the agenda are the facts and billions in costs.”

Despite California’s green streak, the oil industry remains one of Sacramento’s most prolific employers of lobbyists. Vilifying them makes good politics for Newsom and other Democrats. But the industry regularly squashes or neuters climate bills in the Legislature, particularly when they’ve linked arms with unions whose members work on fossil fuel infrastructure — as with carbon neutrality and well setback bills that Newsom now wants to revive. “I’m hoping we can dust off these bills,” Newsom said yesterday. “These are golden oldies,” but “if not now, when?”

One variable to watch here: Newsom’s end-of-session climate agenda mentions carbon capture. Environmentalists are wary of that technology’s impact and insist on guardrails; individual oil companies and an industry-funded coalition have recently ramped up their lobbying to advance carbon capture. Multiple companies involved have enlisted a powerhouse lobbying firm launched by a former top Newsom political adviser .

BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. As we await word on a potential Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón recall — we’ll know within five days if it qualifies — dozens of prosecutors are filing a brief with the California Supreme Court asking it to back Gascón’s sentencing orders in a legal battle over his authority.

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: “I believe that this idea would be overwhelmingly supported if presented directly to the voters, as it would be prohibitively expensive for social media companies to take every California voter on a Tech Caucus junket in Napa.” Assembly member Jordan Cunningham on his social media liability bill dying shortly after tech industry representatives mingled with lawmakers at a summit.

BONUS QOTD: “I feel Russian.” Former LA Mayor and 2018 Newsom opponent Antonio Villaraigosa after Newsom introduced Villaraigosa as his infrastructure “czar.”

TWEET OF THE DAY: Newsom cannabis official @NicoleElliottCA on the opaque Suspense File culling: “The equivalent of ‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ but for democracy.”

WHERE’S GAVIN? At the Chabot Space and Science Center with Vice President Kamala Harris to talk about California’s hand in the space industry.

A message from SEIU California:

Multi-billion dollar fast-food corporations like McDonald’s, Jack in the Box and Burger King are making massive profits off of a rigged model that pressures small business franchisees to cut corners, often at the expense of workers. California has an opportunity to give a voice to fast-food workers and local franchisee operators with AB 257 and reform an industry that puts working families, small business franchisees, and taxpayers at the mercy of global fast food corporations.

TOP TALKERS

— Newsom taps Villaraigosa for senior role , by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago: Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa served as the mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. He ran against Newsom for governor in 2018 in what became an at-times bitter race. But he finished a distant third — bowing out while calling for Democratic unity.

STATE STEPPING IN — “ California Attorney General asks Fresno council to delay Measure C hours before crucial vote ,” by Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver: “His letter cites local concerns about the cuts the $7 billion spending plan makes to public transit, “a lack of adequate public process” in creating the 30-year transportation spending plan, and the city’s “lack of clarity” to review the environmental impacts of interchange and road-widening projects that would increase diesel truck traffic in downtown Fresno.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

ANTE UP — “ Column: California’s gambling propositions are breaking spending records. Do we really need more betting? ” opines the Los Angeles Times’ George Skelton: “At last count, an obscene $362 million has been raised to promote or oppose two initiatives to expand legal gambling in California — a gargantuan jackpot for political consultants, ad producers and TV stations. The total will probably reach a half-billion dollars by election day.”

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CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

APPROPRIATE: Two of the bills we identified as major tests for Newsom fared poorly in yesterday’s Appropriations Committee Suspense hearings: legislation requiring corporations to release gender and racial pay data had a pivotal public disclosure mandate stripped out, and a bill letting prosecutors sue social media companies for harming children faltered. Newsom was also asked about that safe injections bill on his desk. He deflected that he hadn’t had time to study it.

AIMING TO ADJUST — “ A year of struggle as an Afghan family builds a new life in California ,” by Reuters’ Brittany Hosea-Small and Kristina Cooke: “Earlier this year, an Afghan evacuee living in Pennsylvania whom [Najib] Mohammadi had trained in the Afghan army called and asked him if life was easier in Sacramento. Mohammadi told him: Don’t come, there’s no housing.”

— Truck engine manufacturers drop challenge to California emissions rules , by POLITICO’s Debra Kahn: The suit argues that because the rules weren't finalized until December 2021, they violate the Clean Air Act's requirement for a four-year lead time between passing rules and implementing them.

— “ SF’s Asian Seniors Live In Fear As Two 70-Year-Olds Violently Attacked. But the Community Has Been Here Before. ” by the San Francisco Standard’s Han Li: “During the pandemic, soaring hate incidents against Asian Americans gave rise to a climate of fear in the community as they were unfairly blamed for bringing the virus into the country.”

— “ New York is roaring back from the worst of the pandemic. Why isn’t San Francisco? ” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Roland Li: ”From its opening in October 2021 to July 2022, Summit welcomed 1 million visitors. New York officials expect overall tourist volume to reach 85% of pre-pandemic levels this year, edging out San Francisco’s forecast of 83.5%.”

— “ The Brooke Jenkins story is already spouting leaks ,” opines the San Francisco Chronicle’s Justin Phillips: “Jenkins’ political ascension benefited from two narratives — that the recall was Democrat-led and that Jenkins was simply a volunteer who risked her livelihood to be a part of it. Both narratives have now had big holes poked in them.”

— “ In a coastal California town, three iconic smokestacks are coming down. A community mourns ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hailey Branson-Potts: “Outsiders may see the humble smokestacks as industrial blight. But here, they became a cherished symbol of the town’s working-class ethos.”

UP AND UP — “ Santa Clara expects increase in homeless residents ,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Natalie Hanson: “Data specific to Santa Clara has yet to be released, but initial results counted more than 10,000 homeless people throughout the entire county. In San Jose alone, there are approximately 6,739 homeless residents, an 11% increase from the 2019 count.”

A message from SEIU California:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

SPEAKING FOR ONESELF — “ The Bland Ambition of Kevin McCarthy ,” by the New Republic’s Grace Segers and Daniel Strauss: “The Bakersfield Republican has everything it takes to rise to the top in today’s GOP: zero interest in policy, relentless thirst for power, and slavish loyalty to Trump. If this man becomes speaker of the House—look out, America.”

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— Inbox beware: Federal watchdog approves Google program to let campaigns skip spam filters , by POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro: The program, as described in a proposal from attorneys from Google, would allow emails from federal campaigns and committees in the program “that meet objective security criteria” and do not otherwise break Gmail’s terms of service to “not be affected by forms of spam detection to which they would otherwise be subject” and automatically land in a user’s inbox.

— “ Twitter activates election policy enforcement for US midterms ,” by CNN’s Brian Fung: “The policies were in effect during the 2020 US elections, and Twitter faced some criticism earlier this year after the company acknowledged having suspended enforcement of the policies in March 2021.”

HOLLYWOODLAND

— “ ‘Clearly was in a crisis’: Anne Heche gets support from Hollywood after car crash ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Alexandra del Rosario: “Alec Baldwin, Rosie O’Donnell and Rosanna Arquette are among the Hollywood stars who have Anne Heche in their thoughts after the actor’s fiery car crash in Mar Vista last week.”

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MIXTAPE

— “ A California bill mandates training for delivery drivers carrying alcohol. Big Tech opposes it. ” by the Sacramento Bee’s Andrwe Sheeler.

— “ He’s a top-ranked basketball prodigy. But should an 8-year-old be ranked at all? ” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau.

— “ One dead, three injured after shooting at Bay Area 24 Hour Fitness ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Emma Talley.

SPEED LIMITS — “ Column: Mercedes crash that killed 5 galvanizes an L.A. movement: No more fast and furious ,” opines the Los Angeles Times’ Steve Lopez.

— “ Ex-Qualcomm research vice president and three others charged in $150 million fraud scheme ,” by the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Mike Freeman.

BIRTHDAYS

Matt Sparks of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office ... Google’s Brianna Puccini Duff and Nick Meads … Amazon’s Molly Pfaffenroth … Uber’s Tony West … Chevron’s Trudi Lewis Boyd

A message from SEIU California:

Raising standards in the fast food industry matters for all Californians. Despite working for global corporations that earn billions of dollars in profits, fast food workers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as other workers in the state. More than two-thirds of California fast-food workers are on safety net programs at a cost to taxpayers of $4 billion a year. AB 257 comes at a critical time as income inequality soars and the disparate impact of the pandemic have put women and workers of color further behind. The choice couldn’t be any clearer for Democrats: stand with fast-food workers and working families over corporations. Create a more just and more equitable economy with AB 257.

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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