|
Presented by Stop AB 257: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte and Sakura Cannestra | Presented by Stop AB 257 | THE BUZZ: If health care industry titans are in a political fight, there’s a good chance SEIU-UHW is in the other corner. The California health care workers’ union was in the hunt for an end-of-session deal with hospitals, seeking to secure a statewide $25 minimum wage in exchange for backing hospitals’ quest to defer mandated seismic upgrades. Draft language was floating around the Capitol. It would have delivered both sides a long-sought financial goal: better compensation for workers and relief for hospitals, which lobbied last year for a budget deal delaying a seismic deadline they estimate could cost $100 billion. But the potential pact collapsed yesterday, with hospitals saying they ran out of time and SEIU-UHW accusing their interlocutors of having “walked away” after seeking to dilute the deal. While the pay guarantee would have buoyed SEIU-UHW members, it divided the House of Labor. Other unions warned Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators that the outlined deal would imperil workers and was tantamount to “trading wages for patient safety.” Now SEIU-UHW is redoubling its push to have lawmakers pass a $25 wage. That’s unlikely to coalesce in the final week of the legislative session. But the union is building local momentum with a series of $25 wage ordinances in southern California cities. Prongs of that broader offensive could end up in a space where SEIU-UHW and its hard-charging president, Dave Regan , are comfortable playing: the ballot. Los Angeles could vote on a recently passed $25 wage ordinance that hospitals swiftly sought to stymie with a referendum. Elections officials are still counting signatures to determine if it will qualify. The city councils in Duarte and Inglewood have already placed $25 wage measures on the ballot after SEIU-UHW gathered enough signatures, and the union is forging ahead in other city councils. And there’s always dialysis. For the third election in a row, Californians will vote on SEIU-UHW’s statewide ballot measure seeking to regulate the kidney dialysis industry. Undeterred by the first two versions failing overwhelmingly, the union has poured more than $7 million into another effort. Perennial dialysis foes have surpassed $36 million after dropping more than $215 million to defeat the last two. As it happens, they also opposed the seismic safety deal. BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Headwinds and tailwinds: A new poll released yesterday underscored that Gov. Gavin Newsom has a majority approval rating and will likely cruise to reelection even as most California voters think we’re hurtling down the wrong track. 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: “We have invited people to show us they can do it here, and I don’t think it’ll be any different when it comes to protecting the rights of women to have access to the care they need. We’re going to say ‘we’ll show you can do it here’ and before you know it, we will export something even better to some of these other states.” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, in Sacramento, on California becoming an abortion haven. TWEET OF THE DAY: SF Chronicle data editor @dkopf on San Francisco fecal matters: “What helps when there are a lot of poop complaints in a neighborhood? This might shock some people, but it's public restrooms.” MEA CULPA: Yesterday’s Playbook neglected to mention that then-Assemblymember Susan Eggman was the principal author of the 2018 safe injection sites bill. Sen. Scott Wiener was a co-author. WHERE’S GAVIN? In Los Angeles, visiting a Homekey site and touting California's homelessness programs at 4 p.m.
| | | | A message from Stop AB 257: AB 257 imposes a restaurant tax that will lead to higher prices at thousands of local restaurants in California. This bill would hurt our small business owners, their employees, and the communities they serve. Between skyrocketing food and gas prices, working families can’t afford to pay another tax on meals.
Take Action | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | 2024 VISION — Newsom's dodge on safe injection sites in California adds to speculation about his ambition, by POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: His veto has become the latest evidence of his national ambitions as he shows a wariness of swinging too far left and a willingness to anger the progressive wing of a party that helps keep him in office. — “Paul Pelosi gets 5 days in jail, 3 years of probation in DUI,” by the Associated Press: “Paul Pelosi already served two days in jail and received conduct credit for two other days, Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga said. Paul Pelosi will work eight hours in the court’s work program in lieu of the remaining day, Solga said during Paul Pelosi’s sentencing, which he did not attend.” ENERGIZING CHANGE — “ This power line could save California — and forever change the American West,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Sammy Roth: “The American West is on the cusp of immense change. A region long defined by wide-open vistas is in the early stages of a clean energy boom that could fundamentally alter its look and feel. On your next Western road trip, watch for wind turbines in the backcountry. Drive through the desert and prepare for dark seas of shimmering solar panels.” — “Did California Democrat’s campaign ads give Proud Boy school board candidate a boost?” by the Sacramento Bee’s Lindsey Holden and Sawsan Morrar: “The situation shows the pitfalls of the “pick your own opponent” strategy Democrats have increasingly employed to elevate less-electable extremists at the expense of more competitive opponents.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | HOMEGROWN HOPES? — “Gavin Newsom for president? San Francisco weighs in,” by Fox News’ Lisa Bennatan: “Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, has denied plans to run for president. He told the San Francisco Chronicle he had "sub-zero interest" in May. Still, many Californians who spoke with Fox News wanted to see their governor run for president.” — “Cha-ching! After a pandemic pause, California is again in the thick of campaign money chase ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Seema Mehta: “He may not like much about California, but DeSantis is more than happy to visit the state to scoop up cash for his reelection bid.” | | | | 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. | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | CALLING FOR BACKUP — “California’s timber industry is calling on the military to help control fires,” by the Washington Post’s Anna Phillips and Vanessa Montalbano: “California has sought military assistance in past years when its firefighting crews were overwhelmed. But logging companies say this year the state shouldn’t wait until it needs help.” — “California’s water from Colorado River could be crippled by a big earthquake. Drought makes fixes vital ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hayley Smith: “The MWD retrofitting is part of a $37 million project to ensure the siphon — which crosses the Casa Loma fault line — is safe from deformation or even a potential rupture in the event of an earthquake. Officials said it was a significant step in securing the state’s water future.” — “ Sacramento leaders ban homeless camps from sidewalks, American River Parkway and more,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Theresa Clift: “Starting in late September, people can be cleared from the parkway and sidewalks — two of the most common locations for camps. Under a measure passed by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, they can be cleared from the parkway, even if officials cannot offer them a shelter bed.” — “Rare ban on all outdoor watering hits 4 million Southern California residents on Sept. 6,” by the Los Angeles Daily News’ Olga Grigoryants: “For some residents, the restrictions on outdoor water usage, coupled with the drought, low precipitation levels and extremely hot days that have plagued much of the region, underscore the challenges they face to save their trees, gardens and plants.” THE PURSUIT — “UPDATE: San Jose officials question legality of letting noncitizens vote ,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Jana Kadah: “While some councilmembers support extending voting rights to noncitizens, others said it may go against the state constitution—highlighting two related lawsuits in other Bay Area cities.” THE CONSEQUENCE— “Oakland sued over ballot measure to allow noncitizen voting ,” by Mercury News’ John Woolfolk: “Oakland City Councilman Dan Kalb, who is leading the effort to get the measure on the ballot, believes it is legally sound because it would not directly extend voting rights to noncitizens, but allow the city to do so if it is not prohibited by state law.” — “ SFUSD is spending nearly $100 million to build a new school despite families fleeing the district. Here’s why,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jill Tucker: “City and district officials say the project is part of a long-term plan to accommodate the families with school-age children who would move into the more than 80,000 new housing units citywide that officials hope will be built by 2030.” | | | | A message from Stop AB 257:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — Biden closes in on student loan forgiveness plan and extension of repayment pause, by POLITICO’s Michael Stratford and Eugene Daniels: The administration is widely expected to, at a minimum, extend the student loan freeze to avoid having tens of millions of borrowers receive bills just before the midterm elections. A wide swath of congressional Democrats has urged the White House to continue the freeze until at least the end of the year. — “Big hurdles on the road to moving millions of U.S. drivers into EVs ,” by the Washington Post’s Evan Halper: “Federal agencies are scrambling to improve the driving experience and boost public confidence in the technology, funding a half million new chargers around the country and launching a new office focused on coordinating the EV transition.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — Whistleblower alleges Twitter hid security flaws from regulators, by POLITICO’s Rebecca Kern: [Former Twitter security chief Pieter] Zatko said in his complaint that he attempted to flag the security vulnerabilities to Twitter’s board and alleged non-compliance with a 2011 settlement with the FTC for putting users’ privacy at risk and failing to protect their personal information. — “California’s clean transportation future is missing a critical element: Hydrogen ,” opines Sen. Susan Eggman in the Sacramento Bee: “While significant emphasis has been placed on electric vehicle battery technology and related charging infrastructure across the state, the California clean transportation future needs to include hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology where it makes sense.” — “ For Rent: 327 Square Foot Apartment With 5 Rooms—Thanks to Robot Furniture,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Christopher Mims: “For now, most of these playthings are for the rich, with some of these installations costing $40,000 for a single room. But the goal of many of the people involved is to make this technology ubiquitous. “ REMOTE WORK WORRIES — “ You may soon be asked to take a pay cut to keep working from home,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Don Lee: “Right now, such arrangements seem rare in the U.S., probably because of the tight labor market. But that could change in the event of a recession as employers eye how remote working can lower labor costs and boost the bottom line.” | | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “TJ Cox’s PAC Spent $35,000 on Criminal Defense Attorneys,” by the GV Wire’s David Taub. FLY HIGH — “Angels owner Arte Moreno exploring potential sale: What it would mean for the Halos and Shohei Ohtani,” by CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa. LOOKING DOWN — “ Inside the Angels’ lost years: Poor decisions, Arte Moreno’s influence have club near bottom,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Mike Digiovanna. — “ Poop complaints have swelled in all San Francisco neighborhoods — except this one,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Adriana Rezal. — “How the Kiely Rodni case turned into a nightmarish internet witch hunt ,” by SFGate’s Katie Dowd. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Geo Saba of Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-Calif.) office … David Molina of Rep. Alan Lowenthal’s (D-Calif.) office … Harry Markowitz | | | | A message from Stop AB 257: AB 257 would establish new regulations for counter-service restaurants, creating a tax on working families’ dining choices by forcing menu price increases. This bill will affect tens of thousands of counter service restaurants where customers pay first then eat. It creates a food council of unelected appointees to take the place of legislators and set wages and duplicative and conflicting workplace laws. This extra layer of decision-making will raise costs at these establishments, essentially creating a tax on working families' dining choices by increasing menu prices. Increased costs mean fewer local restaurant openings, slower job growth, fewer employees per shift, decreases in hours and less opportunity for career advancement. It's a lose-lose situation for everyone. Tell your legislator to STOP 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. 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 | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
