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Presented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White and Sakura Cannestra | Presented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West | THE BUZZ: The hard part is over for California legislators. Now, they’ll have to wait and see if Gov. Gavin Newsom is going to sign or veto the bills they carried over the finish line. It’s almost certain Newsom will sign Senate Bill 1338, enacting his CARE Courts proposal, as well as the sweeping packages of climate and abortion bills he supported throughout the session. But the fates of several other high-profile bills still hang in the balance. Newsom has until the end of the month to break out his signing pen. Here are the pieces of legislation we’re keeping an eye on: Assembly Bill 2183: Allowing farm workers to cast mail ballots in union votes — United Farm Workers put on a huge show of force this year in support of this bill, introduced by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Santa Cruz), with thousands of farm workers completing a 335 mile march to the Capitol in the final days of session. The measure is heavily opposed by the agricultural industry, and Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year. Stone and colleagues said they added amendments to ameliorate the governor’s concerns, but Newsom still hasn’t said whether he supports it. Assembly Bill 257 : Establishing a fast food council — The FAST Act got a lot of national attention this year for its efforts to set working conditions and wages in a sprawling and lucrative sector of the restaurant industry. The bill is fiercely opposed by industry groups, and Republicans decried it as overregulation that would only drive up food prices and hurt franchisees and customers. Newsom hasn’t taken a public position on the bill, but as a restaurant owner himself, he could have some unique perspectives on the matter. Assembly Bill 2269: Licensing system for cryptocurrency — This bill by Assembly Banking and Finance chair Tim Grayson (D-Concord) was spurred by recent turmoil within the crypto market and would establish new restrictions on the tech sector in California. Crypto industry groups such as the Blockchain Association oppose the bill with concerns that it would restrict the industry’s growth and limit crypto activity in California. It could be a hard sell for the governor, who signed an executive order earlier this year to bolster web3 innovation. Assembly Bill 2188 : Protections for workers who consume pot off-the-clock — Authored by Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), this bill prevents companies from punishing workers if they are found to have THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in their systems even if they’re not currently high. Some drug tests can detect the chemical in the body long after the person is impaired, which supporters say is unfair to employees who consume it during off-hours. Assembly Bill 2098: Punishing doctors for vaccine misinformation — This bill, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) was one of the few vaccine-related pieces of legislation to make it out of the Capitol this year. It takes a swipe at a problem that has long been lamented by California Democrats —the spread of Covid-19 misinformation — but it also presents a tricky tension between public health interests and free speech. Existing law requires medical boards to take action against any licensed physician and surgeon who is charged with unprofessional conduct, which under this bill would include the “dissemination of misinformation or disinformation” related to Covid-19. BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. A happy Labor Day weekend to all our Playbook readers. Remember that we’re off on Monday but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. Stay hydrated out there! 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 . Editor’s note: Our afternoon pop-up, California Playbook PM, has wrapped for the year (though this morning newsletter will continue to arrive in your inbox). Thanks for reading our Capitol beat coverage this summer, and look for more scoops and insights from our team on POLITICO California.
| | | | A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West: Healthcare workers have been through hell during the pandemic. Before the vaccines, as COVID-19 infection and death rates soared, healthcare workers continued to go to work–sometimes without the proper equipment to keep them safe. They put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour. They were there for us. Now, it’s time we are there for them. Tell lawmakers to increase the minimum wage to $25 for healthcare workers. | | | QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Cedar was her property and she had every legal right to save his life.” A federal lawsuit filed by the family of a young Shasta County girl on Wednesday, which alleges sheriff’s deputies traveled 500 miles to reclaim and slaughter her beloved pet goat, Cedar, after the family pulled out of a livestock auction at the local county fair. TWEET OF THE DAY: California Community Colleges’ government liaison David O’Brien @Davidinsacto with a post-session lament: “I’m just a guy, sitting in front of a computer, trying to get LegInfo to work… #caleg” WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
|  | TOP TALKERS | | — “Inside the tumultuous early days of SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' tenure,” by SFGate’s Eric Ting: “Over the course of Jenkins’ first seven weeks in office, SFGATE has spoken with more than a dozen people in the orbits of both recalled DA Chesa Boudin and Jenkins (some of whom were granted anonymity out of fear of retaliation), to not only understand what the transition means for crime policy, but also for San Francisco politics at large.” LONG LIVING LEGACY — “ What the end of the Pelosi era could cost California,” by The Los Angeles Times’ Jennifer Haberkorn: “The prospect of Pelosi’s departure has some Californians pondering what kind of power vacuum she will leave, and what it will mean for the state’s influence in Washington.” — “ Union representing 22,000 nurses blasts Kaiser over staff shortages amid contract talks,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Cathie Anderson: “RN Cathy Kennedy, who works in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kaiser’s Roseville Medical Center, said she and about 22,000 other members of the California Nursing Association are fighting to ensure patients don’t face long waits for care in emergency rooms or elsewhere."
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | PROP 27 BREAKS SPENDING RECORD — The fight over online sports betting is now officially the most expensive ballot initiative on record after the San Manuel Tribe kicked in another $25 million on Thursday to oppose the DraftKings-backed measure.
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “California Fights Its NIMBYs,” by The New York Times’ Conor Dougherty and Soumya Karlamangla: “Laws to encourage more development and denser housing don’t do much good if no one enforces them. As the state political calculus shifts, Gavin Newsom is trying to change that.” — “Record temperatures, raging fires, a strained power grid: California heat wave in full effect ,” by The Los Angeles Times’ Brittny Mejia, Salvador Hernandez, Alexandra E. Petri, Gregory Yee and Christian Martinez: “In less than 24 hours, the Route fire charred more than 5,000 acres near Castaic, though it appeared that crews were beginning to turn a corner Thursday.” — “ California lawmakers OK bill to hide public worker addresses,” by The Associated Press’ Adam Beam: “California and 41 other states already have laws that shield the home addresses of victims of domestic violence and other crimes, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime, a nonprofit that advocates for victims’ rights. California’s program goes a bit further by also including abortion workers and public health employees.” INTO THE BEYOND — “ How a decades-old law led to death doulas’ lawsuit against California’s funeral bureau,” by The Los Angeles Times’ Anabel Sosa: “After more than 30 years as a physician watching patients die in hospitals, only later to be handed off to funeral directors who for 150 years have dominated the American death experience, Barbara [Hazilla] decided to be taken care of at home.” — “As extreme temperatures soar, San Jose starts sweeping its largest homeless encampment,” by the Mercury News’ Katie Lauer: “San Jose city officials are on a tight deadline for the third and final phase of the encampment sweep: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared that people aren’t allowed to stay on the land, citing safety concerns.” — “Why is Wine Country tourism so slow? ‘You’re out a few thousand dollars before you walk into a winery’,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jess Lander: “The scene is a dramatic departure from last summer when Napa wineries reported off-the-charts demand and tourists were more than willing to shell out for tastings that cost upwards of $500.” | | | | A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:   | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | ZOOMING INTO FOCUS — “After a golden era at Snap and other tech firms, it’s back to reality for workers,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Brain Contreras: “On Tuesday, [Snap CEO Evan] Spiegel announced that the parent company of the Snapchat app would be cutting about 20% of positions, making good on layoff plans that leaked to the media in early August.” — “Judge declines to overturn Elizabeth Holmes guilty verdict,” by The Associated Press’ Michael Liedtke: “Holmes, 38, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution, for lying to investors about a Theranos technology she hailed as a revolution in healthcare but which in practice produced dangerously inaccurate results.” | | | | 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 | | — “California teen files for emancipation from parents. Mom has him handcuffed, taken to boarding school, feds say,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Matthais Gafni. SIZZLING RECESS — “Playground asphalt sizzles to 145 degrees in extreme heat waves. Parents demand school shade,” by The Los Angeles Times’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde. — “ Many Bay Area homes don’t have AC. Here are other ways to stay cool as heat wave sets in,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Danielle Echeverria. — “ Despite California heat wave, heavy Labor Day holiday travel expected,” by The Los Angeles Times’ Nathan Solis.
| | IN MEMORIAM | | — “Legendary Pixar animator who worked on ‘Toy Story' dies at 56 in Bay Area,” by SFGate’s Amanda Bartlett.
| | | | A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West: During the height of the pandemic, with COVID-19 infections and deaths on the rise, schools and businesses across California were closing. But healthcare workers continued to go to work, risking their lives to care for their patients. Even when protective equipment was scarce and there were no vaccines to slow the spread, they showed up for us and our communities. For many healthcare workers, they put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour.
These heroes deserve better. Together, we can make a difference. Contact your state lawmakers. Tell them to increase the minimum wage to $25 an hour for California’s healthcare workers. | | | 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.
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