‘Shame on them’: Newsom goes after GOP on guns

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Wednesday Jan 25,2023 02:13 pm

Jan 25, 2023

By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown

Presented by Southern California Edison

THE BUZZ: After spending two days grieving with the survivors of two separate mass shootings, Gov. Gavin Newsom was ready to “call some folks out.”

In his first press conference since back-to-back shootings rocked Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, and another in Oakland, a visibly upset Newsom directed his fury Tuesday at a common target: Congressional Republicans.

Specifically, California’s own House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

“We haven’t heard one damn word from him,” Newsom said. “Where’s he been on gun safety reform? Where’s the Republican Party been on gun safety reform? They’ve fought it every step of the way. ... Shame on them.”

A spokesperson for the speaker pointed out that he did offer condolences to the victims’ families in a brief presser in Washington, coincidentally around the same time Newsom was making remarks on the opposite coast. But McCarthy’s acknowledgement is unlikely to appease the governor or other California Democrats, who have grown irate from the lack of federal action on gun safety reform.

“We can’t do this alone,” Newsom said. “And with all due respect, we feel like we are.”

The frustration underscores an unsettling truth: Mass shootings can still happen in a state that has widespread and aggressive gun restrictions. It doesn’t mean those laws don’t have an impact, Newsom said, pointing to California’s low gun death rate, but rather, it belies a need for action at a higher level.

The chances of that happening anytime soon are virtually impossible, with Republicans controlling half of Congress and a U.S. Supreme Court that has adopted an expansive view of the Second Amendment. Thanks to the court’s decision last summer, some of California Democrats’ most dearly-held protections, like the 1989 assault weapons ban, could be in jeopardy.

Despite the bleak outlook, Democrats have remained resolved. Speaking in Half Moon Bay, Assemblymember Marc Berman, (D-Menlo Park) said state lawmakers need to continue to carry the mantle of gun control.

"Until we get Republicans in Congress to act at the federal level, we've got to go back to the drawing board in California,” Berman said. “We owe that to the families who have lost loved ones here today and to the residents of this state and the country."

Speaking of federal actors — Vice President Kamala Harris will be flying out to California today to meet with victims in Monterey Park.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Members of the Republican National Committee are gathering in Southern California today for their winter meeting and will cast votes for a new chair later this week. Current Chair Ronna McDaniel is facing challenges from MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and California’s own Harmeet Dhillon.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Google’s anticompetitive practices and obsessive need for control of ad tech markets has not only controlled pricing, but has stifled creativity in a space where innovation is crucial.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a lawsuit filed with eight other states and the U.S. Justice Department charging Google with operating an unfair monopoly scheme in markets for advertising technology.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Twitter

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

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TOP TALKERS

— “Grandparents, dancers, community builders: All 11 killed in Monterey Park shooting identified,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Christi Carras, Grace Toohey, Hayley Smith and Summer Lin. “All of the deceased were identified Tuesday. In addition to [Diana] Tom [70], they are My Nhan, 65; Lilian Li, 63; Xiujuan Yu, 57; Hong Jian, 62; Muoi Ung, 67; Valentino Alvero, 68; Yu-Lun Kao, 72; Chia Yau, 76; Wen-Tau Yu, 64; and Ming Wei Ma, 72.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

FAST FOOD BILL ON HOLD — A referendum to challenge a controversial law establishing California’s fast food council officially qualified for the 2024 ballot Tuesday, halting its implementation until voters can decide on the matter. The referendum effort is bankrolled by big-name franchises including In-N-Out Burgers, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks.

A message from Southern California Edison:

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

—“Sacramento-area Peet’s Coffee chain’s first U.S. location to unionize,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Michael McGough: “Employees at the North Davis store, located at 1411 W. Covell Blvd. in a shopping center just east of Highway 113, voted 14-1 to unionize with Service Employees International Union Local 1021, Peet’s Workers United announced Friday in social media posts.”

—“Report: San Jose gun shop inspections by police have big holes,” by The Mercury News’ Gabriel Greschiler: “Auditors also found that the checklist Permit Unit inspectors use is missing key requirements — including whether gun sellers are complying with ID laws, questioning buyers about who they’re purchasing a gun for, and conducting inventory checks.”

—“California child care funds unspent as providers wait months,” by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kristen Taketa: “This waiting game for funding is just one part of a contradictory reality in California: Despite a large unmet need for child care, new state money allocated for child care can take months to materialize, and sometimes doesn’t end up funding new child care at all.”

—“Judge questions clarity of new California law targeting doctors who share COVID-19 misinformation,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Stephen Hobbs: “A federal judge said Monday that he couldn’t make sense of a critical provision in a new law that punishes doctors for spreading false information about COVID-19 to their patients.”

—“The fight over California’s ancient water,” by The Atlantic’s Brett Simpson: “Cadiz Inc. is drilling for what some call ‘fossil water’—water that has been buried deep in the Earth for millennia.”

—“Could charging for public restrooms help San Diego cope with downtowns homelessness crisis?,” by the Los Angeles Times’ David Garrick: “San Diego city leaders want the state to lift a nearly 50-year-old ban on pay toilets, which they say could solve a shortage of clean and safe downtown restrooms that repels tourists and puts homeless people’s health at risk.”

—“Will California start to see even more electric vehicles? Experts say sales are at 'tipping point',” by the San Francisco Chronicles’ Dustin Gardiner: “The dramatic increase has been attributed to a host of factors, including sky-high gasoline prices, more variety of electric models, strong government subsidies for buyers and less consumer hesitancy.”

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BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

KICKED OUT — McCarthy Tuesday rejected the appointments of Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell for the House Intelligence Committee, saying he “cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security.” Schiff called it “petty, political payment for investigating Donald Trump.”

—‘A f--king idiot’: Man who breached Pelosi suite says he’s guilty of bluster, not crime by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney: A Jan. 6 defendant who famously propped his feet on a desk in then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Capitol suite urged jurors Friday to consider his behavior the actions of a “fucking idiot” — not a criminal.

—Florida eyes banning TikTok at State University by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: Members on the Board of Governors over state universities, meeting Tuesday in Miami, expressed support for creating a system-wide policy outlawing the app. The change could be introduced in the next two months with scrutiny mounting towards the Beijing-based company.

—French privacy chief warns against using facial recognition for 2024 Olympics, by POLITICO’s Lara Kayali: Senators are divided between those who want to add privacy safeguards and those who want to push the surveillance and security arsenal further, mainly by introducing facial recognition.

MIXTAPE

—“A trip down the most mysterious road in California, Zzyzx Road,” by SFGate’s Andrew Chamings.

—“Second missing hiker found on California's Mount Baldy as search for actor Julian Sands continues,” by CBS News.

— “A dog fell into California floodwaters. Saving him was a team effort,” by The Washington Post’s Jonathan Edwards.

A message from Southern California Edison:

This is a time of great change and uncertainty. But what remains constant is our commitment to building a clean energy future for everyone. That’s why SCE is standing with California, leading the charge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve local air quality and support continued economic growth. We’re a national leader in battery storage and delivering solar energy to our customers. We’re working to cut emissions from buildings and freeways. And we proudly support the fastest the growth of green jobs. We’re more than 13,000 employees serving 15 million Californians. When we work together, we can move full speed ahead into a clean energy future.

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