Feinstein makes it official

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Wednesday Feb 15,2023 02:11 pm

Feb 15, 2023

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

Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign

THE BUZZ: In the end — after three Senate decades, after besting the NRA and the CIA, after the progressive disillusionment, after the race to succeed her had already begun — Sen. Dianne Feinstein is exiting on her own terms.

Virtually no one in California politics believed the 89-year-old Feinstein would seek another term 2024. That much was clear from Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter launching their Senate campaigns, with Rep. Barbara Lee poised to join them. Even though Schiff framed his candidacy as conditional on Feinstein’s departure — as Rep. Nancy Pelosi did with her endorsement of Schiff — those longtime allies would not have proceeded unless they presumed Feinstein was on her way out.

So, for months it has been a question of timing. Would Feinstein retire early and allow her ally Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a second U.S. senator? Again and again, Feinstein or her representatives deflected the question. “I don’t announce in the winter,” she told a reporter two weeks ago. All the while, California’s 2024 campaign landscape coalesced as California Democrats planned their campaigns for Feinstein’s seat or for the House seats that Feinstein’s would-be replacements were forfeiting.

On Tuesday, Feinstein finally put the matter to rest. Her confirmation that she's not running again relieves some of the awkwardness and tension as California Democrats strove to show deference while preparing for the seemingly inevitable. It also gives us occasion to reflect on Feinstein’s status as one of the towering figures in California’s political history.

Gov. Pat Brown appointed her to her first public job. Violent tragedy in San Francisco vaulted her into city leadership and the national spotlight. She would become the first woman to represent California in the U.S. Senate and, eventually, the longest-serving woman in the body’s history. She won an uphill fight for an assault weapons ban, forced details of CIA abuses into the sunlight and enshrined sweeping protections for California’s deserts. She led some of the most powerful committees in the Senate.

She also spurred frustration and angst at the end. Feinstein was no stranger to antagonizing the left, but the rift has deepened in recent years. In 2018, she lost the party’s endorsement to fellow Democrat Kevin de León, though she would crush him by a million votes in her final campaign. Her approval rating has since plunged as Democrats decried her dismissiveness toward climate activists and her warm approach to Republicans during Supreme Court hearings. And concerns about Feinstein’s cognitive fitness became inescapable.

Soon, California will have a new U.S. senator who could stay in place for decades. But for now, take a moment to explore Feinstein’s legacy and recount some of the key moments in her storied career.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Healthcare workers could earn $25 an hour under a bill that labor stalwart state Sen. Elena Maria Durazo is introducing today, per Kaiser Health News. The statewide push comes after SEIU-UHW pursued local minimum wage measures around the state, which in turn played into a battle over hospital building standards. Looks like we could be in for another round.

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.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It would be impossible to write the history of California politics — it would be impossible to write the history of American politics — without acknowledging the trailblazing career of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.” Sen. Alex Padilla on his fellow Californian U.S. senator and onetime boss.

BONUS QOTD: “She also got shit done by working with people on both sides of the aisle and refusing to get caught up in unnecessary nonsense. To those lining up to run for her seat, I hope you honor the fact that this powerful lady blazed the trail for you.” Former San Francisco pol and California Democratic Party Chair John Burton on Feinstein.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Twitter

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

DIESEL POLLUTION KILLS. ELECTRIC TRUCKS SAVE LIVES. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will soon finalize the world’s first pollution-free truck fleet standard. The 2036 100% zero-emission truck sales target will cut pollution in communities of color that suffer most from deadly diesel exhaust. However, the dirtiest mid-sized big rig fleets are not included. This means they’ll never have to become pollution-free. We must regulate big rig fleets with 10+ trucks to save more lives!

TOP TALKERS

— Why California was over Feinstein's retirement before it happened, by POLITICO’s David Siders and Christopher Cadelago: Senate retirements typically prompt tectonic shifts and scrambles within a senator’s state. Dianne Feinstein’s has sparked little more than a shrug. The 89-year-old California senator’s decision to retire at the end of her term in 2024 mostly confirmed assumptions both nationally and back home.

— “Winner of California’s 2B lottery gets largest U.S. jackpot,” by The Associated Press’ Adam Beam: “The lottery that Castro won was the largest in U.S. history because it took so long or someone to choose the correct combination of six numbers to win the prize.”

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

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — AN IE FOR LEE: Rep. Barbara Lee has still not officially announced she’s running for the Senate, but a pro-Lee independent expenditure committee is already forming. It will be run by Nathan Barankin, a Lee ally who was also a top aide to Kamala Harris, along with Jamarah Hayner, Dan Newman, Brian Brokaw and pollster Ruth Bernstein. Assuming she runs, Lee may need the outside help to offset big cash-on-hand advantages for Schiff and Porter.

— ”Former Sacramento Councilman Jeff Harris might run for mayor. Will Steinberg run?” by The Sacramento Bee’s Theresa Clift: “Harris, 69, represented East Sacramento and parts of North Sacramento on the council since 2014. The owner of a construction company, he was a fiscal conservative who led campaigns against several ballot initiatives. He also tried to open several large homeless shelters, including at Cal Expo.”

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— “More than 12,000 Californians are getting cash from guaranteed income experiments,” by CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang: “In all, the programs represent the largest modern U.S. experiment in unrestricted cash payments, with more than 12,000 Californians expected to receive more than $180 million in public and private funds.”

— “'Half of California hospitals are in the red': Pandemic troubles pile up for ERs,” by KQED’s Lesley McClurg: “Coyle argued in a recent blog post that what “transpired in Madera County will be replicated in other parts of California” unless the hospitals receive financial assistance from the state. The hospital association has asked the state for $1.5 billion in immediate relief.”

— “Undocumented fentanyl dealers in S.F. could be easier to deport under new proposal,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Trisha Thadani: “Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins have said they want to aggressively go after those selling deadly narcotics in an effort to reduce addiction, overdose deaths and other harms caused by open-air drug markets.”

— “She asked the police to help her husband. They killed him instead,” by The Guardian’s Sam Levin: “Police across the US killed at least 109 people during mental health and welfare checks last year, according to Mapping Police Violence and research has estimated that people with mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed by police, making up 25-50 percent of victims.”

— “Five ‘builder remedy’ projects submitted in Mountain View, Los Altos Hills,” by the San Francisco Business Times’ Sarah Klearman: “The Business Times has found that nearly 200 homes have been proposed under the builder's remedy in the Bay Area. Advocates and developers alike say it's likely there are more out there.”

DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— Taiwan’s tech king to Nancy Pelosi: U.S. is in over its head, by POLITICO’s Alexander Burns: “With Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, looking on, the billionaire entrepreneur pressed Pelosi with sobering questions about the CHIPS law — and whether the policy represented a genuine commitment to supporting advanced industry or an impulsive attempt by the United States to seize a piece of a lucrative global market.”

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— “Booms and busts: Silicon Valley economy divided,” by the San Jose Spotlight's Joseph Geha: “When ultra rich people are included, Silicon Valley’s household wealth is 72 times that of the combined city governments, the report said. Myers-Lipton said with so much wealth in “the hands of the very few,” it’s impossible for governments to address major social issues like housing affordability and homelessness.”

MIXTAPE

— “‘They were trying to pick us off’: Bay Area group says cyclists were targeted by drivers in related attacks,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nora Mishanec.

— “Overtime costs soared at DWP's security unit amid lax oversight, watchdog report finds,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Dakota Smith.

— “‘Unusual’ stowaway on celery shipment is concerning first for California port, feds say,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Daniella Segura.

— “Bay Area apartment owners who state says barred children from playing outside will pay families,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko.

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

MORE ELECTRIC TRUCK FLEETS = MORE CLEAN AIR FOR EVERYONE. California’s freight communities breathe the most polluted air in the country. This excessive exposure to diesel exhaust in communities of color is a clear example of environmental racism. CARB can’t guarantee these residents will get the clean air they need unless the standard requires big rig fleets with 10+ trucks to go pollution-free.

Experts found that regulating big rig fleets with 10+ will cut more smog-forming pollution and deadly diesel soot. Reducing the big rig fleet size to 10 also closes labor loopholes, ensuring thousands of hard-working drivers are not inappropriately burdened with the corporate responsibility of transitioning to these life-saving, pollution-free trucks.

CARB has one opportunity to deliver cleaner air faster to our most polluted communities with a stronger electric truck standard. Tell them we need 100% pollution-free truck sales by 2036 and more electric trucks in more fleets!

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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