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Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Matthew Brown and Ramon Castanos | Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign | THE BUZZ: It looks like California’s single-payer dreams will be delayed at least another year. After suffering a devastating blow in the Capitol last winter, advocates had been eager to reintroduce legislation that would create a first-in-the nation, state-run health care system. Speaking to members and supporters Wednesday night, the California Nurses Association said it's “in talks” with Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José) to introduce a spot bill by Friday’s deadline. That bill, however, would only state the intent of the Legislature to act on the health care proposal. CNA said it will wait to introduce a full bill in 2024. “The other option was to have no single-payer bill this legislative session at all,” said CNA Government Relations Director Puneet Maharaj. A quick recap of the last effort — Kalra in 2021 introduced Assembly Bill 1400, which was temporarily tabled over funding questions until the following January. The subsequent down-to-the-wire negotiations brought high drama to the Assembly, ending in Kalra pulling the bill just before a floor vote. At the time, he said he wasn’t confident it had the votes — even with Speaker Anthony Rendon backing it — and didn’t want to alienate fellow Democrats. That move elicited outrage from supporters, including the Nurses Association, which, at the time, accused him of “giving up on patients across the state.” Wednesday night, Maharaj acknowledged some proponents might be wary of Kalra after last session’s dramatic end, but after conversations with members, there is “broad consensus” that his heart is fully committed to CalCare, Maharaj said. Additionally, he's also the “only legislator to date who was willing to lead the fight for single-payer in the state Legislature.” Single payer health-care in California historically has been a hard sell. In the past, lawmakers have balked at the price tag and raised concerns about funding mechanisms. A report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office last year estimated the cost of such a system would be somewhere between $494 billion and $552 billion, and now California is facing the possibility of several years of dour revenue projections. Organizers say by spreading the efforts over two years, it’ll give supporters more time to talk with lawmakers and assuage concerns, but the opposition is likely to be fierce. California’s past single-payer health care efforts have faced heavy-hitting opponents, including the California Medical Association and California Chamber of Commerce, but they also have a tendency to pit moderate and progressive Democrats against one another. Left-wing members of the state party last year threatened to pull endorsements for lawmakers who voted against AB 1400. We can expect those same kinds of factions to emerge as pressure builds ahead of 2024. “That may seem far away,” Maharaj said. “But that’s going to go by faster than we think.“ BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. After weeks of speculation and closed-door conversations, Rep. Barbara Lee Wednesday filed the paperwork to run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s soon-to-be-vacant seat. But don’t consider this a campaign launch. Lee consultant Katie Merrill said the campaign is just taking steps to prepare. “The congresswoman will have more to say about this before the end of the month,” Merrill said. 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: “The reason we are in this crisis that we are in is because we have made conscientious policy choices decades ago that have led us to where we are.” Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), opening a hearing Wednesday evaluating California’s homelessness response. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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WHERE’S GAVIN? Visiting a school in Sacramento with the first partner to highlight the state’s education investments.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off Monday for Presidents Day but back in your inboxes on Tuesday.
| | 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! | | | | | | | 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. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — “Tesla’s move to open its superchargers to other electric vehicles has big implications for California,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Julie Johnson: “In California, Tesla has by far the largest market share of any electric vehicle, and its superchargers are scattered across state highways. There are about three Tesla Superchargers for every two similar chargers from other companies, such as EVgo and Electrify America, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | L.A. CITY POLITICS — Termed-out Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) is running for Los Angeles City Council, he announced Wednesday, looking to unseat Councilmember Heather Hutt.
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | AS CALIFORNIA GOES … New Jersey governor to set leading clean power target and follow California ban on gas-powered cars, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: The governor’s new 100 percent clean energy by 2035 plan is similar to a bill from Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), chair of the state Senate Environment and Energy Committee, that began circulating widely a few weeks ago. While the governor can set his own target without legislation, the administration plans to keep working with Smith on the bill. — “Oakland mayor fires police chief after report finds misconduct over officer investigations,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani: “Armstrong’s firing comes about a month after Thao and the city administrator announced they had placed him on paid leave, citing a report by an independent law firm that the chief had violated department rules because he didn’t review evidence from two misconduct cases before closing the investigations.” — “Slashing transit funds will undermine California’s ability to meet climate goals,” opines David Weiskopf in CalMatters: “The transportation sector accounts for about half of the state’s greenhouse gas pollution. If the state has any hope of meeting its 2030 targets or getting on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, California will need to rapidly and radically transform how we get around.” OUCH — “The gas bill is $907.13? Sticker shock for Californians as prices soar,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Laura J. Nelson: “Southern California Gas Co. and Pacific Gas & Electric began warning customers in January that they would see higher bills after the wholesale price of natural gas hit record highs. But reality didn’t sink in for many customers until their bills started arriving later in the month.” WHERE IS GAVIN? — “Where is Gavin Newsom? Don't try checking his schedule, because chances are you won't find one,” by The Sacramento Bee’s David Lightman and Jenavieve Hatch: “Public schedules for major office-holders are a difficult undertaking. The media and public want them to be accountable and transparent, but there are also potentially huge security risks in doing so.” MOVING ON — “California's population dropped by 500,000 in two years as exodus continues,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Terry Castleman: “The primary reason for the exodus is the state’s high housing costs, but other reasons include the long commutes and the crowds, crime and pollution in the larger urban centers. The increased ability to work remotely — and not having to live near a big city — has also been a factor.” — “Mexico, U.S. officials call for action after investigation into counterfeit medicine,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Connor Sheets and Kerry Blakinger: “In Mexico, a federal prosecutor said her office plans to investigate the findings, which she described as “a new modus operandi” that raises concerning questions, including whether pharmacies are knowingly breaking the law.” GROWING PAINS — “‘Cal Poly Homeless’: Does Northern California’s first polytechnic university have the infrastructure to support its growth?” by CalMatters’ Oden Taylor: “Enrollment is expected to grow by 50 percent in the next three years and double by 2029. Already, the university has received more than 19,000 applications for fall 2023, nearly twice as many as for fall 2022.”
| | | | A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — Harris on China balloon episode: I don’t think it impacts our relations, by POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels: Harris noted that she said as much to Chinese President Xi Jinping when they met briefly in November at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok. “Everything that has happened in the last week and a half is, we believe, very consistent with our stated approach,” she said.
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | TRANSIT TROUBLES — “Google transit village’s hazy future raises questions about downtown San Jose’s future,” by The Mercury News’ Gabriel Greschler: “The steady patronage of San Jose’s tech workers with empty stomachs and deep pockets had always been a reliable source of cash for San Pedro Square Market’s restaurants and bars. But on Tuesday morning, as market workers swept floors, fired up grills and prepared to serve the day’s hungry customers, a sense of uncertainty hovered over the complex in the wake of Google’s stunning announcement that it was reassessing its timeline for Downtown West.”
| | HOLLYWOODLAND | | ‘THE HOUSE OF MOUSE ISN’T ALONE' — “It's not just Disney: Hollywood slashes jobs as streaming bubble pops,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Brian Contreras and Anousha Sakoui: “It sure is one of the largest sets of cuts,” said Steve Ross, a USC history professor who has written books about labor and class in Hollywood. “And I think we’re going to see more cuts.”
| | 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! | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “L.A. County deputy charged with murder in high-speed crash that killed 12-year-old boy,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Richard Winton and Rebecca Ellis. — “How California colleges prepare for active shooters,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Debbie Truong, Richard Winton and Teresa Wantanabe. YE OLDE PICKET LINE — Workers at Medieval Times strike, citing low wages and high risks for knightly work,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Debbie Preijo.
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Stephenson Loveson is now chief information officer at CalPERS. He was CTO for CalPERS, where he's worked for more than 12 years. | | BIRTHDAYS | | — Meredith Fineman … David Keating … Adam Sharp … Nigel Cory of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation 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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