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Presented by SEIU-UHW: 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 SEIU-UHW | THE BUZZ: Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to run for president in 2024. Apparently, voters agree. Seven out of 10 said they would not like to see him make a bid for the White House in the next election, per a new Quinnipiac University poll of registered California voters. Even a majority of Democrats (54 percent) still say he shouldn’t run next year. “A resounding thumbs down from the home team as California voters tell the governor: if you have designs on the big job beyond Sacramento, we’re not on board,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. The poll didn’t ask voters to give a reason for their decision, but we have a few ideas as 2024 starts to come into focus. First, President Joe Biden’s stock is up. Much of the speculation around the next election hinged on whether the commander in chief, who is now 80, would be willing — or able — to take on another term. But following his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, where pundits praised his cool handling of GOP heckling, the president’s approval rating has bounced up to 46 percent, per an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Questions about whether Vice President Kamala Harris would run in his stead have dissipated, and first lady Jill Biden indicated last week that a reelection announcement is imminent. Furthermore, a 2024 bid for Newsom would mean he’d have to abandon his job halfway through a second term. Even though it seems like the governor has been drinking from the proverbial fire hose throughout his entire tenure, now is especially not an easy time to hit the national campaign trail. Homelessness remains a constant battle, inflation has Californians struggling to meet basic needs, and the state is trying to figure out how to fill a $22.5 billion hole in the budget. Of course, there’s always the chance that some voters just don’t like Newsom, and don’t see him as presidential material. The polling on that front, however, isn’t conclusive. The same Quinnipiac poll gave the governor a 44 percent approval rating among California voters. A separate poll, from the U.C. Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, reported 54 percent approval for the gov — the highest among six of the top California politicians. That popularity, however, could be tested by upcoming budget woes, IGS Poll Director Mark DiCamillo told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s true of every governor: When you start having to cut back on the budget, that’s usually a time when voters get more critical of you,” he said. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. After California Republicans in Congress sent a letter Wednesday requesting assistance for areas hit hardest by winter storms, the governor late last night proclaimed a state of emergency for 13 counties, including San Bernardino. 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: “Her work in a divided government to secure billions of dollars in Covid relief for underserved communities is just one example of the type of principled and tenacious leadership she will bring to California as our next United States Senator.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorsing Rep. Barbara Lee for the Senate — a big get for the Bay Area congresswoman.
| | | | A message from SEIU-UHW: Healthcare workers are burnt out and underpaid, causing many to leave their jobs. Now, California faces an urgent healthcare worker shortage that threatens patient care. Tell lawmakers: Stop the shortage. Pass SB 525 Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage bill. | | | TWEET OF THE DAY:
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sugarbowlresort | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | A message from SEIU-UHW:   | | | | | | | 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 | | — “RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan denied parole,” by The Associated Press: “Sirhan’s lawyer Angela Berry disputed that, saying Sirhan has shown that awareness, and his psychiatrists have said for decades that he is unlikely to reoffend or be a danger to society. Two years ago, a different California parole board had agreed with Berry, voting to release Sirhan, but Gov. Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022.” — “From Tahoe to Yosemite to Arrowhead, heavy snow buries California mountain communities,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Nathan Solis, Grace Toohe and Summer Lin: “Record-breaking snowfall forced Yosemite National Park to close and emergency officials pleaded with people to stay home and avoid the roads. The Sierras were particularly hard hit, with all the major roads to Lake Tahoe closed and reports of at least one 200-yard-wide avalanche.” — “California is desperate for affordable housing. How union conflicts are delaying it,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Lindsey Holden and Maya Miller: “The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, backed by the California Labor Federation, insists that lawmakers require developers to use a “skilled and trained” workforce made up of largely union workers. On the other side, the California Conference of Carpenters supports a prevailing wage requirement — typically the union rate — rather than limiting which workers builders can hire.”
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “Judge to fine California each day it fails to complete prisoner suicide prevention measures,” by California Healthline’s Don Thompson: “Addressing a chronic tragedy that has plagued the state for decades, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller said she will start the fines April 1 — $1,000 a day for each of 15 unmet safeguards until all the state’s 34 adult prisons are in full compliance.” PASSING THE BATON — “LAPD should stop handling many non-emergency calls, police union says,” by the Los Angeles Times’ David Zahniser: “As part of its upcoming contract talks, the Los Angeles Police Protective League intends to tell city negotiators that it is willing to let other city departments or nonprofit agencies respond to calls about panhandling, illegal sidewalk vending, urinating in public, mental health episodes in which there is no threat of violence or criminal activity, and dangerous dog complaints in which “no attack is in progress.” TUNNEL VISION — “A California tunnel could save stormwater for millions. Why is it so divisive?,” by The Washington Post’s Scott Dance: “The proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration — one that would cost $16 billion to help 27 million water customers in central and southern California — is spurring fresh outrage from communities that have fended off similar plans over four decades, including suggestions to build other tunnels or a massive canal.” — “Startling increase found in deaths of Orange County homeless people. Drugs are the main cause,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Salvador Hernandez: “Within a 10-year span, the report found, the number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness more than quadrupled, with 395 deaths recorded in the county in 2021. By 2021, the report found, 36 percent of the deaths of homeless people in the county were directly linked to fentanyl. An additional 8 percent were linked to overdoses involving other drugs.” — “Jump-starting electric car batteries: Will supply problems stall California’s mandate?” by CalMatters’ Julie Cart: “Failure to deliver safe, affordable and efficient batteries for electric cars could mean that California fails to meet its landmark mandate, enacted last summer, to phase out new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. As California enforces its first-in-the-world zero-emission requirements for cars, the state is navigating a policy path strewn with unique obstacles: international human rights and environmental issues, global resource constraints and fast-moving technologies.”
| | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | A FAMILIAR FIGHT — “California's Julie Su could face familiar gig worker fight if confirmed as labor secretary,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shira Stein: “Republicans previously opposed Su’s confirmation as deputy secretary of the Labor Department in 2021. She was confirmed on a party-line vote, with 50 Democrats voting in favor and 47 Republicans opposing. During that confirmation battle, Senate Republicans repeatedly raised the multibillion-dollar scandal that engulfed California’s Employment Development Department, in which the state improperly paid jobless benefits to fraudsters.” HOMECOMING — “VP Kamala Harris heading to San Francisco to highlight AAPI businesses,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shira Stein: “The roundtable will focus on small-business entrepreneurship and highlight the administration’s efforts to help small businesses, including increasing their access to capital.” — “Eli Lilly Says it will cut the price of insulin,” by The New York Times’ Rebecca Robbins: “The announcement comes at a time of mounting political pressure on drug companies to rein in what lawmakers and other critics view as the industry’s pattern of abusive profiteering. Over nearly three decades, for example, Lilly has raised the list price on its most widely used insulin product, Humalog, by more than 1,000 percent.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — GOP rams through TikTok ban bill over Dem objections, by POLITICO’s Brendan Bordelon: “Everybody knows what TikTok is,” committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on Tuesday as the panel debated the fate of the popular Chinese-owned video app. “It’s too dangerous to be on our phones as members of Congress. In my judgment, it’s too dangerous to be on our children’s phones. That’s the whole point of this bill.”
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Former Los Angeles Times reporter Stuart Pfeifer and marketing expert Matthew Fern are launching a PR shop, LAG Strategy.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | — Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) … Yuri Beckelman
| | | | A message from SEIU-UHW: While hospitals made billions during the pandemic, patient care has gotten worse. Why? Healthcare workers are burnt out and underpaid, causing many to leave their jobs. Now, California faces an urgent healthcare worker shortage.
Lawmakers have a choice: Pass SB 525 Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage bill or put more patients at risk. | | | | | | | 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. | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
