THE BUZZ: Last week’s disruptive school strike in Los Angeles captured national attention and sent California politicians scrambling to get their opinions on the record. Noticeably missing from the media scrum, however, was the region’s most influential local official: Mayor Karen Bass. The newly elected mayor chose to keep a lower profile. At least at first. The longtime congresswoman and state lawmaker has played a major role in negotiating contentious political fights in the past, most notably navigating a state budget deal with Republicans in 2009, closing a $26 billion budget gap. Over a decades-long career in which she’s consistently climbed the leadership ranks — and come close to becoming a potential vice president — Bass has garnered a reputation as someone more comfortable hammering out a backroom deal than hitting the TV circuit. In an interview Friday with POLITICO, Bass revealed she held a previously undisclosed meeting with both sides a week before the strike. But she said she had no intention of inserting herself into the public discourse. That stands in stark contrast to her predecessor, Eric Garcetti, who made it known early that he wanted to play a role in the 2019 teacher strike. And unlike the trio of California Democrats running for Senate – Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter — who all voiced support for the SEIU — Bass resisted the urge to take sides on Twitter. “When you're not in the middle of the fray, you can take a step back and look at it more objectively,” Bass told Politico, “and then argue why the two sides need to come together.” SIGN HERE, MR. GOVERNOR — After months of quiet, backroom negotiations, Gov. Gavin Newsom finally has a bill on his desk to hold Big Oil accountable. Just a week passed between the time Newsom declared a deal with legislative leaders and Monday’s Assembly vote. The rapid succession of hearings left some lawmakers, including Democrats, feeling rushed and uncertain, but not wary enough to vote it down. This is not the bill that Newsom had in mind five months ago when he suggested the Legislature pass a tax on windfall oil profits and give the revenue back to consumers in the form of rebates. Even the subtle pivot from tax to penalty in December didn’t immediately earn Newsom a ton of support. Lawmakers indicated they couldn’t justify such a measure without clear evidence of collusion — especially if there was a risk it would lead to higher gas prices. The final version of the bill tosses the ball over to the California Energy Commission, which will be tasked with implementing a penalty only if it determines the benefits outweigh the risks. Any funds collected from corporations would then be distributed at the discretion of the Legislature. It also creates an oversight body within the CEC to monitor market conditions for any anti-competitive practices or abuses. Newsom is expected to sign the bill today. BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Should California ban homeless encampments near schools, daycares, parks and libraries? Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Brian Jones, will gather this morning to promote Senate Bill 31, which would prohibit encampments near these “sensitive areas” ahead of a hearing in the Public Safety committee later this morning. Attendees include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. 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. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I reached out and said, ‘Hey, I want to sample your beetles.’” UC Berkeley entomologist Kipling Will on discovering a new beetle species on Jerry Brown’s Colusa ranch and naming it after the former governor. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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