DRIVING THE DAY — Florida says its relocation of 36 migrants to Sacramento over the weekend was voluntary and legal. Gov. Gavin Newsom, unsurprisingly, disagrees. In an exclusive interview with POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago on Tuesday, the California governor said Florida state officials could still face charges. Newsom said he still believes there’s evidence the migrants were misled and flown to the state under false pretenses. “When you have the smoking gun, which is the paperwork in hand that everyone hands over to you, it’s pretty self-evident,” Newsom told Chris. Read the full story here. BIDEN TO THE BAY — First lady Jill Biden is coming to Marin this month to help raise money for her husband’s reelection campaign, per an invite obtained by POLITICO. The “evening reception” is scheduled for June 13, to be hosted by venture capitalist David Rusenko and his wife Brooke. The president is expected to be in the Bay Area June 19 through 21, per a White House advisory. Newsom said Tuesday that he expects to join Biden later this month in California for events that are still coming together: “We’ve been working closely with them, and we’re already locked in for a few things,” he told POLITICO. THE BUZZ: California’s fight against fentanyl may come down to the voters. After months of struggling to gain traction, a group of bipartisan lawmakers led by Republican Assemblymembers Diane Dixon, Juan Alanis and Joe Patterson have introduced a last-ditch effort to go after fentanyl dealers. But instead of passing a typical bill, legislators are going one step further — proposing a constitutional amendment that could go to a statewide vote in 2024. The proposed amendment is largely modeled on Sen. Tom Umberg’s SB 44, aka Alexandra’s Law, which would require someone convicted of an offense involving fentanyl to be notified that they could be charged with homicide if someone died as a result of their actions. Despite several hearings involving gut-wrenching pleas from parents of children killed by fentanyl, Umberg’s bill was struck down in the Senate’s Public Safety Committee, with opponents raising concerns that it would have unintended consequences. This latest move would revive Alexandra’s Law, with the hope that the holdout Democratic lawmakers might be more open to the idea of leaving the decision up to the voters. It’s not often that Republicans have much sway in the Capitol, but the Assembly GOP argues it has enough support from moderate Democrats to get it across the finish line — or at least get some play. Democrats Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris and Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil are among the co-authors. There are pros and cons to using a constitutional amendment to pass policy in California. For starters, proposed amendments aren’t beholden to the same deadlines as typical bills, meaning there’s still time this year for committee hearings and floor votes. But there’s also a much higher vote threshold. If ACA 12 ends up making it to the floor, it’ll require two-thirds approval in both chambers. And that’s a big “if.” It’ll likely have to go through the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, chaired by Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who has thus far been reluctant to bring down the hammer on fentanyl dealers. Asked if he’d consider hearing the amendment, Jones-Sawyer was noncommittal: “If and when bills related to public safety reach the committee, members will make a decision based on the facts and merits of the bill,” he told us in a statement. Even if the momentum fizzles inside the Capitol, there are other efforts percolating on the outside. A non-profit group in Newport Beach is currently in the process of crafting its own ballot initiative on harsher fentanyl penalties. Janice Celeste, president and CEO of FentanylSolution.org, said the group will release specifics later this summer and expects to spend $2 million to $3 million qualifying the measure for 2024. While disagreements abound, there remains widespread consensus, both among lawmakers and constituents, that fentanyl is a crisis. How California ends up addressing it, however, could be a years-long battle. Sen. Scott Wiener, who was among the Democrats who blocked the earlier bill in the Health Committee, doesn’t seem persuaded by the new strategy. “If I thought this proposal would reduce fentanyl use, overdoses and deaths, I’d support it in a heartbeat,” Wiener said of the proposed amendment in a statement. “But it won’t. Instead, it will result in severe and unintended consequences for people who are often addicted themselves and who may have no idea they are distributing fentanyl.” BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Is adequate housing a human right? The Assembly housing committee will take up the question today as it considers ACA 10, which would enshrine such a right in the state Constitution. Author Matt Haney and supporters will be on the west steps of the Capitol to discuss the measure ahead of the hearing. 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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