|
Presented by Consumer Action for a Strong Economy: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte and Sejal Govindarao | | | THE BUZZ: — Some national politicians embrace California’s progressive leadership. Others bemoan its cautionary decline. All covet its cash. It’s fitting that President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are both here raising money within a short drive of one another. DeSantis looks best positioned to deny former President Donald Trump a rematch with Biden by seizing the Republican mantle, although polls show he’s tumbled far behind Trump in California. But DeSantis was merely the latest Republican asking Californians to fund their dreams of surpassing Trump. Before the Florida governor touched down, Sen. Tim Scott and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley were both in the state raising money last week, as was longshot Democratic contestant Robert F. Kennedy, and Miami Mayor Francisco Suarez delivered a speech at the Ronald Reagan Library. Remember, there’s more than just cash at stake: California is also brimming with Republican presidential delegates — and because they’re awarded by district, there are many opportunities for GOP contestants to win prizes. Plenty of the visits in the last week have been in the Bay Area, underscoring that while Biden has ample Silicon Valley support — VC Reid Hoffman and Microsoft exec Kevin Scott hosted him in Los Gatos — the tech industry isn’t a blue monolith: Money has flowed to Republicans from tech grandees like Tim Draper (who hosted Haley), David Sacks (who backs both DeSantis and Kennedy, as does Twitter founder Jack Dorsey), and Oracle’s Larry Ellison (Scott). The same can be said for affluent Los Angeles enclaves. As much as the L.A.’s highest-earning zip codes are populated by Democratic mainstays, it’s no accident that Speaker Kevin McCarthy was raising money in Beverly Hills on Monday after visiting Orange County on Friday for an event with Reps. Michelle Steel, Young Kim, Ken Calvert and O.C. DA Todd Spitzer. The Bakersfield Republican’s PAC drew more than twice as much direct money from California as from Texas last cycle. As for DeSantis: No, he was not arrested upon touching down in California, despite Newsom’s tweet-threatening him with prosecution and CADOJ exploring charges . The governor later called the notion of cuffing DeSantis “hyperbole,” although the two have continued to publicly snipe at each other. DeSantis marked his arrival in California by releasing a video assailing California governance that included a clip of a trash-collecting Newsom comparing California to a third world country. Shortly before arriving, DeSantis also won a straw poll conducted by the OCGOP, for which he raised money the last time he was in California. And as for Newsom: After meeting up with POTUS Monday for an event touting federal climate money, he’ll get more facetime today at a Biden fundraiser — after having vigorously defended Biden’s record to Sean Hannity and his many viewers. BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. We love fundraiser invites here at California Playbook. Share ‘em if you got ‘em! We also love knowledge. If you do, too — particularly as it pertains to California politics — come join us for trivia night tomorrow at Fox and Goose. 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.
| | | | A message from Consumer Action for a Strong Economy: The Biden administration is waking up to the alarming issue of illegal Chinese-made flavored disposable vapes. Now is the time to strengthen our resolve, redouble our efforts, and eradicate these illegal products from American store shelves. The health and safety of our youth depends on it. Join us in urging the FDA to finish the job to protect minors from the risks posed by illegal Chinese-made flavored disposable vapes. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I have been hearing these same points, certainly from FOX, for decades. You're in a doom loop about California.” Newsom on Hannity, part deux. CROWDSOURCING: Californians: Have you asked Sens. Dianne Feinstein or Alex Padilla for help recently? Send us your receipts.
| | | | JOIN US TOMORROW! Think you know a lot about politics? PROVE IT! Compete in California Playbook’s inaugural Trivia Night. Grab a drink, kick back, and put your knowledge on display! Join top political power players on Wednesday, June 21st at Fox & Goose Public House for a night of fun and competition that you won’t want to miss. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — "Migrants speak out about journey to Sacramento, ‘trickery’ before flight paid for by Florida," by The Sacramento Bee’s Mathew Miranda: “Two weeks after the state of Florida chartered two planes to take the Latin American migrants to Sacramento, many of the individuals aboard the flights are still questioning the reasons why.”
| | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | | BUILDING TOWARD A CONSENSUS — Several major building trades unions withdrew their opposition to Sen. Scott Wiener’s closely watched housing bill on Monday, shrinking the number of opponents to what the senator is calling a “small minority of the building trades.” The measure, SB 423, aims to extend a 2017 housing streamlining bill, but has faced fierce opposition, most notably from the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California. The group of unions, which includes the California State Association of Electrical Workers, removed their opposition after lawmakers amended the legislation to include the preferred “skilled and trained” workforce requirement under certain circumstances. Others that have downshifted to a neutral view: the California State Pipe Trades Council, the Coalition of California Utility Employees, Western States Council of Sheet Metal Workers and the International Union of Elevator Constructors Locals 8 and 18. Read the letter here. — "Exclusive: How Sacramento’s poorly-designed streets fuel a hit-and-run epidemic," by The Sacramento Bee’s Ryan Lillis: “Of the more than 140 people killed by drivers who fled the scene in Sacramento County since 2018, dozens died on aging, busy corridors designed years ago with pedestrians and bicyclists as an afterthought, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis of law enforcement and Sacramento coroner records.” — "How a network of ‘phony’ groups sprung up to fight Newsom’s oil regulations," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Dustin Gardiner: “California lawmakers were on the verge of passing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to allow the state to cap the profits of oil companies when a trio of advocacy groups with innocuous-sounding names went on an advertising blitz.” — "Charges against Price draw outrage, sadness and sense of ‘Black loss’ in South L.A.," by the Los Angeles Times’ Matt Hamilton, Akiya Dillon, Brennon Dixson: “After leaked recordings had exposed Latino council members plotting to consolidate power in a conversation laced with anti-Black tropes, Price was a counterpoint — a veteran Black leader who had forged unity in his majority Latino district.” — "More federal help on the way for Tenderloin fentanyl crackdown, Pelosi announces," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag: “State and local police cracking down on fentanyl dealing in the Tenderloin will get more help from federal law enforcement soon in response to a request from San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker announced Friday.” — "With commuters staying home, transit agencies try to reinvent themselves," by The New York Times’ Soumya Karlamangla: “Weekday ridership on BART is down to 32 percent of what it was before the pandemic began, punctuating a desperate moment for San Francisco. Without daily foot traffic, major retailers are abandoning downtown, and analysts believe the city core has yet to bottom out. Homeless encampments and open drug use have further discouraged visitors, while passengers have complained about safety and a lack of cleanliness.” — "Why ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ will be California’s next abortion battleground," by Cal Matters’ Kristen Hwang: “California legislators have passed a slew of laws to protect abortion rights. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many fear attempting to regulate “crisis pregnancy centers” is legally risky.” — "Column: Barbara Boxer warns progressives to back off on Dianne Feinstein or they may be sorry," opines the Los Angeles Times’ Mark Z. Barabak: “Barbara Boxer was once among the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate, a favorite of progressives, who much preferred her over California’s other Democratic senator, the more staid and centrist Dianne Feinstein. So it’s noteworthy to hear Boxer’s advice for those most fervently wishing that Feinstein, who’s dealing with well-chronicled maladies, would immediately join her in post-Senate retirement.” — "A once-shuttered California mine is trying to transform the rare-earth industry," by Grist’s Maddie Stone: “In arid southeastern California, just across the border from Nevada, sits the only large-scale rare-earth element mine in the Western Hemisphere. Here at Mountain Pass, rocks are dug out of a 600-foot pit in the ground, crushed, and liquified into a concentrated soup of metals that are essential for the magnets inside consumer electronics, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, or EVs.” — "Patients are waiting days for care in some California ERs," by KQED’s Lesley McClurg: “UC Davis Medical Center turned down more than 9,900 transfer requests in a little over a year due to limited capacity, The Los Angeles Times reported. And, a spokesperson for UCSF told KQED that their hospital is nearly always at or over capacity. UCSF declined 41% of the transfer requests it received in the last year.”
| | | | A message from Consumer Action for a Strong Economy:   | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — "Lina Khan rejected FTC ethics recommendation to recuse in Meta case," by Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen: “The Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan declined to recuse herself from an FTC case against Meta Platforms Inc., despite the advice of the agency’s top ethics official, according to internal agency documents.” — "Musk strikes again: Tesla’s win on EV charging could split the industry," by POLITICO’s James Bikales: “Surprise deals that Ford and General Motors have announced with Musk mean that two of the nation’s largest automakers will rely on Tesla’s charging technology for their electric vehicles, pushing the industry toward a de-facto standard in the United States. But just four months ago, the Biden administration endorsed a rival charging technology when setting the rules for companies seeking access to $7.5 billion in federal infrastructure funding.”
| | MIXTAPE | | — "Religious groups protest Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence before Dodgers’ Pride Night," by the Los Angeles Times’ Andrew J. Campa, Saumya Gupta, Sarah Valenzuela and Ruben Vives — "San Francisco Bay Area beaches get F’s for fecal matter," by The San Francisco Standard’s Garrett Leahy — "Judge dismisses lawsuit against ousted DA Boudin," by Mission Local’s Eleni Balakrishnan — "‘Completely decimated this community’: Del Paso Heights is still recovering from 1980s crack cocaine epidemic," by KCRA 3’s Jason Marks — "Surf City politicians want to decide what’s obscene at the local library," by Voice of OC’s Noah Biesiada
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — James Scullary is leaving his post doing comms at Covered California and will transition to CalPERS as their next assistant division chief for news and communications in the office of public affairs.
| | | BIRTHDAYS | | | Amazon’s Kyle Scriven … Tom Zigo of the MPA … Ian Prior WAS MONDAY: Rep. Pete Aguilar … Tom Hoare WAS SUNDAY: MPA’s Rachel Alben … former Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) … Rabbi David Lazar … Scooter Braun … Jonathan Levine … Jeremy Bronson … Wyatt Dietrick WAS SATURDAY: Rep. Scott Peters … Amazon’s Jessica Boulanger … Nora Taktajian of Rep. Doris Matsui’s office … George Akerlof ... Aaron Peskin … Sam Garrett, VP of J&Z Strategies
| | | | A message from Consumer Action for a Strong Economy: Recently, the FDA has taken steps to control and enforce the laws on illegal, foreign-made disposable vapes in kid-friendly flavors, including issuing a Red Alert allowing for the seizure of these products at ports of entry and sending warning letters to several foreign vape manufacturers.
The recent actions taken by the FDA and the Biden administration against these foreign manufacturers are promising first steps. However, words alone won’t suffice. We need the FDA and the Biden administration to go the distance and fully protect American youth from the dangers posed by illegal Chinese-made disposable vapes, especially those enticingly flavored for kids.
Together, we can ensure a safer future for our children and our communities. Tell the FDA to "Finish the Job" and get illegal foreign disposable vapes in kid-friendly flavors off store shelves. Learn more. | | | 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 | | | | |  |
