DRIVING THE DAY: For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood is dealing with dual strikes after SAG-AFTRA, the union representing movie and TV actors, voted unanimously on Thursday for a work stoppage, which went into effect just after midnight. The actors now join the writers guild, which has been on strike since early May. THE BUZZ — Ronald Reagan once said “if you’re explaining, you’re losing,” and nowhere was that more true than in the California Legislature this week. Days of high drama over a bill that would expand the state’s Three-Strikes Law to include human trafficking notched a rare high-profile win for Republicans, who are usually lucky to get a bill through a committee hearing. They did it by out-maneuvering Democrats and putting them in the uncomfortable position of having to explain why some of their members voted down a bill that would increase penalties for a heinous crime. Some Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee argued that Republican Sen. Shannon Grove’s bill would unnecessarily classify the crime of human trafficking of a minor as a three-strikes offense when it’s already punishable by up to life in prison. Critics also said its wording could unintentionally punish the victims. That argument was lost on Republicans, who quickly seized control of the narrative and backed Democrats into an impossible corner. “You can choose a team,” Republican Assemblymember Heath Flora told his colleagues on the floor Thursday. “Pedophiles or children." The minority party was able to leverage public outrage to draw attention from the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary and Elon Musk. The bill passed the Senate on a 40-0 vote after Grove made a series of amendments to appease progressives. Exhibit A: Sen. Scott Wiener, one of the most liberal senators, voted for it and said Democrats “worked with Senator Grove to focus the bill on children.” He added, “It was a reasonable bill.” All that pressure led to Assembly Democratic leader masking a motion on Thursday to return the bill to the Public Safety Committee, where Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer presided over a quick vote and sent the bill onto the Appropriations Committee, where many expect it to get amended. Members are still at odds over some specific provisions of the bill. And if agreements on amendments aren’t made, there’s a chance it could die in the Appropriations Committee. Jones-Sawyer, talking to reporters after the less-than-one-minute hearing, said he wants to discuss amendments with Grove, but will do everything in his power to get it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The chair lamented the vicious rhetoric from supporters of the bill, which included a huge cadre of far-right internet trolls who accused opponents of being pedophiles. “There are members on this committee, women, whose lives were threatened because of this,” he told reporters. “We can have an honest debate, but, my God, you should not threaten a woman because of her personal feelings or her opinion." Justice reform advocates said nuanced arguments had been totally lost in the commotion. This was also an important test for Speaker Robert Rivas. He might not have created the problem, but he was expected to solve it. Behind the scenes, Rivas played a critical role getting the bill reconsidered, Republican Leader James Gallagher said. Fellow Democrats said it showed he’s following through on his promise to bring leadership to the body. For the first time in his short tenure, Rivas had to intervene for the sake of the caucus. "I think it shows he’s going to be directly involved when things go awry," said Democratic Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva. HAPPY FRIDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Stay cool out there. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — Do you know where lawmakers are traveling for summer recess? Are you Marc Berman? Get in touch! We want all your hot tips, photos and story ideas. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on Twitter — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. SPOTTED: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty wasted no time diving into summer recess — literally. McCarty tweeted a video Thursday afternoon, just a few hours after floor session, showing him backflipping into the Sacramento River from a rope swing. #BeatTheHeat, indeed.
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