Mr. Speaker, are you there?

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Friday Aug 25,2023 01:07 pm
Presented by The Nature Conservancy: Inside the Golden State political arena
Aug 25, 2023 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook

By Lara Korte, Dustin Gardiner and Sejal Govindarao

Presented by

The Nature Conservancy

Newly sworn-in California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, talks with reporters at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Newly sworn-in Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) talks with reporters at the Capitol in Sacramento on Friday, June 30, 2023. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

THE BUZZ — Robert Rivas knew at least 452 days ago that he wanted to be Speaker of the Assembly. But nearly two months into power, the newly appointed leader has spoken little about his policy priorities or how he’ll wield the power of the gavel.

His transition into the role has stretched on so long that it’s practically an extended honeymoon. And with only a few weeks left in the legislative session, lobbyists and Capitol staffers who have also taken note of the quiet start are waiting and waiting to see when he’ll get down to brass tacks.

Rivas staffers and close allies — and we mean literally four! — were quick to try to disabuse us of the notion that Rivas doesn’t have a vision. He’s working behind the scenes, they insist, organizing his fleet before coming back next year with a fully-formed plan. Plus, they claim, his rivals didn’t make the transition smooth or easy.

But they aren’t exactly disputing our central premise, either.

“There’s show horses and workhorses — he’s always been a workhorse,” said Steve Maviglio, a longtime Democratic strategist working with Rivas’ team. “He’s not going to hold a million press conferences. He’s more quiet and hard working.”

Meanwhile, questions still abound: Will he centralize power in his office reclaiming power from committee chairs who had freer rein during the Rendon era? Does he plan to act as a Newsom acolyte or counterweight? Will he carry major policy initiatives, or leave it to his members?

It’s not typical for a speaker to be so selective with his voice — and part of Rivas’ pitch to his fellow lawmakers included more hands-on leadership — but his ascension also came with odd timing and a fragile promise of power.

"It was such a profoundly awkward moment to assume power,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a top Rivas ally.

Even after the caucus agreed to make him Anthony Rendon’s successor last November, there was still fear that Rivas could lose votes or face a counter-coup.

He kept a low profile during most of his transition — avoiding extensive interviews with an eager press corps.

But some lawmakers who are close to him say it’s not all on Rivas. He might have had a better head start for his new job, allies say, had he gotten more support from Rendon during the ramp-up.

"That was the hope for the transition period,” said Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, a close ally. “But it would have taken two actors.”

After taking his oath on June 30, there was hope that Rivas would lay out a more explicit plan. But during an hour-long conversation with the Sacramento Press Club shortly after the inauguration, he continued to dance around specifics, saying he was focused on the work, building relationships and finishing out the session while continuing with the long-term planning and structuring of his office.

Maviglio, a top adviser to three prior Assembly speakers, said all the talk about Rivas’ silence is much ado, adding, “That chatter is mostly coming from lobbyists, not members of the caucus.”

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

Pass a $15B Climate Bond for People and Nature

From drought to megafires, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of catastrophic events in California. While nature can achieve one-third of the greenhouse gas reductions needed to make our climate safer, nature-based solutions are significantly underfunded. But if we take steps now to ensure nature thrives, we can change our state’s trajectory. A well-funded $15 billion climate bond is California’s best path to resilience.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Congrats on making it to the end of another week.

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FRESH INK

A man walks his dog past the entrance to the SoCal Gas Aliso Canyon storage facility in Porter Ranch, Calif.

A man walks his dog past the entrance to the SoCal Gas Aliso Canyon storage facility in Porter Ranch, Calif. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — NEWSOM, U UP? Environmental activists and Porter Ranch residents’ quest to get Newsom’s attention over the proposed expansion of Aliso Canyon reached new levels Friday.

After writing many letters and holding protest marches, Food & Water Action is running a new digital ad campaign ahead of the California Public Utilities Commission’s planned action on the gas storage facility — home to the largest leak in U.S. history.

To try and reach officials directly, the group is geo-targeting both Newsom and PUC members on social media with ads that call the facility a “public health disaster.” The ads include a petition calling on Newsom and the regulators to oppose the expansion.

GOP TO LARA: DO SOMETHING  — Newsom and legislators are in talks about how to fix California’s collapsing wildfire insurance market. But Republicans want to keep the heat on Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, a Democrat who’s charged with regulating the industry. “The insurance industry is broken and only you have the power to fix it — and the responsibility,” state Senate Republicans wrote in a letter.

It’s interesting timing, given that lawmakers are trying to hammer out a deal before the end of the legislative session. The GOP senators asked Lara to authorize rate increases and the use of forward-looking rate models that take increased risk of natural disasters into account, which POLITICO’s Camille von Kaenel reports are both under consideration in the Capitol.

 

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

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WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY

“Orange County mass shooter identified as ex-cop targeting estranged wife, sources say,” by the Los Angeles Times’ staff: “A gunman who killed three people Wednesday night at a beloved local bar in Trabuco Canyon and wounded six others — including his estranged wife — was a former police officer, according to officials.”

“‘Brazen’: How notorious S.F. engineer at heart of City Hall scandal hid corruption in plain sight for years,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s St. John Barned-Smith: “Cutting through city bureaucracy to get building permits is so time-consuming and expensive that it fosters corruption that’s likely to continue, critics say.”

 

GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.

 
 
Playbookers

TRANSITIONS — Oliver Edelson is now legislative director for Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.). He was senior legislative assistant for Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.).

BIRTHDAYS — Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) … former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) … Lennon Duggan Maria Nation

SATURDAY: Assemblymember Liz Ortega

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

Nature’s Future Is Our Future

Without intervention, the cost of climate change to California is estimated to reach $113 billion annually by 2050 (CNRA’s Fourth Climate Assessment). By harnessing the climate change fighting power of nature, we can curb these costs. But in order for this to happen, we must invest in nature.

With the reality of state budget cuts, California needs to lock down a stable, long-term source of funding for nature-based climate solutions to protect our planet before it’s too late. In order to make this happen, California needs a climate bond. If we fail to invest in nature, we will lose one of the most important allies in our battle with climate change.

California Legislature: A $15 billion climate bond is essential to funding the nature-based solutions needed to protect our planet.

 

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.

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