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Presented by Heat Pump Nation Inc.: Inside the Golden State political arena | | | | |  | | By Dustin Gardiner, Lara Korte and Sejal Govindarao | Presented by Heat Pump Nation Inc. | |  State Sen. Scott Wiener rallies with transgender advocates outside the Capitol in Sacramento on March 17, 2022. LGBTQ lawmakers and advocates are pushing back against conservative proposals to out transgender students to their parents. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo | DRIVING THE DAY: Former Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas is set to be sentenced today in federal court. Prosecutors are asking for six years in prison as punishment for seven felonies involving conspiracy, bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud. THE BUZZ — California legislators are confronting LGBTQ rights in a way that might have seemed unimaginable just a handful of years ago. A nationwide wave of anti-transgender bills and rhetoric has come to the state, and Democrats and the governor are deciding how to respond. That tension is expected to play out this week with back-to-back rallies by groups on opposite sides of the debate over trans-inclusive policies in schools. On Monday, a conservative group called “Protect Kids” plans to introduce three ballot initiatives. The initiatives — backed by Republican Assemblymembers Bill Essayli and Joe Patterson — would install a requirement that schools out trans students to their parents, ban trans girls from competing in girls’ sports and ban gender-affirming health care for minors. The initiatives are not likely to qualify for the ballot. It typically takes millions of dollars to qualify a statewide ballot measure, and the committee backing the efforts has less than $1,000 as of June 30. Still, opponents say they feel compelled to fight the measures, especially as conservative school boards across the state have enacted or are considering “forced outing” policies for trans students. On Tuesday, members of the LGBTQ Caucus, advocacy group Equality California and supporters plan to rally against the wave of anti-trans proposals and attacks such as a recent killing of a Southern California shopkeeper who refused to take down a rainbow Pride flag. Democrats are also expected to soon announce a bill to take on school boards that have required staff to tell parents if they learn a student is transgender. Gov. Gavin Newsom has previously said he’s working with legislators on such a measure. Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, the former director of Equality California, said the caucus is pushing back against the notion that outing transgender students is a “parental rights” issue, noting that many LGBTQ young people face abuse if they come out at home. The issue — also the subject of several lawsuits funded by conservative groups — is a challenge to policies California enacted a decade ago to make schools inclusive for trans young people. Guidance from the state Department of Education advises teachers not to out trans students to their parents without their consent. Zbur said legislators want to send a message that “the schools should be doing no harm.” He said they also want to show that California is still a “beacon of hope” for LGBTQ people. Another thing we’re watching this morning: a forthcoming press conference from Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has sent multiple letters and opened an investigation into one of the school districts that adopted a forced outing policy for transgender students.
| | | | A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.: We need a plan NOW to fight the climate crisis and protect our communities from extreme heat. AB 593 directs California to develop a comprehensive emissions reduction strategy for homes and buildings that safeguards low-income households, supports clean energy jobs, and creates resilient communities. Learn more at https://theheatpumpnation.org/california-ab593/. | | | HAPPY MONDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — What’s the big story line for the end of session? Where’s the drama? Let us know. 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.
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A POLITICO ad appears on light rail cars in Sacramento in August 2023. | POLITICO | CAPTION THAT TRAIN — You might have spotted the POLITICO train rolling around Sacramento! It’s all part of our California expansion. CONTEST ALERT: We want your best photos of the POLITICO CA Express in the wild. Share them with your best creative caption using the hashtag #PoliticoCAExpress on “X” (Twitter) or Instagram so we don’t miss them. You can also send them to lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com. The winner will get a MAJOR prize — a VIP admission, including a special POLITICO swag bag, to our Sept. 12 launch event featuring a conversation with Gov. Gavin Newsom (Think open bar featuring specialty Cali Cocktails, tasty nibbles & apps and a chance to rub elbows with California power brokers and Playbookers.). Happy hunting!
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | |  | FRESH INK | | |  Los Angeles public affairs executive Adam Levine was arrested on Thursday. | Obtained by POLITICO | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — BUSH ALUM WOES: Adam Levine, a former George W. Bush White House press official and more recently a public affairs executive in the Los Angeles area, was arrested last Thursday by the LAPD for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer. Levine, a former journalist, is currently chief of staff at the security training company Valletta Industries and is an alum of Mercury, Goldman Sachs and TPG Capital. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office website shows Levine was booked into the Van Nuys jail on a misdemeanor Thursday afternoon and shows $100,000 bond, which he posted. Levine was arrested on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, across the street from the politically connected financial services firm The Change Company, where Levine worked as chief of staff until May. Before joining the Bush White House, where he was an assistant press secretary, Levine was a senior producer at NBC News and a vice president at ABC News. He was also a whistleblower to the Securities and Exchange Commission about one of his former employers, TPG Capital, (Both TPG and Levine filed lawsuits against each other.). Asked for comment, Levine’s attorney, David Lizerbram, said in a statement: “This is a shameless and blatant retaliation against an SEC whistleblower. The Change Company is little more than a subprime lender hiding behind a fraudulent CDFI [Community Development Financial Institution] certification.” The lawyer also raised doubts about the company’s ESG ratings and its securitizations of its loans and said regulators should step in. In a statement, The Change Company, whose board chair is former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, denied retaliating against Levine. “Mr. Levine’s arrest was in no way initiated by Change, but we are hopeful that this development, along with the enforcement of a workplace violence restraining order issued by a judge in April, will help protect our employees and their families. We also hope that Mr. Levine gets the help he clearly needs.” — Daniel Lippman ELDER v. RNC — The Sage of South Central is asking the Federal Election Commission to open an investigation into the Republican National Committee after he was excluded from the first major presidential primary debate. Larry Elder — the longtime radio talk show host, conservative columnist and once-political rival to Gavin Newsom — is among the Republican candidates who didn’t qualify for last week’s debate stage in Milwaukee, leaving him on the sidelines with the rest of America as Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, and five other contenders duked it out for the affections of the American electorate. Elder is claiming the RNC subjectively applied its qualifying standards to candidates, constituting an “in-kind” donation to the select eight and a violation of federal elections law.
| | | | A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.:   | | | | | WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY | | — Retired Chapman University law professor John Eastman won’t get to put his California disbarment proceedings on hold while he faces charges as one of 18 defendants along with former President Donald Trump in the Georgia election interference case. — The mysterious buyers of thousands of rolling undeveloped acres near Fairfield in Solano County turned out to be a passel of Silicon Valley investors — including Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen and Laurene Powell Jobs — and not proxies for a foreign government seeking strategic proximity to Travis Air Force Base as some had suggested. — You don’t say: Not only is Rep. Nancy Pelosi a Deadhead — apparently so was the late Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada.
| | | | 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 — California Professional Firefighters has announced Evan McLaughlin as its political director. McLaughlin has over 20 years of experience and spent his career focused on public affairs across California. He founded McLaughlin Communications Strategy + Advocacy and previously served as vice president of Redistricting Partners. McLaughlin also served as chief of staff to former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez from 2013-2020. WEDDING WATCH — Catherine Rizzoni, a senior associate in the San Francisco office of Latham & Watkins, on Aug. 19 married Spencer Hayles, a manager at Ernst & Young. They met in 2009 at Johns Hopkins University, which Catherine attended and was roommates with Spencer’s sister. They wed at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, U.K. Pic by Natalie Pluck … Another pic BIRTHDAYS — Was Saturday: Oracle’s Josh Pitcock … Jordan Wong of Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-Calif.) office … Marissa Currie
| | | | A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.: Extreme heat is here to stay. California needs a statewide plan to upgrade homes and buildings with clean cooling. AB 593 ensures that Californians can create safe and healthy climate-ready homes and communities.
YES on AB 593 for:
- Relief from extreme heat
- Safeguards for low income households
- Community resilience
- Clean energy jobs
- Lower emissions
- Cleaner air
Learn more at https://theheatpumpnation.org/california-ab593/. | | | 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 | | | | |  |
