News: POLITICO California Playbook: JENNER insists she didn’t VOTE in 2020 (Uh, she did) — NEWSOM’s $12B homelessness plan — IG POLL: GAVIN gaining traction

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

POLITICO California Playbook: JENNER insists she didn’t VOTE in 2020 (Uh, she did) — NEWSOM’s $12B homelessness plan — IG POLL: GAVIN gaining traction — PADILLA’s new role

May 12, 2021

By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci and Richard Tzul

THE BUZZ — REALITY BITES, PART II: It's been a rough couple of weeks since Caitlyn Jenner made the official move from reality TV star to gubernatorial candidates. And, it's brutal out there — especially for a newcomer TV star who wants to jump into the piranha pond of CA politics. Because it means constantly confronting one thing that doesn't exist in reality TV: fact-checking.

THE LATEST GAFFE, as Carla reports: Jenner told CNN this week that she never voted for president in the November 2020 election — and opted to hit the golf links instead — because she "couldn't get excited" about casting her vote for any of a dozen measures on the California ballot. It was a head-turning statement for someone seeking support in a recall, no doubt.

Then came the head-scratcher: Los Angeles County records show she actually did cast a ballot last fall. POLITICO reported last month that Jenner did not cast ballots in nearly two-thirds of the elections in which she was eligible since 2000, but 2020 was not one of them.

After Jenner's latest comments to CNN aired Tuesday morning, a representative of the registrar's office reconfirmed to POLITICO that Jenner voted — and provided documentation.

"I didn't even vote," Jenner insisted to Bash, when asked about the 2020 ballot. "Out here in California, it's like, why vote for a Republican president? It's just not going to work. I mean, it's overwhelming."

"I thought the only thing out here in California that I worry about , which affects people, is the propositions that were out there … And I didn't see any propositions that I really had one side or the other,'' she said. "And so it was Election Day and I just couldn't get excited about it. And I just wound up going to play golf and I said, 'I'm not doing that.'"

SO, WHAT WAS ON THAT BALLOT? California voters considered 12 measures in November during a campaign that set new records for overall spending. Proposals affected the future of cash bail, affirmative action, gig workers, rent control and criminal sentencing, among other topics.

Jenner's campaign would not comment on the record when asked about the conflicting accounts Tuesday and only spoke on background.

THAT'S A FIRST: GOP consultant Tim Rosales told POLITICO that he's seen candidates insist they voted, when they haven't. "I've never heard it the opposite way, where somebody said that I didn't vote" and they actually did, he said.

Claremont McKenna's Jack Pitney, a former GOP operative, had this wry assessment: "This is not someone who is serious about public life. If she were, she would know there is a record of who votes — and who doesn't."

CAITLYN STRUGGLES FOR TRACTION… Jenner, whose status as a "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star has afforded her national name identification that bigfoots every other Republican in the governor's race, came up at the bottom of the barrell in the latest UC Berkeley IGS Poll, as Jeremy and Carla report.

Jenner has struggled to articulate a coherent policy vision in her debut TV appearances, offering a mix of conservative talking points and fuzzy policy prescriptions. Political strategists are struggling to see a path to victory for a political neophyte who lacks an established support base in California.

"Maybe she's got tens of millions of dollars in her own bank account, and she can run her own ad campaigns," said Sean Walsh, a Republican strategist who helped guide former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to victory in the 2003 recall. "But no one that I know in the broader base donor community, no one that I know in the broader base political consultant community or the activists, are involved in her campaign."

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. House Republicans just voted this morning to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called a vote on the embattled Wyoming Republican's leadership status.

MORE CA PLAYBOOK — big announcement: Look for the new California Playbook PM in your inbox starting Monday. Just like you read our morning Playbook, Playbook PM by Kevin Yamamura, Victoria Colliver and our top-notch California team will bring you the news you need to know from the Capitol and the campaign trail. It will publish during the height of budget talks and as the recall campaign gains steam, delivering the latest political news from the Golden State.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Why do I feel like it's easier to run in California than it is to vote in Georgia?" — The Daily Show's Trevor Noah responds to Carla and ABC7's Liz Kruetz in his pretty incredible monologue on the California recall this week, in which he describes Newsom as "the only white dude who puts Gorilla Glue on his head."

TWEET OF THE DAY: Juliet Williams @JWilliamsAP: "As Calif governor announces plan to address homelessness, San Diego supe Nathan Fletcher on point: 'Every community group that you go to demands that you solve the problem of homelessness, and then in the exact same meeting they'll demand you don't solve it anywhere near them.'"

WHERE'S GAVIN? On the third day of his "California Comeback Tour," Newsom will be in Monterey County "to announce his proposal for an unprecedented level of school funding.'' The event starts approximately at 1:15 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the CAGovernor Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages.

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TOP TALKERS

DIVORCE FALLOUT — "Bill Gates hiding out at luxe billionaires' golf club in California,'"via Page Six's Emily Smith: "Bill Gates has been hiding from the fallout from his divorce at an ultra-exclusive California golf club for a number of months, according to a source."

A'S OUT? — "Oakland Athletics to start looking at relocating elsewhere, sources say" by ESPN's Jeff Passan: "The A's, who have played in Oakland since 1968, have prioritized building a waterfront stadium in downtown Oakland at the Howard Terminal site. But after years of failed stadium plans -- and weeks after the organization asked for the city council to vote on the $12 billion mixed-use development before its late-July summer recess -- the long-anticipated specter of the A's looking into relocation became a reality on Tuesday."

OUTTA CONTROL — " Tech bros' next move: Private cities without US government control," by the NYPost's Mary K. Jacob: "Their move follows the crippling pandemic, racial tensions and a controversial election — all of which has mounted talk of secession in what was once the tech capital of the world. The Silicon Valley techies are looking to take matters into their own hands by exploring ways to build an apolitical private city run by private residents without US government control."

ROAD TO RECALL

MORE ON THAT POLL: An interesting data point buried in Tuesday's Berkeley IGS poll: registered Democratic voters favor by some 20 points having a fallback Democrat on the Newsom recall ballot, breaking with Team Newsom's adamant belief that Newsom should be the only Dem on there.

And the poll also showed Newsom is stronger on some issues than others: clear majorities of voters think he's doing a poor job on homelessness and housing costs. A clear plurality thinks he's doing a poor job on crime and criminal justice, and slight pluralities see him doing a poor job on schools and on jobs and the economy. The good news: a plurality of voters think he's doing a good or excellent job managing the coronavirus pandemic, and a majority approve of the vaccine rollout. Check out the tabs here.

— Grenell still weighing California recall bid as Republican field grows by POLITICO's Colby Bermel: "I have until about August or September to figure that out," Grenell told Fox News host Sean Hannity when asked if he would enter the race ... "I want to do to California what Stacey Abrams did to Georgia, and I think it's going to take about four years," he added before going on to promote his Fix California political action committee.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL — "There's growing confidence that the worst of COVID-19 is behind California," by the LATimes' Rong-Gong Lin II: "If those forecasts hold fast, California will enter the summer in a better place than many thought. State officials hope to have the economy largely reopened by June 15. And while coronavirus variants caused concerns earlier this year, officials and experts say they have generally been less aggressive than feared and vaccines seem to be offering protection against the various variants."

ALMOST THERE — " Stop fretting about 'herd immunity' — we're close, if not already there," Michael Hiltzik argues in the LATimes: "That's because the level of vaccination in much of the country already has been sufficient to drive the levels of infection steadily lower and foster a consistent reduction in new cases … What's causing confusion, experts say, is that laypersons tend to equate herd immunity with the complete eradication of the virus."

— " Why COVID-19 tests could still cost you $400 in San Diego County," by inewsource's Jill Castellano.

LOOKING UP — "San Mateo County reaches yellow tier," by the Mercury News' Nico Savidge: "Meanwhile Sonoma and Monterey counties, which had been eligible to advance to the yellow tier of the color-coded system that is based on how prevalent coronavirus is locally, found out Tuesday they are staying put."

— "Orange County could move to yellow tier by May 19" by the Orange County Register's Heather McRea.

— "Vaccination appointments open on Thursday to all age 12 and older Californians," by the Mercury News' Lisa M. Krieger.

POLITICO EVENT: More transgender people are getting elected to office at all levels across the country both in blue and red states, running at a time when transgender rights are gaining more attention across the country. On Thursday, May 13, at 1 PM ET, join POLITICO Live for a conversation featuring elected officials who are transgender, discussing their experiences running for and serving in public office. Register here to watch live.

THE 46TH

NEED A RIDE? — "Uber and Lyft will provide free rides to vaccination sites until July 4, Biden says," by the NYTimes' Katie Rogers and Sharon Otterman: "In a meeting with a group of six governors from states ... he detailed other initiatives as well, including an effort to create vaccination sites at community colleges and another to send FEMA officials around the country to encourage residents to receive a shot."

CAMPAIGN MODE

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert's opening message to voters as she runs for attorney general focuses on gun violence. Schubert's first campaign ad is a digital spot arguing incumbent AG Rob Bonta allowed gun crime by voting for law-enforcement-opposed legislation that allowed judges to divert people charged with misdemeanors, including some weapons charges, which would mean they could continue possessing guns. You can watch it here.

CRUSIN' ON FACEBOOK — Ted Cruz bets big on Facebook by POLITICO's Theodoric Meyer: Cruz has plowed more than $240,000 into Facebook advertising since the platform started accepting political ads again two months ago. The only sitting senator who has spent more is Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who forked over $335,000 for ads on the social media giant, according to a POLITICO analysis of Facebook advertising disclosures.

ALEX AT THE TOP — "Booker, Hirono, Padilla to lead DSCC diversity effort," by Roll Call's Bridget Bowman: "Padilla will be seeking a full term next year, when Democrats are defending seats in multiple battlegrounds with diverse populations, including Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. They are also looking to expand their razor thin majority by flipping GOP-held seats in a number of states including Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Republicans need a net gain of just one seat to flip the Senate."

JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON TRANSGENDER POLITICIANS: More transgender people got elected to office at all levels across the country in 2020, in both blue and red states – and that number is likely to continue to grow. During the last year, constituents across America elected six transgender candidates at the state level as transgender rights gain more attention across the country. Join POLITICO Nightly: Daytime Edition for a conversation featuring transgender elected officials as they discuss their experiences running for and serving in public office. REGISTER HERE.

GAVINLAND

— "Facing recall, Newsom uses anti-tax amendment for his own devices," by CalMatters' Ben Christopher: "California is now sitting on $75.7 billion more than the state's fiscal analysts had initially predicted. That historic cash glut triggered an obscure provision in the constitution, known as the Gann limit, which forbids the state from exceeding its 1978 per-person spending level, adjusted for inflation."

— "Gov. Newsom rolls out $12 billion plan to fight homelessness" by LA Daily News' Marisa Kendall: "The cornerstone of Newsom's plan is an effort to use $8.75 billion to create at least 46,000 new homes for unhoused Californians. Of that, $7 billion would be used to expand Homekey — the pandemic initiative that provides funding for cities and counties to convert hotels, dormitories and other buildings into homeless housing."

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

SHOOT TO KILL? — "Is California's new police deadly force law making a difference?" by CalMatters' Byrhonda Lyons And Laurel Rosenhall: "Cases in San Diego and San Leandro will test the stricter standards on when officers can shoot to kill. Training of officers on the new law is inconsistent."

BONTA'S MOVE — "California Department of Justice to form new racial justice bureau, hire 6 attorneys," by the Mercury News' Fiona Kelliher: "The bureau is partially a response to the 'full-blown crisis' of anti-Asian American sentiments and hate crimes over the past year, [Attorney General Rob] Bonta said, as well as national discussions surrounding police violence against Black and brown people. Last spring, California was home to protests up and down the state after a Minnesota police officer murdered Black resident George Floyd."

COP ACCOUNTABILITY — " The Bee is suing Sacramento for police records. Why is the city breaking transparency laws?" by the Sac Bee's Editorial Board: "The city is skirting multiple California laws and withholding hundreds of documents that would illuminate what happened when police officers killed 19-year-old Darell Richards nearly three years ago. Police accounts have conflicted with video footage and audio files, raising questions about the deadly tactics used on a teenager who was allegedly suffering from mental health issues."

RETURN RATE — "How many high school students will come back in the fall? Dismal return rate raises alarms," by the LATimes' Howard Blume: "Even after L.A. Unified instituted some of the most extensive safety measures in the nation, it was not enough for many families still fearful of the pandemic. Others, especially high school students, rejected the strict limitations on movement, instruction, enrichment activities and socializing and opted to stay with distance learning."

— "Efforts to Weed Out Extremists in Law Enforcement Meet Resistance," by the NYTimes' Neil MacFarquhar: "Last month, a police officer in Fresno, Calif., was fired after videos surfaced that showed him supporting the Proud Boys at a protest … Yet when lawmakers in the state recently proposed legislation to give police departments more power to weed out officers with extremist ties, they met resistance."

— "'We don't pay you to think.' Female employee sues California prisons, alleging discrimination," by the Sac Bee's Wes Venteicher: "Pam Payne, 59, of Elk Grove, said in a lawsuit filed Monday that former manager Phil Albee went to great lengths to make her work life miserable, jeopardizing workers' safety and wasting money in the process."

— " Police Commission approves LAPD reform plan, with changing less-lethal use of force a priority," by LA Daily News' Josh Cain.

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "'Instagram Kids': Facebook's building a playground for perverts," by the NYPost's Editorial Board.

— " Pentagon Weighs Ending JEDI Cloud Project Amid Amazon Court Fight," by the WSJ's John D. McKinnon.

— "Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff slammed Facebook for asking its 'Supreme Court' to rule on Trump's suspension: 'This is your company,'" by Insider's Katie Canales.

— "Facebook faces Israel fine for buying companies without consent," from Reuters.

— "Is Fortnite just a game? The answer is crucial to Epic v. Apple." by Protocol's Nick Statt.

— "Facebook's oversight board has upheld Trump's ban — What's next?" by the Verge's Nilay Patel.

HOLLYWOODLAND

GOLDEN NO MORE — "How the Golden Globes Went From Laughingstock to Power Player," by the NYTimes' Nicole Sperling and Brooks Barnes.

CANNABIS COUNTRY

WEED LEAD — "How One California Company Is Training Gen Z To Become Future Cannabis Leaders," by Forbes' Iris Dorbian.

MIXTAPE

— "Los Angeles Turns Toward Free Fares," by Claire Wang in the American Prospect.

— " In midst of rise of hate and racism in Orange County, DA announces new Hate Crimes Unit," by the OC Register's Sean Emery.

— "Rare sight: Odd-looking deep water fish found washed up at Crystal Cove," by the OC Register's Laylan Connelly.

— " California cop killed, another injured while serving search warrant," by the NY Post's Joshua Rhett Miller.

— "Bigger than Pasadena: This Sacramento suburb is one of California's inland hot spots," by the Sac Bee's Molly Sullivan.

— " On the heels of one rare gray wolf's epic journey into California, another arrives," by the LATimes' Lila Seidman.

— "Hollywood Bowl releases 2021 season lineup. Here are the summer concerts you can watch" from ABC7.

IN MEMORIAM

— "Marye Anne Fox, pioneering chancellor at UC San Diego, dies at 73," by the SD Union Tribune's Gary Robbins.

— " Colt Brennan, record-setting QB from Mater Dei High, Saddleback College, dead at 37," by the Mercury News' Dan Albano and Steve Fryer.

BIRTHDAYS

Starbucks' Casey Castello ... Amanda Christine Miller of PayPal … POLITICO's Alexandra Levine … Erica Arbetter of Google … Kevin Fox of Rep. Ro Khanna's office … Derron Parks of Facebook … former state Sen. Lois Wolk … Microsoft's Fred Humphries

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 subscriber-only service offers, click here.

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