News : Now, onto the California climate agenda

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Now, onto the California climate agenda

Aug 09, 2022

By Lara Korte , Jeremy B. White and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by SEIU California

THE BUZZ: Move over, Congressional Dems, it's California's turn to take big swings on climate change.

Efforts to transition the nation's most populous state away from fossil fuels have already led to some fiery discourse in Sacramento this year, and now have the potential to be the biggest points of action in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Here's where we last left off: Lawmakers in June passed a $4.3 billion spending package meant to shore up the state's ability to provide energy to its 40 million residents. A portion of that money is destined for clean energy projects, but environmental groups and some Democrats took serious issue with a $2.2 billion "Strategic Electricity Reliability" fund, introduced by Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration. It allows the state to buy additional power from gas-powered plants in the not-so-unlikely event the grid buckles under the weight of heatwaves and wildfires. Critics of the fund argue California should be able to keep the lights on while also cutting off its reliance on fossil fuel, a goal that may be easier said than done.

But lawmakers still have another $3.8 billion to spend on energy before the end of the month. Environmental advocates hope to use that money to speed up California's transition to renewable energy — and Newsom has indicated he's amenable.

The tension between grid reliability and clean energy will be the subject of a hearing this morning in the Senate Subcommittee on Clean Energy Future, chaired by Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park). The subcommittee will hear from energy and clean power experts, including the California Independent System Operator, as it looks for an "initial policy toolkit of renewable solutions to maintain grid reliability."

Something important to keep an eye on: the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. The plant provides nearly a tenth of California's electricity and is on track to shutter in 2025. In light of the recent strains on the grid, however, Newsom and others have suggested it might be appropriate to extend its life . The California Energy Commission is hosting a workshop on Friday where federal, state and local attendees will discuss the role Diablo Canyon could play in supporting mid-term reliability and what would need to happen to extend the plant's operating license "for a limited term." Representatives from the governor's office are scheduled to attend.

Grid reliability, of course, is just one piece of the giant puzzle that is California's climate change spending, which is set to reach $54 billion over five years. As Jeremy scooped last week , Newsom stopped by Democratic caucuses in both the Assembly and Senate to talk about his climate priorities, which, according to a document we obtained, includes codifying the state's carbon neutrality goal into law, establishing setbacks for new oil wells and creating a clear regulatory framework for carbon capture and sequestration.

Environmental activists seized on the news of Newsom's visit to the Capitol to further press him on their priorities. As POLITICO's Camille von Kaenel reports, ten groups on Friday sent the governor and legislative leaders a letter praising his call for bolder action. The groups haven't always seen eye to eye, so this unusual consensus around the proposal could add pressure on lawmakers to act.

Speaking of pressure : Activists led by Environment California will gather on the west steps of the Capitol around lunchtime today to urge the state to follow Congress' lead in taking bold climate action.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. As if you need more things to watch — this afternoon at 1:30 p.m, we recommend keeping an eye on an informational hearing from the Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response, where lawmakers will parse out lessons learned from Covid and how to prepare California for the next pandemic (knock on wood).

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte .

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "For those of you who follow Twitter, there's a misconception out there that we don't actually take public testimony on the bills. Well we do. When we do the suspense calendar on Thursday, we have already taken public testimony on all of the bills." Senate Appropriations Chair Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) prefacing another round of sending bills to the suspense file on Monday.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Rep. @tedlieu reflects on former President Donald Trump's golf course at Mar-a-Lago being searched by the FBI: "It is a horrible precedent for the Department of Justice to investigate a former President of the United States. The only worse precedent would be for @TheJusticeDept not to investigate because the person happens to be a former President. No one is above the law."

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from SEIU California:

Multi-billion dollar fast-food corporations like McDonald's, Jack in the Box and Burger King are making massive profits off of a rigged model that pressures small business franchisees to cut corners, often at the expense of workers. California has an opportunity to give a voice to fast-food workers and local franchisee operators with AB 257 and reform an industry that puts working families, small business franchisees, and taxpayers at the mercy of global fast food corporations.

TOP TALKERS

— " Their town was polluted with radioactive waste. Now, they may lose their homes ," by the Los Angeles Times' Mark Olalde and Maya Miller: "The "death map" tells the story of decades of sickness in the small northwest New Mexico communities of Murray Acres and Broadview Acres. Turquoise arrows point to homes where residents had thyroid disease, dark blue arrows mark cases of breast cancer, and yellow arrows mean cancer claimed a life."

HOUSING-FIRST BRAIN — " Could this COVID program help reduce the California housing crisis? " by CalMatters' Manuela Tobias and Jeanne Kuang: "An emergency housing voucher program offers improvements to the decades-old federal solution to the housing affordability crisis, but landlord reluctance remains a crucial hurdle."

CAMPAIGN MODE

— " Why is Lyft bankrolling this California ballot measure on electric cars? " by the San Francisco Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "The company's involvement has divided Democrats who otherwise tend to be aligned over the state's ambitious goals to reduce heat-trapping emissions that exacerbate climate change. Many environmentalists and building labor groups support the measure, while Gov. Gavin Newsom and the teachers unions oppose it."

ASKING THE REFEREE — " Prop 26: NAACP sues over 'misleading' sports betting ballot measure language ," by the Mercury News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn: "The civil rights organization contended the statement is 'false and/or misleading' since the group does, in fact, support Prop 26. It also said the NAACP bylaws prohibit local branches from taking positions contrary to that of the state group."

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CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— " Californians are staying infected with the coronavirus for a long time. Here's why ," by the Los Angeles Times' Rong-Gong Lin II and Luke Money: "But even typical, longer isolation periods carry very real effects, such as keeping people away from family and friends and out of work. While it may be disruptive, isolating is intended to stymie the spread of the coronavirus."

AGAINST THE TIDES — " Water wars in a drying California: New money vs. old power in San Joaquin Valley ," by the Mercury News' Lisa M. Krieger and Veronica Martinez: "What started as a dispute about a tube of plastic under a muddy ditch is escalating into a bitter legal fight between the two multimillion-dollar businesses, pitting old power against new money and ambition."

— " A state program to provide children's hearing aids for uninsured families falls short ," by CalMatters' Elizabeth Aguilera: "A program intended to provide hearing aids and services to thousands of children without health insurance has delivered devices to only a tiny fraction of those who need them. Parents complain the application process is cumbersome, while doctors say the state is reimbursing slowly or not at all."

WHERE DID THEY GO? — " These charts show exactly where San Francisco's wealthiest people moved in the pandemic ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susie Neilson: "Previously the Chronicle reported that because of San Francisco's steep population loss — the city lost 4.5% of individuals listed on tax returns, or 39,000 people, according to the IRS data — people who left San Francisco by the time they filed their 2019 tax returns took about $10.6 billion with them, while people entering the city made just $3.8 billion in total, a net loss of nearly $7 billion."

— " California fast-food worker pay falls 'far below a living wage,' report says ," by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's Kevin Smith: "The findings from the schools' Shift Project also show they are more likely to have unpredictable schedules, with most employees working fewer hours than they'd prefer. The study was not paid for by the fast-food industry but rather based on a survey of employees in the field."

— " California will soon start giving kids free money for college. Here's what families need to know ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Kathleen Pender: "It will enroll about 3.4 million school-age children at the outset, plus an estimated 450,000 newborns annually. That's more than the 1.2 million children enrolled in all the other 123 programs combined at year end, said Shira Markoff, a policy fellow at Prosperity Now."

— " Can COVID rapid tests really detect if you're contagious with new omicron variants? " by the San Francisco Chronicle's Annie Vainshtein: "Rapid antigen tests may generally give a good indication of whether an infected individual is contagious, but as has been the case throughout the pandemic, they are not foolproof."

— " Sutter Health screwed up paychecks, shorted thousands of workers on wages, unions say ," by the Sacramento Bee's Cathie Anderson: "Angeline Sheets, Sutter's director of media relations and social strategy, said the company recently implemented a new system for human resources and payroll."

A message from SEIU California:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— " Abortion rights activists want a national leader. Is Kamala Harris up to the job? " by the Los Angeles Times' Noah Bierman: "The moment offered a glimpse of potential for Harris, who has tried to turn a crisis for Democrats — the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, ending the constitutional right to abortion — into a political opportunity."

HOLLYWOODLAND

POPULISM AT THE EMMYS — " Despite 'Yellowstone' Snub, Popularity Is a Priority at the Emmys ," by Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg: "Although they've never drawn the viewership that flocked to the Oscars at their peak, the Emmys are fundamentally a more mainstream show."

MIXTAPE

— " Kamala Harris made history — so her husband did, too ," by the 19th's Jennifer Gerson.

— " 10-year-old shines at Green Day's emotional Outside Lands homecoming in SF ," by SFGate's Amy Graff.

— " Here's how Bay Area bakeries are keeping croissant prices stable despite inflation ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Caleb Pershan and Yuri Avila.

DO DREAMS COME TRUE? — " Uncertainty spreads as Disneyland Magic Keys expire for annual passholders ," by SFGate's Julie Tremaine.

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TRANSITIONS

— Lindsay Reilly has been promoted to be deputy communications director for Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.).

IN MEMORIAM

— " Olivia Newton-John, Pop Singer and 'Grease' Star, Dies at 73 ," by the New York Times' Jim Farber.

BIRTHDAYS

Jake Elitzer … Bill Burton … Robert Traynham

A message from SEIU California:

Raising standards in the fast food industry matters for all Californians. Despite working for global corporations that earn billions of dollars in profits, fast food workers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as other workers in the state. More than two-thirds of California fast-food workers are on safety net programs at a cost to taxpayers of $4 billion a year. AB 257 comes at a critical time as income inequality soars and the disparate impact of the pandemic have put women and workers of color further behind. The choice couldn't be any clearer for Democrats: stand with fast-food workers and working families over corporations. Create a more just and more equitable economy with AB 257.

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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