News : The call is coming from inside the house

Thursday, April 20, 2023

The call is coming from inside the house

Apr 20, 2023

By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Matthew Brown and Ramon Castanos

Presented by

THE BUZZ: Fiery debate over a bill about lobbying reform has reignited concerns this week about how the state treats workers often critical to its function — legislative staff.

Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Fremont) is looking to pass a bill that would impose job limitations on former staff similar to those placed on lawmakers. Specifically, SB 573 would prohibit certain legislative staffers from taking a job in a lobbying firm for one year after leaving the Capitol. Wahab argues such a policy would protect the integrity of the legislative process and prevent high turnover, but opponents say it unfairly restricts workers who may have little other opportunity outside of a legislative position.

The bill has reignited conversations about the meager pay (and, sometimes, poor treatment) legislative staff receive — issues that are central to the ongoing push for staff unionization.

Uneasy rumblings about the bill were already percolating among some staff early this week. Then, things got contentious at a committee hearing Tuesday when Wahab suggested that opponents, including the leaders of a group born out of the #MeToo movement, We Said Enough, were using survivors as "a prop to not have lobbying reform."

That set off a wave of outrage from staffers, survivors and lawmakers who called Wahab’s remarks an unacceptable public attack. In a tweet, We Said Enough said it is exploring legal options for the two women who testified in opposition, former-staffers-turned lobbyists Samantha Corbin and Alicia Benavidez. Nevertheless, the bill passed out of the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

A spokesperson for Wahab sent us a prepared statement on the incident, saying the senator supports victims and survivors of sexual assault, harassment and abuse. She “respects everyone’s right to speak their truth on matters that impact them,” the statement said, and hopes “to continue to engage with the opponents of this bill.”

Wahab’s comments caught the attention of Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, who was part of the legislature’s #MeToo movement in 2017 and this year is championing the bipartisan bill that would allow staff to form a union. McKinnor said she found Wahab’s comments disturbing and added that such a bill would have the opposite of the intended effect and “stop people from even wanting to work here.”

"This is an important job,” she said. “We need our staff here."

BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Happy 4/20 to those who observe. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel is giving a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in Simi Valley tonight, talking about the future of conservatism and the Republican Party.

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

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There are three people, at least, who are running for that seat. And they’re all pretty darn good. I think California should recognize, wow, that is a cornucopia of talented people who can represent us. All of them would be fantastic and I’m really looking forward to it.” Former presidential candidate Tom Steyer weighing in on Sen. Dianne Feinstein's situation in an interview with POLITICO’s Debra Kahn.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

maxpcohen

WE’RE HIRING — POLITICO is embarking on an exciting expansion in the Golden State and looking for another journalist to join our growing team as a California Playbook author. More in the job description here.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

TOP TALKERS

— “He’s rich. He’s pugilistic. And he’s quietly paying to get Gavin Newsom’s attention, by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago: Michael Weinstein, a polarizing nonprofit honcho from Los Angeles, is paying roving pamphleteers $2 for every signature they get for it, according to copies of the nonprofit’s correspondence obtained by POLITICO and interviews with people familiar with the strategy.

HOLDING PATTERN — Alito extends reprieve for abortion pill access, maintaining status quo for 2 more days, by POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein and Josh Gerstein: As is customary with such orders, Alito offered no explanation for his decision, but extending the hold signals that the justices need additional time to decide whether to allow a set of sweeping restrictions on the drug, mifepristone, to take effect as a result of lower court decisions. The justices are mulling whether a ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals should go into effect or whether it should be blocked while further appeals proceed.

A message from Airlines for America:

CAMPAIGN MODE

— “Sacramento's mayoral race has its first candidate. Who is she and what are her plans?” by The Sacramento Bee’s Mathew Miranda: “Flojaune Cofer, former chairwoman of the Measure U Committee and a progressive organizer, on Wednesday became the first candidate to throw her name in the 2024 Sacramento mayoral race. Cofer, an epidemiologist, got her start in Sacramento politics while leading that citizen commission tasked with helping decide how to spend millions of dollars in sales tax money.”

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— RJR uses California as test market for skirting upcoming national menthol cigarette ban, by POLITICO’s Katherine Ellen Foley and Rachel Bluth: Sales of cigarettes that mimic menthol are soaring in California after the state outlawed most flavored tobacco — a sign that the industry is undermining the new law and raising doubts about the Biden administration’s plans to ban menthol cigarettes later this year.

— “After the deluge: Floods may taint more drinking water in California,” by CalMatters’ Alastair Bland: “The Huttens’ community in the Salinas Valley, one of the nation’s most productive farm areas, is just one of many towns in California plagued by nitrate contamination of drinking water. For decades, high levels have contaminated groundwater basins throughout the state — especially in disadvantaged farm communities in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — as well as much of the world.”

— “‘A disaster waiting to happen’: Do staff shortages threaten Medi-Cal plans for renewing recipients?” by The Sacramento Bee’s Adam Echelman and Cathie Anderson: “The end of so-called continuous coverage will come over a rolling 12-month period, based on the last date when a Medi-Cal enrollee’s eligibility was determined. If enrollees don’t submit the proper documentation by time their eligibility month ends, they will lose their benefits.”

— “Climate bills on fossil fuel divestment, emissions disclosure make headway,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Ari Plachta: “Proposals that would require corporations doing business in the state to divulge their carbon emissions and financial risk from climate change will progress. Another major bill to bar state pension funds from investing in fossil fuel firms passed two key committees.”

— “Kevin Kiley says Julie Su would bring California's labor chaos to the nation,” by The Sacramento Bee’s David Lightman: “Julie Su’s ascension to U.S. labor secretary would be the “final front” in imposing failing, harmful California labor law on an unwilling nation, Rep. Kevin Kiley warned Wednesday. The Rocklin Republican chaired a hearing of his workforce protections subcommittee and stressed how the state’s 3-year-old employee rights law, referred to as Assembly Bill 5, has badly hurt independent contractors’ ability to find work.”

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BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— “White House urges patience as Sen. Feinstein's absence leaves judicial agenda in jeopardy,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Courtney Subramanian: “It is her decision to make when it relates to anything about her future,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. “It is flat wrong to seek partisan advantage from the health issues of a colleague.”

A message from Airlines for America:

Did you know? U.S. airlines transport more than 2 million passengers and 65,000 tons of cargo per day while contributing just 2 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. And we aren’t stopping there. U.S. airlines are continuously investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines, developing sustainable aviation fuel and implementing more efficient procedures – both in-flight and on the ground – to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In fact, U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by more than 135% between 1978 and 2021, saving over 5.5 billion metric tons of CO₂. That’s like taking more than 28 million cars off the road every year for over 40 years! Learn more: Airlines Fly Green | Airlines For America.

MIXTAPE

— “Striking before-and-after satellite photos show the great California snowmelt underway,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Terry Castleman.

— “L.A. County warns of possible $3-billion hit to budget from sex abuse claims,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Rebecca Ellis.

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.

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.

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