Rubber, meet road

Presented by UPS: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

May 18, 2023 View in browser   By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Matthew Brown and Ramon Castanos Presented by UPS THE BUZZ: California lawmakers are moving fast to take homeless people off the streets. How to take care of them, however, poses a much more difficult question. The state is preparing to institute two seismic changes in its approach to people with severe behavioral health problems at a time when nearly every jurisdiction is struggling with a growing homeless population. A bill in the Senate to expand eligibility for conservatorship coincides with the start of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new CARE Court program in a handful of pilot counties, marking some of the most substantial shifts to California’s behavioral health policy in decades. Both have been met with resounding support among Democratic lawmakers and big-city mayors who are facing pressure from constituents to take action on homelessness. But the quickly approaching changes have underscored another urgent problem — a lack of resources to carry them out. Mayors from the 13 largest California cities descended upon the Capitol Wednesday to make their case for sending more money to local governments for housing and support systems. Cities and counties have long used one-time state grants to convert hotels and motels to shelters. Now, mayors are asking for a consistent $2 billion a year. “We simply are not keeping pace with the number of people who are becoming newly homeless,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. Newsom last week unveiled new funding for the CARE Courts program, with extra dollars going toward the judicial system and county behavioral health units. But concern continues to linger about the supply of short-term housing. Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson noted a need for both judges and beds as CARE Courts get underway, saying “we just do not have the facilities to house them ourselves.” A spokesperson for Newsom said his conversation with the mayors focused largely on the governor’s proposal to overhaul a decades-old wealth tax for mental health services and funnel an estimated $1 billion annually toward housing. The governor is planning to put that proposal on the 2024 ballot along with a measure to approve a general obligation bond that would bring in somewhere from $3 billion to $5 billion for residential treatment centers. The mayors’ visit Wednesday coincided with the second meeting of the CARE Act working group, where officials and advocates are working out the logistics ahead of the October start date for the first cohort of counties. Exactly how the program will work and how many it will help are still open questions. Initial estimates put the number of people from 7,000 to 12,000 per year. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said CARE Courts is just part of the puzzle when it comes to combating homelessness and its success could hinge on the proposed new funding for housing — something for voters to decide in 2024. “Judges don't have magic wands ... they're going to have to connect people to that housing and the necessary services,” he said. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. We'll never hold you in suspense, but the appropriations committees might. Lawmakers in both chambers are set to hear dozens of bills today ahead of tomorrow’s fiscal bill deadline. 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.    A message from UPS: UPS has one of the strongest and longest standing promote-from-within cultures of any company in America. In fact, 38,000 part-timers advanced to full-time positions between August 2018 and December 2022. Learn more   WHERE’S GAVIN? In Sacramento talking with CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera this morning at the 97th annual Sacramento Host Breakfast. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I don’t have a medical degree, so I’m not going to comment on how she’s feeling or what she looks like.” California Rep. Pete Aguilar demurring on Sen. Dianne Feinstein's health. TWEET OF THE DAY: J_Gallagher_AD3 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.   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW.     TOP TALKERS — “San Francisco to get record-breaking $230 million from Walgreens amid ‘immense suffering’ of drug epidemic,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s J.D. Morris: “The city will receive settlement funds over a 14-year period, with the first $57 million due by June 2024, City Attorney David Chiu said Wednesday. Most of the settlement — $175 million — will be paid out within eight years, officials said.” — “States near historic deal to protect Colorado River,” by The Washington Post’s Joshua Partlow: “The consensus emerging among these states and the Biden administration aims to conserve about 13 percent of their allocation of river water over the next three years and protect the nation’s largest reservoirs, which provide drinking water and hydropower for tens of millions of people.” CAMPAIGN MODE REPLACING RENDON — Huntington Park Councilmember Karina Macias is dropping out and endorsing Lynwood Councilmember Jose Luis Solache in the race for the safely blue AD-62 seat that Speaker Anthony Rendon is vacating due to term limits. — “Larry Elder fined for failing to disclose income during 2021 gubernatorial recall campaign,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Seema Mehta: “Elder, who was a Los Angeles-based conservative talk-radio host before entering politics, failed to disclose earnings from 10 entities on his statement of economic interest, including Salem Media, Epoch Times and Turning Point USA, according to the state commission.”   A message from UPS:   CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR — “California’s reparations process wasn’t pretty — but could yield important lessons for the rest of the country,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Dustin Gardiner: “Among the remedies the panel recommended: California issue a formal apology for its role in enabling slavery and its many vestiges of white supremacy, and the state make cash payments to those whose ancestors were enslaved. An initial assessment of damages estimated that it could cost up to $1.2 million per person over a lifetime.” — “California lawmakers have tried two approaches to combating the fentanyl crisis. Only one is taking off,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag: “A review of law enforcement and public health data found that while the number of people in federal prison for drug offenses ballooned from 25,000 in 1980 to nearly 300,000 in 2018, it didn’t lead to a significant decrease in drug use. In fact, the review by The Pew Charitable Trusts found “no statistically significant relationship” between drug imprisonment rates and drug use, overdose deaths and drug-related arrests.” — “Dodgers disinvite drag nuns for Pride Night after Catholic backlash,” by Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler: “The Los Angeles Dodgers have chosen to disinvite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to their upcoming Pride Night on June 16, after the Catholic League and Sen. Marco Rubio launched a campaign to get the organization disinvited.”   GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.     BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL OH SCHIFF — The Florida v. California rivalry continues. Sunshine State Rep. Anna Paulina Luna on Wednesday put forth a resolution to expel Los Angeles Rep. Adam Schiff from the House. Luna in a tweet cited Schiff’s work investigating former President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia, saying the congressman used his position on the House Intelligence Committee to “push a lie that ripped apart our country, cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and authorized spying on a US President.” — “Supreme Court says Illinois may ban sale of rapid-fire assault weapons for now,” by the Los Angeles Times’ David G. Savage: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a 2nd Amendment appeal from gun owners and let stand for now an Illinois law banning the sale of the rapid-fire assault weapons that have been used to carry out mass shootings across the country. In an unsigned order with no dissents, the justices rejected an emergency appeal that asked them to block a local ordinance and the state ban from taking effect.” — Newsom chides McCarthy over California water money, by POLITICO’s Camille von Kaenel and Christopher Cadelago: Newsom, who has grown increasingly frustrated over the lack of federal action, is casting Republicans as unwilling to fund critical flood protection in the Central Valley, where record snowmelt has already submerged farms and will continue to threaten communities into the summer, while California steps up to front the money. MIXTAPE — “How migrants rely on TikTok in their journey to the U.S. border,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Marisa Gerber. — “CDC warns of an mpox rebound outbreak this summer,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu. — “California Supreme Court will decide whether UC Berkeley can build housing at People's Park,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko.   A message from UPS: UPS has one of the strongest and longest standing promote-from-within cultures of any company in America. When you offer a path to success for employees, they tend to take you up on it. The result is helping people achieve economic mobility and creating a culture of people who love their work. In fact, 38,000 part-timers advanced to full-time positions between August 2018 and December 2022. And about 55% of our management team started in union jobs. Learn how UPS delivers careers   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   Follow us on Twitter Jeremy B. White @JeremyBWhite Lara Korte @lara_korte POLITICO California @politicoca   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

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