| | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte and Sejal Govindarao | Presented by Advanced Energy United | EXCITING NEWS! We’re expanding our impact and influence by the day in California, and we’re excited to announce a new wave of hires and moves focused on key pillars of POLITICO’s California strategy: Strengthening our flagship California Playbook franchise for a new era of growth, turbo-charging our political and policy reporting in Sacramento and launching distinctive new coverage in Los Angeles. Dustin Gardiner, now with the San Francisco Chronicle, is signing on as a co-writer of California Playbook, where he'll work closely with Lara Korte to keep Sacramento wired and make Playbook even more vital for our influential audience across the state. Melanie Mason comes to POLITICO from the Los Angeles Times. She'll plant a flag in the state's biggest city as our new senior political reporter covering politics, power and influence in Los Angeles. And Jeremy B. White is transitioning from Playbook to a new role as a senior reporter covering the intersection of politics and policy in the California Legislature, including the influence of organized labor and ballot initiatives. More below on this news. THE BUZZ: A Republican who targeted Rep. Adam Schiff’s finances probably boosted his Senate bank account. The Los Angeles Democrat escaped a congressional censure attempt unscathed Wednesday. A bipartisan House bloc rejected Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s proposal to penalize Schiff for his leading role investigating former President Donald Trump and fine him millions of dollars, with 20 Republicans — including half of those from California — joining Democrats to thwart Luna on the floor. The comfortable 225-196 vote was an anticlimactic ending to weeks of heated rhetoric — and Schiff’s Senate campaign made the most of it. More than a dozen Schiff for Senate fundraising pitches invoked Luna’s crusade in the past month. They struck an urgent tone — “with this GOP majority, this vote could actually pass,” blared an email that hit inboxes 10 minutes before the failed vote — but all used Luna’s attacks to reinforce Schiff’s foundational campaign message: He’s the man to continue the battle for democracy. The Republican vitriol proves it. During the Trump years, Schiff antagonized Republicans and enthralled Democrats as a public face of the resistance and an impeachment manager. His fundraising surged. He has cast his Senate campaign as a continuation of his fight against MAGA authoritarianism. Luna targeted Schiff “because no one in Congress has been more effective than I have at holding her dear leader Donald Trump accountable,” an email told supporters, and “I will continue to protect our democracy as California’s next senator.” It's politically advantageous to have the right enemies. Schiff suggested as much in a letter to House colleagues urging them to rebuff Luna’s resolution, writing of his foes that he was “honored” to “have earned their enmity,” and he trumpeted it in a tweet as a “badge of honor.” Yet for all Schiff’s efforts to contain Trump, they’ll likely share a ballot come March as the former president continues to lead the Republican presidential field despite his legal woes. How does Schiff feel about that? It’s complicated. On the one hand, Trump’s continued primacy sharpens Schiff’s message about threats to civic order. “The concerns over democracy become elevated the more he is back on the stage, once again a threat,” Schiff said in an interview last month, “and that becomes a deeply motivating factor.” But Schiff pronounced himself “terrified” of a second Trump term and said he’d prefer a different GOP nominee, even if they’re tougher to beat. “The terrible truth is (Trump) could win,” Schiff said, “and would just be curtains for our democracy.” Schiff can genuinely dread Trump’s re-ascension and benefit from it politically. The era beginning in 2016 bound the two in a garment of mutual contempt. Their fates may intertwine again in 2024. Until then, Trump and his acolytes look to be a fixture of Schiff’s Senate campaign.
SPEAKING OF SENATE: Schiff could soon have more competition. A Silicon Valley executive has assembled a team of campaign veterans and committed to spending a “significant” sum as she dips her toe into the water — potentially scrambling the math for the three House Democrats vying for two general election spots. POLITICO's Christopher Cadelago has the story.
BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. It’s Budget Day! So says the constitution, which sets a June 15 deadline for lawmakers to approve a fiscal blueprint or forfeit their pay. That means floor votes, but the larger compromise with the governor — that is to say, the actual budget deal — is yet to come. Here’s the LAO on where they differ. 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 Advanced Energy United: The climate crisis demands action, but we aren’t moving fast enough. It’s time for California to get to work and build our clean energy future, faster. California needs to expand clean energy at a record-breaking pace over the next couple decades, including upgrading and building the transmission lines necessary to electrify buildings and vehicles while delivering reliable and affordable energy. Learn more here. | | | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Every time there is a new scandal, I recognize that there are going to be people who are going to lose confidence not just in this institution but in government as a whole. And all of those in government have to fully realize that, and realize that as confidence is lost, so is the integrity of democracy.” Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian on yet another L.A. pol’s indictment. CROWDSOURCING: Californians: Have you asked Sens. Dianne Feinstein or Alex Padilla for help recently? Send us your receipts.
| | | | PLAYBOOK TRIVIA NIGHT! Think you know a lot about politics? PROVE IT! Compete in California Playbook’s inaugural Trivia Night. Grab a drink, kick back, and put your knowledge on display! Join top political power players on Wednesday, June 21st at Fox & Goose Public House for a night of fun and competition that you won’t want to miss. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | ARRIVALS DEPT — "Texas governor sends migrants to Los Angeles, aiming to send a message about border," by POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: “(Florida Gov. Ron) DeSantis and (Texas Gov. Greg) Abbott have defended their migrant relocation programs by saying border towns have become overwhelmed by new arrivals. They have also used them to taunt blue states that have enacted policies extending services and protections.” — "Newsom and Texas sheriff 'compare notes' on possible DeSantis prosecution," by FOX 11’s Elex Michaelson: “California Governor Gavin Newsom met with Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, Texas, to "compare notes" on possible criminal charges against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.”
| | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | — "Barbara Lee says she voted against Abraham Accords bill by mistake," by Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod: “After being just one of 13 House members to vote against a bill establishing an ambassador-level special envoy to promote the Abraham Accords, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said that vote was in error.”
| | | | A message from Advanced Energy United:   | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — "‘Down to our last dimes’: State workers say California paychecks no longer cover the bills," by Cal Matters’ Jeanne Kuang: “When Tammy Rodriguez landed a job with the California Department of Motor Vehicles 27 years ago, she felt like she had “struck gold.” It was her first job, she said, and she felt secure knowing she was earning not just a salary, but a pension for later in life.” — "‘Pretty staggering’: Thousands of California police officers could be stripped of their badges under new law," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag: “California’s police standards commission is bracing to decertify or suspend 3,000 to 3,500 police officers each year for serious misconduct under a new state law, according to estimates from the commission.” — "Skid Row receivership in danger of financial collapse, leaving 1,500 tenants at risk," by the Los Angeles Times’ Liam Dillon and Doug Smith: “The receivership overseeing the welfare of 1,500 tenants in Skid Row is verging on insolvency, unable to borrow money and piling up $1.7 million in unpaid bills.” — "San Diego City Council narrowly approves ban on camping in public," by inewsource’s Cody Dulaney: “The City Council voted 5-4 late Tuesday night to make it illegal to camp citywide if shelter beds are available, and anytime, regardless of shelter availability, near schools, parks, transit hubs and along waterways.”
| | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | | — "Joe White is leading the British charm offensive in Silicon Valley," by POLITICO’s Brendan Bordelon: “In the glass-lined corner of a skyscraper just off Market Street, Joe White is trying to pull off one of the newest and trickiest diplomatic jobs in America: the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Silicon Valley.”
| | | MIXTAPE | | | — "P-22, whose death came after a car hit him, was already critically ill, necropsy shows," by the Los Angeles Times’ Nathan Solis — "HCD to La Cañada Flintridge: You’re violating state law on builder’s remedy," by the Real Deal’s Trevor Bach — "Weapons expert in Alec Baldwin case was likely hungover on set, prosecutors say," by the Los Angeles Times’ Meg James — "El Niño typically means wet California winters. These charts show what might be in store," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jack Lee
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | | | WHAT’S HAPPENING AT POLITICO: California Playbook was our first entry point into the state in 2015, and we’re now looking to bolster it for our next chapter with a sharpened mandate and fresh ideas. To do that, we’re very pleased to welcome Dustin Gardiner as the new co-author of our flagship newsletter on Golden State politics. A Utah native, Dustin has covered the state Capitol and California politics for the San Francisco Chronicle for more than four years, including the housing crisis, climate change and social inequities; he also did a stint in Washington for the paper, covering California's congressional delegation during President Trump's first impeachment. Prior to moving to California, Dustin spent a decade with The Arizona Republic, where he covered state and city politics. He'll work closely with Lara Korte to keep Sacramento wired and make Playbook even more vital for our influential audience across the state. Outside of work, Dustin enjoys running, camping, reading fiction and exploring Northern California and is a member of NLGJA, the association of LGBTQ journalists. He’ll start in early July. Los Angeles — and southern California more broadly — are key to our long-term ambitions in California, and we’re wasting no time in planting a flag in the nation’s vast and diverse second-largest city. We are thrilled to share that Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times will be our new senior political reporter covering politics, power and influence in Los Angeles. From the moment we started talking to Melanie, it was clear that her experience, talents and ambitions were a great match for this moment at POLITICO. Before her current job reporting on state and national politics for the Times, Melanie spent nearly six years covering the state Capitol in Sacramento (and two years in the D.C. bureau) — giving her the kind of sophisticated understanding of state political dynamics that our readers crave. (A good example is the profile of Kevin de León, which was part of the Los Angeles Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning package — which faced some fierce competition, you may recall — this past spring.) Melanie’s mission will be bringing the power players and political characters of Los Angeles — and, often Orange County and San Diego — to life for our state and national readers, from City Hall to the Board of Supervisors to Los Angeles’ powerful donor class. A Georgetown graduate who did J-school at Berkeley, Melanie also has POLITICO roots — she was a member of the first class of POLITICO interns back in 2009. Melanie was born and raised in Los Angeles and has the L.A. sports allegiances to prove it. She’ll start on July 5. And last but far from least: As we create an even higher-octane political reporting operation in Sacramento, Jeremy B. White is taking on a new role as a senior reporter covering the intersection of politics and policy in the California Legislature, including the influence of organized labor and ballot initiatives. One of POLITICO’s most versatile reporters, Jeremy has co-authored California Playbook for the past five years — he’s a household name among our readers — even while being our go-to California writer on a wide array of political and policy coverage, from the bitter speakership fight in the state Assembly to the failed recall of Gavin Newsom. Now, we’re asking Jeremy to help us produce even deeper and more distinctive journalism that peels back the curtain on the dynamics at play and the central characters in the Sacramento policy and political drama. It’s a space where Jeremy thrives, and we’re excited to have him in this role, where he’ll work closely with all of our reporters, editors Katy Murphy and Ben Fox and Chris Cadelago, who officially started as our California bureau chief a few weeks ago. Stay tuned for more on our California plans in the coming weeks. BIRTHDAYS: Former House Majority Whip Tony Coelho … Rebecca Rutkoff
| | | | A message from Advanced Energy United: California can keep our grid affordable and achieve our climate ambitions. To do so, we must get to work removing roadblocks to new in-state clean energy infrastructure and speed up our interconnection process. Building our clean energy future faster will pave the way for substantial new jobs and private investment while also maximizing California’s ability to put federal funding to work. California’s leadership in the West is critical as we pave the way to a 100% clean energy system, strengthen our electric grid and prepare for the future. Learn more here. | | | 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 | | | | 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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