Dems get caught in traffic

Presented by CCIA: Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Jul 14, 2023 View in browser   By Lara Korte, Dustin Gardiner and Sejal Govindarao Presented by CCIA Democratic Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer speaks to reporters in Sacramento on Thursday, July 13, 2023. Jones-Sawyer said he is committed to passing a Republican bill that would increase penalties on child traffickers. But he said he will seek changes to make sure the bill doesn't inadvertently punish victims or disproportionately impact people of color. (AP Photo/Adam Beam) | Adam Beam/Associated Press DRIVING THE DAY: For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood is dealing with dual strikes after SAG-AFTRA, the union representing movie and TV actors, voted unanimously on Thursday for a work stoppage, which went into effect just after midnight. The actors now join the writers guild, which has been on strike since early May. THE BUZZ — Ronald Reagan once said “if you’re explaining, you’re losing,” and nowhere was that more true than in the California Legislature this week. Days of high drama over a bill that would expand the state’s Three-Strikes Law to include human trafficking notched a rare high-profile win for Republicans, who are usually lucky to get a bill through a committee hearing. They did it by out-maneuvering Democrats and putting them in the uncomfortable position of having to explain why some of their members voted down a bill that would increase penalties for a heinous crime. Some Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee argued that Republican Sen. Shannon Grove’s bill would unnecessarily classify the crime of human trafficking of a minor as a three-strikes offense when it’s already punishable by up to life in prison. Critics also said its wording could unintentionally punish the victims. That argument was lost on Republicans, who quickly seized control of the narrative and backed Democrats into an impossible corner. “You can choose a team,” Republican Assemblymember Heath Flora told his colleagues on the floor Thursday. “Pedophiles or children." The minority party was able to leverage public outrage to draw attention from the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary and Elon Musk. The bill passed the Senate on a 40-0 vote after Grove made a series of amendments to appease progressives. Exhibit A: Sen. Scott Wiener, one of the most liberal senators, voted for it and said Democrats “worked with Senator Grove to focus the bill on children.” He added, “It was a reasonable bill.” All that pressure led to Assembly Democratic leader masking a motion on Thursday to return the bill to the Public Safety Committee, where Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer presided over a quick vote and sent the bill onto the Appropriations Committee, where many expect it to get amended. Members are still at odds over some specific provisions of the bill. And if agreements on amendments aren’t made, there’s a chance it could die in the Appropriations Committee. Jones-Sawyer, talking to reporters after the less-than-one-minute hearing, said he wants to discuss amendments with Grove, but will do everything in his power to get it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The chair lamented the vicious rhetoric from supporters of the bill, which included a huge cadre of far-right internet trolls who accused opponents of being pedophiles. “There are members on this committee, women, whose lives were threatened because of this,” he told reporters. “We can have an honest debate, but, my God, you should not threaten a woman because of her personal feelings or her opinion." Justice reform advocates said nuanced arguments had been totally lost in the commotion. This was also an important test for Speaker Robert Rivas. He might not have created the problem, but he was expected to solve it. Behind the scenes, Rivas played a critical role getting the bill reconsidered, Republican Leader James Gallagher said. Fellow Democrats said it showed he’s following through on his promise to bring leadership to the body. For the first time in his short tenure, Rivas had to intervene for the sake of the caucus. "I think it shows he’s going to be directly involved when things go awry," said Democratic Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva. HAPPY FRIDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Stay cool out there. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — Do you know where lawmakers are traveling for summer recess? Are you Marc Berman? Get in touch! We want all your hot tips, photos and story ideas. Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on Twitter — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte  WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. SPOTTED: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty wasted no time diving into summer recess — literally. McCarty tweeted a video Thursday afternoon, just a few hours after floor session, showing him backflipping into the Sacramento River from a rope swing. #BeatTheHeat, indeed.   A message from CCIA: A link tax is the last thing California needs. Oppose AB886.   FRESH INK After the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage plaintiffs in the case Stuart Gaffney (left) and his partner John Lewis (second from left) with Myra Beals (second from right) and her partner Ida Matson (right) celebrate outside the court house in San Francisco in this 2008 photo. | Tony Avelar/AP Photo SAME-SEX SNUB — An effort to repeal the vestiges of California’s ban on same-sex marriages made it out of the Legislature — but not without a reminder of how it became law in the first place. Nearly every Republican in the Senate, with the exception of Sen. Scott Wilk, skipped the vote to place a measure on the November 2024 ballot to repeal Proposition 8. It was a show of opposition that generated not just anger but surprise — considering the dramatic shift in public opinion over gay marriage since voters approved Prop. 8 back in 2008. Gay marriage is now legal, of course, but the zombie text of Prop. 8 is still on the books, and some LGBTQ leaders say there’s a risk it could eventually come back from the dead with a conservative U.S. Supreme Court. Democratic Sen. Susan Eggman grilled GOP Sen. Kelly Seyarto about his non-vote during the next agenda item (his bill recognizing Purple Heart Day). “If I had a Purple Heart, would you vote for my ability to marry the person I love?” she asked. Seyarto didn’t respond. Eggman, who has been with her wife for over 30 years, said later that the vote was an “incredibly hurtful” moment. THAT’S A LOT OF GUAC — The coalition of restaurants trying to overturn last year’s FAST Act just dropped a whopping $50 million into their AB 257 referendum ballot committee — a formidable show of strength as labor advocates try to fend off the industry on another bill moving through the Legislature. The Save Local Restaurants Coalition reported hefty donations from some of the biggest names in fast food — Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds and In-N-Out all dropped $10 million into the committee. The National Restaurant Association and the International Franchise Association both contributed $5 million. Oscar Lopez, Political Director SEIU CA, said in a statement that “fast food corporations will find out soon enough that workers won’t be backing down.” “They’ve had enough of the industry’s exploitation, harassment and abuse,” he said. PORTER’S HAUL — Rep. Katie Porter raised $3.2 million in the second quarter and has $10.4 million cash on hand in her race for Senate. Porter’s haul came from 65,886 unique donors, with an average donation of $29. She narrowly leads in a series of public and private polls but trails Rep. Adam Schiff in money — he’s got nearly $30 million in the bank.   A message from CCIA:   WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — California replaces textbooks canceled by Temecula school board, by POLITICO’s Blake Jones: “A Southern California school district will receive social studies books from the state to replace the texts canceled by three far-right school board members over a mention of a gay rights activist, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.” — Manchin opposes Julie Su for Labor secretary, jeopardizing nomination, by POLITICO’s Burgess Everett, Jennifer Haberkorn and Nick Niedzwiadek: “The West Virginia Democrat touted Su’s credentials as “impressive” but said he ultimately decided to vote against her over a ‘genuine concern’ regarding ideology.” — “Third bus of migrants arrives in L.A. from Texas, latest in Gov. Abbott’s political protest,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Herrera, Nathan Solis, Raul Roa and Irfan Khan: “A bus carrying 35 migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday, the third in a series launched by Gov. Greg Abbott and sent to California.” TRANSITIONS — Austin Clark is now press and staff assistant for Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.). He was a legislative director in the Georgia House of Representatives. — Carly Sincavitch is now a legislative assistant for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). She had been a senior policy specialist at Arnold & Porter. BIRTHDAYS LinkedIn’s Dan Horowitz … Harrison Ford   A message from CCIA: Lawmakers are proposing a bill that would charge websites every time they link to a news article. A new tax is the last thing CA needs. Oppose AB886.   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 Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner 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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