The power of culture wars

Presented by The Nature Conservancy: Inside the Golden State political arena

Aug 24, 2023 View in browser   By Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner Presented by Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli speaks on a bill before the Assembly at the Capitol in Sacramento on June 1, 2023. Essayli has gained notoriety for his policy requiring parental notification for transgender students. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo DRIVING THE DAY: Another shooting has shaken Californians. Three people were killed and another five wounded last night during a shooting in an Orange County biker bar, The Associated Press reports. The gunman was also killed by deputies. As details come to light, state officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say they are monitoring the situation. THE BUZZ — A Southern California Republican is harnessing the power of culture wars to propel himself to relevancy. Bill Essayli, a freshman assemblymember from Corona, has made himself a darling of conservative media this year by latching onto the rapidly growing momentum around the parental rights movement. His efforts at the state level to force schools to out transgender students to their parents have faltered. But his subsequent crusade in local government has led to appearances on Fox and Newsmax, giving him the spotlight in a state where Republicans tend to sulk on the sidelines. "There's definitely an element of the party that would like to just 'play safe',” Essayli said in an interview. It’s the kind of attention that has propelled Republicans before him to higher office. But Essayli, a former federal prosecutor and student of recently arrested Trump lawyer John Eastman, said he’s not in it for the notoriety. “The fact that we're getting attention, I think, is a byproduct of where the public is on the issue,” he said. Essayli’s policy proposals have been derided by Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, who say it’s part of a troubling trend happening around the nation that threatens the safety of vulnerable children. In the past, Republicans might have shied away from this kind of playbook, said Jonathan Zachreson, a parents’ rights activist and recently-elected member of the Roseville City School District board. But the pandemic showed that lawmakers can not only get involved in polarizing issues — but capitalize on them. It’s similar to Rep. Kevin Kiley, who, while in the Assembly, seized on parental frustration during the pandemic and built his reputation on criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom, mask mandates and school closures. "[The pandemic] shifted the dynamic,” Zachreson said. “Where you realize you actually could be successful by standing up and taking a stance on some of these more controversial, hot button issues.” There are Republicans in more moderate districts who feel these ideological fights distract from more important issues like public safety. But Essayli is far from alone in his caucus. Many fellow Republicans, including Minority Leader James Gallagher, back his efforts on parental rights. And if there’s one thing that’s undeniable about Essayli, it’s that he’s managed to exert influence in a state where Republicans have so few avenues to prominence. "We're shut out of any solution discussions," said Republican Assemblymember Megan Dahle. "So, he's just found a pathway on his own to go around that." A message from The Nature Conservancy: Pass a $15B Climate Bond for People and Nature From drought to megafires, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of catastrophic events in California. While nature can achieve one-third of the greenhouse gas reductions needed to make our climate safer, nature-based solutions are significantly underfunded. But if we take steps now to ensure nature thrives, we can change our state’s trajectory. A well-funded $15 billion climate bond is California’s best path to resilience.   HAPPY THURSDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.  PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — Which bills are you hoping will make it off the suspense file later this month? Which ones are you expecting to fail? Let us know. 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. A POLITICO ad appears on light rail cars in Sacramento in August 2023. | POLITICO CAPTION THAT TRAIN — You might have spotted the POLITICO train rolling around Sacramento! It’s all part of our California expansion. CONTEST ALERT: We want your best photos of the POLITICO CA Express in the wild. Share them with your best creative caption using the hashtag #PoliticoCAExpress on “X” (Twitter) or Instagram so we don’t miss them. You can also send them to lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com. The winner will get a MAJOR prize — a VIP admission (including a special POLITICO swag bag) to our Sept. 12 launch event featuring a conversation with Gov. Gavin Newsom (Think open bar featuring specialty Cali Cocktails, tasty nibbles & apps, and a chance to rub elbows with California power brokers and Playbookers.). Happy hunting!   SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     FRESH INK San Francisco Mayor London Breed. | Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo JUDICIAL HEAT — San Francisco Mayor London Breed put a federal judge on blast Wednesday over an injunction that bars the city from sweeping homeless camps. Breed’s voice strained as she spoke to protesters outside a hearing at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: “‘Anything goes in San Francisco’ is not the way. … We have found dead bodies. We have found a dead baby in these tents.” The mayor and her City Hall allies have implored the appeals court to reverse the injunction. Breed called out U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu, who imposed the ban, for attempting to “micromanage” the city’s response to a growing crisis. Newsom even echoed the criticism, blaming the courts for “costly delays that slow progress.” Ryu imposed the injunction after homeless advocates argued the city shouldn’t be destroying camps when it has a shortage of shelter beds. But Breed and Newsom’s rare moves in criticizing a liberal-leaning judge speaks to the pressure they both face as the city's homelessness problem worsens — a crisis intertwined with their political futures. WHAT ABOUT BOB? — Fresh off his stint as emcee for Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 party, former state Sen. Bob Hertzberg is announcing a new gig: Problem Solver. Yes, that’s actually what’s on his business card for his latest venture, the Law Offices of Robert Hertzberg. “I took a page out of Willie Brown’s playbook,” Hertzberg said about why he eschewed joining an established firm. The one-time Assembly speaker will be advising larger law firms on complex policy issues, regulatory guidance and real estate deals, with work extending beyond California to other states and internationally. He also plans to devote significant time to working with clean energy companies. “I want to do stuff that's exciting,” Hertzberg said with his signature exuberance. “I haven't lost one ounce of passion in what I do, and I'm not looking to do boring stuff.” — Melanie Mason   A message from The Nature Conservancy:   WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — “'When it hits the fan, shelter in place': California prisons unprepared for climate change, report says,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Daniel Lempres: “A report from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland says that incarcerated people in California are particularly vulnerable to the extreme effects of climate change and that a state prison system that has struggled to respond to general disasters appears unprepared for climate ones.” — “This S.F. deputy earns $2.2 million in overtime by clocking more than 100 hours a week,” by the Sand Francisco Chronicle’s Megan Cassidy. “The 29-year veteran and a handful of his co-workers are part of a cadre of outsize overtime earners at the sheriff’s office — a phenomenon made possible by the agency’s long-running staff shortages, officials said.” — “Column: Reagan and Robert F. Kennedy did it. Will Newsom and DeSantis?,” opines Mark Z. Barabak for the Los Angeles Times. “Among a certain set — those who follow campaigns the way others thrill to World Cup soccer — the notion of a face-to-face confrontation between Govs. Newsom of California and DeSantis of Florida is practically irresistible.”   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     Playbookers BIRTHDAYS — Geo Saba of Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-Calif.) office … David Molina WAS WEDNESDAY: Doris Fisher TRANSITIONS — Nadia Marquez Pabst, formerly of NextEra Energy and General Motors’ Cruise, is now vice president of policy and regulatory affairs at Aypa Power, a Blackstone portfolio company. Megan Grosspietsch is now deputy director of scheduling at the EPA. She was a director of scheduling for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). BABY WATCH — Randon White, ad sales manager at Amazon and a POLITICO alum, and Caitlin McFall, a world news reporter for Fox News Digital, welcomed Victoria “Tory” Elizabeth White on Friday. Pic … Another pic Erica Sackin, who works at Meta, and Dave Stroup, a Howard University professor and Mark Warner alum, welcomed Noah Alexander on Friday. He joins big brother Sebastian. Pic Dave Jacobson, of J&Z Strategies, and wife Donna welcomed newborn son Liam to the world on Wednesday, joining older sisters Maya and Sofia. MEA CULPA — Wednesday’s Playbook had the wrong first name of Melissa Hurtado’s 2022 Senate opponent. It's David Shepard. A message from The Nature Conservancy: Nature’s Future Is Our Future Without intervention, the cost of climate change to California is estimated to reach $113 billion annually by 2050 (CNRA’s Fourth Climate Assessment). By harnessing the climate change fighting power of nature, we can curb these costs. But in order for this to happen, we must invest in nature. With the reality of state budget cuts, California needs to lock down a stable, long-term source of funding for nature-based climate solutions to protect our planet before it’s too late. In order to make this happen, California needs a climate bond. If we fail to invest in nature, we will lose one of the most important allies in our battle with climate change. California Legislature: A $15 billion climate bond is essential to funding the nature-based solutions needed to protect our planet.   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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