THE BUZZ: PEDAL TO THE METAL — The next big culture war battle in Sacramento has nothing to do with youth tackle football, gender in schools or vaccines. It's about how fast you can drive your car. State Sen. Scott Wiener said he wasn't expecting much of a backlash with his plan to block cars and trucks from driving more than 10 mph over the speed limit with a special device installed on new vehicles sold in the state. One week, multiple Fox News segments and thousands of furious online comments later, Wiener’s Senate Bill 961 — intended to prevent pedestrian deaths — has become a vehicle for outrage as critics seize on the proposal as a vivid example of California as a "nanny state." The telephone in Wiener’s Capitol office has been ringing off the hook. His staff said they haven’t received this many phone calls since he carried a 2019 bill that would have forced cities to allow denser housing, such as fourplexes, in most single-family neighborhoods. But the San Francisco Democrat, who’s known for taking on bruising fights in Sacramento, said he’s not backing off — even if he needs to carry the bill again next year, and the year after that. “Fox News and the Republicans will make culture war out of anything,” Wiener said. “I’m a big believer in freedom, but our freedom ends when our actions put others' lives at risk.” Opposition to the bill has been amplified by conservative media, who’ve called it an Orwelian assault on consumers. Fox News host Trace Gallagher argued the bill would increase costs for car manufacturers and make it harder for people to drive away from unsafe situations. Gallagher’s guest for the prime time segment, author Peachy Keenan, leaned into the right’s culture-war response with a medley of conservative buzz words: “Pretty soon, they’re going to have a device that doesn’t let your car leave the garage unless you’re driving to a Gavin Newsom fundraiser or Planned Parenthood,” she said. Asked about the Wiener bill by our colleague Christopher Cadelago, Newsom said he would reserve specific judgment until he can connect directly with Wiener. “It may be the most important issue in the world to Scott Wiener. I haven't talked to him,” he said. “I want to talk to him about this. He may have 1,001 reasons why he thinks this has to happen.” But Newsom said more broadly that he’s sensitive to issues like the speed-limiting devices that could be weaponized by Republicans in an election year. In that vein, the Democratic governor recently panned a proposed ban on youth tackle football aimed at preventing head injuries in young children. And he’s asking Sacramento Democrats to hold off on introducing items where the main motive is to virtue signal. “I don't know that folks will,” Newsom acknowledged. Wiener said while his bill had stirred polarized reactions, there has also been strong support from pedestrian-safety advocates, cyclists and others. He pointed to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that show vehicle collisions in California killed about 1,100 pedestrians in 2022. Nationwide, pedestrian fatalities have increased more than 70 percent over the last decade — a trend safety experts attribute to new factors such as smartphones distracting drivers, larger and faster vehicles and pandemic-era driving habits. Robin Pam, founder of the street safety group Kid Safe SF, is part of a coalition of advocacy groups trying to mobilize parents to support Wiener’s bill in Sacramento. She likened the issue to the decades-long fight to mandate seat belt use, which was deeply controversial in many states. “That has saved thousands and thousands of lives,” she said. California would be the first state to require the use of speed limiters, also known as speed governors, in new vehicles. The European Union has already enacted regulations to require some variation of a speed limiter in all new vehicle models sold as of July 2024. Wiener’s measure likely faces an uphill fight given opposition from business interests, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. The group, which represents car manufacturers, said it wants lawmakers to instead focus on beefing up enforcement of speeding laws. Republicans and other groups concerned about stringent state regulations are also leaning into that argument. Republican state Sen. Roger Niello, who’s leading the Senate GOP’s response, said the focus should be on hiring more highway patrol officers rather than “legislating a solution to a problem that is caused by a very few.” But the most challenging hurdle for Wiener could be convincing Newsom and moderate Democrats to go along. The senator said he’s ready for that uncomfortable debate. “What’s so powerful about this bill is it provokes a long overdue conversation,” Wiener said. GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. 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 X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. GUESS THE NEW SENATE LEADERS, WIN PRIZES — State Sen. Mike McGuire is scheduled to be sworn as the new President Pro Tem in less than a week. But who will be his picks for key Senate leadership positions? Now's your chance to make your predictions and compete against your fellow politicos (and the Playbook authors). If your guess is the most accurate you'll receive a shout-out in California Playbook and an extra special swag bag. Remember: If you don't leave your name and email with your prediction, we won't be able to contact you if you win. | 
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