| | | | |  | | By Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner | | | |  California Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire. | Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP | PLAYBOOK PLEA: We know you’re used to us telling you what’s important — now it’s your turn. We want to hear from our California Playbook readers about the issues that matter to them. Please take a few minutes and fill out this survey. It’s a chance to shape the first thing you read every day. THE BUZZ: KEEP ‘EM CLOSE — Newly-installed Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire wasted no time quelling any lingering discontent in his caucus on Thursday, elevating several former rivals to top positions just three days after his inauguration — with a particular focus on empowering women of color. McGuire has just a few short years in the job before he’s termed out, and senators are already vying to succeed him. His leadership picks may stave off some of that political hunger for now, but we expect it to remain a constant undertone throughout his tenure. The picks also address one of the chief complaints about his ascension to the role — that a white man had edged out women and people of color who had been vying for the role. Some senators had quietly bemoaned the lack of diversity in the upper echelons of the Legislature. But now, Under McGuire, five out of six senior positions are held by women, many of them women of color. State Sen. Scott Wiener, the new Budget chair, is the only man in McGuire’s inner circle. More on the new Senate leadership team:
- Majority leader: Lena Gonzalez — Gonzalez, a Democrat from Long Beach, hasn’t been a close ally of McGuire and was widely considered to be a contender for pro tem. Her selection signals that McGuire is aiming to extend an olive branch to one-time opponents.
- Asst. Majority Leader: Angelique Ashby — Ashby, a first-term senator from Sacramento, is one of the top lieutenants who helped McGuire build the coalition he needed to force a leadership vote last summer.
- Asst. Majority Leader: Aisha Wahab — Wahab is a first-term senator from Hayward known for her no-nonsense style of lawmaking and willingness to ruffle feathers.
- Appropriations: Anna Caballero — Caballero, a veteran lawmaker from Merced, was widely expected to be in line for the coveted Appropriations Committee gavel. She helped deliver McGuire the votes he needed to become pro tem.
- Democratic Caucus Chair: Monique Limón — The Santa Barbara Democrat was another contender for the pro tem job last year. She spoke highly of McGuire at his swearing-in Monday as a hardworking lawmaker who can navigate tough issues.
Another dynamic we’re watching — An unusual switcheroo between Wiener and longtime Budget Chair Nancy Skinner. As we mentioned above, Wiener is taking over Budget, and in turn, Skinner will replace Wiener as chair of the Housing committee, where he’s passed some of his most impactful pieces of legislation. Wiener told Playbook that Skinner was his “mentor on housing policy” when he first came to the Legislature, so he knows the committee will be in like-minded hands. Having such allies at the helm of the Budget and Housing committees is a major boon for YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) groups. Both Wiener and Skinner have championed legislation to encourage housing construction in California cities in an effort to shore up the supply — and lower the cost — of housing. It’s sure to be a tough year to be Budget chair given the state’s looming deficit. Wiener said he’s focused on defending the state’s recent funding for affordable housing developments and public transit. “We need to protect the progress that we’ve made,” he said. “Housing is and will always be in my heart.” Skinner said she plans to continue Wiener's "work to remove barriers to creating more housing." She also noted that she will remain on the Budget Committee as chair emeritus. GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. 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. His office wouldn't say whether he'd be in Las Vegas this weekend to cheer on the 49ers at Super Bowl LVII. CONTEST UPDATE! The winner of our Senate leaders prediction game is none other than Cameron Sutherland from state Sen. Steve Padilla’s office. Some of you guessed one or two of McGuire’s picks (including your Playbook authors, who correctly guessed his new majority leader and Appropriations chair). But Sutherland correctly guessed a whopping 13 committee chairs. He sent in a total of 23 predictions, giving him a roughly .500 batting average as well as bragging rights around the Capitol and a POLITICO swag bag prize headed his way. If you want to know what’s going down in the Legislature, we recommend you ask Sutherland first. (We certainly will.) A few other highlights from our contest submissions (because we love data):
- 31 percent of participants correctly guessed that Caballero would be Appropriations chair.
- 26 percent incorrectly predicted Ashby would be majority leader, though Gonzalez was a close second with 20 percent.
- NOBODY guessed that Wiener would be Budget chair, which was partially our fault for not listing him as a default option. Nearly 30 percent incorrectly predicted that John Laird would get the gavel.
| | A message from Rebuild SoCal Partnership: In The High Cost of Underinvestment the Rebuild SoCal Partnership assesses the state of infrastructure in Southern California and sheds light on infrastructure's interconnected regional challenges. Our aging systems demand immediate attention and action to ensure the well-being of our communities and sustain economic growth. Learn more and download the report at RebuildSoCal.org/2024Report. | | | |  | RUN IT BACK | | |  A self-driving truck developed by Pittsburgh-based company Locomation. | Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo | FIRST IN POLITICO: HEAVY DUTY AVs RETURN — Just months after Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected it in a stinging veto, the Teamsters are reviving a bill that would require a human operator in heavy-duty autonomous trucks. Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry introduced a bill mimicking last year’s AB 316. Her new proposal, AB 2286, already has the backing of at least 30 Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Assembly and the Senate. In his veto message last year, Newsom wrote that AB 316 — one of labor's top priorities — was unnecessary for the regulation of AVs, which are largely overseen by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat from Winters, said last year she was “deeply disappointed” by Newsom’s veto. In a recent interview, the majority leader said that the governor has expressed a willingness to collaborate, and that she hopes he’ll come around. “I'm confident that we can work together with the governor's office,” she said. “I know they're not happy I'm bringing it back, but our constituents deserve it.” Aguiar-Curry, the Teamsters and labor groups will rally outside the state Capitol on Monday for an official reintroduction of the bill. | | | | 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: our 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. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN YEAR | | | |  Senate candidate and former LA Dodgers star Steve Garvey. | AP | GOING AFTER GARVEY — A pro-Adam Schiff super PAC is joining the on-air pile-on against Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey. A new ad starting Friday focuses squarely on the baseball icon, declaring him “too conservative for California.” It’s reminiscent of a recent spot from Schiff’s campaign that frames the crowded Senate race as a two-man contest between the Democratic congressmember and the novice GOP candidate. But the super PAC’s commercial doesn’t even mention Schiff and just urges viewers instead to “vote no on Garvey.” "This is about holding Steve Garvey accountable for voting twice for Trump and his MAGA agenda,” said Kyle Layman, executive director of Standing Strong PAC. “As we head into the general election, he can't be allowed to reinvent himself and hide his conservative MAGA values. California voters need to know who Garvey really is." The cable and digital ad has an initial six-figure buy and is focused on markets across the state: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield and Chico-Redding. It follows close on the heels of a $500,000 digital campaign from a super PAC backing Rep. Katie Porter. The spending by both outside groups pales in comparison to Schiff and Porter’s actual campaigns, which have so far dropped nearly $20 million and $8.5 million, respectively, on advertising. OUTSIDE HELP — State Sen. Dave Min has been pummeled by outside spending in his race against fellow Democrat Joanna Weiss in CA-47. But he’s not totally shut out from an assist by an independent expenditure. Unite to Win, a super PAC funded in part by SEIU California, dropped roughly $60,000 in mailers backing Min on Thursday. The mail pieces are positive in tone, a departure from the increasingly bitter attacks being traded by both sides. — Melanie Mason | | | | A message from Rebuild SoCal Partnership:   | | | | | FOR GOOD MEASURE | | |  San Francisco Mayor London Breed. | AP | MAYORS v. CRIME — Bay Area Democrats have found common cause with prosecutors hoping to crack down on drug and property crimes. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan endorsed a proposed ballot measure on Thursday to increase criminal penalties that voters downgraded with Proposition 47. The mayoral muscle, announced the same day California broadened its Oakland crackdown, underscores Democrats’ increased focus on public safety. A similar law enforcement ballot initiative rolling back elements of Prop 47 failed broadly in 2020, but the political landscape has shifted since. “The public is at a tipping point,” California District Attorneys Association CEO Greg Totten said in an interview. Breed and Mahan’s imprimaturs could buoy the ballot initiative drive (the measure has not yet qualified for the 2024 ballot). They also speak to the evolving intra-Democrat dynamics around crime and Prop 47: While Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has cracked open the door to returning the issue to voters, Newsom has rejected a redo as he pushes his own property crime package. — Jeremy B. White Speaking of measures... Nothing distinguishes policymaking in California like its lively realm of ballot-measure campaigns. As part of POLITICO’s ongoing California expansion, we are embarking on an initiative of our own — to cover this sphere with the depth and sustained attention it deserves. We are building a team of journalists dedicated solely to covering ballot measures at all levels, and are brimming with ideas for how to tell fresh stories about the strategies, policy ideas, personalities, and money behind them. Expect scoops, analysis, features and investigations across our POLITICO California platforms, including here under the “For Good Measure” banner in our California Playbook editions. | | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | WEST COAST GOES EAST | | | | 
USC President Carol Folt. | AP | USC IN D.C. — As political tensions reach new heights around the globe, one California university is leaning in. The University of Southern California is launching the new Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service at its Washington campus, the school announced Thursday, building on its health policy and governmental fellows programs with a $59 million gift from Leonard and Pamela Schaeffer. "There's so many great universities close by, the chance for us to work as partners really accelerates,” said university President Carol Folt. “I can see D.C. as a real hub of intellectual partnership.” | | A message from Rebuild SoCal Partnership: Southern California's infrastructure influences economic growth, health, safety, and overall quality of life. Yet, disinvestment, aging, and extreme conditions challenge its resilience, impacting communities inequitably. It’s time to invest robust funding into future infrastructure development and maintenance.
Download Rebuild SoCal’s 2024 Infrastructure Report Today!
About Rebuild SoCal Partnership
The Rebuild SoCal Partnership consists of 2,750 contractors throughout Southern California that represent more than 90,000 union workers. Rebuild is dedicated to working with elected officials and educating the public on the continued need for essential infrastructure funding, including airports, bridges, ports, rail, roads, and water projects. | | | | | TOP TALKERS | | — Silicon Valley might have lured the 49ers out of San Francisco. But, if the team defeats the Chiefs at the Super Bowl, you best believe they will return home to SF for their celebratory parade. (San Francisco Chronicle) — California’s high-speed rail project has long been a polarizing issue in the Central Valley. But local leaders are increasingly touting its potential to connect residents to jobs and health-care services on the coast. (Los Angeles Times) — Common Sense Media, the San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to child safety in technology and media, is making national waves with its efforts to pressure elected leaders to pay more attention to the well-being of young people in the modern era of touchscreens and artificial intelligence. (The New York Times)
| | | PLAYBOOKERS | | | TRANSITIONS — Veteran lobbyist John Doherty has joined the Sacramento firm KP Public Affairs, which, in partnership with Public Policy Holding Company, has acquired his firm, Doherty Law Group. MEDIA MOVES — Matt Rosoff is the new global managing editor at TechCrunch. He was previously the editorial director for tech and climate at CNBC. BIRTHDAYS — Kristen Hayford … (was Thursday): former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson … American Economic Liberties Project’s Matt Stoller 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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