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| By Melanie Mason, Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte |
Presented by Center for Biological Diversity |
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 Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson is the new council president. He is an ally of Mayor Karen Bass, which could help smooth mayor-council tensions. | AP |
THE BUZZ: MEET THE NEW BOSS — Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, in his spare time, DJs under the name “El Mero Mero” — the head honcho. It’s an apt nickname now that he’s officially become the new council president. The swearing-in of new council leadership is always notable, since the council president is one of the most consequential power players in LA politics. But with Harris-Dawson, there’s another layer of intrigue to his ascent — namely his close relationship with the city’s other head honcho, Mayor Karen Bass. The mayor and council president are the dual (and sometimes dueling) power centers of City Hall. That relationship has not always been friendly. But Harris-Dawson is close to Bass. She gave him his first job at Community Coalition, the grassroots organizing group she founded and that he took over when she made the leap to elected office. (Incidentally, the CoCo crew is also the one that bestowed Harris-Dawson with the “El Mero Mero” sobriquet.) Both Bass and Harris-Dawson acknowledge that there is a tradition of competition and sometimes conflict between the mayor and council president. They both insist they believe in leadership that rejects that kind of strife — even as the city faces a budget crunch and mounting political pressure over homelessness. “It could be an era of good tidings, an era of good feelings in the city of Los Angeles. But we have big problems and that requires some big discussions. And those big discussions could lead to big conflicts,” said Jeremy Oberstein, a communications strategist and City Hall veteran. “The trust that they have between the two of them could help push good policy.” That has been a through line in Bass’ mayorship, as she speaks often about “locking arms” with other levels of government that the city has been at odds with in the past, chief among them the Los Angeles county. The test for Bass and Harris-Dawson is if they can break the deeply ingrained muscle memory of City Hall that has fostered more adversarial council-mayor dynamics. And, for Harris-Dawson specifically, if he can assure his fellow council members that he’ll push back against the mayor if they feel it’s warranted.
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 LA Mayor Karen Bass, photographed speaking at the DNC last month, | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images |
Those assurances were a big part of his jockeying for the council president role, but his closeness with Bass got little mention when he was sworn into the post on Friday. Still, if you listened closely as the members heaped praise on Harris-Dawson, you’d find it in the subtext. “The council should be opposite to the mayor — who said that? I don't think it should,” said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, a progressive ally of Harris-Dawson. “If we all believe in the same thing, let's just get to work.” Traci Park, one of the more conservative members of the body, pointedly noted how individual council members know what’s best for their district – a nod to the tradition of deferring to members, not the mayor, for certain decisions in their neighborhoods. “Managing this council as an independent legislative body will never be an easy task, but Councilmember Harris-Dawson, I have no doubt that you're up to the task and that you will be a capable leader,” Park said. For more on this must-watch dynamic that will shape the coming years in Los Angeles politics, check out Melanie’s story today. Plus, read California Playbook PM this afternoon for more about Mayor Bass and the tricky politics around public sentiment on crime.
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| A message from Center for Biological Diversity: You know what's rich? Billionaire oil companies who hike up the price of energy to boost profits trying to blame high rates on California. There IS a better way: Abundant clean energy and independence from greedy oil companies. Learn more. |
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GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. 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.
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 | STATE CAPITOL | |
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom. | AP |
BILL ACTION RADAR — Gov. Gavin Newsom took action on dozens of bills over the weekend as he entered the final week before a Sept. 30 deadline to sign or veto legislation on his desk. Here are some highlights. To read further become a POLITICO Pro subscriber: UNDOCUMENTED JOBS: Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 2586 by Assemblymember David Alvarez, which would have mandated that California’s public university system open campus jobs to undocumented students. The governor in his veto message said immigrant students’ access to higher education opportunities is “important for local communities and California’s economy,” but he warned of legal risks. AI JOB LOSSES: Newsom vetoed a union-backed measure to protect public workers from losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. SB 1220 by Sen. Monique Limón would have barred government agencies from using AI for call centers if the technology replaces employees, and the proposal was backed by powerful union groups like the California Labor Federation and SEIU. PLASTIC BAGS: Newsom signed a bill to fully ban plastic bags at most grocery store check-out lines. Senate Bill 1053 by Sen. Catherine Blakespear closes a loophole in the state’s decade-old plastic bag prohibition, which allowed thicker, so-called reusable plastic bags to proliferate. SOCIAL MEDIA: Newsom signed a landmark bill designed to limit when children see potentially “addictive” material on social media. SB 976 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, bans social platforms from sending notifications to minors without parental approval during school hours and overnight. WATER THEFT: Newsom signed a bill to dramatically enhance fines for people who steal water. AB460 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan increases the Water Resources Control Board's fines by up to 20 times.
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| ON THE HILL | |
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Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images |
IN THE FAST (FASHION) LANE — Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who is a co-founder of the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus, recently was the guest of honor at an event that was partly sponsored by fast fashion titan Shein. Her participation raised eyebrows because brands like Shein, H&M and Zara that quickly cycle through seasons of different trends run counter to the slow fashion movement and its emphasis on recycling clothes. In May 2023, Kamlager-Dove, along with Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), started the caucus. “I’m an LA girl and so I love looking stylish, but mostly when it is sustainable,” she said at the announcement. But last week, during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference, she was honored at an event called “The LA Party” in D.C. that was sponsored by Shein, according to posts on LinkedIn from the company and one of its government affairs staffers. “Special recognition went out to Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents our Los Angeles Headquarters,” Shein said in a post. A Shein spokesperson declined to comment. “The congresswoman attended the LA Party, which was sponsored by several LA-based companies, in recognition of her contributions to the district,” a Kamlager-Dove spokesperson said. “The congresswoman is a proud member of the Slow Fashion Caucus and is committed to advancing a fashion industry that is sustainable and ethical.” — Daniel Lippman
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| A message from Center for Biological Diversity:   |
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| FOR GOOD MEASURE | |
PLAYBOOK EXCLUSIVE: PROP 35 LAUNCHES FIRST ADS — The Yes on 35 campaign is hitting the airwaves across the state this morning, launching its fall ad campaign with two spots pitching the initiative as a way to protect the millions of Californians on Medi-Cal. The ads cast the initiative, which would make permanent the tax on some health care plans and ensure the revenue goes toward funding Medi-Cal, as a way to provide faster, better care for people across the state. “Maybe it’s your mom, the kids next door, or even you,” one ad says. “Yes on 35 protects Medi-Cal for the ones you care about the most.” A second ad, featuring Nicole Barnett of Planned Parenthood Northern California, says the organization backs Prop 35 because it helps “protects care for 15 million Californians without raising taxes.” Thus far, Prop 35 has faced no funded opposition, meaning it will have the airwaves to itself on the measure. Last week’s PPIC poll put its support at 63 percent, among the highest for this year’s slate of 10 issue questions. — Emily Schultheis
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| CLIMATE AND ENERGY | |
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Gas prices surged toward $7 per gallon in Los Angeles last September. | Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images |
PRIMING THE PUMP — Gas prices in California are shaped by a little-known trade publication that sets prices on daily wholesale “spot” markets, which then trickle down to prices at the pump. That information, known as OPIS data, has become a fixation for Newsom and lawmakers as they dig into the governor’s special-session proposal to combat price spikes. Check out Friday’s California Climate newsletter for an interview with Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service, a Dow Jones-owned international publication. He offered an explanation for how the markets work and how “sharks start to circle” when there’s an opportunity to sell at a higher price.
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| TOP TALKERS | |
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 An aerial view shows a neighborhood damaged by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes. | Jae C. Hong/AP |
LANDSLIDE CRISIS — Residents of Rancho Palos Verdes have grown angry over a lack of answers and assistance as shifting land wreaks havoc on their lives. Active landslides have led to road closures and hundreds of homes being cut off from utilities, including electricity and natural gas. The south LA County community has been in crisis for months and Newsom declared a state of emergency, but homeowners haven’t received any direct assistance. SFUSD UPHEAVAL — San Francisco’s public schools are in so much chaos that Mayor London Breed launched a School Stabilization Team over the weekend to help the district sort out its dire financial and staffing problems. The team of top city officials will help embattled Superintendent Matt Wayne of the San Francisco Unified School District sort out a budget shortfall and a looming announcement of school closures. Breed’s intervention comes as the district has been headed toward a possible state takeover. (San Francisco Chronicle)
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| A message from Center for Biological Diversity: You know what's rich? Billionaire oil companies who hike up the price of energy to boost profits trying to blame high rates on California. There IS a better way: Abundant clean energy and independence from greedy oil companies. Learn more. |
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| AROUND THE STATE | |
— A battle over public beach access is making waves along the tranquil Russian River in Sonoma County. Consider it the river version of beach-access fights that have long roiled coastal communities. (Los Angeles Times) — The Assemi brothers, a top producer of pistachios in the Central Valley, are facing another major lawsuit from a lender as their nut empire shows signs it’s unraveling. (The Fresno Bee) — San Francisco could see its lowest number of homicides in more than 60 years. So far, there have been 24 killings this year, compared with a high of 146 in both 1976 and 1977. (San Francisco Chronicle)
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| | PLAYBOOKERS | |
| BIRTHDAYS — Xenia Vidal at Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California … Nicole Mata of Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-Calif.) office … Naomi Seligman BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Sunday): former Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) … TJ Ducklo … Adam Ciralsky ... John Fishel … (was Saturday): Jay Reed of Wheelhouse Strategies … Jerry Bruckheimer ... Ethan Coen ... Ricki Lake … Meta’s Brian Roehrkasse … Jonathan Robinson … (was Friday): Henry Samueli ... Carter Lavin WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. 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 Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com. |
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