They know the way from Sacramento to L.A.

Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Feb 17, 2023 View in browser   By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign THE BUZZ: California’s political ladder often ascends from local government to Sacramento to Washington — but plenty of Los Angeles politicians take a different route. Two terming-out assemblymembers from L.A. announced plans this week to return to the city or county they’ve been representing from Sacramento. Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer is looking to secure a City Council spot by unseating City Council member Heather Hutt. Assemblymember Chris Holden wants to dislodge the sole remaining Republican on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Kathryn Barger. Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian announced his council run back in 2022. The state-to-local-segue is by no means a uniquely Los Angeles phenomenon. Term limits compel state lawmakers to find new jobs after 12 years maximum. The combination of a mere eight statewide seats and no term limits for coveted Congress posts means lawmakers often transition from state to local politics. Just ask Monterey Supervisor Luis Alejo, Santa Barbara Supervisor Das Williams, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, or Riverside Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. The judicial branch can also beckon, as San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu and Judge Ed Chau would attest. Running a big city can be an irresistible lure, as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass might attest. But L.A. stands out. The City Council already features four former state lawmakers in Kevin de León, Bob Blumenfield, Curren Price and Paul Krekorian. Supervisor Holly Mitchell gave up her Senate seat to run for the board, which also hosts former federal officials like former Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and former Rep. Janice Hahn. The pipeline never closes. Three separate state lawmakers ran for supervisor last year in then-Sen. Bob Hertzberg, Sen. Henry Stern and then-Assemblymember Richard Bloom, though Bloom dropped out and has since won a judge appointment. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan batted down speculation Thursday that he was council-bound, as Assemblymember Luz Rivas did last year when Nury Martinez was forced out. Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is widely seen as a contender to succeed de León. So what gives? Partially, it’s supply and demand: Thirty-two Assembly and Senate districts are entirely or mostly in L.A. County. A supervisor seat is arguably a level up in power and influence: with 2 million constituents. L.A.’s Five Little Queens represent more people than many U.S. senators. The pay is also better for L.A. City Council ($218,000, plus benefits) and supervisor ($272,000, plus benefits) than for the Legislature ($122,000 for non-leadership). All rational reasons to go from Sacramento to L.A. But Bryan implicitly reproached those who are too eager to make the move: “I didn’t get into public service to chase the best salary,” he tweeted, “or collect as many titles as I can.” BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today during her swing through Munich, where she’s attending a security conference highlighting America’s alliance with Germany in support of Ukraine. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I literally don’t know what you’re referring to.” Gov. Gavin Newsom on coverage of a potential Bonta conflict of interest. TWEET OF THE DAY: Twitter WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off Monday for Presidents Day but back in your inboxes on Tuesday. A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign: DIESEL POLLUTION KILLS. ELECTRIC TRUCKS SAVE LIVES. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will soon finalize the world’s first pollution-free truck fleet standard. The 2036 100% zero-emission truck sales target will cut pollution in communities of color that suffer most from deadly diesel exhaust. However, the dirtiest mid-sized big rig fleets are not included. This means they’ll never have to become pollution-free. We must regulate big rig fleets with 10+ trucks to save more lives!     STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     TOP TALKERS — “Chinatown’s hidden poverty: How a big family struggles to survive in a tiny room,” by The San Francisco Standard’s Han Li: “She worries that the small space will have negative impacts on her children’s academics, and also as the twin boys grow up, they will “run out of” what little room they have.” — “Tesla recalls 362,758 vehicles, says full Self-Driving Beta software may cause crashes,” by NBC Bay Area’s Lora Kolodny: “Tesla lets thousands of drivers try new and unfinished driver assistance features on public roads in the U.S. through FSD Beta. The technology does not make Tesla electric cars autonomous, nor safe to drive without a human at the wheel ready to brake or steer at any second — despite the brand name.” — “This Bay Area man has become the face of California's latest housing drama,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s J.K. Dineen: “But fears that the builder’s remedy would prompt an army of big-city developers to stick highrise condos in the middle of leafy suburban neighborhoods so far have not come to fruition.” CAMPAIGN MODE TEAM SCHIFF: Rep. Adam Schiff has picked up more endorsements for his U.S. Senate run: Reps Doris Matsui, Mark Takano and Kevin Mullin, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinbergl, state Sens Ben Allen, Bob Archuleta, Bill Dodd, Steve Glazer, Anthony Portantino, Henry Stern, Tom Umberg and Richard Roth and assemblymembers Lisa Calderon, Damon Connolly, Mike Fong, Laura Friedman, Jesse Gabriel, Chris Holden, Jacqui Irwin, Josh Lowenthal, Tina McKinnor, Al Muratsuchi and Jim Wood.   A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:   CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR — California hospitals warn of closures if state doesn’t provide lifeline, by POLITICO’s Ramon Castanos: “The CHA is urging lawmakers to include the $1.5 billion in the budget — a tough request considering a projected $22.5 billion deficit that has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose cuts and delayed funding across a range of programs.” — “One S.F. neighborhood made remarkable progress on homelessness. But there's a huge drawback,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kevin Fagan: “The advantage of the Castro project is that it’s focused tightly on a relatively small number of homeless people in a compact neighborhood — unlike larger areas like the Tenderloin or the Mission District. Replicating this same swarming success throughout the city would probably require significant increases in staffing, energy and time, Mandelman said.”     — “California homelessness: Where are the state’s billions going? Here’s the new, best answer,” by CalMatters’ Ben Christopher: “But building more housing — particularly with subsidized rents or other wrap-around services — is expensive. That’s in part why some homelessness and housing advocates say the 10-figure sum that the state has spread across the three years of the assessment isn’t even close to enough.” Headline “Editorial: Of course the California attorney general's wife shouldn't oversee his budget,” opines the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times: “She said she was happy to accept the appointment and suggested the question is sexist.” — “Floods, Fires, droughts show California needs bigger safety net for farmworkers, advocates say,” by CalMatters’ Nicole Foy: “Some farmworkers rely on work in January to supplement their income in other seasons, whether harvesting strawberry fields in the Central Coast or pruning fruit trees in San Joaquin Valley orchards. Regardless of their immigration status, many of those families already on the poverty line fell into more financial peril after the floods.” — “As Hollywood invades Culver City, some residents push back against gentrification,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Wendy Lee: “Tomlinson, a bartender and food server at LAX, says she has seen her rent rise 64 percent to $2,300 a month since 2010. Nearly half of her paycheck goes toward rent on her two-bedroom apartment. Now she’s worried that she’ll have to move when she retires.”   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.     BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL — Senior Democrats’ private take on Biden: He’s too old, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin: "High-level Democrats are rallying to President Biden’s reelection, not because they think it’s in the best interest of the country to have an 82-year-old start a second term but because they fear the potential alternative: the nomination of Kamala Harris and election of Donald Trump." SILICON VALLEYLAND — “Tesla fired Buffalo workers seeking to organize, union Says,” by The New York Times’ Jack Ewing and Noam Scheiber: “The move seemed to represent an improvement in the relationship between Mr. Biden and Mr. Musk, who had complained that the administration paid insufficient attention to Tesla during its push for electric vehicle subsidies.” — “Why a conversation with Bing’s chatbot left me deeply unsettled,” by The New York Times’ Kevin Roose: “This realization came to me on Tuesday night, when I spent a bewildering and enthralling two hours talking to Bing’s A.I. through its chat feature, which sits next to the main search box in Bing and is capable of having long, open-ended text conversations on virtually any topic.” A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign: MORE ELECTRIC TRUCK FLEETS = MORE CLEAN AIR FOR EVERYONE. California’s freight communities breathe the most polluted air in the country. This excessive exposure to diesel exhaust in communities of color is a clear example of environmental racism. CARB can’t guarantee these residents will get the clean air they need unless the standard requires big rig fleets with 10+ trucks to go pollution-free. Experts found that regulating big rig fleets with 10+ will cut more smog-forming pollution and deadly diesel soot. Reducing the big rig fleet size to 10 also closes labor loopholes, ensuring thousands of hard-working drivers are not inappropriately burdened with the corporate responsibility of transitioning to these life-saving, pollution-free trucks. CARB has one opportunity to deliver cleaner air faster to our most polluted communities with a stronger electric truck standard. Tell them we need 100% pollution-free truck sales by 2036 and more electric trucks in more fleets!   MIXTAPE — “Pico shootings suspect in custody,” by the Jewish Journal’s Aaron Bandler.  —“Racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Sacramento Fire Department — this time by the manager,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Theresa Clift and Marcus D. Smith.   — “As trains tear from L.A. to Vegas at 180 mph, bighorn sheep will have safe passage,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Christian Martinez.   — “Horrific new street drug ‘tranq’ found in S.F. overdose victims, showing dangerous shift in supply,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Trisha Thadani and Kevin Fagan.  — “The building that looks like a boat off the coast of Palo Alto,” by KQED’s Rachael Myrow. 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 Jeremy B. White @JeremyBWhite 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

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.