POLITICO California Playbook PM: Reading, writing and reparations

Presented by California Hospital Association: Your afternoon must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

May 15, 2023 View in browser   By Blake Jones and Wes Venteicher Presented by California Hospital Association LESSON LEARNED: Striking Oakland teachers won 15.5 percent raises before ending an 11-day strike this morning. But their walkout wasn’t really about the money. The union wanted the Oakland Unified School District to set land aside for affordable housing in a city where homes are out of reach for many. It also sought a commitment that, in the event of cutbacks, administrative staff would be eliminated before any schools are closed. It was a show of strength by the Oakland Education Association in a union-friendly city, but the injection of housing, climate curriculum and other issues into the dispute has raised eyebrows, even among some progressives. “We strongly urge the OEA to reconsider its decision to continue to strike at such a critical time in the school year,” Oakland NAACP President Cynthia Adams said last Monday. Striking teachers rally outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, May 4, 2023. Students in the Oakland Unified School District will return to full classroom instruction Tuesday, May 16, 2023, after the district and teachers announced a tentative deal ending a strike that had kept 34,000 students out of school for more than a week. | Terry Chea/AP Photo The union didn’t secure several of its demands after eight days of canceled classes, but it did lock in provisions aimed at giving it more policymaking power within the district. A new task force on Black student reparations and an existing one on “community schools” will both have union representation. The district also committed to advocating for Section 8 vouchers in a bid to aid homeless students, and to following a new law guiding school closure decisions. "Our collective power forced OUSD to commit to living wages for educators, more resources in our schools, enforceable working conditions & common good issues for our students & their families," the OEA said in a statement. The union is one of the state’s most active and has gone on three strikes in five years. It has also focused heavily on issues outside wages and benefits — leveraging legal power to negotiate on salaries to expand the scope of bargaining. It’s not alone. Unions from Sacramento to San Diego have also held up negotiations over social-justice-focused provisions over the last four years. And Los Angeles teachers included environmental and immigration issues at the bargaining table while negotiating earlier this year. “Things like housing, the immigrant defense fund, climate, healthy green schools, community schools, Black student achievement — those are considered nonpermissible subjects of bargaining. And we didn't let it go,” United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz told POLITICO after inking a contract agreement with Los Angeles Unified. HAPPY MONDAY AFTERNOON! Welcome to California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check of California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to wventeicher@politico.com or send a shout on Twitter. DMs are open!   A message from California Hospital Association: One out of every five California hospitals are at risk of closure. Low-income residents and many people of color are especially vulnerable. Medi-Cal patients need an emergency lifeline to make sure hospitals can continue to care for those in need. Services for Medi-Cal patients need protection. Take Action Now.   WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY NO CHARGE: San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins won’t charge a Walgreens security guard who shot and killed a shoplifting suspect last month. The DA determined in a report released today that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute in a case that has become part of the broader discourse about crime in downtown San Francisco. Security Guard Michael Anthony shot and killed Banko Brown after a confrontation and scuffle at the Market Street store. Anthony said Brown threatened to stab him and said he fired because he feared for his safety when the suspect lunged at him. The determination likely won’t quiet the protests by friends of Brown or others who think Anthony should have faced charges. Nor is it likely to do anything for the image of San Francisco, which has been portrayed in national media outlets as an out-of-control city even though violent crime is at its lowest level since the 1960s and it’s still far safer than other big cities. ON THE BEATS WELCOME BACK: Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones might want to consider moving back West. Jones, who was expelled and then reinstated from his post by the Republican majority in Tennessee, got a decidedly warmer reception today from lawmakers in Sacramento. Jones, born and raised in Oakland, was honored with a press conference by members of the Assembly and Senate for speaking out about gun violence — something that so outraged Republicans in Tennessee that they decided to oust him, along with another Black lawmaker, last month. Jones used his moment in the California spotlight to call for gun control. "I've seen with new eyes that there is a movement rising up, led by young people. A movement that is calling us to act with urgency," he said. — Lara Korte LICENSE TO SPEED: Any day now we should be hearing about a plan endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to speed up the time it takes to get state permits for infrastructure projects. The governor gave only an outline as he previewed it Friday in his May revision presentation. The idea is to make California more administratively hospitable to the kinds of projects needed to meet the ambitious climate goals. California needs to start adding renewable energy to the grid at an extraordinary pace — about seven times more per year than it has been adding. Permitting bottlenecks at state agencies, which can delay projects for years, are a primary contributor to the slow pace. The state also needs to add transmission wires and expand the infrastructure that carries power to buildings, electric vehicle chargers and other demands. Those projects are expensive and slow. Newsom said he planned to announce his support this week for a package of bills aimed at addressing the issue. EARLY BIRD GETS THE LOAN: Newsom signed five budget bills into law today, including one to create a $150 million distressed-hospital loan program. State health care agencies will now come up with criteria for which struggling or recently closed facilities will be eligible for the interest-free, forgivable loans. Hospitals will be selected based on how many Medi-Cal patients they serve and whether a closure would affect access to care in the region. — Rachel Bluth   A message from California Hospital Association:   AROUND CALIFORNIA — Elk Grove will fight California AG lawsuit alleging city broke state affordable housing law, by The Sacramento Bee’s Darrell Smith: Elk Grove will fight a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta that alleged the city violated state law when it rejected an affordable housing project planned for the Sacramento suburb’s historic Old Town. — Gloria Molina, Chicana who blazed paths across L.A. politics, dies, by the Los Angeles Times’ Gustavo Arellano: Gloria Molina, the daughter of working-class parents and an unapologetic Chicana who transformed the political landscape of Los Angeles, died Sunday night after a three-year battle with cancer. — “Biden sees an unexpected decline in border crossings,” by Axios’ Stef W. Kight: Concerns about a rush on the border following the end of a restrictive pandemic policy have not materialized — with daily crossings cut in half compared to the record-breaking days leading up to May 11. MIXTAPE — “Scientists take flight to map California's vast snowpack and measure flooding threats,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Ian James  — “For easy living and California vibes, China's digital nomads flock to 'Dalifornia.' Can it last?,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Stephanie Yang and David Shen  — “Want to get into CSU after community college? This new California program could help,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Jaqueline Pinedo   A message from California Hospital Association: Medi-Cal underfunding discriminates against the most vulnerable Californians. California pays only 74 cents for every dollar it costs to care for Medi-Cal patients which puts women, children, people of color, and low-income residents at risk. The risks we face are hospital closure, bankruptcy, or diminished health care services. One hospital has already closed in 2023. Many others are shuttering services. More will follow. Please PROTECT patient care. Learn More.     Follow us on Twitter Katy Murphy @katymurphy 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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