POLITICO California Playbook PM: Dems pour cool water on Newsom’s Delta plan

Your afternoon must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Jun 22, 2023 View in browser   By Lara Korte, Wes Venteicher and Jeremy B. White Programming note: Thanks for reading California Playbook PM. We are taking a short break but will be back in your inboxes soon. In the meantime, California Playbook will continue publishing in the morning. You can sign up for it here. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators are running out of time to find common ground on the 2023 budget deal — and it could all come down to the Delta Conveyance Project. The governor has until Tuesday to sign the $311 billion spending plan passed by lawmakers last week, but he’ll likely want commitments on his top priorities before then. Newsom is asking the Legislature to approve 11 proposals aimed at speeding up energy, water and transportation infrastructure projects — including one that would ease the path of a long and fiercely disputed tunnel to transfer water to Southern California. People fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta's Elk Slough near Courtland, Calif., Tuesday, March 24, 2020. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo Negotiators representing the Assembly, Senate and governor were scheduled to meet this afternoon. Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, who represents much of San Joaquin County and is part of the talks, said Democrats in the Legislature are standing firm against the governor’s tunnel proposal, which would transfer water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta at the expense of salmon and sandhill crane habitats and agriculture. "It is kind of the elephant in the room that this is something [Newsom] has been trying to push for a while,” said Villapudua, who is part of the five-member team of Assembly negotiators. “But on our side, we're adamant about saying ‘no.’" The Delta project has evolved over the years but has consistently faced fierce local pushback. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown championed an earlier version that would have consisted of two tunnels instead of the single one favored by Newsom. Newsom angered lawmakers by trying to get  a large infrastructure package passed as part of budget negotiations, rather than as a policy bill, which undergoes more public hearings and vetting by lawmakers. But the governor’s office says the changes will help California make a stronger case for tens of billions in federal infrastructure grants and hundreds of thousands of resulting jobs. Newsom has defended the infrastructure package as a vital tool to accelerate the state's response to climate change. Communications Director Anthony York characterized opposition as "entrenched special interests that are denying the reality we’re facing and are reluctant to change up the status quo.” “Environmentalists are very good at saying no, but we have to be able to say yes in order to get us out of the crisis we’re facing,” York said. Negotiations are ongoing, and Villapudua said he is anticipating working through the “entire weekend.” Could we see Newsom finally use his line-item veto power? Will he threaten to veto the whole thing? Or will they emerge from the octagon with a deal that makes everyone look good? Stay tuned. HAPPY THURSDAY 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!   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.     AROUND CALIFORNIA KHANNA UNDER PRESSURE: California Rep. Ro Khanna is taking heat for inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak before Congress during his first official state visit to the U.S. At least six of his Democratic colleagues boycotted the speech today in a show of solidarity with India’s religious minorities, who have faced years of oppression in India under Modi’s leadership. More than 70 lawmakers in both chambers penned a letter urging President Joe Biden to address human rights concerns in India during his meeting with the prime minister. Khanna defended his invitation for Modi to speak before Congress, saying the U.S. can balance between uplifting human rights and recognizing India’s role in “critical” geopolitical priorities, like climate change and the growing influence of China. “My criticisms have been of the policies,” Khanna said in an interview today. “I’ve said that India should be having an open internet and India should have robust freedom of the press. India needs to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect minority rights in every state in the nation. And I of course stand by those comments while affirming that India is a critical and strategic ally and we need to deepen ties on the economy, technology and defense.” ON THE BEATS TIME’S UP: The federal government was supposed to decide by December whether to grant Endangered Species Act protections for a striking amphibian known as the yellow-legged frog that has been disappearing from the Sierra and other parts of California. That didn’t happen. Not for the frog — says a lawsuit filed against the Biden administration today by the Center for Biological Diversity — nor for a dozen other species. They include the ferruginous pygmy owl, the Peñasco least chipmunk and the Texas fatmucket. That last one is a kind of mussel, not to be confused with the Guadalupe fatmucket, which the Center says was also denied timely protection by the administration. The suit names Martha Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Both are Biden appointees. It comes a day after the administration announced three proposed regulations to make it harder to remove a species from the endangered list and restore protections for threatened species, a step below endangered. That would put back elements to the act removed under President Donald Trump. KDL’s PATH FORWARD: Embattled Los Angeles Councilmember Kevin de León still hasn’t said whether he plans to seek reelection, but he'll likely need backing from the business community to hold on to his own seat. The former state lawmaker hosted a group of business owners from the California Black Chamber of Commerce on a tour of manufacturing plants in Tijuana earlier this week. The Juneteenth event, which was sponsored by a Tijuana-based nonprofit, was billed as an opportunity to meet local Mexican officials and establish international trade connections for historically marginalized businesses. Connections with the business community could prove important if he tries to hold on to the seat. De León faces serious questions about his fundraising ability after he and two other Council members were recorded using racist language while plotting to carve up other Council districts. Labor unions typically play an outsize role in funding Los Angeles city campaigns, and a pair of Democratic Assembly members who have already declared their candidacies, Wendy Carrillo and Miguel Santiago, are likely to grab most of that cash. — Alexander Nieves   SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     AROUND CALIFORNIA “The trillion-gallon question: Extreme weather is threatening California’s dams. What happens if they fail?” by The New York Times’ Christopher Cox: In the six years since Oroville, dam operators across the country have begun to reassess the structures under their control, looking for hidden weaknesses: the cracks in the spillway, the hillside that crumbles at the first sign of water. That work is necessary, but it may not be enough to prevent the next disaster. Bigger storms are on the way. “San Francisco’s fire chief is fed up with robotaxis that mess with her firetrucks. And L.A. is next,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Russ Mitchell: The robotaxi industry is being allowed to move too fast and break things, these officials say, putting more robotaxis on public streets even as they prove inept at dealing with firetrucks, ambulances and police cars. And, they say, California state agencies have set up the rules so cities have little say in autonomous vehicle regulation. “Dozens of UCSD graduate students face possible discipline after May 5 protest,” by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Paul Sisson: UC San Diego graduate students are facing disciplinary hearings and possible expulsion after interrupting an alumni awards ceremony to accuse university administrators of failing to live up to the requirements of a union contract brokered in 2022. MIXTAPE “Europe takes its fight against Big Tech to CEOs’ turf: San Francisco,” by The Washington Post’s Cat Zakrzewski.  "Chris Paul trade: Warriors send Jordan Poole, draft picks to Wizards to land future Hall of Famer," by CBS’ Sam Quinn "Why are ER wait times getting longer? New UCSF study suggests a reason," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Catherine Ho   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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