POLITICO California Playbook PM: After disaster, donuts

Presented by Heat Pump Nation Inc.: Your afternoon must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Aug 21, 2023 View in browser   By Melanie Mason Presented by Heat Pump Nation Inc. Vehicles cross over a flood control basin that has almost reached the street, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in decades, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. | Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo STORM CHASERS: Gov. Gavin Newsom spent most of the weekend road-tripping through SoCal, bringing with him warnings of the approaching Tropical Storm Hilary and promises of help from the state. By Monday, with the worst of the storm cleared, he brought donuts. Each of these stops — from meetings with tribal leaders in Palm Springs to doling out gratitude pastries to emergency responders in Los Angeles — was memorialized on social media, a real-time diary of the governor’s public role in the midst of crisis. High visibility during a natural disaster can be a no-win proposition. Too much, and critics will complain that politicians are treating a historic storm as an excuse for a photo op (to wit, one Atlantic writer, noting Newsom’s casual garb, wondered whether Hilary was simply a “casual chic rescue opportunity.” Too little, and elected officials risk appearing absent at the height of emergency. “It’s a balancing act. You want to amplify the message and show engagement without getting in the way,” said Anthony York, the governor’s spokesperson. It’s a common tendency for political reporters to reflexively compare Newsom with his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, but the difference is especially stark in times like this. Brown rarely appeared at the scene of unfolding disasters, preferring to monitor response efforts from the state’s operations center in Sacramento and waiting days to check out the aftermath in person. Brown took heat at times for appearing aloof as a crisis unfolded, but his aides argued that rather than draw away resources from the scene, the governor was more effective coordinating response behind the scenes. The same dynamic is playing out now for President Joe Biden, who has faced some outcry for a slow public response to the devastating wildfires in Maui. His administration has pushed back, saying Biden has kept in close touch with Hawaiian officials. But the criticism now looms over Biden as he visits Maui today to survey the damage. The role of a president, or even a governor, during a natural disaster is markedly different from that of a local official. But it was notable that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had both local and national audiences in mind as she staked out her public role in the storm. In addition to regular press conferences with county and city officials, Bass made numerous appearances on places like CNN, Fox News and Ryan Seacrest’s radio program to explain the stakes of the storm to people living outside of Los Angeles. “I know in other cities this might look like a trivial amount of rain,” Bass said on Fox News on Monday. “But just think — we are not used to rain in the summertime.” Her appearance also yielded a rare compliment on the conservative news channel. Host Neil Cavuto spoke of the “beautiful city of Los Angeles,” a phrase that would probably be anathema to some of his colleagues. 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 mmason@politico.com or send a shout on Twitter. DMs are open!   A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.: We need a plan NOW to fight the climate crisis and protect our communities from extreme heat. AB 593 directs California to develop a comprehensive emissions reduction strategy for homes and buildings that safeguards low-income households, supports clean energy jobs, and creates resilient communities. Learn more at https://theheatpumpnation.org/california-ab593/.   WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in March of this year. | (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) FOR WHOM THE BAY TOLLS: A proposal to hike Bay Area bridge tolls by $1.50 was shelved on Monday. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) had introduced the measure, SB 532, amid a fierce battle to secure more transit funding in the budget. The standoff ultimately secured $400 million — far short of the $2.5 billion that transit advocates say is necessary to avert fiscal shortfalls and service cuts. Wiener and Wilson said in a statement that “there is significant support for the bill among the Bay Area legislative delegation but also significant opposition.” Opponents included at least seven Democratic members of the California congressional delegation. Wiener and Wilson said they’ll huddle over the fall to ensure the delegation is on the same page to tackle the issue next year.   SUBSCRIBE TO 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: A brand-new 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 to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     ON THE BEATS ‘SPIRITUAL BATTLE’ OVER SCHOOLS: The handful of GOP-backed candidates who flipped California school boards in the fall are having an undeniable impact — firing superintendents, condemning critical race theory and requiring that parents be notified if their child is transgender. Today, one of the Republican-endorsed trustees gathered with allies for a “parental rights” rally on the Capitol’s West Steps, calling for a conservative Christian crusade against several Democratic-sponsored bills in front of rally-goers and a Turning Point USA booth. “This is a spiritual battle. This is a warfare,” Chino Valley Unified board President Sonja Shaw told the crowd. “And if you don't know that, I'm asking you to ask God to reveal that and give you the discernment, because he is sending the angels, he is sending hosts to fight this battle.” Also in attendance: Inland Empire pastors Jack Hibbs and Tim Thompson, who together have played an outsize role in flipping Southern California school boards by making endorsements and supporting campaigns through their political groups. Read more about the school boards that the pastors and GOP officials helped transform coming out of the pandemic — and how rookie trustees have set up outposts of Republican power in the liberal state. — Blake Jones A LABOR BREAKTHROUGH: Perhaps occupying the Capitol swing space really did the trick for SEIU 1000, which announced a tentative deal with the state on Sunday evening. California’s largest state employee union had been mired for months in negotiations with the Newsom administration. But the logjam reached a new level of notoriety last week, when union members descended on the legislative offices to protest and eight people, including two Sacramento City Council members and California Labor Federation head Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, were arrested for civil disobedience. The new contract, if ratified, will include a 10 percent raise for all represented employees over the course of the three-year contract, among other benefits. The agreement represents the biggest three-year contract in SEIU 1000’s history, the union said in a statement.   A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.:   AROUND CALIFORNIA “Biden dispatches California storm aid on way to inspect Maui fire damage,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Noah Bierman: President Biden flew to Hawaii on Monday with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to inspect wildfire damage in Maui while also keeping tabs on havoc spurred by Tropical Storm Hilary in Southern California and another set of fires that destroyed 200 homes in Washington state. “California is free from extreme drought conditions for the first time in three years,” by The New York Times’ Nikita Richardson: And while wildfires remain a threat across the state, this year’s fire season has been significantly less destructive when compared with a five-year average of fire incidents and acres burned. “What one image shows about the Darién Gap,” by The New York Times’ Federico Rios: Mr. Arias remembers something else about the moment the photo was taken: how ashamed he felt of his weakness, with his children looking on. But that feeling seems lost to the past now.   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     MIXTAPE — “Elon Musk’s shadow rule: How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire — and now is struggling to rein him in,” By The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow.  — “Homes of Dodgers’ Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman burglarized while they were away,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Richard Winton.   A message from Heat Pump Nation Inc.: Extreme heat is here to stay. California needs a statewide plan to upgrade homes and buildings with clean cooling. AB 593 ensures that Californians can create safe and healthy climate-ready homes and communities. YES on AB 593 for: Relief from extreme heat Safeguards for low income households Community resilience Clean energy jobs Lower emissions Cleaner air Learn more at https://theheatpumpnation.org/california-ab593/.     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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