In it to win it

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

Oct 03, 2023 View in browser   By Wes Venteicher and Sejal Govindarao STANDING ON CEREMONY: California has a new senator — but the same old U.S. Senate race. At least for now. Laphonza Butler took her oath of office today in Washington and became the junior senator from the great state of California. She was joined by Sen. Alex Padilla, as well as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including the East Bay’s Rep. Barbara Lee. California Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom following the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, stands in Statuary Hall beside Sen. Alex Padilla and members of the Congressional Black Caucus after being sworn in on Oct. 3rd, 2023. | Sejal Govindarao/POLITICO “This has been a day I did not expect and will never forget,” Butler said. “I’m humbled to have the privilege and responsibility of serving the people of California as their senator.” The longtime union leader, who most recently led the fundraising group EMILY’s List, will serve the remaining 15 months left in the term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose death last week forced Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a replacement. Butler hasn’t yet said whether she would run for the Feinstein seat, but we have gotten some clarity from at least one of the candidates already in the race. Rep. Adam Schiff, who has led in fundraising and some polls, says he has no intention of dropping out, no matter what Butler decides. “I’m in it to win it,” Schiff told POLITICO as he walked the halls of Congress on a tense day for Kevin McCarthy. Rep. Katie Porter — who did not attend the Butler swearing-in ceremony, citing a prior commitment — has given no indication that she’d leave the Senate race. We don’t know Lee’s plans — she brushed aside the question today — but she appears to be still in the running, though she has trailed Schiff and Porter in polls and in raising money for an expensive race. Some Lee supporters and Congressional Black Caucus members are still salty that Newsom didn’t appoint the Oakland congresswoman to the seat. Back in 2021, Newsom said he would choose a Black woman if given the opportunity — a pledge he made to assuage critics of his decision to install longtime ally Padilla to the seat left vacant by now-Vice President Kamala Harris. But then he ruled her out, saying he didn’t want to interfere with a heated Senate race with an appointment that might confer instant frontrunner status. At the moment, Newsom seems to have achieved the goal of non-interference, though he said his pick could choose to run if she wanted — and would make a great candidate. But that could soon change: Butler has made it clear she won’t make any decision until after Feinstein’s memorial, which will be Thursday in San Francisco. IT’S TUESDAY AFTERNOON. This is 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. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY OH MY, KEVIN: McCarthy, a Bakersfield native, today became the first House speaker in history to be removed from office. Democrats joined with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and a small group of conservative allies to strip McCarthy of his gavel this afternoon. It’s unclear who would succeed McCarthy long-term, though his allies expect he will try to run for speaker again and members pledged to continue supporting him. McCarthy, famously dubbed “My Kevin” by former President Donald Trump, was also more than a friend and colleague to California Republicans. He’s been a source of campaign cash and proof that their party could still be relevant — at least outside the state. He’s likely to keep his Central Valley seat in a district that favors Republicans. ON THE BEATS CS-Union: Students employed at the California State University system announced today that they would hold an election on whether to form a union, which would be the largest of its kind in the U.S. The 19,300 non-academic student workers perform jobs at campus radio stations and IT departments, on grounds crews and elsewhere outside classrooms. Their hours are capped at 20 per week, and most receive the state minimum wage. The workers, mostly undergraduate students, would join the CSU Employees Union, which represents non-faculty workers. Their bid comes on the heels of last year's academic worker strike at the University of California system and a surge in campus unionization nationally. Academic workers, including teaching assistants and tutors, at the 23-campus CSU are already unionized. — Blake Jones STRIKE BEFORE SUNRISE (MAYBE): About 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are poised to strike starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday unless their union reaches a last-minute contract deal with the health care system. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is calling the potential walkout the largest of its kind among health care employees in U.S. history. The walkout would include support staff but not doctors or most nurses, and would last three days in California. Kaiser spokesperson Hilary Costa said in an email that the system’s hospitals and emergency departments would stay open. Union leaders say staff shortages are leading to overwhelming workloads, burnout and resignations. They say Kaiser needs to boost pay to improve retention. Their latest proposal calls for a $25 minimum wage, and increases of 6.5 percent for the first two years of the contract and 5.75 percent for the last two years. Kaiser proposed an initial $23 minimum wage in California next year along with annual raises of up to 4 percent per year. The other states set to participate in the action are Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Virginia, along with Washington, D.C. Costa said that bargaining was continuing today and that the system had “no plans to stop negotiating until an agreement is reached.” APPEALING TO NEWSOM: The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights rallied on the steps of the state Capitol today in hopes of persuading Newsom to sign two bills on his desk. Members of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights demonstrate outside the state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Oct. 3, 2023. | Forest Hunt/POLITICO One proposal, Assembly Bill 1536, would extend a cash assistance program to people in California without legal U.S. immigration status. The other, Assembly Bill 278, would provide grants to high schools to create resource centers to help undocumented students. CHIRLA spokesperson Jorge Mario Cabrera said the two bills are the only “pro-immigrant” legislation left for Newsom to sign this year. Members of the group marched to Newsom’s office in the nearby Swing Space to deliver bread and roses, long a symbol of labor activism. — Forest Hunt WHAT WE'RE FOLLOWING LAST-MINUTE APPEAL: Mark Ridley-Thomas is asking a federal court to let him remain free while he appeals his conviction on corruption charges. The former member of the Los Angeles City Council and county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to begin serving a 3½-year sentence on Nov. 13. (Los Angeles Times) CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: A new analysis of the illegal use of jailhouse informants in Orange County during the tenure of former D.A. Tony Rackauckas finds the scandal led to the unraveling of 57 homicide and other felony cases, not the previous estimate of about 12. (The Orange County Register) FLYING HIGH: Canada’s Porter Airlines will launch its first direct flights from San Francisco to Toronto early next year, offering free beer and wine on Embraer jets with no middle seats. (The San Francisco Standard)   Follow us on Twitter 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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