Saying goodbye to DiFi

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

Oct 05, 2023 View in browser   By Alexander Nieves, Jeremy B. White and Dustin Gardiner The casket of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who lay in state at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday. Feinstein, who served as the city's mayor from 1978 to 1988, died last week. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) | AP | AP SAN FRANCISCO SENDOFF: Women ushered into power by Dianne Feinstein showed up in force today for the late senator’s memorial — recalling her as a friend and role model who paved the way to political office when men still dominated the field. Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and dozens of members of the House and Senate filled the plaza outside City Hall as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fighter jets screeched overhead in unusually blue skies for the normally foggy city. The setting couldn’t be more relevant. Feinstein, who died last week at 90, ascended to the position of mayor of San Francisco in 1978 following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Her work inspired many female leaders of today, including Breed. “For kids my age, we just always accepted that a woman could be in charge, that a woman could do whatever a man could do,” Breed told mourners seated in the plaza outside City Hall. “My mother's generation didn't have that. My grandmother's generation certainly didn't.” Harris recalled traveling from Oakland to San Francisco in 1992 to watch Feinstein share a stage with her fellow senator-elect, Barbara Boxer, to celebrate their victories — in what became to be called the “year of the woman.” “Dianne, the women of America have come a long way,” the vice president said. “Our country has come a long way, and you helped move the ball forward.” Vice President Kamala Harris speaking on Thursday during a memorial service in San Francisco for Sen. Dianne Feinstein. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) | AP | AP Pelosi pointed out that Feinstein helped approve more than 140 of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees — a zinger at those who called on the senator to step down as her health declined. Feinstein was also hailed for her fierce advocacy of a ban on assault weapons in response to mass shootings in California and elsewhere, as well as her work ensuring the preservation of millions of acres of desert habitat and Lake Tahoe. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described her as a skilled negotiator who worked across the aisle to make a deal. “If there was the smallest bit of common ground, she'd pursue it,” Schumer said, calling her “so far ahead of her time on gun safety, marriage equality, women's rights, the environment and so many other issues.” Biden, who served with her on the Judiciary Committee, didn’t attend the memorial — instead offering recorded remarks praising Feinstein’s influence over Washington and the nation. “Thank God we had Dianne showing us the way by the power of her example,” Biden said. IT’S THURSDAY 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 anieves@politico.com or send a shout on Twitter. DMs are open. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY STRIKING A BARGAIN: Striking workers at Kaiser Permanente are making progress in talks with the health system. This is the second day of a planned three-day walkout by employees of the Oakland-based nonprofit company in five states and the District of Columbia. The union says it has a tentative agreement with Kaiser on some benefit issues, but the two sides remained apart on pay and other sticking points. The workers, including licensed vocational nurses and technicians but not registered nurses and doctors, are seeking a $25 minimum wage, annual pay increases and increased staff levels. A small number of employees based in Washington, D.C., and Virginia returned to work today, while the rest will return to clinics and hospitals Saturday. — Blake Jones ON THE BEATS LAST-MINUTE APPEAL: Mark Ridley-Thomas may be home for the holidays, after all. The onetime giant in Los Angeles politics was set to report to prison on Nov. 13 to serve his 42-month sentence for corruption charges. But prosecutors in that case said today they would not object to Ridley-Thomas' remaining free on bail while he appeals his conviction. A federal judge would have to sign off. — Melanie Mason MORE TROUBLE FOR MUSK: The Securities and Exchange Commission ramped up its fight with Elon Musk today, suing the tech mogul in a bid to compel him to testify in a probe into his 2022 purchase of Twitter, the company now known as X, POLITICO’s Declan Harty reports. The Wall Street regulator is investigating potential violations of federal laws regarding Musk's $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter, as well as his statements and SEC filings about the company, the agency said in a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Last month, Musk failed to appear to testify after four months' notice, according to the SEC. The sides had an agreed-upon date, but two days beforehand, Musk canceled, "raising, for the first time, several spurious objections," the SEC said. WHAT WE'RE FOLLOWING KIDS THESE DAYS: The violent felony arrest rate for young adults, defined as 18–22, dropped by more than 50 percent over the last 25 years, possibly as a result of declines in alcohol and drug use among teens that has occurred during the same time frame. (Public Policy Institute of California) SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: The Newsom administration today announced limits on the use of solitary in California prisons, reducing from 34 to 19 the number of prison offenses that would warrant keeping someone locked away for 22 hours per day. It follows the governor’s veto earlier this year of legislation that would have limited the use of the practice. (San Francisco Chronicle) BOOK BACKLASH: For months, some parents and conservative groups have urged school districts across the country to ban books on LGBTQ+ topics, reject diversity plans, require parents to be notified if a student identifies as transgender and eliminate references at schools to LGBTQ+ people altogether. Amid the backlash, some San Diego County school districts have moved to end programs and remove items perceived to be LGBTQ+-affirming, from mental health services contracts to classroom posters. (The San Diego Union Tribune)   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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