A photo finish for Prop 1

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

Mar 21, 2024 View in browser   By Sarah Grace Taylor and Rachel Bluth WHAT HAPPENED WITH PROP 1? Join POLITICO California’s health care reporter Rachel Bluth on Tuesday evening for a post-mortem analysis on the razor-thin outcome of Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature mental-health initiative. Rachel will host an evening of hot takes and libations at Manny’s in the Mission, 3092 16th St. in San Francisco. Register here for $15; the event starts at 6 p.m. Come with your questions about the implications for homelessness, mental health and Newsom’s political ambitions. NAIL-BITER:  After two weeks of nail-biting and some ballot curing for Gov. Gavin Newsom, his multibillion-dollar pet project has officially — and narrowly — been cleared by voters. Now he has to deliver. “People want results. People are exhausted with the time delay,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference in Los Angeles today, hours after a painstaking, two-week count to settle the race. “They’re exhausted with the promises. They want to see results.” Proposition 1, a mental health ballot initiative that will rework state law and take out a $6.4 billion bond to fund new facilities to house and treat the most severe cases, tottered to approval with 50.2 percent of the vote. The election was finally called in favor of the initiative last night, but the narrow victory sent Newsom a clear message of skepticism and an edict to make it worth the additional spending on homelessness. A win for Prop 1 is not just important to Newsom’s mental health and homeless strategy, but was so central to the governor’s term that he postponed his State of the State address, originally set for this week, when results were still unclear. Gov. Gavin Newsom. | Damian Dovarganes/AP Newsom poured millions from his own political war chest into the campaign for Prop 1 and has spent much of this year selling it across different parts of the state. Opponents of the measure, who initially conceded the race and later backtracked, called the narrow margin an “embarrassing squeaker of a victory” and indicated they’re still hoping for more ballots to be counted. With its passage, Newsom now has to figure out implementation, coordinating cities and counties to produce 11,000 new behavioral health treatment beds and beefing up supportive housing and outpatient capacity. “Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and begin implementing this critical reform — working closely with city and county leaders to ensure we see results,” he said. IT’S THURSDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to sgtaylor@politico.com or send a shout on X. DMs are open.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY SHERIFF’S BACK IN TOWN: To court Latino voters, presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is enlisting ousted Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva — whose four years in office were fraught with political scandal and conservative rhetoric on crime. Despite having served as the first Spanish-speaking sheriff elected to the position in over a century, Villanueva is a striking choice of campaign partner. He was ousted in 2022 after just one term, following the raid of a political rival’s home, attacks on local journalists and a tack toward tough-on-crime views. Now, Villanueva and Kennedy will use a Cesar Chavez Day event in Los Angeles next weekend to highlight Robert Kennedy Sr.’s prominent support of famed farmworker organizer Chavez. RFK Jr. is hoping to convert that enduring bond to Latino votes in California, a campaign he’s calling “Viva Kennedy 24.” Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva | AP Photo/Jae C. Hong ON THE BEATS SPRING FEVER: Like students welcoming a substitute teacher before spring break, state senators treated state Sen. Caroline Menjivar to some juvenile antics today as the Democrat presided over her first-ever floor session. After a short agenda of real business — passing a FAFSA extension and a $19 billion MCO tax renewal — senators repeatedly interrupted the last session before their week-long break incorrectly calling for points of order, a caucus, early adjournment and attempting to read a series of poems on the floor. Menjivar took it in stride, thanking the group for its “energetic vibes.” Pro Tem Sen. Mike McGuire said Menjivar was fantastic at “ducking and diving and holding firm” during the chaos. TRUST ISSUES: California’s Rob Bonta joined a group of state attorneys general who, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, filed a sweeping antitrust case against Apple for allegedly violating antitrust laws. The complaint accuses the $2.7 trillion company of monopolizing smartphone markets and raising costs for consumers, developers and others, undermining a competitive free market. “Apple’s anticompetitive conduct intentionally leaves consumers bearing the cost of sky-high smartphone prices at a time when smartphones are now essential to so much of our day-to-day lives,” Bonta said, adding that “consumers, innovation, and the competitive process — not Apple alone — should decide what options consumers should have.” Attorneys general in 15 states including California signed on to the complaint filed today in a New Jersey court.   In celebration of Earth Month, the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, in collaboration with POLITICO, host “Climate Forward 2024: Climate at the Crossroads” on April 4, 2024 at USC. Top experts from politics, government, media, and academia will discuss climate change issues with a focus on finding practical policy and business solutions as well identifying ways to remove political obstacles to implementing those changes. Register to attend in person or virtually.     WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY SLAM DUNK: Three experts consulted about Steph Curry’s hypothetical future run for political office think he could pull it off and it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. (The Mercury News) ON THE FENCE: Trump’s influence on a bipartisan border deal is luring some California Democrats toward stricter immigration policies and stronger border security. (Los Angeles Times) RISKY BUSINESS: State Farm will drop 30,000 property insurance policies and 42,000 commercial apartment policies in California due to fire risk. (San Francisco Chronicle)   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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