| | | | |  | | By Dustin Gardiner and Sarah Grace Taylor | | Presented by |  | | | |  Protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza shut down southbound traffic today on Highway 880 in Oakland, California. | Bronte Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP | GAZA TO GOLDEN GATE: Protesters of the war in Gaza shut down iconic bridges and roads from coast to coast today, including an hourslong takeover of the Golden Gate Bridge. In San Francisco, about 20 people were arrested after protesters chained themselves to stationary vehicles blocking traffic in both directions and carrying oversized banners reading “STOP THE WORLD FOR GAZA” and “END THE SIEGE ON GAZA NOW.” The demonstration mirrored those in other major cities like New York City and Chicago, opposing how top Democratic officials, including President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, expressed “ironclad” support for Israel following Iran’s missile and drone attacks on the country over the weekend. Today’s are the latest and among the most extreme in a series of demonstrations over Israel’s war with the militant group Hamas that have closed bridges in the San Francisco area, a trend that has increasingly frustrated commuters. Protests over the conflict also seeped into the state Capitol earlier this year when demonstrators effectively shut down the state Legislature’s return to session in January, forcing an early adjournment. Republican state lawmaker Kate Sanchez proposed legislation that would stiffen penalties on protesters who impede emergency vehicles from operating on roads on bridges in California and would impose a fine of $200 to $500 on the first offense. “When they shut down highways, they prevent paramedics, firefighters, and police officers from responding to emergencies,” Sanchez said in a statement. “When someone’s life is potentially on the line, there is truly no excuse for this behavior.” Elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, protesters shut down Interstate 880 by chaining themselves to “55-gallon drums filled with cement,” according to the California Highway Patrol. The freeway remained closed in both directions into the early afternoon, while arrests were underway. Organizers behind the protests, part of an international effort by anti-war groups, said blockades targeting roads and bridges on tax day reflect “a need to shift from symbolic actions to those that cause pain to the economy.” They accuse the U.S. and other major world powers of not doing enough to end the conflict in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. IT’S MONDAY 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.
| | | | A message from Chamber of Progress: SB 1490 is NOT about consumer transparency. It’s about the Digital Restaurant Association–and its chain-restaurant members–getting access to business data to help increase their backers’ profits. Learn how this well-intentioned bill backs the wrong group. | | | |  | WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY | | RECOUNT UNDERWAY: A recount requested by a Silicon Valley voter is underway in the election to replace outbound Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Jonathan Padilla, a tech entrepreneur and former staffer for frontrunner Sam Liccardo, has paid an initial deposit of $12,000 for a recount to break the primary tie between Liccardo’s two competitors. If either Assemblymember Evan Low or Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian gain a single ballot in the recount, the other would be knocked out of the top-two primary race. If the tie remains, all three Democrats will face off in the November general election. | | | | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today. | | | | | | The manual recount will cost somewhere around a half million dollars between the two counties in the district and will take an estimated 10 days to provide a new final tally. The request from Padilla — who worked for Liccardo’s campaign when he ran for mayor of San Jose and worked in the city while Liccardo was in office — has stirred some concerns about who’s really funding the recount. “This is an expensive undertaking. Who actually is putting up the money for it? And under what auspices,” Eshoo askedktfr Playbook last week, calling for transparency from Padilla. “I think that the voters of my congressional district are more than entitled to know that.” Padilla has not responded to requests for comment. | | | | A message from Chamber of Progress:   | | | | | ON THE BEATS | | |  State Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, left, discusses her proposed bill calling on more transparency for youth treatment facilities as hotel heiress and media personality Paris Hilton, center, listens during today's news conference in Sacramento, California. At right is state Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach. | AP | ‘SLIVING FOR A CAUSE’” — Hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton is using her starpower to try to help California kids, backing a bipartisan bill in the state Senate that would require more transparency from short-term youth treatment facilities. Hilton stopped by the Capitol today to stand alongside Sens. Shannon Grove, Angelique Ashby, Aisha Wahab, Susan Rubio and Janet Nguyen in support of Senate Bill 1043, which aims to create more transparency around short-term residential therapeutic programs, used to house and treat young people who have been abused, neglected or are struggling with other types of trauma. She’s dubbed the effort #SlivingForACause, using the term she coined. Hilton for years has spoken out about her experience in what’s known as the “troubled teen industry.” At 17, she was sent to a boarding school in Utah, where she said she endured emotional, physical and sexual abuse. California used to send foster youth to similar out-of-state facilities, but stopped that practice in 2021, and has since turned to temporary facilities as an alternative. SB 1043 would require the Department of Social Services to publicly disclose any time facility staff use seclusion rooms and restraints, as well as any incidents resulting in serious injuries or death. Ahead of a hearing in the human services committee, Hilton told reporters about her experience. Wiping away tears, she called on lawmakers to step up for California’s children, and vowed to use her fame to go after bad actors. "If you are abusing children, I will find out. I will find you and I will come with my huge spotlight and shine it on wherever you are," Hilton said. "Because people aren't going to get away with this anymore." — Lara Korte | | | | 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. | | | | | BIG SPENDERS: Candidates for office are required to submit updated donation and spending reports by the end of the day today, offering the first glimpse into campaigns for California’s biggest elections since the March 5 primary. Some major names filed ahead of the deadline, like Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey, who reported raising $3.4 million between Feb. 15 and March 31, bringing him to nearly $5 million in fundraising during the first quarter of the year. Donations for his Democratic opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff, cooled during the same period, bringing in slightly more than Garvey with about $3.6 million raised in the same time period. Look out for more in tomorrow morning’s California Playbook. BUDGET BILL: Newsom signed legislation this afternoon that advances part of an early budget agreement made with legislative leaders earlier this month to cut $17.3 billion from the state budget shortfall. “This action strongly positions the state to pass a balanced budget in June that protects key programs Californians rely on,” Newsom wrote in a statement. Pro subscribers can read more about the agreement from our colleague Blake Jones.
| | WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY | | ALAMEDA: Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price will face a recall vote in the latest test for a national movement to overhaul the criminal justice system. (POLITICO) MODEST TO MILLIONS: The median cost of a house is now at least $1 million in Bonita, Tustin and other once-affordable California areas. (Los Angeles Times) | | | | A message from Chamber of Progress: The Digital Restaurant Association “seeks to convince policymakers that they represent small businesses while pushing for legislation that ultimately benefits their bottom line.”
The president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce knows the Digital Restaurant Association is using SB 1490 as a smokescreen to get access to data and help their backers’ turn a profit.
So why is California taking up former Uber CEO (and current DRA backer) Travis Kalanick’s pet bill?
Learn more about the real motivations behind SB 1490. | | | | | SOCAL: State officials are set to crack down on overpumping of groundwater in the agricultural heartland of Kings County for the first time in California history. (Cal Matters) SAN FRANCISCO: Sales tax revenue fell in San Francisco in 2023, suggesting a continued lag in the city’s economic recovery. (San Francisco Chronicle) | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | 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 | | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment