Newsom and Republicans find a common cause

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Apr 22, 2024 View in browser   By Dustin Gardiner, Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte Presented by  Gov. Gavin Newsom and GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley are on the same side of a political fight. | Jeff Chiu/AP Photo THE BUZZ: WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT — Pigs must be flying over hell's frozen tundras: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley are on the same side of a political fight. All it took was a homelessness crisis. The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up a case this morning with monumental consequences for how California cities address encampments. A lower-court ruling before the high court limits when local governments can remove encampments, if there isn’t shelter available for homeless people. Tents pitched in parks, under freeways, and across sidewalks have become painfully ubiquitous symbols of a problem that has consumed California politics for years, fanning public frustration at a lack of progress. Californians across parties and levels of government — from the Newsom administration to Democratic mayors to House Republicans like Kiley — have implored the Supreme Court to consider reversing the ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson. Specifically, they want the high court’s conservative majority to overturn that Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling — an odd bedfellows situation as the Ninth Circuit is usually attacked by Republicans for its liberal rulings. The Grants decision invalidated an Oregon city’s anti-camping ordinances and prevented local officials from citing homeless people for public camping. The governor has forcefully argued that confusing legal limits resulting from the ruling have “paralyzed” cities throughout California as they try to clear encampments. In an amicus brief filed with the court, Newsom’s administration warned that cities “are trapped” in a no-win situation because they are at risk of being sued if they clear encampments, while at the same time they can be sued if they don’t immediately address the health and public-safety risks posed by street camping. Newsom has said while he opposes penalties for people sleeping outside, the Grants Pass ruling has been interpreted so widely that it broadly prevents cities from doing anything. Kiley, who said he plans to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court today, has criticized the Ninth Circuit for similar reasons. He claimed its “misguided decisions” have led to increases in homelessness, crime and drug use. Perhaps no case study has riled Newsom as much as that of San Francisco, which has faced a monthslong restriction on clearing encampments. A judicial magistrate issued a partial injunction in late 2022 that prevented the city from clearing tents unless it offered immediate shelter. “I hope this goes to the Supreme Court, and that’s a hell of a statement for a progressive Democrat,” Newsom told POLITICO last fall. Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed sharply criticized Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu over the injunction. The mayor hammered Ryu for trying to “micromanage” the response to a crisis in a city where she doesn’t live. Ryu has, in turn, said the city is falling short “by thousands of beds” to provide adequate shelter. The San Francisco case is effectively on pause pending the Supreme Court’s ruling. But it shows the uncomfortable politics for Democrats like Newsom and Breed — who find themselves praying that conservative Supreme Court justices will hand them a victory. GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? In Stanislaus County with the First Partner for an Earth Day event.   A message from Uber: Drivers with Uber are leading EV adoption. Key fact to know this Earth Month: Drivers with Uber are switching to electric cars seven times faster than everyday drivers. That progress has multiplier impact because when one Uber driver starts using an EV, they deliver up to four times the emissions benefits compared to regular motorists. Learn more about this trend.   STATE CAPITOL A new proposal could ban the expedited security screening company CLEAR from state airports. | Mario Tama/Getty Images AIRPORT ANGST — There’s another common cause uniting Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento: line skipping at airports. As our colleague Eric He reports this morning, Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman and Republican state Sen. Janet Nguyen — both Orange County commuters — are boosting a first-in-the-nation proposal critics say would ban the expedited security screening company CLEAR from state airports. The new bill would require third-party vendors like CLEAR to get their own dedicated security lane or lose the ability to operate in California airports. Currently, CLEAR customers pay $189 a year to verify their identities at airport kiosks before being escorted past queued passengers to the front of TSA lines. “The least you can expect when you have to go through the security line at the airport is that you don’t suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you,” Newman told POLITICO. Nguyen expressed a similar reason for backing the bill. “It becomes a haves vs. have nots where those who can afford it jump in front of the rest of us,” she said in an email. “They even cut in front of TSA Pre-boarding pass travelers who have been screened by the TSA.” Although there’s some bipartisan agreement on the bill, it still faces a tough path to passage. Industry groups — including Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue and Hawaiian — have lined up against the measure that’s set to come before the Senate transportation committee Tuesday.   THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     NEWSOMLAND AD ATTACK — Newsom is taking another jab at red states’ abortion laws, today launching a new TV ad in Alabama, where lawmakers are trying to criminalize people who help minors travel out of state for reproductive care. The ad, called “Fugitive,” is another dramatic rendering of what could happen if adults are punished for helping minors seek an abortion across state lines. It debuted Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.” As our colleague Chris Cadelago reported, the ad features two women driving a mile out from the state border when they are pulled over by law enforcement. The narrator says “Trump Republicans” want to criminalize young Alabama women who travel for reproductive care. The officer then asks the driver to step out of the vehicle and take a pregnancy test. Several red-state officials, including in Oklahoma and Idaho, have moved to impose legal penalties and fines for transporting people seeking abortions over state lines. Newsom, who also has run abortion-related TV spots and billboards and is pushing to make California a legal “sanctuary” for abortions, has said the conditions in red states are “much more pernicious than they even appear.” ALSO ON PSAKI — The governor announced an in-state strategy for increasing abortion access. This week, in coordination with the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, he’ll introduce a bill to offer Arizona abortion providers an expedited way to get licensed in California to perform the procedure for their patients.Rachel Bluth has all the details.   A message from Uber:   ON THE AGENDA FLOOR SESH — The Assembly and Senate convene at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. CLIMATE AND ENERGY MOVING TARGET — LA Metro has a goal to reach a completely zero-emissions bus fleet by 2030 — but the agency is trying to push it back, citing bus manufacturers closing across the state. It's a preview of the broader debate to come as cities and counties aim to meet California's 2040 bus target. Read more in Friday's California Climate newsletter.   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.     Top Talkers — California’s primary turnout could be bad news for Democrats in November. (POLITICO) — Devin Nunes is in the hot seat at Trump’s Truth Social. (The Wall Street Journal) — A California judge tentatively sided with Attorney General Rob Bonta over a proposed trans youth ballot measure's title. (Sacramento Bee) — While Kevin McCarthy is traveling the country giving six-figure speeches and playing pundit and elder statesman on TV, he’s also plotting vengeance against those behind his unceremonious ouster as House speaker. (Los Angeles Times)   A message from Uber: Uber Drivers Accelerate Electric Vehicle Shift As Earth Month spotlights sustainability, a noteworthy trend emerges: Uber drivers are adopting electric vehicles seven times faster than the average driver. For every driver on the Uber platform who switches to an EV, the emissions savings are quadrupled compared to what typical drivers would achieve. This shift didn’t just happen. It’s part of Uber’s commitment to ensuring that, by 2030, 100% of trips on its platform in the US are in zero-emission vehicles or through micromobility and public transport. Now drivers with Uber are leading the way in advancing clean energy transportation. Discover more about how Uber is going green.   AROUND THE STATE BERKELEY: UC Berkeley’s campus is in turmoil over the war in Gaza. It’s unlike anything in recent memory. (POLITICO) SAN DIEGO: Residents of Tijuana and San Diego County’s South Bay communities are dealing with years of negligence and underinvestment in wastewater treatment plants that have led to illnesses, beach closures and economic downturns. (San Diego Union-Tribune) HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH: Disneyland is removing and replacing lamp posts as a precautionary measure after high winds in November toppled a Town Square lamp post that left several visitors injured. (Orange County Register) OAKLAND: Three Northern California law enforcement officers have been charged in death of a man held facedown on the ground. (Associated Press) LOS ANGELES: A man was arrested after breaking into the Getty House, the official mayoral residence in Los Angeles, on Sunday morning. Mayor Karen Bass, who was home at the time, was not harmed and nothing was taken. (Los Angeles Times) PLAYBOOKERS WEDDING — Ricky Gill, an attorney and real estate developer and former California congressional candidate and Trump administration alum, and Dr. Annie Shergill, a gastroenterology fellow at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami, recently got married at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla. The couple were married in a traditional Sikh ceremony and then danced the night away to Latin beats with their guests, many of whom were Trump administration alumni. Pic  SPOTTED: Miguel Correa, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and Julia Nesheiwat, Eddie Vasquez, Andrew LaBruna, Ron Nussle, Marc Moyer, Nels Nordquist and DJ Bernstein. BIRTHDAYS — Bernardo Urquieta … BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Saturday): POLITICO's David Siders … Tess Whittlesey of Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) office … Lyft’s Heather Foster … Denise Gitsham … Marc Rotenberg of the Center for AI and Digital Policy … (was Friday): California Target Book Research Director Rob Pyers … Gad Elmaleh. WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday — or another special occasion like a wedding or baby announcement — to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. Disclaimer: All information will be verified. CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Lara Korte @lara_korte   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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