The speaker giveth, and the speaker taketh away

Presented by Uber: Inside the Golden State political arena

Apr 26, 2024 View in browser   By Lara Korte, Rachel Bluth and Dustin Gardiner Presented by  Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli is among those getting reassigned. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo THE BUZZ: KICKED OFF — It’s “mess around and find out” season in the California Assembly. With little time left to hear bills in policy committees before the legislative deadline in May, Speaker Robert Rivas is switching up committee membership and bumping some members off their panels entirely, according to a memo to the chief clerk Thursday, obtained by Playbook. Rivas and almost all of the affected lawmakers declined to comment on the reasons for relocations, but the move comes after several recent public scuffles between chairs and their committee members that had tongues wagging around the Capitol. Rivas made the following changes, the memo shows: — Removing Democrat Damon Connolly from the Utilities and Energy Committee and replacing him with Gregg Hart.  — Removing Republican Bill Essayli from the Budget Committee and Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance and replacing him with Greg Wallis.  — Removing Republican Marie Waldron from the Judiciary Committee and replacing her with Essayli. Connolly’s move came the morning after a hearing during which chair Cottie Petrie-Norris voiced harsh words for her colleague from Marin. He proposed legislation meant to make it easier and faster to build microgrids, which are sometimes used to preserve power in locales affected by public safety power shutoffs. But prior to Wednesday's hearing, it was amended to simply study the benefits of microgrids. Though he accepted the changes beforehand, Connolly still brought the bill up for debate, drawing the ire of Petrie-Norris. “That was just a master class in how not to handle a consent item,” Petrie-Norris said. “You have disrespected me and you’ve disrespected the time of our colleagues, and I unfortunately will not be able to support this bill.” The proposal still passed with nine votes, and after the hearing ended, the mood appeared lighter between an apologetic Connolly and Petrie-Norris, who chided him while joking that next time, she would throw the gavel at him. But the next day, he was off the committee. Rivas and Connolly both declined to comment. When asked about the reassignment, Petrie-Norris’ office referred Playbook to Wednesday’s hearing. Similar drama has been bubbling up in the budget committee. Essayli, a frequent critic of the budget process, has been catching heat for his not-so-frequent appearances on his subcommittee — eliciting resentment that’s recently spilled out into public. “It is interesting to me when those, sometimes, who complain the loudest are those who have not shown up to subcommittee hearings or submitted any budget letters,” budget chair Jesse Gabriel said at an April 8 hearing on early actions to reduce the budget deficit. Essayli, at the same hearing, attempted to interrupt the chair and was swiftly chastised. “You can explain to your constituents why you didn’t show up to those hearings,” Gabriel told Essayli, cutting off his microphone. Gabriel’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Essayli’s reassignment. Republican Leader James Gallagher declined to comment. When asked about the tense exchange — and his removal — Essayli said in a statement Thursday he was offering a ”strong, critical voice in the budget process.” “Evidently asking tough questions of the Governor’s Office is not welcome in the Assembly Budget Committee even when we are facing a $73 billion deficit,” he said. “I look forward to being the only Republican attorney on the Assembly Judiciary Committee and using those skills to scrutinize and question the language and authors of the bills before me.” Waldron’s office declined to comment on her removal from the Judiciary Committee. GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. 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? Nothing official announced.   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.   CAMPUS UNREST Protests are unfolding across California campuses, including USC. | Richard Vogel/AP Photo TENSIONS RUNNING HIGH — Protests over the war in Gaza continue to sweep California campuses, resulting in mass arrests, impacting graduation plans, and even leading to at least one campus shutdown. The unrest has also given Republicans like Senate candidate Steve Garvey ammo to hammer two of their favorite targets: Liberal academia, where pro-Palestinian sentiment has long flourished, and Democratic leaders. Campuses are increasingly the target of California protests, which have roiled politics for months — disrupting and ultimately shutting down a state Democratic Party convention, canceling the Christmas tree lighting at the Capitol in Sacramento and, in recent days, snarling traffic on the famed Golden Gate Bridge. Our colleague Christopher Cadelago has more on what it all means as the unrest spreads.   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.     STATE CAPITOL Homelessness funding is at the top of mayors' wishlists. | Jeff Chiu/AP Photo MO’ MONEY, MO’ ACCOUNTABILITY — Mayors from California’s biggest cities came to Sacramento to lobby for local priorities this week, with homelessness funding at the top of the wishlist. The mayors asked state leaders to make a recurring $1 billion investment into addressing homelessness, which is widely seen as a top priority for the state, but that amount might be a stretch as California grapples with a roughly $38 billion budget shortfall ahead of the May budget revision. “In a tough budget year, we'd be foolish to not be here to express what we're utilizing these funds for and why they must be a priority as they do the difficult work of balancing budgets,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told Playbook this week. The request also comes on the heels of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent calls for more accountability in local spending. Last week, he asked cities to do a better job tracking outcomes of homelessness spending just after an independent audit found the state was lacking in accountability structures. Still, mayors say state leaders also understand the urgency of establishing consistent funds. And if money is tight, Gloria suggests the state take homelessness funding unspent in some areas to places like San Diego that are using their full allotment. “I think there's an argument to be made for funding that may not have been spent by counties or some cities to be swept and given to the cities that will put them to use now,” Gloria said. — Sarah Grace Taylor    A message from Uber:   CAMPAIGN YEAR GOV’S BLESSING — Newsom has endorsed Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín in the tough Dem-on-Dem contest for state Senate in District 7 (East Bay Area). The governor rarely wades into intraparty legislative races, but the November contest has drawn outsize attention because of a stark ideological divide. AC Transit board member Jovanka Beckles, Arreguín’s opponent, is an avowed progressive and Berniecrat. Establishment party leaders and business groups have largely supported Arreguín, the more moderate contender by Bay Area standards. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, who currently represents the area, is termed out and has endorsed Arreguín.   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.     CLIMATE AND ENERGY BATTERY SURGE — California has been adding battery storage, which is critical to its clean energy transition, to the grid at an exponential clip. Gov. Newsom was bragging about it yesterday in Yolo County — read more in last night’s California Climate newsletter. Top Talkers — Cal Poly Humboldt has shut down the campus through the weekend amid Gaza protests. Administrators say it could last longer. (Los Angeles Times) — Steve Garvey’s campaign has paid Ryan Garvey $32,500 to serve as a campaign consultant since December. (The Sacramento Bee) — California’s unemployment rate held steady in March, but around Sacramento, jobs grew substantially faster than in other areas, a new study shows. (Public Policy Institute of California) AROUND THE STATE SILICON VALLEY: Oracle’s headquarters are headed to Nashville, just four years after the company traded Silicon Valley for Austin. (San Francisco Chronicle) ANAHEIM: “Encanto” could get its own Disneyland area as part of the park’s multi-billion dollar expansion. (The Orange County Register) SAN DIEGO: Members of Congress have launched an investigation into a San Diego County credit union that has raked in overdraft fees from Marine Corps recruits passing through boot camp. (KPBS) — with help from Ariel Gans   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.   PLAYBOOKERS PEOPLE MOVES — Lizzie Buchen will join Smart Justice California next week as its new deputy director. She’s a veteran advocate for criminal justice reform and previously worked as a policy consultant and director of the ACLU of Northern California’s criminal justice program. BIRTHDAYS — (was Thursday): Palantir’s Wendy Anderson … WEEKEND B-DAYS — (on Sunday): Becca Rose of the California Working Families Party … WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion 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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