A win for Kevin De León’s stay put strategy

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May 09, 2024 View in browser   By Melanie Mason Presented by  Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de León | AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu RE-COMMITTED: Kevin de León is back from Los Angeles City Council’s equivalent of a time-out. The council member was booted from committees in October 2022, after a leaked audio tapes controversy made him radioactive. Council President Paul Krekorian said at the time there was “no realistic possibility that you can effectively legislate as a member of this body.” This week, however, Krekorian reversed course, appointing de León to serve on four committees. Also receiving new assignments was Curren Price, another scandal-plagued council member who had voluntarily stepped down from committees after he was charged with embezzlement, perjury and corruption charges (of which he has maintained his innocence). Krekorian’s spokesperson, Hugh Esten, cited workload concerns when explaining the decision. “With only 13 members working full-time, some members have been serving on five or six committees,” Esten said. “Having two members of the Council sitting idle while collecting full pay is imposing an excessive workload on the other 13 and interfering with the work of the Council.” For de León, it’s a symbolic step back from his banishment to the political wilderness. The former state Senate leader has wagered that he could withstand the white-hot fury from the tapes — which captured, among other things, offensive conversation about a fellow councilmember’s adopted Black son. Indeed, time has taken the edge off. Angry protestors are no longer camping out in front of his house. His colleagues have backed motions he’s introduced. His office touts tangible accomplishments, including creating more than 2,000 beds that provide interim shelter for homeless people, opening 11 playgrounds and securing $150 million in grant money. And though his political career was once assumed obliterated, de León’s reelection hopes remain alive after he advanced from the March primary (besting two former state legislative colleagues, Assemblymembers Miguel Santiago and Wendy Carrillo). Not everyone is pleased with Krekorian’s decision to let de León (and Price) back into the committee fold. Rob Quan, an organizer with the ethics watchdog Unrig LA, told the LA Times that “there really don’t seem to be any standards on the council, or any type of consistency.” Ironically, the lack of committee assignments may have indirectly helped de León. Freed from some of the time-consuming duties in City Hall, he has thrown himself into retail politicking in the district. Now, he’ll have to divide that time with his posts on four panels dealing with housing and homelessness, transportation, trade and tourism, and energy and the environment. “I’m beyond confident that will not be an issue,” he told Playbook. “I’m proud to serve my community by serving on these important committees.” But he has some serious competition on the ground from Ysabel Jurado, a tenants' rights attorney whose robust door-knocking campaign landed her in first place in the primary — ahead of better-funded opponents. Jurado is among those unimpressed by de León’s normalization in City Hall. “The bottom line is, Kevin de León should have stepped down when his racist misconduct was exposed. Despite calls from the public and his own constituents, he refused to resign, leading to the censure that left District 14 without critical city services for months,” she said in a statement. “The fact alone that he is making headlines for being appointed to committees is absurd — this is a basic duty, not an accomplishment.” 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 mmason@politico.com. A message from CVS Health: CVS Health is reshaping the future of drug pricing, bringing greater transparency and simplicity to the system with our new CostVantage and TrueCost programs. Learn more.   WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY Gov. Gavin Newsom walks through the Assembly chamber in Sacramento. | José Luis Villegas/AP Photo PROP CULTURE: Over breakfast in Sacramento this morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged business leaders to give lawmakers a chance to address their frustrations over retail crime — arguing that a November ballot initiative to lower the threshold for felony theft and roll back a decade-old criminal justice reform was not the answer. “It's not the threshold, something else is going on,” Newsom said, reiterating that several other states have a far-higher limit. He then pivoted to pending legislation, noting lawmakers’ work with grocers and other retail sectors. “So we've got a package with the Senate, working with the Assembly, tremendous energy and enthusiasm, partnership with the leadership on this.” That includes a suite of bills introduced in April by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas that would make it easier for police to make certain arrests; establish a “serial” theft offense; and tweak the definition of grand theft, which can be a felony. Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire shared a similar package in February. Newsom, who as lieutenant governor supported Proposition 47, is working against this year’s effort to roll it back — and faces a shrinking window to convince proponents to remove their initiative from the ballot. (The deadline is June 27.) He insisted today that the Legislature is “going to get some good things done” and it would address repeat offenders, “flash mobs” that are selling on third-party platforms and hold those third-party platforms accountable for selling stolen property. — Sarah Grace Taylor   A message from CVS Health:     NEW! AN EXCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA BALLOT-MEASURES COVERAGE TEAM: The impact that ballot measures have on California residents, industries, and Legislature is enormous. From settling broad cultural questions to changing obscure governance rules, ballot measures in essence, have become the fourth branch of government in the most influential state capital in the U.S. As your go-to source for reporting on Golden State politics, policy, power, POLITICO has formed a new ballot measure team in California that will deliver in-depth insights into the strategies, policy ideas, personalities, money and influence driving ballot measures. LEARN MORE.     ON THE BEATS ROLLING OUT THE ROLL-OUT: Details are coming soon on implementing Proposition 1, the $6.4 billion homelessness bond and mental health funding overhaul that squeezed by in the last election. Newsom teased the upcoming announcement this morning in a Q&A with California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jennifer Barrera. It echoes a point he hammered in his Prop 1 victory speech: That this is not going to be a long, drawn-out bond process. Newsom, who is termed out in 2026, has a “sell-by date” and a passion for governmental accountability. “I’m not going to oversee a two-year process just to put out notices for funding,” Newsom told the crowd assembled for the annual Sacramento Host Breakfast. “We’re going to drive these reforms and accountability in a way we’ve never had in this state in decades.” Health and Human Services, which is in charge of implementing Prop 1, has spent two weeks briefing reporters on the nitty-gritty of housing policy and mental health reform under the new plan. The agency did not have any information about what’s coming in Newsom’s announcement before he jets off to Rome for next week’s climate summit at the Vatican. — Rachel Bluth CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW: California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a $10.25 million settlement from major U.S wireless carriers after a multi-state investigation into misleading advertising. Bonta said the carriers accused of violating unfair competition and false advertising laws must now follow new rules around advertising unlimited services, so-called “switch to save” deals and other frequent marketing ploys in the industry. “We have all heard and seen advertisements announcing too-good-to-be-true cell phone deals, offering wireless devices for free or ‘unlimited’ data. Turns out, many of those deals are indeed too good to be true,” Bonta said. The investigation focused on the necessity of cell phone service, especially for low-income users who may rely solely on wireless service for internet access. Of the settlement, $1.2 million will go to California. — Sarah Grace Taylor A message from CVS Health: CVS Health is leading the way with new programs that are transforming the pharmacy experience for those who pay for medicine. By bringing greater transparency and simplicity to the system, we are delivering more reliable access to medicine at the pharmacy counter for millions of Americans. CVS Health is reshaping the future of drug pricing at pharmacy counters across America. Learn more.   WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — Protesters arrested at a UCLA garage on Monday brought tools to barricade buildings and literature encouraging vandalism and violence, campus police report. (Los Angeles Times) — Disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein denied his consent to a California extradition request. Now the state has 90 days to produce a warrant signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (U.S. News) — California can continue to share gun owners’ information with researchers after a federal appeals court backed a judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the law. (San Diego Union-Tribune) – Gavin Newsom is working on his third book — a memoir — with an eye toward introducing himself to a national audience. (Los Angeles Times)   THE GOLD STANDARD OF DEFENSE 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, like defense, 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. Our defense reporting team—including Lara Seligman, Joe Gould, Paul McCleary, Connor O’Brien and Lee Hudson—is embedded with the market-moving legislative committees and agencies in Washington and across states, delivering unparalleled coverage of defense policy and the defense industry. 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.     AROUND THE STATE — The majority of LA voters support building more housing in the city, but nearly half say doing so in their neighborhood would drive costs up and push residents out, a new poll shows. (Los Angeles Times) — A bike commission in Danville accused of harassing town staff bought itself some time after elected officials threatened to dissolve the body entirely. (East Bay Times) — Frequent fatal car accidents, high gas prices and long commute times make Oakland the worst city in the nation to drive in, a Forbes ranking concluded. (The Sacramento Bee)   Follow us on Twitter Sarah Grace Taylor @_SarahGTaylor   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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