| | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Chris Ramirez and Juhi Doshi | THE BUZZ — TIMES ARE A-CHANGIN': Could other vaccine bills go the way of Buffy Wicks' mandate for businesses? When California Democrats proposed a roster of Covid-related bills earlier this year, the state was languishing under a severe wave brought on by the Omicron variant. Now, cases are down. Masks are off. And even though Gov. Gavin Newsom and public health authorities are striking a cautious tone, the urgency felt by the public in January has, in general, subsided. Some Democrats are quietly skeptical of certain remaining bills that would beef up requirements for Covid vaccines in different populations. Wicks, the Bay Area Democrat, said the decline in cases gave her time to talk through concerns about Assembly Bill 1993, which would have required businesses to mandate vaccines for employees. Wicks' move likely has more to do with objections from labor and business than the rate of Covid infections. But other vaccine bills also face some serious vitriol — and without the urgency created by a buckling wave of cases, they could struggle to make it over the finish line. Among the most polarizing bills is Senate Bill 871 by Sacramento Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan , which would eliminate the personal belief exemption allowed for K-12 students. The bill hasn't seen any action since late February and isn't scheduled for a hearing. Among the opponents are the regular crowd of fringe activists and anti-vaccination groups that frequently spar with Pan — but even those in the middle are wary. "There's plenty of Democrats who are uncomfortable with it," said Kevin Gordon, a longtime lobbyist for school districts. "I've talked privately to Democrats who say they are not going to vote for it." The majority of the public school districts Gordon represents support the bill, though, he said. Per a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll, more than six in ten Californians are in favor of efforts to control the spread of Covid-19, even if this means having some restrictions. Meanwhile, lawmakers on the Hill are also having trouble finding motivation for Covid measures. As POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine reported Wednesday, senators from the two parties don't agree on how urgent it is to come up with more money during the coronavirus lull. When asked about the need for the vaccine bill, Pan, who spent most of Wednesday afternoon hearing opposition to another bill on Covid testing in schools, told POLITICO: "It's not over." BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Today, the state Senate will decide whether to extend the eviction moratorium for California's 17 million renters to June 30. The upper chamber will gavel in to vote on the measure at 9 a.m. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I just told him he's lost my trust. He's going to have to earn it back." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn's comment about orgies and cocaine, via POLITICO. TWEET OF THE DAY: San Francisco Mayor London Breed reminding residents to apply for eviction protection before today's deadline: "Anyone who applies or has applied will be protected from eviction. We want to help people stay in their homes without fear of displacement." WHERE'S GAVIN? On vacation with his family in Central and South America until April 18, the end of the Legislative spring recess. "The Governor made a commitment to his kids after the last two years of having vacations deferred by the pandemic, fires, and the recall election that they would take a family trip for spring break this year," a spokesperson said in a statement.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | | |  | Top Talkers | | WATERS UNDERWATER — "L.A.'s homelessness crisis boils over: Pain, confusion, anger and a congressional F-bomb," by the LA Times' Connor Sheets: "[A]n unofficial social media post erroneously promised that those who showed up would get rare vouchers for permanent, subsidized housing. … The housing authority was there at the behest of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), who delivered emotionally charged remarks to the crowd Friday, at one point using an expletive to defend her efforts to relieve the city's housing and homelessness crisis." CALLING IN BACKUP — Garcetti aide pushes back on allegations in letter to California's senators, by POLITICO's Christopher Cadelago: In email correspondence Monday sent to California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla — and obtained by POLITICO — Garcetti's chief speechwriter Becca MacLaren disputes sworn testimony from former Communications Director Naomi Seligman that is threatening to derail Garcetti's nomination as ambassador to India.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | SPLITTING THE VOTE — "Where are the swing voters in the Campos versus Haney state Assembly runoff?" by the SF Chronicle's Nami Sumida: "The Chronicle's analysis shows that in the 43 precincts that were in the top 25% in vote share for Mahmood and Selby — precincts where at least 33% of votes went for one of those two candidates — Haney got more votes in 35 of the 43." CHESA CHATS — "How Chesa Boudin's life made him a lightning rod for the progressive prosecutor movement, " by the LA Times' Miriam Pawel: "The COVID-19 pandemic bred insecurity and fear, addicts and homeless stood out on empty San Francisco streets, home burglaries surged as tourists vanished and tech workers left the city, and Boudin's past, which shapes all that he does, was reduced to a simple refrain: son of terrorists." DEMOCRATIC DILEMMAS — " A Democratic Super PAC's Ad Buy Shows a Widening Battle for House Control," by the NY Times' Jonathan Weisman: "Democrats are also preparing to spend big to stave off defeats in Southern California, focusing their defenses on Representatives Katie Porter and Mike Levin."
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | AT THE CAPITOL: DEAD END — "California school gun violence bill fails in committee, " by POLITICO's Chris Ramirez: "'Today the NRA won, and our children and families lost,' said Portantino, who had argued the bill needed more time to be fleshed out in committee." CRYPTO CONFLICT — "California's controller fights cryptocurrency bills, " by POLITICO's Susannah Luthi: "California's Legislature and financial regulators have so far shied away from any major policy moves on digital money, even as cryptocurrency businesses boom." PUSHING FORWARD — " How the lull in Covid cases could deflate California's legislative vaccination agenda," by POLITICO's Victoria Colliver and Lara Korte: "Members of the legislative vaccine caucus, a group of seven lawmakers who have introduced bills designed to reduce the virus' spread and combat vaccine misinformation, say they're committed to pushing ahead — independent of the pandemic's ebbs and flows." GAME PLAN — " California lawmakers target fentanyl as opioid overdoses surge," by the LA Times' Hannah Wiley: "The proposal would allow prosecutors to pursue a sentence of 20 years to life for those who distributed fentanyl that resulted in a deadly overdose, and would make it a felony to possess 2 or more grams of the opioid." ELSEWHERE: WATERCOOLER CONVOS — "Unions prepare to fight as California state departments order employees back to offices," by the Sac Bee's Wes Venteicher: "Several unions representing telework-eligible state employees are fighting rigid in-office requirements, calling them arbitrary and unnecessary. They want more flexibility, including full-time telework when it makes sense." SHINING A SPOTLIGHT — "A California judge made a forceful case for Jan. 6 accountability. It deserves attention ," via the Sac Bee's editorial board: "Specifically, the judge wrote, Trump probably committed obstruction of an official proceeding by publicly and privately attempting to bully then-Vice President Mike Pence into thwarting Congress' certification of the election with no legal or factual basis." REJECTED — " California governor rejects parole for Manson family member," by the AP via ABC10: Leslie Van Houten "has 'gaps in insight' that continue to make her a danger to society, Newsom said." FASTER, STRONGER — " Why is it taking so long to get rent relief to tenants and landlords?" via the LA Times' editorial board: "It's good that lawmakers are moving swiftly, but the eviction moratorium extension proposal is flawed and could leave some tenants behind." MISSION MIRED — " 'A neighborhood in chaos:' Is the Mission following in the Tenderloin's footsteps?" by the SF Chronicle's J.D. Morris: "People have long set up on the neighborhood's sidewalks to sell flowers, fruit and other things to passersby. But community leaders say the scene grew much more crowded after the COVID-19 economic blow that was hardest on low-wage workers who lost jobs."
| | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | CLOSE TO HOME — "Kamala Harris, daughter of a Jamaican immigrant, will meet with island's prime minister," by the LA Times' Noah Bierman: "Though her strained family relations have complicated Harris' connection with her father's homeland, her ascension to the vice presidency has been greeted with pride in Jamaica, a Caribbean nation of about 3 million people with strong cultural and economic ties to the U.S." PAY UP — "SF's Top Ten Billionaires Would Owe $45 Billion Under Biden's Tax Proposal, " by the SF Standard's Maryann Jones Thompson, Kevin Truong: "The administration said it wants to ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of at least 20% of their 'full income,' which includes unrealized appreciation on their assets like stocks and bonds." ALL HANDS ON DECK — " U.S. Labor Secretary Will Monitor Dockworker Contract Talks 'Very Closely,'" by Bloomberg's Josh Eidelson: "U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said he'll be closely watching West Coast dockworkers' contract talks in coming months, and is ready to get involved as needed, amid concerns about potential disruptions that could add to supply-chain problems fueling inflation." | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | FINGER POINTING — "Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok," by the WaPo's Taylor Lorenz and Drew Harwell: "Campaign operatives were also encouraged to use TikTok's prominence as a way to deflect from Meta's own privacy and antitrust concerns." FOOD FOR THOUGHT — "California Rep. Ro Khana talks Gavin Newsom, Eric Garcetti, and SoCal's Silicon Valley invasion," by Vanity Fair's Emily Jane Fox: "If you incentivize tech companies, housing prices in depressed areas will rise, and workers won't need to move to more expensive cities." BRING ME MY MONEY — "Yahoo must pay $15 million in dispute with search competitor, jury decides," by the SF Chronicle's Bob Egelko: "U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar … found Monday that Yahoo's Search Suggest feature, which lets users type individual words for quick searches, copied a patented Droplet method." | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — "Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia, 'stepping away' from acting career," by ABC10's Diego Mendoza. — "Will Smith Faces Potential "Suspension, Expulsion" From Academy; Actor Wouldn't Leave Oscars After Slapping Chris Rock, Despite Reps Being Asked By Organizers," by Deadline's Dominic Patten. | | CANNABIS COUNTRY | |
— "California State Fair set to be the first to open up judging to cannabis," by CapRadio's Randol White: "Cal Expo and the State Fair, which fall under the California Department of Food and Agriculture, are making a historic change by opening the door to judging cannabis."
| | MIXTAPE | | — "The war in Ukraine hit close to home at this Sacramento church. They had to act," by the Sac Bee's Ariane Lange. — "Remember Hank the Tank? Why Tahoe residents should worry about bear activity this spring," by the SF Chronicle's Jessica Flores. — " Shootin' the sh*t with San Francisco's famous poop nurse," by the SF Examiner's Sydney Johnson. — "In Palm Springs, guaranteed income program for transgender residents mulled ," by the LA Times' Lila Seidman. — "San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital faces potential closure after patient overdoses trigger state review," by the SF Chronicle's Rachel Swan.
| | IN MEMORIAM | | — "Charlotte Shultz, longtime S.F. ambassador, remembered at Grace Cathedral memorial," by the SF Chronicle's Tony Bravo.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Ian Ziering … Michael Szeto
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