Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics

   
     
 
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

Newsom takes on the CEQA beast, proposes expediting transit, climate projects -- After years of expressing alarm about the limits that California’s sweeping environmental laws put on new construction, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday finally released a plan to wrangle the CEQA beast. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/23

California canceled $200 million in Middle Class Tax Refunds to balance budget — did anyone miss out? -- It was one of the more curious bullet points in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presentation last week on how his administration will painlessly absorb, without slashing programs or hiking taxes, a deficit that has swelled to $31.5 billion: The state will hang on to $200 million it had promised last year for “Middle Class Tax Refunds.” John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/20/23

An unassuming East Bay Congress member has become a key figure in the debt ceiling fight -- The U.S. government could default on its debts in the coming weeks for the first time ever, causing the country’s economy to go into a free fall. One East Bay politician, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, is at the center of Democrats’ long-shot efforts to prevent that from happening. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/23

With Feinstein Ailing, Newsom’s Vow Looms Over Senate Race -- Two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vowed on national television that if Senator Dianne Feinstein stepped down early, he would appoint a Black woman to replace her. Thomas Fuller, Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 5/20/23

What to know about encephalitis, Sen. Feinstein’s shingles complication -- Shingles, the infection that sent Sen. Dianne Feinstein to the hospital in February, affects a third of Americans. But the related complications the 89-year-old senator faced — encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome — are less common and can be severe. Andrew Jeong in the Washington Post$ -- 5/20/23

Why Dianne Feinstein, Like Many Before Her, Refuses to Let Go -- A life in Congress comes with power, prestige and perks that can be hard to leave behind. For some lawmakers who view their job as their identity, the prospect is unthinkable. Annie Karni in the New York Times$ -- 5/20/23

The Rev. Andy Bales to exit Union Rescue Mission after 20 years serving the destitute and needling the powerful -- Bales’ nearly 20-year run as the face of direct services to Skid Row’s destitute, an advocate for faith-based services and thorn in the side of big-government homelessness policy is coming to an end. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/23

California wasted nearly $300,000 in tax dollars on improper activities in 2022, audit says -- California state agencies spent nearly $280,000 on “inappropriate expenditures” last year, including the cost to keep the personal boat of a parks and recreation supervisor in a public dock and the wasted time of a sewage plant employee who shopped for comic books during work hours, according to a state audit report. Vanessa Arredondo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/23

Reparations

California’s reparations plan for Black residents faces uphill battle -- With the state facing a $32 Billion budget deficit, the path forward for direct cash payments to Black Californians remains murky. Emmanuel Felton in the Washington Post$ -- 5/20/23

Workplace

Employees at Oakland Popeyes allege illegal child labor practices, harassment -- Employees at a Popeyes in Oakland went on strike after multiple teen workers alleged they worked long, late hours in violation of labor laws. Officials for the fast food chain closed the franchise, promising an investigation. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/23

Nine Rounds of Interviews and No Call Back: It’s Harder Than Ever to Land a White Collar Job -- Hiring for the office set is slowing down and employers are getting picky again. Te-Ping Chen, Ray A. Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/20/23

Education

Forced to submit diversity statement, professor sues UC over ‘compelled speech’ -- A psychology professor who hoped to get a job at UC Santa Cruz is suing the campus and the University of California in federal court over a requirement that faculty applicants submit a statement vowing to support “diversity, equity and inclusion.” Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/23

San Diego Unified students’ medical data compromised in October cybersecurity breach, school district says -- The district did not say how many students had been notified or affected, whether staff data may also have been compromised and how security measures have been enhanced. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/23

Housing

Santa Ana may seek exemption from state housing development laws to preserve more local control over locations -- Santa Ana leaders are considering filing for the exemption of eligible properties from a couple of state housing laws intended to permit residential development on sites currently zoned for commercial use with less input from the city. Destiny Torres in the Orange County Register -- 5/20/23

Tolls

Tolls are coming to this congested Bay Area highway. Here’s what to expect -- It’s official: Highway 37 will become a toll road later this decade. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/23

SFO

SFO just passed huge milestone it hasn’t seen since the pandemic began -- San Francisco International Airport surpassed a long-awaited milestone last week — and its summer season is forecasted to be the busiest since the pandemic began. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/23

Also:

Despite Palo Alto’s ban on natural gas, José Andrés can cook with it at his new restaurant -- The lawyers argued that “Zaytinya relies on traditional cooking methods” that could not work without gas. The letter included a threat: Without gas hookups and appliances, “Zaytinya will likely choose not to locate within the city.” Palo Alto relented. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/23

 

Friday Updates

El Niño is back, bringing disruption, danger for California, world. ‘We need to be prepared’ -- It’s Earth’s original disrupter — a recurring climate pattern so powerful that it can drive global average temperature to record highs, and generate both cliff-crumbling storms and crop-destroying droughts across the planet. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Newsom unveils sweeping plan to speed up California infrastructure projects -- The proposal aims to shorten the contracting process for bridge and water projects, limit timelines for environmental litigation and simplify permitting for complicated developments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and elsewhere. Liam Dillon, Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Young voters powered Democrats’ wins in 2022. Will they show up for Biden? -- The more we get data about who voted in 2022, the stronger the evidence that young voters played a crucial role in Democrats’ midterm victories. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Feinstein Faces Growing Scrutiny, but Voters Are Still Divided on Her Fitness -- Voters interviewed in California on Thursday had mixed views on the meaning and consequences of fresh and troubling revelations about Ms. Feinstein’s condition. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 5/19/23

Lawmaker with Southern California roots moves to expel Rep. Adam Schiff from Congress -- Luna filed a resolution this week calling for Schiff to be “expelled from the House of Representatives,” alleging that he has spread lies about former President Donald Trump. Hanna Kang in the Orange County Register -- 5/19/23

End of ‘people as pollution’? California bill would shield housing developers — including at UC Berkeley -- Legislation awaiting a state Assembly vote would shield developers of new housing, like UC Berkeley at People’s Park, from having to protect nearby residents from loud noise by housing occupants. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

S.F. and Oakland are eyeing big deficits. Why not San Jose? -- The South Bay city is reporting a $35.3 million surplus. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/19/23

Should San Diego consider a payroll tax like Seattle to fund housing? -- A San Diego County grand jury released a report on housing recently that recommended a new tax to fund housing, mainly subsidized housing. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/19/23

‘We’re Not There’: Negotiators Pause Debt-Ceiling Talks -- White House and House Republican negotiators trying to resolve an impasse over raising the debt ceiling broke off talks on Friday morning with no immediate plans to resume discussions. Siobhan Hughes, Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/19/23

‘No Labels’ Eyes a Third-Party Run in 2024. Democrats Are Alarmed -- The centrist group is gaining steam — and raising money — in its effort to get a candidate on the 2024 ballot, with Joe Manchin at the top of their list. Jonathan Weisman in the New York Times$ -- 5/19/23

Workplace

Bay Area rebounds with big job gains in April after losses in March -- The Bay Area and California both powered to robust job gains in April, an upswing that suggests the economies in both regions have managed — so far — to offset a steady drumbeat of layoffs in the tech sector. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/19/23

As the writers’ strike lingers, TV showrunners are opting out of publicity for their work -- In an effort to increase the pressure on studios to come to an agreement with the Writers Guild of America, some showrunners have chosen to stop publicity work for their series. Yvonne Villarreal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Uber reportedly trying to shed a third of its S.F. office space -- Uber is reportedly looking looking to shed the office space in one of its Mission Bay headquarter buildings, another blow to San Francisco as major tech companies offload their office space. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

‘God only knows how many workers have suffered and died’: Employees urge Cal/OSHA to set indoor heat rules -- Workers from a variety of industries urged Cal/OSHA’s board to quickly pass new rules for hot, indoor workplaces. Nicole Foy CalMatters -- 5/19/23

Snow Melt

California snowpack will face hot weather this weekend. Here's where flood risks will be -- A ridge of high pressure is set to send moisture and hot air toward Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe this weekend, raising unseasonable heat across one of the largest snowpacks in recent memory, increasing flood risks, while unstable air churns up thunderstorms. Gerry Díaz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

Cannabis

Weed war: Raids on licensed farms and dog shooting spark outrage -- Sheriff cracked down on state-licensed farms growing weed without local permit; then an officer killed a farmer’s dog. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Education

Why the ‘science of reading’ may be the next dyslexia battleground -- As the state moves to require dyslexia screening in public schools, experts say teachers need to embrace the “science of reading” approach that emphasizes phonics. Joe Hong CalMatters -- 5/19/23

FAIR plan

FAIR Plan seeks nearly 50% premium hike from California Department of Insurance -- The policy of last resort could help condo associations blacklisted by Fannie Mae because of insurance gaps. Jeff Lazerson in the Orange County Register -- 5/19/23

Street

Why is the California Highway Patrol pointing more guns at people? -- California Highway Patrol (CHP) troopers have been using force against more people since the pandemic hit in 2020, even as they’ve been conducting fewer traffic stops overall. This was mostly driven by a rise in the number of people who had guns pointed at them. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

Deputies outlined veiled threat to county watchdog on defaced poster. Nothing happened -- Last fall, investigators with the Office of Inspector General — the county’s watchdog — paid a visit to the troubled East Los Angeles sheriff’s station, home of the notorious Banditos deputy gang. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

‘Catfish’ cop who killed three in Riverside failed Virginia State Police mental health exam, lawyers allege -- Lawyers for relatives of the teen kidnapped by Austin Lee Edwards allege the Virginia State Police ‘buried’ his failed mental health exam before hiring him. Erin B. Logan, Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

State AG won't charge S.F. officer who killed Keita O'Neil in 2017 shooting -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta has declined to prosecute a former San Francisco police officer accused of shooting and killing a man during a chase in the Bayview in 2017. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

From prisoner to barista, this jail offers inmates a chance to find a career in coffee -- Jamie Mason was more than 20 years into her career in specialty coffee when she got a call from an alarming source: the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/19/23

Sforza: California finally and quietly puts rehab analysts in Orange County -- Move, resisted for years, comes in wake of O.C. being named America's addiction fraud capital. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 5/19/23

Winter Toll

Wild horses spent the harsh winter at Mono Lake. Now they’re turning up dead -- Officials say the wild horse deaths at Mono Lake are probably linked to the cold winter, but some ecologists worry they indicate a larger problem for the fragile habitat. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

Also:

‘Historical moment’ for California surf schools in wake of shake-up at one Bay Area beach -- In a decision that could have major implications for surfing schools statewide, the California Coastal Commission this month authorized new rules at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica after nonprofit groups raised equity complaints about access. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23

Their engagement ring got flushed down a toilet. A year later, they got a shock -- Rarely does something flushed down a toilet inspire so much joy. A Chino Hills couple earlier this month recovered their missing engagement ring more than a year after it was flushed away. Jeremy Childs in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/23

There’s a new 200-mile route across the Sierra for dedicated hikers. And the views are incredible -- Sierra backpackers looking for a hard-core alternative to the well-trodden John Muir Trail now have a new challenge. It’s called the Sierra Grand Traverse. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/23