California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Adults with autism faced ‘torture’ at this L.A. group home. Their moms want justice -- Video taken by a caregiver at a San Fernando Valley group home shows an autistic man being punched and forced to do jumping jacks. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

California has already distributed its entire abortion pill stockpile ahead of Supreme Court ruling -- California has distributed all of the abortion pills it stockpiled last year after a Texas judge’s ruling threatened availability nationwide of one of the two pills used in most abortions. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24

Why California Democrats are divided on retail theft bill -- Democratic lawmakers are debating how a bill to reduce retail theft would affect Black and Brown Californians. While some say it would unfairly target shoppers, others say jobs are at stake. Lynn La CalMatters -- 3/26/24

Jill Biden’s swing through Southern California: Fundraisers, protesters and a stop at SoulCycle -- The first lady swung through Southern California, championing the Biden administration’s work for women and LGBTQ people. Protesters over the Mideast war followed. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

Senate candidate Steve Garvey says he’s working hard to resolve tax debt by end of the year -- The tax liability was part of Garvey’s required financial disclosure statement, filed last month with the Senate records office. Garvey, a former star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, is making his first run for public office. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/26/24

Judge dismisses Elon Musk’s lawsuit against anti-hate watchdog on free-speech grounds -- U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the lawsuit was intended to punish the Center for Countering Digital Hate for its criticism of X, and so violated California’s ban on lawsuits designed to squelch speech. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24

GOP rallies were canceled in 2 California cities. A judge just OK’d a lawsuit over it -- In a 22-page decision, U.S. District Judge Hernan Vera ruled Friday that the two lawmakers had groundßs to allege that thße cancellation of their rallies in Riverside and Anaheim was “expressly predicated on viewpoint discrimination.” Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

California delays financial aid deadline over bungled FAFSA rollout -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed legislation extending the deadline for students to apply for state scholarships as problems continue to beset the Biden administration’s rollout of a simplified federal aid form. Blake Jones Politico Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

Walters: Newsom, legislators opt for gimmicks and wishful thinking to close California’s budget deficit -- California faces a multibillion-dollar budget deficit that could last for years. Rather than treat it as a serious fiscal crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are using gimmicks to close the gap. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 3/26/24

Truth Social Stock Price Surges on First Day of Trading, Increasing Trump’s Fortune -- Board members including Donald Trump’s son and former cabinet members will decide when he can cash in. Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ Matthew Goldstein, Joe Rennison in the New York Times$ -- 3/26/24

One Vote

Joe Simitian leads Evan Low by one vote in the District 16 congressional race -- The race for second place in California’s District 16 congressional race remains tight as Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian has a one vote lead over Assemblymember Evan Low. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/26/24ß

Workplace

Southern California hotel workers ratify new contracts, ending strikes for some -- Unite Here Local 11 members voted overwhelmingly, by 98%, to approve the agreement, the union said Monday morning. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

Where is the nation’s lowest job growth? Look no further than rural California -- Amid a population slowdown and a housing crisis, the state saw sluggish job growth in 2023, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

California Supreme Court rules workers must be paid for time going to and from security checks -- The ruling particularly affects workers in construction, mining and other industries that search people entering and leaving the premises. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24

Feds take California prison agency to court for requiring Sikh guards to shave beards -- Since 2022, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has banned most guards from having facial hair, including Sikhs and Muslims. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

$5 Gas

Here’s why San Diego gas prices are going up again -- San Diegans have another bit of inflation aggravation to deal with as the average price for regular-grade gasoline is back over the $5 per gallon mark. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/26/24

Diablo Canyon

California loaned PG&E $1.4B to keep Diablo Canyon open. Can the utility pay it back? -- California lawmakers are worried that taxpayers could be on the hook for a $300 million gap in a loan issued to Pacific Gas and Electric to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operational until 2030. Ari Plachta in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/26/24

Cannabis

MedMen’s fall shows the difficulties of the legal weed business -- Once hailed as the Apple store of cannabis, MedMen has shuttered many of its locations. What does that say about shopping for pot in California? Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

Environment

Tightened wastewater regulations could cost Bay Area cities billions -- At least $11 billion would be needed to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities across the Bay Area if regulators impose anticipated stricter environmental rules, according to a regional water board that seeks to protect the San Francisco Bay. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/26/24

Education

Dozens of educators to be laid off in West Contra Costa -- Dozens of educators in the West Contra Costa Unified School District will be laid off in the upcoming school year, including grant-funded positions the district can’t afford to absorb. Monica Velez EdSource -- 3/26/24

Street

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ L.A., Miami homes raided in sex-trafficking inquiry, sources say -- Homeland Security agents conducted searches of Holmby Hills and Miami mansions owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday as part of a federal inquiry into sex trafficking allegations involving the hip-hop and liquor mogul, law enforcement sources said. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

As San Quentin’s Death Row empties, condemned inmates get a glimpse of hope -- As California attempts to shift its prison system to become places of rehabilitation over punishment, San Quentin’s Death Row is getting dismantled and inmates are being sent elsewhere. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24

Why was 2023 such a deadly year in Los Angeles County jails? It depends on whom you ask -- The inmate population is down, but the death rate in Los Angeles County jails is the highest it’s been in at least 15 years. Why? Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/24

Also

Victims of California mountain lion attack were brothers, avid outdoorsmen -- Two brothers who were enthusiastic outdoorsmen were identified Monday as the victims mauled by a mountain lion in Northern California this weekend in what appears to be the first fatal cougar attack in the Golden State in two decades. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ David Hernandez, Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24

Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘more of a machine’ following recent surgery -- The 76-year-old action star and former California governor shared the revelation on his podcast, Arnold’s Pump Club, on Monday, March 25, revealing that he had a pacemaker implanted. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/26/24