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

California Policy and Politics Friday

Can California curb retail theft without changing Prop. 47? Assembly Democrats unveil their plan -- Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) on Tuesday threw his weight behind a package of bills that aim to thwart theft by, among other proposals, allowing restraining orders to keep people who steal away from certain stores and letting prosecutors aggregate the value of thefts across multiple incidents in determining criminal charges. Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

Newsom called it a ‘gimmick.’ Now he’s using the trick to lower California’s massive deficit -- With a massive budget deficit in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is adopting a ‘gimmick’ he previously reversed in an effort to push the problem forward into future years. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/24

Oakland airport name change approved, setting up showdown with SFO -- Oakland officials voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to approve a plan to rename Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, likely inviting a lawsuit from San Francisco International Airport as the two Bay Area airports battle over their brands and future growth. Daniel Lempres, Eli Rosenberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Talal Ansari, Christine Mai-Duc in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/12/24

How one lawmaker wants to improve California regulations -- A state senator says a legal team, similar to what the Legislature has, could help state agencies avoid flawed regulations and make compliance and enforcement easier. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 4/12/24

A California border town’s first transgender mayor faces recall. Is gender the reason? -- In rural Calexico, Raúl Ureña, the town’s first out transgender mayor, faces a recall election. So does most of the City Council. Hailey Branson-Potts, Dania Maxwell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

Nathan Fletcher spent $323K in campaign contributions for legal defense in alleged sexual assault case -- Former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from his abandoned state Senate campaign to pay for his legal defense in an alleged sexual assault lawsuit, according to campaign finance disclosures. Scott Rodd KPBS -- 4/12/24

Barabak: An act of cowardice — arising from fear of Trump — tarnishes award meant to honor courage -- David Hume Kennerly quit the Gerald Ford Foundation board when the group refused to honor Liz Cheney because, Kennerly says, it’s afraid of Donald Trump. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

Trump’s the likely GOP nominee. He can serve even if convicted of a crime -- While many states ban felons from voting, there is no federal prohibition on felons running for or serving in the White House. David Nakamura in the Washington Post$ -- 4/12/24

Workplace

As Prop. 22 heads to California Supreme Court, support doesn’t break along ideological lines -- Proposition 22, the 2020 ballot initiative sponsored by Uber and Lyft that classifies their drivers as contractors rather than employees, is drawing support from unlikely sources as it awaits a verdict on its fate from the California Supreme Court. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/24

Eaze cannabis delivery drivers threaten strike ahead of annual pot day -- California cannabis delivery drivers and workers at Eaze/Stachs say contract negotiations have stalled over disagreements about mileage reimbursement rate and hourly wages. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

Bay Area tech layoffs: Silicon Valley company, once valued at $5 billion, cuts 32% of workforce -- The latest wave of job cuts in the Bay Area has led to significant workforce reductions at semiconductor giant Intel, the self-driving startup Ghost Autonomy and Checkr, a background-screening platform once valued at $5 billion. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/24

Layoffs jolt Bay Area: Golden Gate Fields, Genentech, Intel ax hundreds -- More than 1,000 jobs are being lost in the Bay Area as a result of the latest staffing reductions that companies are disclosing in official notices they sent to the state Employment Development Department. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/24

High Speed Rail

The first high-speed rail trains are closer to coming to California. Here’s when and how much they could cost -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority is now allowed to solicit proposals from two contractors to purchase the first batch of trains for testing and eventual passenger service. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/11/24

Street

S.F. police say they’ve completed DOJ reforms, but sharp disparities remain -- San Francisco police say they are nearly finished adopting the 272 reforms recommended by the federal and state departments of justice, closing a major chapter in a more than seven-year effort to mend the public’s trust following a string of high-profile police shootings. Megan Cassidy, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/24

Also

Smith: O.J. Simpson, race and justice. It’s the debate that won’t go away -- In a lot ways, many of us remain locked in our bubbles, not entirely understanding the thought processes of people of other races and ethnicities. Erika D. Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

O.J. Simpson, the white Bronco and a freeway chase that changed L.A. forever -- O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco chase on weirdly empty freeways in Los Angeles became an indelible memory and ‘locked people into this common emotional experience.’ Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/24

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Newsom orders state workers back into the office -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is setting a government-wide requirement that state employees work from the office two days a week starting in June, according to a memo his cabinet secretary sent to top state officials on Wednesday and shared exclusively with Politico. Wes Venteicher Politico -- 4/11/24

California’s Planned Parenthood president isn’t buying what Trump says about abortion -- Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood CA, talks to Politico about whether abortion can be a motivating message in a blue state like California. Melanie Mason Politico -- 4/11/24

William Howell wrote Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban. He modeled it on California’s -- It was the era of the Wild West, when white men from back East were flooding into Arizona to reap the golden bounty of the land, take over territories and establish laws. Faith E. Pinho, Scott Wilson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Did Democratic Bay Area congressman encourage East Bay mega-donor to join RFK Jr. ticket? -- Nicole Shanahan, the East Bay mega-donor turned vice presidential running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., accused Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna in recent social media posts of privately supporting her political aspirations before “flipping the switch” and publicly urging her through the media to drop out. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/11/24

Cornel West names L.A. professor, activist Melina Abdullah as running mate on presidential ticket -- Independent presidential candidate Cornel West named Cal State Los Angeles professor Melina Abdullah as his running mate on Wednesday, saying that her commitment to social justice and to prioritizing the needs of poor Americans embodied the values of his candidacy. Benjamin Oreskes, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Reparations rift? California’s Black lawmakers divided on how far to go -- Though California’s Legislative Black Caucus filed a slate of 14 bills linked to reparations, a few lawmakers are floating their own proposals. Wendy Fry CalMatters -- 4/11/24

Disruption at UC Berkeley dean’s home is latest campus flashpoint over Gaza -- A student attending a dinner at the home of UC Berkeley’s law school dean used the occasion to denounce the school’s ties to Israel. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/11/24

Californians get hacked all the time. The state’s top cybersecurity job is vacant -- Gov. Newsom has yet to appoint a commander who is tasked with informing businesses and governments of cybersecurity threats. Khari Johnson CalMatters -- 4/11/24

Walters: While California politicians skirmish over housing, the shortage keeps growing -- While California’s Capitol continues to host political struggles over how to deal with the state’s housing shortage, the gap continues to widen as demand outpaces construction. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/11/24

Border

24 Hours at a Makeshift Refuge for Migrants in the California Wilderness -- The campsite, run by a 22-year-old volunteer, became a first stop for people seeking food, water and warmth as they waited to be apprehended by border authorities. Emily Baumgaertner in the New York Times$ -- 4/11/24

Housing

All-cash offers, wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record -- Southern California home prices have hit a record despite high interest rates, a reflection of a shortage of inventory and the region’s wealth disparity. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Insurance

California insurance chief, Farmers CEO ‘look outside’ for answers to insurance crisis -- State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara — who is in the midst of issuing new regulations to address California’s insurance crisis — said in an interview this week with CalMatters that he feels like he is “in a forced marriage” with the insurance industry, and that “we’re staying together for the kids.” Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 4/11/24

A California bill could lead to lower home insurance costs. Here’s why companies hate it -- A California lawmaker wants insurance companies in the state to change how they come up with prices for home coverage. Insurance trade groups aren’t happy. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/11/24

Workplace

Thermo Fisher Scientific closing Carlsbad DNA manufacturing site less than 3 years after opening -- Thermo Fisher Scientific is closing its Carlsbad DNA manufacturing site less than three years after opening it, a move that will mean the loss of more than 70 local jobs. Natallie Rocha in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/11/24

Downtown SF

Mayor Breed wants a Chinese university to set up in downtown S.F. -- Mayor London Breed will embark Saturday on a one-week trip to China, where she will try to secure investments in San Francisco’s struggling economy and boost tourism as part of an effort to accelerate the city’s slow pandemic recovery. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/11/24

Street

Mother who pushed kids from moving car, killed partner was astrology influencer disturbed by eclipse -- Danielle Johnson, who killed her partner and pushed her children out of a moving car, was an astrology influencer who posted about being afraid of the solar eclipse. Noah Goldberg, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Education

FAFSA nightmare holds Bay Area universities hostage as college acceptance deadline nears -- The effort to simplify the FAFSA has caused a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of California students. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/11/24

UC Berkeley insider known for questioning the status quo is named new chancellor -- Rich Lyons, former Berkeley business school dean and now chief innovation and entrepreneurship officer, will lead one of the nation’s top public universities. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Salmon

California salmon fishing banned for second year in row -- Federal officials moved to cancel commercial and recreational salmon fishing off California as the fish still aren’t thriving. Rachel Becker CalMatters Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/11/24

Street

Mother who pushed kids from moving car, killed partner was astrology influencer disturbed by eclipse -- Danielle Johnson, who killed her partner and pushed her children out of a moving car, was an astrology influencer who posted about being afraid of the solar eclipse. Noah Goldberg, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/11/24

Also

OJ Simpson, fallen football hero acquitted of murder in ‘trial of the century,’ dies at 76 -- O.J. Simpson, the decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial, has died. He was 76. Ken Ritter Associated Press -- 4/11/24

Yosemite reservations will begin Saturday — here’s how they work -- Famed Sierra Nevada national park will limit the number of vehicles in an attempt to reduce crowding. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/11/24

The Party’s Over for Coachella’s Glitziest Rental Mansions -- This year, demand for high-end festival event rentals is down amid a glut of inventory, a shifting party scene and what some are calling a lackluster lineup. Nancy Keates, Michal Czerwonka in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/11/24

Mystery problem at S.F.’s Coit Tower has everyone puzzled: ‘We need the elevator whisperer’ -- Coit Tower is famous for its sweeping San Francisco vistas. But recently there’s an added cost for taking them in — sweat and fatigue. Megan Fan Munce, Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/11/24