California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California Supreme Court case could impact insurance rates for millions of residents -- In a case that could affect millions of Californians, the state Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to consider whether insurance companies can be sued for their rates under a nearly 40-year-old ballot measure. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Fired judge’s lawsuit alleges California was illegally approving insurance rate hikes -- An administrative judge in California’s Insurance Department who was fired last year is suing Commissioner Ricardo Lara and his former special counsel, accusing them of illegally approving insurance rate increases and undermining the judicial branch of the department. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Walters: With California’s insurance crisis at an impasse, it might be time for a different approach -- Nobody really likes writing those premium checks to insurance companies that always seem to be increasing — until they need their insurance to cover losses from auto crashes, fires or other calamities. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/11/26

 

Newsom travels to Turkey for climate conference, blasts Trump as a ‘no-show’ -- Newsom framed his attendance as an opportunity to tell the world that California’s climate leadership is delivering results as he criticized President Trump as a “no-show” for declining to send a delegation on behalf of the United States. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Progressives Lose California Wealth Tax Battle—but Aren’t Conceding the War -- Proponents in California have already floated putting another wealth tax on the ballot in 2028, saying they have learned important lessons from this year’s unsuccessful attempt to marshal voter support for a levy on billionaires. Paul Kiernan and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/26

Barabak: Millions of Californians have been cast adrift. For nothing -- Proposition 50, the Democratic gerrymandering initiative, has drawn California Republicans into near-extinction on Capitol Hill. That’s not a good or healthy thing, and the blue tsunami proved it was also unnecessary. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

 

What Nithya Raman’s election means for the future of the LAPD -- Nithya Raman has repeatedly said she would replace Jim McDonnell as LAPD chief, but only the City Council and the Police Commission have the authority to oust him. Raman could push to overhaul LAPD policies on key issues, including limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies. Libor Jany and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Raman’s colleagues all opposed her run for mayor. Now some promise ‘full support -- A pie sat waiting as the Los Angeles City Council returned to work last week following Councilmember Nithya Raman’s election as mayor, an outcome all 14 of her council colleagues opposed. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

In a first, L.A.’s three citywide elected offices will all be held by Asian Americans -- Last week’s midterm elections made history across the country, and Los Angeles was no exception: Asian Americans will now hold all three citywide elective offices — mayor, city attorney and controller — for the first time. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Arellano: Raman’s victory was a resounding rebuke to L.A.’s Latino political establishment -- Here in the country’s Latino capital, the metropolis that delivered California its first Latino U.S. senator and pioneered the type of winning political machine that Latinos across the country replicated for decades, almost all the city’s Latino power brokers — politicians, nonprofit leaders, union activists, celebrities — bet big on longtime ally Bass, only to now find themselves on the outside looking in. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Garofoli: Democrats won in a wave 20 years ago promising to end a war. Here’s what’s different this time -- Two decades ago, Democrats retook the House, flipping 31 seats by riding a wave election driven by voter anger over an unpopular president and war, and installed a ceiling-shattering legislator — Nancy Pelosi — as speaker. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

 

Sacramento Rep. Doris Matsui wins reelection, defeating progressive challenger -- Matsui, 82, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005, succeeding her late husband, Robert Matsui, who had served in Congress since 1979. She ran on her congressional experience and record of delivering federal funding for projects in the district. She lent her campaign more than $5 million this cycle. Karen Garcia and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/11/26

Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra names transition team -- Longtime Becerra aide Liz Saldivar will lead the transition. Salvidar advised Becerra’s campaign and worked for him during his time in Congress and as state attorney general. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

New governor begins the ‘Becerra era’ by making nice with Capitol Democrats -- Welcome to the “Becerra era,” where the incoming governor doesn’t share specific policy ideas, but really wants you to know that he’ll play nicely with Democratic leaders in the Legislature. Maya C. Miller and Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 11/11/26

Fighting City Hall will get a lot more expensive under plan backed by L.A. Council -- Without discussion the L.A. City Council voted 13-0 to have the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to drastically raise fees people pay to appeal zoning and land-use decisions. The proposal raises the fee from $229 to $1,145 for people who live near the contested project or property, and to $2,289 for others. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Marketplace

Anthropic commits $50 million to Bay Area philanthropy as it seeks $1.4 trillion valuation -- Anthropic will donate $50 million to support Bay Area philanthropy through the end of 2027, its largest hometown commitment to date. The artificial intelligence giant is partnering with the San Francisco Foundation and forming a donor-advised fund. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Housing

Voters rejected Prop. 45. The battle over California’s housing crisis continues -- Proposition 45 promised to make it easier to build housing in California by overhauling CEQA, but it divided advocates. Why did voters reject it, and what happens next? Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

AI

Hollywood warned young screenwriters about AI. Now it may be their ticket in -- Generative AI is spreading through Hollywood, unsettling writers worried about losing jobs and creative control even as studios and film schools fold it into production and training. Some L.A. educators see AI as a way for emerging screenwriters to develop pitches, visuals and projects — and reach industry contacts once reserved for insiders. Ada Tseng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

S.F. report says data centers could gobble up severely limited city electricity -- A new report released Tuesday on the potential impacts of data centers on San Francisco is likely to guide imminent decisions faced by city leaders on whether to embrace a permanent ban of the controversial facilities. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Sacramento pitched as ‘premier destination’ for data centers as 300-megawatt plans emerge -- A former military depot in southeast Sacramento is being considered for a 300-megawatt data center, newly acquired records show. When the Sacramento Municipal Utility District pitched the federal government for funding earlier this year, the utility described Sacramento as a “premier destination” for data centers. Opposition is mounting from members of the Sacramento City Council and locals concerned about environmental ramifications. Felicia Alvarez KVIE Abridged -- 11/11/26

ICE

A Beloved Nurse Was Arrested, Shackled and Hidden in ICE’s System -- Ann Lawani, a highly regarded nurse and professor, was still in her pajamas when federal agents detained her at her home in Lodi, Calif., on Sept. 16. Miriam Jordan in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

Bay Area officials created ‘ICE-free’ zones. ICE officers keep defying them -- A surge of immigration arrests across California is putting the state’s “ICE-free” zones to the test, as immigration agents defy state and local directives to avoid making arrests in sensitive locations like jails and hospitals. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Education

Bad news for California school repairs: nearly half of bond measures on track to fail -- Last week’s election was full of surprises, especially for California school districts seeking to fix leaking roofs and broken air conditioners. Although election officials are still counting votes in many parts of the state, the preliminary results show that nearly half the school bonds on California ballots are failing. Carolyn Jones in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Street

L.A. County restraining order system to undergo sweeping reforms -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday aimed at improving the county’s restraining order system in order to better support and protect victims of domestic violence and stalking. Connor Sheets and Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

L.A. County supervisors approve sweeping motion to expose scope and influence of sheriff’s deputy gangs -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a sweeping motion on Tuesday aimed at exposing the scope and influence of so-called deputy gangs within the Sheriff’s Department. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

This law was supposed to force more Californians into mental health treatment. What happened? -- A new law was supposed to keep severely mentally ill Californians from falling through the cracks. So far, it’s resulted in few people getting long-term care. Marisa Kendall and Jocelyn Wiener Calmatters -- 11/11/26

Guns

How a Misquote by a Supreme Court Justice Imperils Gun Restrictions -- A Supreme Court decision in 2008 case incorrectly quoted a centuries-old legal treatise, with profound implications for today’s gun-control laws. Mike McIntire and Eli Murray in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

Also

China’s spies have long been rampant in Silicon Valley -- Nvidia’s Jensen Huang had an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence agent. But the tech mecca’s espionage problem has deep roots. Zach Dorfman and Cate Cadell in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Forget Market Street. This is San Francisco’s new main drag -- Besides demonstrating how sports and politics can collide in pure purple joy, the exultant congestion of last week’s Golden State Valkyries parade showcased an aspect of the city we tend to overlook — that the Embarcadero, not Market Street, has become the defining thoroughfare of today’s San Francisco. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

POTUS 47

For Families of Those Who Died in the Iran War, a Veterans Day of Profound Loss -- But for those who have lost loved ones overseas in the Iran war, which has been waged since Feb. 28, this Veterans Day comes with a heaviness that only military families can fathom, and that will grow only more difficult as they face their first holiday season without their sons and daughters, siblings and spouses. Christina Morales in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

White House readies aggressive fight against planned investigations by Congress -- The counsel’s office is beefing up staffing and warning Democrats against “capricious threats,” but private firms may be wary of aiding the pushback. Katherine Doyle in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Trump’s Plan to Import Russian Diesel Stalls on the High Seas -- President Trump’s efforts to supply the U.S. with Russian diesel have yet to result in any new imports into the country, as several fuel tankers bound for America shifted course following difficulties finding buyers willing to accept the controversial cargoes. Alexander Osipovich, Rebecca Feng and Collin Eaton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/26

Kennedy Family Joins Effort to Block Construction of Trump’s Arch -- The project would ‘permanently cast shadows’ over the graves of Kennedy family members, court filing says -- Jennifer Calfas in the Wall Street Journal$ Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Trump Trots Out His Chaotic Greatest Hits to a Weary Public -- The last week has seen the president renew false claims about rigged elections, float a mixed martial arts executive as his new press secretary, muse about the beams in the White House ballroom, oust his chief of staff and call unannounced into C-SPAN. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26