Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

California bullet train plan to show updated cost, timeline -- California's bullet train project will likely require more time and money to complete than last estimated, but its new chief executive is promising more transparency with the public about its challenges. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/8/18

Former GOP leader Scott Baugh eyes Dana Rohrabacher’s congressional seat -- Former Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh has taken out papers to run against Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, setting up a potential clash of two long-established county Republicans and former allies. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 3/8/18

California health insurance premiums could soar, analysis projects -- Across the country, people who buy health insurance on exchanges could see their premiums rise between 12 and 32 percent in 2019, according to an analysis released Thursday by Covered California, the state exchange that sells insurance to 1.2 million residents who don’t receive health coverage through their employers. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/8/18

Trump, in statement full of falsehoods, calls Schaaf’s immigration warning ‘a disgrace’ -- Trump stated, incorrectly, that 150 people had been arrested during the four-day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Northern California that began Feb. 25. In fact, ICE officials reported making 232 arrests. The president said Schaaf had, in her Feb. 24 warning, told undocumented immigrants to “scatter” and “get out of here.” Schaaf did not use those words. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Some of the California 'sanctuary' laws targeted by feds could be vulnerable, legal experts say -- Law professors who read the lawsuit filed by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions generally described it as a credible challenge that presents complex legal questions that might wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Trump reelection campaign seeks to capitalize on California lawsuit -- California Democrats have decried the Trump administration’s decision to sue the state over immigration enforcement as little more than a political stunt. President Trump’s reelection campaign gave them more ammunition for that critique on Wednesday afternoon. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/8/18

California teens are pre-registering to vote, and taking a pass on political parties -- The data released by Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Thursday covers the first eighteen months of a law designed to encourage teenagers to begin thinking about the voting process before they actually become eligible. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Hugging banned for California lawmaker after harassment investigation -- The California Senate Rules Committee has reprimanded Sen. Bob Hertzberg and told him to cease his trademark hugs after an investigation determined that his behavior made two female legislators and a male sergeant at arms uncomfortable, a source in the Senate said Thursday. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Don Thompson and Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/8/18

Disneyland workers demonstrate at Walt Disney Co. meeting, demanding 'living wages' -- The demonstration was the latest effort by a coalition of unions at the Anaheim theme parks that is pushing Disney executives to raise wages for the resort's 30,000 workers during a profitable period for the Burbank media giant. Three of those unions are currently negotiating contracts. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Trump expected to get cheers and jeers during San Diego border wall visit -- President Trump is expected to face both cheers and jeers Tuesday when he spends part of his day in San Diego inspecting prototypes for his proposed border wall before attending a fundraiser in Los Angeles. Kate Morrissey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Despite rains, drought fears loom -- After a historically wet season last year, relatively little precipitation has fallen this year in California during two of the three historically wettest months. Officials are urging stricter water conservation and caution drier months ahead. Jessica Hice Capitol Weekly -- 3/8/18

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Legal analysts: Sessions’ suit likely to fall short of ultimate goal -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ lawsuit accusing California of interfering with federal immigration enforcement seems unlikely to achieve its ultimate goal of barring sanctuary laws that limit state and local cooperation with immigration agents. But Sessions might put a dent in two of his targets, legal analysts say. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/8/18

California Democratic leaders embrace being singled out in Sessions' speech -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf seized upon remarks U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions made Wednesday as he castigated them during a speech in Sacramento, accusing the state’s leaders of illegally undermining federal immigration policy. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Oakland Mayor to Jeff Sessions: ‘How dare you vilify members of our community’ -- Responding to accusations from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that she enabled more than 800 undocumented immigrants to avoid arrest last week, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on Wednesday stood her ground, saying the government is targeting undocumented immigrants with no criminal records. David DeBolt and Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/8/18

Gov. Brown calls Trump administration lawsuit ‘war,’ insists it ‘will not stand -- A day after the Trump administration sued California over its new “sanctuary” laws, state officials pushed back hard, with Gov. Jerry Brown calling the move tantamount to “war.” Judy Lin Calmatters -- 3/8/18

Jeff Sessions suit against California is political bad news for Republicans -- It may be years before the courts decide the Trump administration’s lawsuit that seeks to overturn California’s sanctuary laws, but the political impact will be felt in just months. And it likely won’t help Republicans. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/8/18

Morain: Jeff Sessions comes to California bearing gifts -- Most out-of-state politicians come to California to raise money. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions flew into Sacramento bearing a gift, in the form a lawsuit targeting this so-called sanctuary state. Dan Morain Calmatters -- 3/8/18

Skelton: Sessions did the California Democratic Party a big favor with his visit to the state -- We’ve seen this movie many times: A prominent Republican attacks illegal immigration. The shriveling GOP base cheers. Latinos feel threatened. And California Democrats become even stronger. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Politifact CA: Jeff Sessions’ misleading claim: California bans police cooperation with ICE -- Does California ban local law enforcement from transferring prisoners to and even communicating with federal immigration agents? Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 3/8/18

Harris: Sessions' 'credibility is shot' -- Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) slammed Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday after he compared California to the Confederate states in the Civil War. "As far as I’m concerned, Jeff Sessions should be advised, and I’ll advise him right now, that it’s a bad idea, for him, to start talking about anything to do with the history of slavery or reconstruction or the Civil War in the United States," Harris told MSNBC's Chris Hayes. The Hill -- 3/8/18

Trump to pay first presidential visit to California amid immigration 'war' -- President Donald Trump will soon make his first trip to California, a state that resoundingly rejected him at polls and whose elected officials have sparred with him in an escalating verbal and legal battle over federal immigration policies. Anita Kumar, Emily Cadei and Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/8/18

3 California immigration laws that sparked the Trump administration suing the state -- The lawsuit alleges the laws violate what's known as the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which essentially gives the federal government — and not the states — the authority to carry out federal laws. Leslie Berestein Rojas and Frank Stoltze KPCC -- 3/8/18

Oakland’s Libby Schaaf vs. the Feds -- Does Libby Schaaf have a political future outside of Oakland? Since her inauguration in 2015, Oakland Mayor Schaaf has worked assiduously on (and bragged about) programs aimed at reducing crime, improving transit and a host of other causes dear to the hearts of big-city mayors. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 3/8/18

Brown suggests Trump 'sanctuary' suit against California driven by fear of Mueller probe -- Gov. Jerry Brown of California suggested on Wednesday that pressure related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia contributed to the Trump administration’s decision to file a lawsuit challenging new California laws protecting immigrants. Josh Gerstein Politico -- 3/8/18

Becerra v Trump: How California is using the courts to fight the administration -- Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 3/8/18

Sessions lashes out at California officials for resisting immigration orders -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday pushed back strongly against California’s challenge to Trump administration immigration policies, charging that state officials were trying to undermine federal law by embracing the “radical, irrational idea” of “open borders.” Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/8/18

California Elections Chief Says State Security Is Strong -- California's top elections official said Wednesday the state's election system is secure but acknowledged public skepticism that he blamed on Russian attempts to interfere in 2016 and confusing media reports about those efforts. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/8/18

Walters: Road taxes needed, but benefits claim overblown -- After decades of shameful neglect of California’s vital transportation network, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature last year enacted a multi-billion-dollar package of new fees and fuel taxes. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/8/18

This city is proud of its diversity, but a lawyer says it blocks Latinos at the ballot -- Elk Grove is unique for its diversity - no major ethnic group has a majority, and each one has sizable populations in the middle-class suburb. But a Malibu civil rights attorney alleges that racial harmony eludes the city at the ballot box. Ellen Garrison in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/8/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

Farm leaders say California's sanctuary status makes them a target for ICE raids -- Fresno County agriculture leaders say they feel caught in the middle in the tussle between California and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions over illegal immigration. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 3/8/18

San Francisco earns its first triple-A credit rating -- San Francisco may not be able to stop car break-ins or solve the homeless problem, but its finances are top-notch, according to Moody’s Investors Service, which raised its credit rating on the city’s general obligation bonds to Aaa on Tuesday. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/8/18

Education

Orange County high school closed after threat, authorities say -- The threat to Santa Margarita Catholic High School came mid-morning. After consulting with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, administrators decided to close the campus and cancel after-school activities. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

One less barrier to college: LAUSD paid for 4,000 high schoolers to take the SAT -- An estimated 4,000 high school juniors on 29 campuses from South Los Angeles to San Pedro got a break from their normal class schedules on Wednesday to take the SAT college prep exam. And none of those students paid a cent to take the test. This year, for the first time, the L.A. Unified School District helped picked up the tab. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 3/8/18

Student dies after collapsing during P.E. at an LAUSD middle school -- A sixth-grader died Tuesday after collapsing during a physical education class at Dodson Middle School in Rancho Palos Verdes. School staff declined to answer questions about the incident, but the Los Angeles Unified School District released the text of a recorded message sent to parents. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

California closes in on compromise for complying with federal education law – After a high-level, face-to-face meeting in Washington and continued negotiations, state officials are expressing confidence the federal Department of Education will approve California’s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act and avert a standoff with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over differing interpretations of the federal law. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/8/18

University of California president wants to offer path to guaranteed admissions for community college students – While the California State University system offers community college students guaranteed admission if they take the required classes, the University of California does not. That may soon change. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 3/8/18

Cannabis

California threatens Weedmaps over promotion of illegal cannabis shops -- California’s cannabis czar issued a cease and desist order to Weedmaps, directing the Irvine internet company that maps marijuana dispensaries to immediately stop promoting businesses that don’t have state licenses. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 3/8/18

Immigration / Border

Immigrant advocacy group barred from Contra Costa County jails -- Volunteers with Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement, a San Francisco group that monitors jails where immigrants are detained, were notified by an email from Capt. Kristi Butterfield that their visitation privileges would be revoked. The sheriff’s office said the group “poses a security and safety hazard” to the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. Annie Ma in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/8/18

L.A. city officials, organizers push back against termination of protected status for thousands of immigrants -- Los Angeles city officials and organizers struck a defiant tone Wednesday, pushing back against President Trump's plan to end protected status for tens of thousands of immigrants. Organizers and elected officials, including City Council members Curren Price and Gil Cedillo, gathered outside City Hall to decry Trump's termination of temporary protected status, or TPS, and to offer strategies to protect those immigrants. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

Environment

Toxin forces order to stop eating recreationally caught shellfish in Bay Area -- The California Department of Public Health warned residents in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties to refrain from harvesting and consuming mussels, clams, oysters and other bivalve shellfish due to harmful levels of paralytic shellfish poison. Annie Ma in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/8/18

New Hope In Effort To Move Nuclear Waste Off San Onofre Beach -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun a technical review of a license for an interim storage site for nuclear waste in New Mexico. It’s a hopeful sign for those fighting to find an alternative to burying spent nuclear fuel 100 feet from the beach at San Onofre. Alison St John KPBS -- 3/8/18

Also . . .

The LAPD's next chief will have to meet a long list of demands from city residents -- The distinct, often-competing needs of a city as vast and diverse as Los Angeles were underscored during the Police Commission's recent listening tour, on which members of the LAPD's civilian oversight panel canvassed residents about what they'd like to see in their next police chief. Their list of demands was long. Kate Mather and Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

L.A.'s new recycling program sees a decline in missed pickup complaints after rocky start -- The refuse companies hired to carry out L.A.'s new recycling program may have finally gotten a handle on their pickup problems. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/8/18

POTUS 45

Mueller gathers evidence that 2017 Seychelles meeting was effort to establish back channel to Kremlin -- Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has gathered evidence that a secret meeting in Seychelles just before the inauguration of Donald Trump was an effort to establish a back channel between the incoming administration and the Kremlin — apparently contradicting statements made to lawmakers by one of its participants, according to people familiar with the matter. Sari Horwitz and Devlin Barrett in the Washington Post$ -- 3/8/18

-- Wednesday Updates

Jerry Brown accuses Jeff Sessions of lying, using California for a ‘political stunt’ -- Gov. Jerry Brown called on U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to apologize to California, saying he lied when he said California’s immigration policies put the public and federal agents at risk. Melody Gutierrez and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Jazmine Ulloa and Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$Scott Shafer KQED Sharon Bernstein Reuters -- 3/7/18

Sessions goes after Oakland mayor and Gavin Newsom in speech on suing California over 'sanctuary' law -- A day after the Trump administration announced plans to sue California over its laws to shield immigrants living in the state illegally, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions accused the state of impeding federal immigration officials from doing their jobs and said he would use every power he had make it stop. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Anita Chabria, Stevephen Magagnini and Nashelly Chavez in the Sacramento Bee$ Katy Murphy, Matthias Gafni and Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ Carrie Johnson KQED Thomas Fuller and Vivian Yee in the New York Times$ Matt Zapotosky and Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/18

Trump's immigration war with California has reached a fever pitch -- Donald Trump and California have long been at odds on the issue of illegal immigration. The president wants to deport those who are here illegally, while many Californians and their leaders want to protect them. Alene Tchekmedyian and Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

Jeff Sessions wants to kill these three California laws -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions' lawsuit against California focuses on three recently passed state laws that seek to protect undocumented immigrants from federal immigration officials. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/18

Why the Trump administration’s sanctuary cities lawsuit against California could backfire -- Immigration experts on both sides say this kind of lawsuit takes the sanctuary cities debate into uncharted territory, and it's not clear what the result will be — other than a likely escalation to the Supreme Court. “There is real uncertainty about who will win it,” said Ilya Somin, law professor with George Mason University. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/18

A conservative actress and a celebrity mayor heat up a South Los Angeles congressional race -- Ten days ago, freshman Rep. Nanette Barragán had just won the California Democratic Party's endorsement and had a clear path to securing a second term representing a heavily Democratic stretch of south Los Angeles County in Congress. Today, the dynamic of her reelection bid has dramatically shifted. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

Fox: For DeMaio, Does Run for Congress Mix with Recall Effort and Gas Tax Repeal? -- Former San Diego City Councilman and talk radio host Carl DeMaio pulled nomination papers to challenge fellow Republican incumbent Duncan Hunter in the 50th Congressional District. DeMaio has also been the face of two efforts headed to California ballots—the recall of state Senator Josh Newman and the repeal of the recent gas tax increase. Will DeMaio’s congressional ambition interfere with his ballot efforts? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/7/18

Dianne Feinstein on Trump's support (or not) for gun control and her non-endorsement by the state Democrats -- In the White House Cabinet Room last week, President Trump convened a meeting with legislators about gun regulation. Dianne Feinstein, California’s senior senator and a Democrat, was sitting on Trump’s left, and when he suggested to her that such a bill “add what you have,” Feinstein looked surprised, and delighted. Since 2004, her signature issue has been reviving her original 1994 assault weapons ban. Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

Trump will raise money in Beverly Hills next week. Donors can give up to $250,000 -- President Trump will headline a high-dollar fundraiser for his reelection campaign when he visits California next week for the first time in his presidency, according to an invitation obtained by The Times. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

New study: SFO, Foster City, other San Francisco Bay shoreline areas are sinking, at risk for major flooding -- But prominent areas that were built on fill that was not densely compacted, including sand, gravel, garbage and other debris — such as San Francisco International Airport, Treasure Island and Foster City — are sinking at a much faster rate, about 10 millimeters, or nearly half an inch a year. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Molly Peterson KQED -- 3/7/18

Recycled water from sewers coming to California taps -- New regulations approved Tuesday by the California State Water Resources Control Board allow treated recycled water to be added to reservoirs, the source of California municipal drinking water. Ted Andersen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/18

Canada and Mexico could be spared as Trump is poised to sign steel and aluminum tariffs by week’s end -- President Trump may exempt Canada and Mexico from new tariffs on steel and aluminum, reversing his original insistence that the import restrictions apply to U.S. allies as well as countries such as China, the White House said Wednesday. David J. Lynch and Damian Paletta in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/18

Wells Fargo is the top banker for the NRA and gunmakers -- The San Francisco bank has helped two of the biggest U.S. firearms and ammunition companies access $431.1 million in loans and bonds since December 2012, when the gun control debate gained steam after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That puts it on the top of the list of banks arranging funding for gunmakers. Bloomberg via the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

California gains 35,500 jobs, and unemployment falls to record-low 4.4% -- The industries with the largest job gains in January were construction — up 11,000 jobs compared with December — and the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which gained 10,800 jobs. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/18

Police fatally shoot armed robbery suspect in car trunk in San Francisco’s Mission -- The deadly ending came after two armed robbery victims flagged down uniformed officers around 10:35 p.m. at 20th and Capp streets, police said. Sophie Haigney and Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/18

San Francisco to charge vacant-lot owners for rainwater that runs down the drain -- When it rains, it pours — and that has San Francisco water officials looking into charging property owners a new “storm-water fee” to help with the upkeep of the city’s aging sewer system. The first target will be the owners of vacant lots. “It’s a tax on rain,” fumed Jason Sanders, who was just notified that effective July 1, he will be assessed $31.46 a month for runoff on his vacant lot on Ashbury Street. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/18