California Policy and Politics Friday

Gov. Gavin Newsom: ‘I disagree’ with calls to abolish ICE -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said he does not support abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a week after a federal agent fatally shot a woman in Minnesota, sparking mass protests and reigniting a national debate about how to rein in the agency. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 01/16/26

Second man shares horrific story of being blinded by officers at anti-ICE rally in Santa Ana -- Homeland Security officers who blinded a young protester by shooting a less-lethal projectile at close range in Santa Ana apparently shot a second man in the face that night, blinding him too. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

What is the Insurrection Act? Explaining the law and Trump’s threats to use it in cities -- The law “allows the president to not only federalize the National Guard but to also employ active-duty troops domestically,” said Hawa Allan, an attorney and author of the 2022 book “Insurrection: Rebellion, Civil Rights, and the Paradoxical State of Black Citizenship.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/16/26

Trump administration’s demands for California’s voter rolls, including Social Security numbers, rejected by federal judge -- A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit demanding California turn over its voter rolls, calling the request “unprecedented and illegal” and accusing the federal government of trying to “abridge the right of many Americans to cast their ballots.” Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/16/26

Wildfire

Wildfire victims decry state law protecting utilities from cost of disasters they cause -- Southern California Edison says that with the help of those state laws it expects to pay little or even none of the damage costs of the Eaton fire, which its equipment is suspected of sparking. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Leaked memo reveals California debated cutting wildfire soil testing before disaster chief’s exit -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s disaster chief quietly retired in late December amid criticism over the state’s indecisive stance on whether soil testing was necessary to protect survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Taxes

Billionaire tax sparks intraparty war in California -- A proposed tax on billionaires is driving a wedge between Democrats in California, upending politics in this deep-blue state. Jeremy B. White and Melanie Mason Politico -- 01/16/26

L.A. firefighter union launches sales tax initiative to fund new stations and more -- One year after a deadly blaze ripped through the Pacific Palisades and destroyed thousands of homes, the union representing Los Angeles firefighters has launched a ballot initiative that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for fire control by boosting the city’s sales tax. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

 

Trump administration sues California over law keeping oil wells from homes, schools -- The Trump administration is suing California over a law that creates a 3,200-foot buffer zone between new oil and gas wells and homes, schools, hospitals and parks. The U.S. Department of Justice said SB 1137 violates federal law and hampers domestic energy development. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Rep. David Valadao voted to keep health insurance credits but cut Medicaid. Why? -- Democrats are giving Rep. David Valadao a rough time over his recent votes on health care. Whether the voters in his Central Valley district buy his explanations could go a long way in determining if he’s back next year. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 01/16/26

Bay Area House Democrats claim victory as White House reverses $1.9 billion cut in health funding -- When the Trump administration announced $1.9 billion in mental health and social service cuts on late Tuesday night — sending out termination notices to some 2,000 organizations — more than 100 Congressional Democrats demanded answers. Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 01/16/26

Daniel Lurie lays out 2026 road map for S.F.: ‘I will not back down’ -- In his first State of the City address, Mayor Daniel Lurie chose a telling word — “resilient” — to describe how San Francisco is doing at the start of his second year on the job. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/16/26

San Francisco Is on the Rebound. What Happened to Its Ousted Mayor? -- London Breed has said little in the year since she left office. She has thoughts on the praise that the current mayor, Daniel Lurie, has received. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 01/16/26

Workplace

L.A. sees 16% drop in film and TV shoot days compared to 2024 -- Last year’s 19,694 shoot days was the lowest total since 2020, according to the nonprofit FilmLA, which tracks filming in the greater L.A. area. In 2024, that total was 23,480 shoot days. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Key California labor unions show agreement on future housing model -- Leaders of major California labor unions told legislators Wednesday they were optimistic about what the increased use of homes that are largely made in factories and put together on site could mean for their members. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 01/16/26

Marketplace

Verizon Gets Final California Approval to Secure $9.6 Billion Frontier Deal -- Verizon Communications has received the final approvals needed to buy fiber-optic broadband provider Frontier Communications after agreeing to some concessions to California regulators, including a small-business spending commitment. Patience Haggin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/16/26

Homeless

Five years of litigation over homelessness devolves into a battle of definitions -- If a bed in a homeless shelter has been taken, is that bed still “available?” The plaintiffs in a five-year-old lawsuit alleging the City of Los Angeles failed to address homelessness say the answer is an obvious “no.” But the city begs to differ. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

California counties must jump through new hoops to get homelessness funds -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened many times to withhold state homelessness funds from cities and counties that aren’t doing enough to get people off the streets. This year, those threats seem more real than ever. Marisa Kendall and Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 01/16/26

Education

Top Bay Area schools embrace controversial grading system — just without the word ‘equity’ -- San Francisco schools dropped a controversial proposed overhaul last year of how students are assessed, called “Grading for Equity,” after parents, advocates and even the mayor slammed the proposal. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/16/26

Trump administration escalates investigations into transgender athlete participation in California -- The Trump administration is investigating more California colleges and schools, alleging that the participation of transgender athletes violates Title IX protections for women. The investigations escalate the administration’s drive to end the participation of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports. Christopher Buchanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Insolvency by summer still threatens Sacramento school district, budget chief says -- New interim chief business officer Lisa-Grant Dawson told a frustrated board of trustees at a meeting Thursday night that the Sacramento City Unified School District is still at risk of running out of money by summer. Jennah Pendleton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 01/16/26

New Flu

Flu cases surging in California as officials warn of powerful virus strain -- California officials are issuing warnings about a new flu strain that is increasing flu-related cases and hospitalizations statewide, with public health experts across the nation echoing the alerts. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/16/26

Also

California politicians wrongly fixate on education spending instead of results -- Gov. Gavin Newsom devoted most of his final State of the State address last week to touting what had been accomplished during the past seven years, and one boast was about California’s public school system educating nearly 6 million kids in grades K-12. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 01/16/26

POTUS 47

Trump Threatens to Hit Countries that Oppose His Greenland Takeover With Tariffs -- The president said the U.S. needs to take control of Greenland to protect U.S. national security Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/16/26

Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act in Response to Minnesota Protests -- President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a 19th-century law that could allow him to deploy the military inside the U.S., in response to protests in Minnesota that have widened after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman. Ken Thomas and Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Maegan Vazquez, Justine McDaniel, Adela Suliman and Derek Hawkins in the Washington Post$ -- 01/16/26

ACLU sues Trump administration over ‘racial profiling and unlawful arrests’ in Minnesota ICE surge -- The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing federal immigration authorities in Minnesota of racial profiling and unlawful arrests amid widespread Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Maya Yang The Guardian -- 01/16/26

Trump Was Told Attack on Iran Wouldn’t Guarantee Collapse of Regime -- President was advised U.S. military would need more firepower in Middle East to launch large-strike attack and protect American forces. Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman and Jared Malsin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/16/26

Under Trump, a Shift Toward ‘Absolute Immunity’ for ICE -- Since the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, administration officials have defended the use of deadly force, which agency guidelines say should be a last resort. Hamed Aleaziz and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ -- 01/16/26

Trump cabinet secretaries conspired to violate Constitution, judge says -- “The cabinet secretaries and ostensibly, the president of the United States, are not honoring the First Amendment,” U.S. District Judge William Young declared. Joanna Slater in the Washington Post$ -- 01/16/26

Trump’s promised manufacturing boom is a bust so far -- Manufacturing employment has declined every month since April, when the president said tariffs would bring factories “roaring back.” David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 01/16/26