How many bills are left? + De León demands debate + Who’s up for sports betting, craps?
SLEEPLESS IN SACRAMENTO
The end is near, and yet so far.
With just two weeks remaining in the legislative session, lawmakers and staff are scurrying down the home stretch. As of today, plenty of bills await a floor votes — 758 to be precise, according to the Assembly and Senate clerks’ offices.
That includes the few hundred that survived last week’s suspense file drill. The Senate will be particularly busy, as 548 bills remain on the table, compared to the 210 in the Assembly.
Top items on the agenda: Cash bail, wildfire liability, police conduct and sexual harassment.
DE LEÓN TO FEINSTEIN: DEBATE ME
State Sen. Kevin De León, D-Los Angeles, has had enough. He’s holding a news conference at 10 a.m., calling on Sen. Dianne Feinstein to agree to a debate. He’ll be joined by union members, a UC Davis student and a colleague from the Assembly.
De León has been calling for a debate for a long time. The Feinstein campaign previously agreed to debate after the primary, but no plans have been made.
EXPANDING GAMBLING
A new initiative is on the streets to expand gambling in California. It would allow tribal casinos to operate roulette, craps games. Cardrooms — and perhaps tribal casinos — could start offering sports wagering. It also would prevent the governor from approving gambling on newly acquired off-reservation tribal lands and negotiating gambling compacts with non-federally recognized tribes.
The financial impact of the plan is unclear according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Over the next six months, proponents will work to gather nearly 600,000 signatures in order to qualify the initiative for the 2020 ballot. Russell Lowery, the main backer of the measure, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There’s no sign that the measure represents any kind of a deal.
WATER PROTEST
Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, expects 500 protesters to join him today for a noon rally on the north steps to assail the State Water Resources Control Board water allocation plan that would cut deliveries to cities and farms. Gray says the plan would hurt the agriculture industry and is urging others to oppose it.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Assemblyman Marc Levine (@MarcLevine) — “When journalists are called the enemy, we must take the side of the free press. Here’s my proposal to bolster local news: 1. Eliminate the sales tax on newspapers 2. Counter Trump’s tariffs on newsprint 3. Freeze layoffs before and after the sale of newspapers.”
INFLUENCER OF THE DAY
Should offshore oil drilling be expanded? Influencers have plenty to say.
“Cost savings mean nothing on a dead planet. No. Nurses do not support oil drilling off the coast of California, which not only impacts the health and safety of patients whose communities are a target of potential oil spills—but which also increases dependence on fossil fuels, which are killing our planet.”
— Bonnie Castillo, Executive Director, California Nurses Association
MUST-READ: Tax on California water revived to clean up drinking water – but it’s voluntary
OPINIONATED
State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones believe too many California homeowners associations are running amok.
Caitlin Vega, legislative director of the California Labor Federation, says the Dynamex ruling will help California workers survive what she views as a rigged economy.
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board believes clear-cutting forests won’t solve California’s wildfire problem.
TOONED OUT
Jack Ohman and Nancy Pelosi have a chat. Listen to it here.