Two political families battle for Assembly + Keeping schools solvent + Spending water money
Happy Thursday, California! I’ll be off Friday, so you can expect me back in your inboxes on Monday.
To start — House Speaker and California Democrat Nancy Pelos has endorsed Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, in Smith’s bid for former Rep. Katie Hill’s open seat.
Hill vacated her post in Congress this fall amid allegations that she had a sexually inappropriate relationships with a campaign staff member.
Smith, who won her Assembly election in 2018, quickly launched her campaign for the position and has since earned support from three of California’s most powerful politicians, including Sens. Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein.
In a statement, Pelosi said Smith will “work to fight corruption, lower the cost of prescription drugs, fully fund public schools and build a strong middle-class economy that works for all Americans.”
“@SpeakerPelosi knows it’s urgent that we defend this seat to hold the House. She also knows I’m the hard working grassroots candidate who will fight every day for #CA25 and our country,” Smith wrote on Twitter.
BATTLE OF THE BLOOD
When it comes to California politics, I guess it’s all a family matter.
After Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, announced late last month that he would not be seeking reelection for his 57th District seat, many wondered what a California Legislature would look like without a Calderon.
Ian’s father, Charles Calderon, and his two uncles, Ron and Tom Calderon, also served in the Legislature. So when Ian announced that he wanted to spend more time with his family in lieu of another campaign, it appeared an era, and a controversial one at that, was coming to a close.
A marked legacy — Ron and Tom became the center of a political scandal that landed both of them with prison sentences in 2016, though both Charles and Ian were not implicated in the federal corruption scandal.
Keeping things going — Ah, but wait! Lisa Calderon, Charles’ wife and Ian’s stepmother, has filed to run for the seat.
Ian Calderon said via Twitter on Wednesday that “of course” he’ll support Lisa’s Democratic pursuit for his post.
“Her 30+ yrs of living/raising her family in the district along with her work in public policy and community activism makes her not just the strongest candidate, but the rep #AD57 deserves,” he wrote on Twitter.
But there’s another interesting twist to the soon-to-be-exciting race.
Sylvia Rubio, also a Democrat, has filed paperwork for the job.
And if the surname Rubio sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
Sylvia’s sisters, Sen. Susan Rubio and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, are both Democrats representing Baldwin Park in the Legislature.
Surprised? Don’t be.
In a San Gabriel Valley Tribune piece from earlier this year, the sisters hinted at their ideas for the Rubios’ political dynasty.
“Blanca said: ‘We have plans for her. She just doesn’t know it yet.’
Or maybe she does. Said Sylvia: ‘The possibilities of the Rubio sisters are endless.’”
SAC UNIFIED’S ‘GRIM REALITY’ = STATEWIDE SOLUTION?
A state audit report released on Tuesday offered a grim picture for the financial future of Sacramento City Unified School District.
The report stems from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty’s request earlier this year for a “deep dive” into the district’s leadership and monetary shortcomings.
“The audit found the district’s budget deficit increased nearly three-fold between 2016 and 2019 because officials did not take sufficient actions to control costs,” The Bee’s education reporter Sawsan Morrar noted. “The audit also found the district has a lack of adequate budget policies, has had turnover in its leadership ranks and has done little to control special education costs.”
Along with its shortage of good news, the audit recommends the district consider trimming salaries by 2 percent and cut employee health care benefits from 100 to 90 percent.
McCarty, who is married to Sacramento City Unified board member Leticia Garcia and has supported teachers unions in legislation he’s written, said the audit depicts a “grim reality that is not sustainable” for the district. He also hinted at a legislative priority for next year’s session.
“After reviewing the report, I have decided to author legislation in 2020 with the audit recommendations to put more financial guardrails in place to keep school districts whole,” McCarty announced in a press release. “We cannot wait any longer to address this budget crisis, and these recommendations must be implemented so this does not happen to another school district in California.
STEWARDS OF SAFE WATER
The most important legislative effort to fund safe and affordable drinking water passed into law this year, effectively authorizing $130 million a year for a decade to help local jurisdictions fix their water systems.
Senate Bill 200, considered “landmark legislation,” was the investment clean water advocates, residents and state officials had backed to end contamination concerns and fund “infrastructure upgrades” throughout the next 10 years. SB 200 will also be used to deliver “short-term remedies” like local filling stations, treatment options or making bottled water available in areas with contaminated systems, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
To help identify how the communities could use the money, the board announced on Wednesday an advisory group of 19 members who will guide decisions on how to prioritize and allocate the funds.
The members were chosen among a diverse pool of applicants, and they represent public water systems, local agencies and affected resident.
The group will meet quarterly throughout the state, with the first hearing tentatively scheduled for Jan. 13.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The answer to the corrupt, immoral Trump presidency is not a former Republican New York City mayor who was as out of touch with the problems of ordinary families then as he is today,” wrote Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, on Twitter. “Billionaire Bloomberg is not the antidote to the poisonous Trump ascension, he is the cause.”
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