Happy holidays! + What the Democrats said after the debate + Watch out for new laws
Good morning, California! We know it’s a holiday, but just in case you need a break from that Christmas ham and figgy pudding, here’s an alert for you. We’ll keep it short.
ON BILLIONAIRES AND WILDFIRES
Via Bryan Anderson...
ENVIRONMENT:
Climate change took center stage at last week’s Democratic presidential debate, with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar citing California’s ongoing feud with the Trump administration over gas mileage standards.
On the latest episode of The Sacramento Bee’s “California Nation” podcast, Klobuchar highlighted how California is working with car companies to improve air pollution standards.
“The governor is simply trying to do what we want to do as a country and what most of the car companies had previously agreed to until this president came to town,” Klobuchar said after the debate.
Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the senator for being “very aggressive” on addressing climate change and examining “the absurdity of the Department of Justice.”
“The Department of Justice weaponized the EPA. It shows their complete absurdity and bankrupt ethics,” Newsom said. “I’m very proud of her to have been leading the charge as a senator, and I’m glad she recognized that tonight.”
CALIFORNIA’S IMPORTANCE:
California has bumped up its primary from June to March, and some would like to see a diverse state like California hold its election even sooner, given Iowa and New Hampshire hold their primaries first and are overwhelmingly white.
Before the debate, DNC Chairman Tom Perez said “the order is the order” but suggested the party will evaluate its primary schedule after the 2020 election.
“My singular focus is electing Democrats up and down the ticket in 2020,” Perez said. “After 2020, we plan, we execute and we reflect. There will come a time for reflection. Right now is the time for organizing and winning everywhere.”
HOW TO LISTEN
To listen to the full podcast, make sure to subscribe to “California Nation” through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts. Host Bryan Anderson will return to your feed in 2020.
NEW YEAR, NEW LAWS
Just in case you have the new laws that will take effect next week on your mind, here’s a recap of what to watch starting Jan. 1.
Animal rights activists cleaned up at the Capitol over the past year, advocating for bills that banned fur-trapping, fur sales, sales of products made with alligator skin and the use of most animals in circuses. Check out the recap here. Our story includes a summary of what PETA and Social Compassion in Legislation have planned for 2020.
There’s AB 5, a union-backed law which re-classifies many independent contractors and freelancers as regular employees entitled to benefits such as minimum wage and sick leave. It’s a sweeping change of California employment law and it’s facing multiple legal challenges, including from freelance writers who argue the law infringes on their First Amendment rights.
There’s AB 1482, which limits how much landlords can raise the rent for their tenants and also provides long-term tenants with certain protections from eviction. In addition, SB 329 prohibits landlords from discriminating against renters with housing vouchers.
Part of SB 276 also goes into effect this January. Under that law, doctors who issue five or more vaccine exemptions will be subject to state review. The law is intended to prevent doctors from selling exemptions to anti-vaccine parents.
The 2018 California Consumer Privacy Act is set to go into effect. That law gives consumers the right to know what personal information businesses are holding and to have that information deleted if they want to.
Best of the Bee:
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tapped Chris Myers, executive director of the state’s Democratic Party, to lead his California operation, by Bryan Anderson.
A new California law that bans schools from suspending disruptive students could have a particularly large impact in Sacramento County, where educators are disciplining kids for “defiance” more often than in other communities, by Margherita Beale and Adria Watson.
In the wake of a devastating measles outbreak, California passed a law to crack down on exemptions and improve vaccination rates. Building on the work of previous research, a study released this week shows that the 2016 legislation had the greatest effect on high-risk areas where the vaccination rates were the lowest, by Michael Finch II.
