SB 50 — not dead, not alive + Equality California endorses Mayor Pete + Kids take on CalSTRS
Good Thursday morning to you, California. What a week it’s been.
UNDEAD
ICYMI — After a 2.5-hour caucus meeting, and another two hours of debate, Senate Bill 50 failed to pass its chamber on Wednesday. But it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
The author, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said he is determined to get his housing legislation to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Wiener’s Senate Bill 50 failed on a vote of 18 to 15. Six senators did not on the bill. The Senate agreed to consider the bill one more time and it would pass if three more lawmakers vote for it.
“The bill fell three votes short today,” Wiener said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to pass SB 50 tomorrow.”
His proposal would require local governments to build more housing, specifically around transit- and jobs-rich areas. Cities would have to zone for taller buildings and multifamily homes like duplexes and fourplexes. It takes aim at local governments that place bureaucratic barriers to new construction.
Dozens of cities and social justice housing groups criticized the measure for nearly two years, and effectively tanked the legislation last May. Wiener then reintroduced a revised SB 50 in early January.
He has to get SB 50 out of his chamber by Friday. It’s unlikely, but as always, the California Capitol is full of surprises. Stay tuned...
PRESIDENT PETE?
This just in — Equality California, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy organization, had endorsed Pete Buttigieg for president.
The California group joined its Nevada affiliate Silver State Equality to formally announced its endorsement for the former South Bend mayor early this morning, first reported by the Associated Press.
Equality California said the decision “was reached unanimously” after it analyzed detailed questionnaires and interviews with the candidates, and determined their “viability and policy positions”
Buttigieg is the first openly gay presidential candidate to build a strong campaign that’s lasted him until the early state’s primaries.
“From his comprehensive plan to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 to his commitment to make our schools safe and supportive for LGBTQ students to his specific funding and policy priorities to protect and empower the transgender community — especially transgender women of color, who face an epidemic of violence and persecution — Mayor Pete Buttigieg has the boldest, most comprehensive agenda to achieve full, lived equality for all LGBTQ people of any presidential candidate in the nation’s history,” the group’s executive director Rick Zbur said in a statement.
Zbur continued that electing Buttigieg would send a positive message to LGBTQ youth, though the group emphasized that it did not award its endorsement “simply because he’s gay.”
“My campaign is based around a shared future of belonging for all Americans, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Buttigieg said via press statement. “President Trump’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, especially our trans members, have shown us that the fight for equal rights did not end with marriage equality. I will be the President to continue that fight for equality for all Americans.”
Runner ups — The organization said it was also “impressed” with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and billionaire Tom Steyer. California Sen. Kamala Harris earned accolades in the portions she participated in before dropping out of the race.
“ LGBTQ Californians are lucky to have (Harris) fighting for civil rights and social justice in the U.S. Senate,” the group said.
DEAL
President Donald Trump signed a new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada on Wednesday. And who was there to witness the moment? None other than California’s own Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield.
“I was invited by the president because he’s signing the USMCA agreement,” Grove said in a video at the White House posted to her Facebook. “That benefits our farmers and all of our trade partners when we trade with Mexico and Canada. I’m excited to be here today. Really excited that we were able to work on the USMCA for California.”
Grove joined, and snagged a photo with, several prominent Republicans for the ceremony, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and California Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
The bipartisan-backed legislation is basically a revamped version of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump disparaged as one of the worst trade deals.
Who wasn’t invited to the signing ceremony? Democrats critical to USMCA’s passage, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
So in case there was any doubt, Golden State politicians are still generally low on Trump’s love list.
‘DIE-IN’
Prepare for some dramatic visuals at the Capitol today.
Dozens of students from Sacramento and the Bay Area are set to rally at the Capitol beginning at 10:30 a.m. in protest of CalSTRS’ investment in the fossil fuel industry.
The protest is being organized by several groups, including Youth Vs Apocalypse, Earth Guardians Bay Area Crew, Fridays for Future, Fossil Free California, Sacramento Sunrise, Davis Sunrise, Climate Reality Project and 350 Sacramento.
Remember that viral video of Sen. Dianne Feinstein talking with children about the Green New Deal? Some of those children are expected to participate in today’s rally.
Participants plan to gather at the Capitol, and then march to California State Teachers’ Retirement System headquarters in West Sacramento. In case that’s not noticeable enough, they’ll also be doused in (fake) oil in protest of CalSTRS’ investments. They’ll also have a home-made float resembling an oil truck, a large skeleton puppet and effigies of oil company and CalSTRS executives.
Upon reaching CalSTRS HQ, the students plan to stage a “die-in.”
The students are particularly raw about a CalSTRS policy that prohibits minors from being recorded as part of the public record during board meetings.
“CalSTRS maintains a high bar for the safety and privacy of minors. To prevent any possible compromise of a child’s online privacy or security, CalSTRS does not stream or record video of minors providing public comment at our board meetings,” said spokeswoman Vanessa Garcia.
Students have found some rather creative ways to get around that restriction in the past.
Rena Meyers-Dahlkamp, an adult coordinator for the event, said that in addition to drawing attention to the agency’s investments, the hope is that it “will open up a more serious dialogue” with CalSTRS.
NEWSOM GETS A ‘B’
California’s governor was recognized by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws AKA NORML in their 2020 governor’s report card.
The score sheet rated all 50 governors based on their relative marijuana-friendliness. Nine governors, all Democrats, got an “A” grade, while eight governors, all Republicans, got an “F.”
Newsom fell in between those extremes, earning a “B” grade.
Newsom was applauded for signing several marijuana-related bills, including ones that give tax breaks to companies that provide free cannabis to low-income medical users and one that allows for parents or guardians to administer non-smokeable medical cannabis to their child at school.
NORML dinged Newsom for vetoing a bill that would have required certain health facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana on their premises.
Newsom expressed sympathy with the intent of the bill, but worried about how it would conflict with federal law and that it would jeopardize those facilities’ ability to collect Medicare and Medicaid payments.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I want to see a big production bump. The spirit of SB 50 is something I support. We continue to work with leadership, different constituencies and we’re hoping to get something big done.”
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, regarding SB 50 on Wednesday
Best of The Bee:
Unpaid bills and legal discipline: Devin Nunes’ lawyer questioned over ethics in complaints, by Kevin Hall and Kate Irby
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Trump administration in a recent ruling on a controversial rule about undocumented immigrants who use public benefits, California this year expanded benefits to immigrant residents, by Yesenia Amaro.
Hundreds of American diplomatic workers and their families airlifted from China’s coronavirus zone are being monitored for symptoms at a Southern California military base Wednesday as local and federal health officials sought to reassure the public the risk of the virus’ spread remained low, by Darrell Smith and Cathie Anderson
