Gavin Newsom’s single focus + Donald Trump lands in Bakersfield + Puppy blood banks
Good morning, readers, and welcome to your Thursday! Andrew here with the morning’s political news!
A FOCUSED ADDRESS
ICYMI from Sophia Bollag — Gov. Gavin Newsom called California’s growing homeless population “the most pernicious crisis in our midst” during his second State of the State address Wednesday, vowing to help communities get people off the streets and into stable housing.
“Let’s call it what it is, a disgrace,” he said. “The richest state in the richest nation — succeeding across so many sectors — is falling so far behind to properly house, heal, and humanely treat so many of its own people.”
In a break from custom, Newsom focused the speech almost entirely on one topic: homelessness.
His narrow focus contrasted from his pattern in his first year as governor, during which he frequently declined to whittle his priorities to a single issue and used his biggest public speeches to discuss multiple priorities at once, ranging from wildfires to jobs.
“The public’s lost patience,” Newsom said. “It’s time to muster the political will to meet this moment.”
Newsom asked lawmakers to cut environmental regulations hampering construction of shelters and make it easier to force mentally ill people into treatment.
He also called for them to help him find more stable funding for homeless aid on top of the one-time $750 million he already proposed in the state budget to fund for organizations that help homeless people.
DONALD TRUMP COMES TO TOWN
President Donald Trump touched down in Bakersfield Wednesday and vowed to end California’s water wars by simply “turning a valve” to keep all that fresh water from running into the Pacific.
We had a crew on the scene.
First, the main event.
Trump approved a plan to let more Northern California water flow south to farms and cities. The decision is designed to open the floodgates so that millions of gallons additional water can flow to urban Southern California and the Valley, where farmers are constantly clamoring for additional supplies.
Gov. Newsom’s office announced immediately the state would sue to block Trump’s plan.
“Our goal continues to be to realize enforceable voluntary agreements that provide the best immediate protection for Delta species, reliable and safe drinking water, and dependable water sources for our farmers for economic prosperity. This is the best path forward to sustain our communities, our environment and our economy,” Newsom said.
Trump spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of Kern County supporters. They broke out into chants of “four more years,” and several farmers endorsed him on stage.
The president made a few digs at Newsom and other California Democrats. “I love your state, I understand your state. You have the potential like no place else, but you need the right governor,” Trump said.
He suggested the state is rationing water. We have a fact check on that. Click here to read it.
And, he jabbed at another California punching bag: high-speed rail. “Billions and billions and billions of dollars, it was originally supposed to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and now in order to get the cost down pretty soon, it’ll be a mile long,” Trump said, gesturing in a manner that indicated a shortening in length.
We have a fact check on that, too.
If you want the quick version of the rally, check out Brianna Calix’s roundup of “5 things Donald Trump said at his Bakersfield rally: From Gavin Newsom to Devin Nunes”
CANINE BLOOD BANKS REDUX
Remember when Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed community-sourced blood banks because it didn’t do enough to abolish canine “blood colonies?”
“I am asking that the Legislature send me legislation that effectively leads to the phasing out of ‘closed colonies,’ where dogs are kept for months and years to harvest their blood for sale,” Newsom wrote in his veto statement at the time. “The legislation should provide for the safe and humane treatment of donor animals, the welfare of the recipients and adequate oversight and enforcement of this program.”
That bill’s sponsor, Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, has returned with a new bill which appears to be aimed at addressing Newsom’s qualms.
Senate Bill 1115 allows commercial blood banks to accept community-sourced blood, like with the last bill, while also phasing out the closed colony model at the same time.
“Far too many pets in California die because there is simply no blood to save them. I am introducing SB 1115 to expand the pool of available animal blood donors and to ensure they are treated humanely,” Wilk said in a statement.
Wilk acknowledged Newsom’s veto in his statement, and added that he is “optimistic we will find common ground as we continue our dialogue.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, an animal welfare activist group behind several bills signed into law last year.
WE BID YOU ADIEU
Jim Stanley is heading home to the East Coat.
The Assembly Republican Caucus press secretary his leaving his post after five years in California. He’s heading to our nation’s capital to take on a new role as research director of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s independent expenditure campaign. Say that five times fast.
Friday is his last day, he said. It’s been a great pleasure working with Jim, who’s always been a great help. The Bee’s Capitol bureau wishes him the best of luck in his new adventure! However, we bet he can’t find the kind of hiking in D.C. that Northern California affords. Send us trail recs before you head east, Jim!
RENDON SNAGS AN ENDORSEMENT
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, has picked up an endorsement in his re-election campaign from reproductive rights group NARAL Pro-Choice California.
“Anthony Rendon is a fearless champion for reproductive freedom and under his leadership, the California State Assembly has led the way in protecting and expanding the reproductive rights of all Californians,” Shannon Hovis, Director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, said in a statement.
In a statement, Rendon said that he is “committed to protecting the clinics, health facilities, and medical professionals that provide care for women.”
This latest endorsement caps off a round of endorsements issues by the group. You can see the full slate here.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“California is the rocket fuel powering American’s resurgence, that — let me be clear — began under the leadership of President Barack Obama.”
- Gov. Newsom, using his State of the State address to cast some subtle shade on Trump.
Best of the Bee:
An opponent of Congressional District 10 candidate Ted Howze is questioning whether he lives in the district as he stated during a recent candidates debate.
The campaign for CA10 candidate Bob Elliott provided The Bee with an investigation it says shows Howze continues to live in Brookside — a gated community along the Calaveras and San Joaquin rivers in Stockton — and not Turlock, via Kevin Valine.
“I live, work and am registered to vote in the city of Turlock,” Howze said before an audience of more than 500 people at The State Theatre in downtown Modesto on Jan. 22.
A former top investment official at CalPERS received the largest pension the retirement system has ever paid last year, according to Transparent California and reviews of pension data by The Sacramento Bee, via Wes Venteicher.
With an insurance crisis causing widespread disruption throughout the state, California regulators rolled out legislation that would force insurance companies to offer coverage in areas where communities and property owners have “hardened” their homes against wildfire risk, via Dale Kasler.