AB 5 amendment roundup + California YIMBY takes on AIDS Healthcare + Prop 13 prospects
Good Monday morning to you, California! It’s been a while since I’ve asked for recipes, tips and feedback. Got something you want in the alert? Wanna throw me a hiking trail recommendation? Have at it - hwiley@sacbee.com and asheeler@sacbee.com
AB 5 ROUNDUP
The California Legislature is considering nearly two dozen bills to clean up or repeal the landmark gig economy law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just a few months ago.
The law requires employers to label most independent contractors as employees and to give benefits like sick pay and overtime to more workers.
Newsom signed the high-profile legislation in September, granting what proponents say is much-needed relief to low-wage workers. Others have criticized the requirement for stripping people of workplace and scheduling flexibility.
Democrats say the law needs fine-tuning; Republicans want to overhaul it.
The proposals include exemptions for a slew of workers like umpires, pharmacists, loggers and journalists to operate outside the confines of bundle of amendment bills, and money to help businesses comply with the new regulations.
You can read about what they’re considering here.
CA YIMBY V AIDS HEALTHCARE
The two don’t like each other, that’s for sure. But to make it real clear, California YIMBY filed a Fair Political Practices Commission complaint on Thursday against AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s spending that helped tank Senate Bill 50.
The foundation fired back, calling YIMBY(s) “sore losers.”
YIMBY, the nonprofit housing group that backed the now-dead SB 50, alleged in a letter to the FPPC’s enforcement division that the foundation failed to properly report its lobbying on the legislation.
The organization said that Michael Weinstein, AHF’s president, has launched a “brass-knuckle” campaign and lobbying tactics against legislation like SB 50 “to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.” YIMBY claimed that the foundation filed “numerous deceptive California lobbyist employer reports” that didn’t properly capture how much was spent on advertisement and PR to defeat the bill.
“Television buys can easily run in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars, plus the cost of production. None of these costs are disclosed on AHF’s lobby reports,” the letter includes. “The costs of designing and distributing these mailers, which runs in the tens of thousands of dollars, are also not disclosed.”
The allegations also include failure to report website costs and Facebook ads.
Not so, the foundation responded. AHF spokesman Ged Kenslea said they did accurately report spending “for all four quarters of 2019 and SB 50 is included in all of them.”
“These issues have been brought up before. This frivolous complaint follows similar unfounded prior administrative complaints over AHF’s legitimate and robust advocacy efforts and a third time will not be the charm,” Kenslea said. “SB 50 did not pass because it was a bad bill, not because of an AIDS nonprofit. Senator (Scott) Wiener and California YIMBY—which is a front group for developers and does not even support rent control—should stop pointing fingers and making excuses and get to work on a solution that actually solves California’s housing crisis, not makes it worse.”
The foundation paid MVM Strategy Group $158,603.29 in 2019 for lobbying efforts, which include SB 50, according to campaign finance reports.
VOTERS NARROWLY FAVOR PROP 13
A new poll shows that a slight majority of Californians support Proposition 13. No, not THAT Prop 13.
Rather, the one that would authorize a $15 billion bond to pay for the construction and modernization of California’s public schools. The one that will be on your ballot in March.
The poll, from the Public Policy Institute of California, found that 51 percent of likely voters support the measure.
The bond has strong partisan support and opposition: 69 percent of Democrats support it, while 71 percent of Republicans oppose it. Independents split the difference, with 47 percent supporting Prop 13 and 44 percent opposing it.
Support for the bond is strongest in the Bay Area, where 62 percent favor it, and weakest in Inland Empire, where just 42 percent support it, the poll found.
Just because the bill has (a slight) majority support, doesn’t mean it’s especially important to voters. In fact, the PPIC poll found that just 43 percent of those surveyed believe the bond outcome is “very important” to them.
The outcome is more important to Republicans (59 percent say it’s very important), and less so to Democrats (41 percent) and independents (32 percent).
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Really, (Gavin Newsom)?? Over 60 lawsuits against (Donald Trump) & this one to stop water flowing to the Central Valley!!! We produce the food your family, Californians, the nation, & much of the world eats!! What are you thinking???#CADeservesBetter”
- Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, via Twitter, in response to California’s latest lawsuit against President Donald Trump.
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