What voters think of Newsom + Let the kids play at the park + 2020 Census surpasses 2010 numbers
Good morning! The weekend is in sight! Just two more days!
CA VOTERS LIKE NEWSOM, TRUMP NOT SO MUCH
A majority of likely California voters say that Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing a good job. That’s the finding in the latest poll from Public Policy Institute of California.
Though 60% of likely voters approve of Newsom’s performance, that’s down slightly from 64% in May. It is much higher than his approval rating a year ago, which stood at 43% of likely voters.
“Gov. Newsom continues to receive high marks for his overall job performance and his handling of the coronavirus outbreak as the state has faced a surge in the virus and a multitude of crises,” PPIC CEO Mark Baldassare said in a statement.
That’s right: 62% of likely voters think Newsom is doing a good job handling the COVID-19 pandemic, though again that’s down from May, when 69% approved of his pandemic handling.
The State Legislature gets mixed reviews in the PPIC survey. Just under half, 45%, of likely voters approve of the job lawmakers did. Democrats, 64%, were more likely to approve than were independents, 44%, or Republicans (just 15%).
Democrat Joe Biden looks set to wallop Republican President Donald Trump, at least in California.
The Biden-Kamala Harris ticket has the support of 60% of likely voters, compared to the Donald Trump-Mike Pence ticket’s 31%.
Home state advantage doesn’t seem to be a thing for the Democratic ticket.
Biden’s choice of Harris for a running mate doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference. Back in May, he had 57% of voters, just three percentage points off from his current polling numbers in the Golden State.
Just 32% of likely voters approve of the job President Trump is doing, down a percentage point from May.
LAWMAKERS WANT A PLAN TO REOPEN PLAYGROUNDS
Nearly two dozen California lawmakers, Democrat and Republican, have sent a letter to Gov. Newsom urging him to issue new guidance on the reopening of outdoor youth activities, such as playgrounds and sports amenities.
“As a parent yourself, you know how important it is for children to have opportunities to expend their physical energy and play. However, especially in lower-income communities, families may have little to no outdoor space of their own available. Public parks and playgrounds provide a critical shared outdoor resource for families, but the indefinite closure further disadvantages children who have limited other options for outdoor recreation and physical activity,” the letter reads in part.
The letter points out that Newsom has not yet provided guidance for how those spaces can be reopened to the public.
“Creating additional statewide guidance will ensure that across all counties we appropriately consider best practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, while ensuring the children across the state are not unfairly deprived of their opportunities for outdoor access and play,” the letter concludes.
CALIFORNIA CENSUS RESULTS EXCEED 2010
The U.S. Census deadline is Sept. 30. Have you filled yours out yet?
It turns out, 10.3 million Californians have, so far. The return rate in California is 68.4% and climbing, compared to 68.2% in 2010, according to a statement from California Complete Count — Census 2020.
“It is through the collective efforts of millions of Californians that we have surpassed our 2010 self-response rate. But make no mistake – we are not done yet. We know the hardest-to-count Californians still may be missed or undercounted given the shortened deadline, so it’s essential these households complete the form now,” Ditas Katague, director of California Complete Count — Census 2020, said in a statement. “With two weeks left, our message is loud and clear: Californians need to act and fill out their Census forms. We have just days to secure funding and representation in our state for the next decade. We haven’t been without our challenges – federal operational changes and instability, the impact of COVID-19, wildfires and more. Given all that, we are proud of this milestone and all those who have stood up to be counted for their families and their communities. It is not too late- we encourage everyone to complete their Census form today.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“One of my favorite spots in downtown Sacramento falls victim to the #COVID19 recession. Sorry to see you go @OblivionComics.”
- Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, via Twitter. Read more about Oblivion Comics’ closure here.
Best of the Bee:
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