Will AG disclose gun records? + Recall watch + Stimulus has a flood of money for California
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BECERRA ON THE HOT SEAT
Via Hannah Wiley...
Last week, I reported that Atorney General Xavier Becerra’s office is withholding gun violence data from the state-funded UC Davis California Firearm Violence Research Center, which the Legislature tasked in 2016 with evaluating California’s firearm regulations.
Center Director Dr. Garen Wintemute said since Becerra took office, the researchers have struggled to secure data the agency has traditionally handed over for three decades.
By rejecting their requests, Wintemute said, the department is violating legal requirements.
The department is “effectively, knowledgeably, shutting down research on some of the most important policies in California,” Wintemute said. “I believe that science saves lives. Lives are in the balance here
The 2016 law tasks the Department of Justice with providing “the data necessary for the center to conduct its research.” The information often includes personal identifiers like names, court case numbers, dates of birth and gender or sex.
That private information is why the state agency said it can’t release the records.
“The California Department of Justice values data-driven research and its role in pushing forward informed public policy to help combat problems like gun violence,” the spokesperson wrote. “We also take seriously our duty to protect Californians’ sensitive personally identifying information, and must follow the letter of the law regarding disclosures of the personal information in the data we collect and maintain.”
Wintemute has since teamed up with the Legislature to once again clarify and codify the agency’s responsibility to release information to the center and to other qualified research institutions.
But the department has already proposed changes to its data-release policies, revisions that are scheduled for discussing at a 10 a.m. meeting today.
Wintemute, along with other researchers and gun violence advocates from national organizations, plan to speak at the hearing.
And I plan to cover it.
Check in at sacbee.com and on Twitter for updates.
NEWSOM CAMP OFFICIALLY ON DEFENSE
Via Lara Korte...
Following Gavin Newsom’s state of the state address, in which he tried to make the case for why he is still the best leader for California, members of the API community Wednesday morning praised the Democratic leader, and reiterated his message that a recall was a “partisan power grab.”
For over an hour, state lawmakers, members of Congress, and community leaders defended Newsom’s choices around the pandemic, and said a recall at this moment in time would be an expensive distraction from California’s recovery.
“I certainly support Gavin Newsom, not because he’s done everything perfectly, and I don’t think anyone can, but he’s someone who has ... consistently demonstrated his values are in the right place,” said State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento. “The last thing we need here in the state of California is to go and recall our governor as he is working with all of us to stop this pandemic and in getting our economy going again.”
The press conference aimed to paint the recall as a partisan effort led by far-right Republicans. Organizers, for the record, say they have bipartisan support.
State Controller Betty Yee, who was also in attendance, said she understands that in times of frustration, people look for scapegoats, but Newsom was forced to make tough decisions to save Californians at a time when there was little guidance from federal leaders.
“I don’t think it’s frankly any surprise that anybody whose livelihoods have been on the line or have been lost are going to look for an outlet to express their frustration and anger,” Yee said. “Republicans: we invite you to be a part of the solution. Help us. Help us in your districts. Help us in your communities. Help us scale up. Help us get this information out there and really have our recovery happen sooner rather than later.”
Also joining the anti-recall campaign this week is progressive grassroots organization Courage California, which announced Wednesday it was teaming up with the National Union of Healthcare Workers to organize voters against the recall.
The NUHW has already formed a committee opposing the recall, and launched a series of digital advertisements last month asking Californians to pledge to defeat the recall by signing a petition.
CALIFORNIA IS ABOUT TO GET A LOT OF CASH
Congress has passed the COVID-19 recovery bill and it includes payday for California.
The Golden State is set to get $42 billion in state and local funding to be spent on vaccinations, education and child care, social safety net programs and economic stimulus, according to preliminary estimates from the state Department of Finance.
That includes $26 billion for the state and $16 billion to be split between cities and counties.
Cities are eager to use the money for business assistance and help for residents who’ve lost income during the long pandemic. “We will put this money to work,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, whose city is on track to receive $121.6 million.
California also could receive $300 million to support vaccination efforts in the state, and $2.5 billion to support testing and contact tracing. Community health centers could receive $1.1 billion, while health providers could receive about $600 million, according to Finance.
California schools could receive $15.9 billion, while the state could receive up to $3.9 billion for child care.
The state expects at least $30 billion in additional unemployment insurance benefits, and more than $2 billion in emergency rental assistance and more than $250 million in utility assistance funding. The state could receive more than $500 million in homelessness assistance funding.
Californians could receive $350 million in additional SNAP benefits as well.
Finally, the state could receive more than $40 billion worth of economic impact stimulus payments (the $1,400 checks).
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If the Recall were a ‘partisan power grab’ as Gov. Newsom alleges, it would fail easily. The reason he’s panicking is he knows it’s anything but that.”
- Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
The COVID relief bill is a slush fund that’s little more than a liberal Democratic wish list. Too much is going to help cash-rich state and local governments. And the whole $1.9 trillion package costs much too much. That’s the unified, consistent, unmistakable message from California’s 11 House Republicans. They all voted against the economic relief plan passed by the House Wednesday. They all also voted against the first version of the bill last month, via David Lightman and Kate Irby.
For the past year, Orinn Heatlie has been leading hundreds of Californians in an effort to unseat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Now, members of the recall committee say they have enough signatures to trigger an election, at which point anyone can put their name on the ballot. Even though several Republicans have already voiced their intentions to run, the recall committee isn’t able to endorse a candidate until it files the proper paperwork. Even if they could endorse someone right now, however, it’s not clear they would, via Lara Korte.