Newsom heads to The View + Taxing the uber rich + Republicans call for utility forgiveness
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RECALL WATCH
Programming note: Capitol Alert is launching a way to get recall news via text. You’ll get daily updates and breaking news about the effort to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom from political reporter Lara Korte.
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Via Lara Korte ...
California Democrats yesterday officially launched their campaign against the effort, calling on voters to “say no to the Republican recall.”
The party is kicking in $250,000 to help the governor fight. California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks said the effort is led by right-wing extremists, and California Democrats are prepared to stand behind him.
“Despite the efforts by the GOP to take us back to some of our darkest days, CADEM is prepared to mobilize our grassroots people power and make it clear to voters that the Democratic Party is the only party focused on protecting the health and safety of all Californians and their families,” Hicks said.
The governor himself finally called the campaign out by naming, saying in a tweet, “I won’t be distracted by this partisan, Republican recall — but I will fight it.”
Newsom will likely expand on that message when he joins daytime talk show The View later this morning for an exclusive interview with the show.
Meanwhile, the parade of Democratic support is continuing for the governor. Black lawmakers and leaders met virtually on Monday to knock the recall, an event similar to rallies held by API and LGBTQ+ groups over the past week.
“Of course people have the right to be frustrated by the pandemic,” said Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction. “But there’s no one to blame but the pandemic itself.”
NEWSOM SAYS HE’D APPOINT A BLACK WOMAN IF FEINSTEIN RESIGNS
Speaking with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Monday evening, Newsom said he’d fill Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat with a Black woman, if the senior California senator were to retire before finishing out her term.
“If, in fact, Dianne Feinstein were to retire, will you nominate an African American woman to restore the seat that Kamala Harris is no longer in the United States Senate and do you have a name in mind?” Reid asked
“We have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes,” Newsom replied.
Whether or not Feinstein does resign is still up in the air. She faced questions about her memory last fall after a series of mistakes during a senate hearing. As McClatchy D.C. reporter Kate Irby reported earlier this year, some progressive California Democrats are pushing for the 87-year-old senator to retire and make way for someone new.
Feinstein in January filed fundraising paperwork under a committee that suggested she was thinking of running for reelection in 2024, when she would be 91.
Her retirement, however, could give Newsom a chance to fill the void left by Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate. The governor appointed then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla to the vice president’s senate seat, making him the first Latino senator from California, but disappointing those who hoped to see a Black woman continue to hold the seat.
Without Harris, the U.S. Senate now has no Black women.
‘THE ULTRA RICH HAVE ONLY GROWN RICHER’
Via Hannah Wiley...
A coalition of progressive Democratic lawmakers on Monday announced legislation to impose a so-called “wealth tax” on California’s wealthiest residents.
The plan would include a 1% tax on households worth more than $50 million, and 1.5% for those worth more than $1 billion. It would come on top of California’s progressive income taxes that have high-earners paying a top rate of 13.3%.
That would raise an additional $22.3 billion, the Democrats estimated, for public services like education and health care.
“Those aren’t radical ideas. That’s called fairness,” said Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles.
Despite the looming recall of Newsom, who’s previously said he has little interest in raising taxes this year, and a projected $15 billion budget surplus with more federal relief on the way, the Democrats said a wealth tax couldn’t come at a better time.
“The ultra rich have only grown richer,” during the pandemic, said Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose.
Lee said essential workers and forgotten communities hard hit by the virus’ health and fiscal impacts need the investment made possible by a stronger tax levy on the state’s richest residents.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, also rejected the idea that a turbulent political climate should scare legislators away from leveling the playing field via a wealth tax.
“I can’t believe we’re looking at this like a political liability. The fact is California’s policies over the last two, three decades have really created this wealth gap to ensure we almost have two Californias,” Gonzalez said. “It’s time to do something about it, and quit bitching quite honestly.”
What’s next? Democrats will need to convince their more moderate colleagues in the Legislature to greenlight their proposed Assembly constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds vote. Voters would then get the chance to approve the tax increase via a ballot measure.
“The last thing California needs is another tax increase. The state is collecting billions of dollars more than expected under the current tax rates, and has a large reserve that got us through a year of pandemic without having to cut funding for education or other important programs,” said California Taxpayers Association President Robert Gutierrez.
REPUBLICANS CALL FOR UTILITY BILL FORGIVENESS
The State of California should use some of its billion budget surplus to help residents struggling with their utility bills, argued Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, and Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, in a letter to Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, chair of the powerul Senate Budget Committee.
The letter points out that an estimated 1.6 million Californian households owe nearly $1 billion on their water bills. Almost 9 million have been unable to pay their electric bills, totaling more than $1 billion.
“The pandemic has disproportionally hit low-income households the hardest. Disparities in government assistance need to be fixed to achieve equality for all Californians to help prevent an economic and health crisis. Government has focused on stimulus checks, rent moratorium, mortgage forbearance and tax relief. Low-income Californians, however, are drowning in water, electricity, internet and other utility debt,” the letter reads in part.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I won’t be distracted by this partisan, Republican recall -- but I will fight it. There is too much at stake. Getting Californians vaccinated, our economy safely reopened, and our kids back in school are simply too important to risk.”
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
Had the recall not been granted a deadline extension last fall, it never would have gotten this far, via Lara Korte.
Despite voting in higher numbers, Latinos and Asian Americans fell further behind on their share of the vote in California in the 2020 election, via Kate Irby.
CalPERS told her she’d earn $60,000 a year in retirement. Her pension isn’t even close to that, via Andrew Sheeler.