Dem convention kicks off + Support for Newsom on schools + Sex ed bill passes committee

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION KICKS OFF TODAY

Via Lara Korte...

California Democrats will meet virtually this year for their four-day annual convention, which starts today and continues into Sunday.

Saturday will feature remarks from nearly every top California Democrat, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Controller Betty Yee, Treasurer Fiona Ma, and Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

We’ll also get to hear from top Californians in Washington, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Alex Padilla, and retired Sen. Barbara Boxer. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is not scheduled to speak.

The gathering comes less than a week after the effort to recall Newsom officially passed the signature threshold, and is all but certain to result in a special election this fall. We’ll likely see a vehement condemnation of the recall, which Democrats have tried to paint as a partisan power grab by Republicans, who are severely outnumbered in California.

It could also be a chance to show the party is firmly united behind its top officer, and stamp out any ideas about another Democrat challenging Newsom this fall.

Delegates will hear and vote on a resolution, authored by Chair Rusty Hicks and Padilla, to condemn the recall.

“By uniting, Democrats will prevent Trump’s Republican Party from taking over the California government and will stand united against any candidate who seeks the office and helps Republicans succeed,” the resolution reads.

Stay tuned for ongoing convention coverage into the weekend.

MAJORITY SUPPORT NEWSOM’S SCHOOL DECISIONS

Via Lara Korte...

The latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California dropped last night, showing a majority of Californians approve of Gov. Newsom’s handling of schools, one of the most vexing political issues in his fight against the recall.

As of this month, 57% of adults and 64% of public school parents approve of how Newsom is handling the state’s public school system. While it’s good news for Newsom, it’s also significantly lower than approval at this time last year, when 73% of adults and 78% of public school parents approved of the governor’s decisions.

The struggle to return students to the classroom, combined with economic worries, has likely fueled discontent and the recall movement, but it may not be enough to remove Newsom from office, PPIC President and CEO Mark Baldassare said in an accompanying blog post.

“Clearly, some Californians have been unhappy with his approach.... but voter discontent with schools and the economy falls short of the majority needed to remove the governor from office—and reflects the hyper-partisanship in this blue state,” he said.

The same study found 80% of respondents think students are falling behind after a year learning under the pandemic, with growing concerns for lower-income and English learner students.

Read more about the study here.

SEX ED BILL NARROWLY PASSES COMMITTEE VOTE

A bill that would require school boards to adopt policies explaining how parents and guardians of students can inspect sex ed school materials passed the Senate Education Committee by a 4-1 vote on Wednesday.

SB 217, authored by Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, moves on to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“The education of our students can only be improved when teachers and parents can work collaboratively, especially on difficult or sensitive subjects,” Dahle said in a statement. “Having these resources available online will provide parents valuable information to follow-up with their children so there’s a better understanding of the material.”

The bill is championed by the California Family Council, whose president, Jonathan Keller, said in a statement, “Whether they vote Democrat or Republican, all parents believe in government transparency, especially regarding the education of their children. We urge elected officials on both sides of the aisle to set aside partisan politics and support these reasonable protections for kids and families.”

Equality California, an LGBTQ civil rights advocacy group, is opposed to the bill, calling it “misguided” in a Wednesday statement.

“This legislation is yet another attempt by anti-LGBTQ+, anti-choice activists to undermine the implementation of the California Healthy Youth Act and deny other Californians’ children the quality public education that every student deserves — this time by imposing uniquely burdensome requirements on sexual health education. A solid majority of parents and students support the teaching of comprehensive sex education in public schools. Some parents choose to opt their own children out, and that is their right. But these parents do not have the right to shut down all sexual health education for California students. We look forward to working with legislators to ensure every child in California has access to comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual health education,” Legislative Director Tami Martin said in a statement.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Childcare challenge made today an impromptu ‘bring your daughter to work day.’”

- Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, via Twitter. (And yes, there are adorable pictures)

Best of the Bee:

• California could have lost 2 congressional seats. Here’s how it found hard-to-reach residents, via Kim Bojórquez

• The California Department of Justice announced this week that it will expand access to and begin releasing certain gun violence prevention data that it had withheld from a state-funded University of California research center, via Hannah Wiley.

• Two candidates running for president of SEIU Local 1000 are promoting a long-shot contract change that would give workers more flexibility to strike but would likely carry big implications for other employment protections, via Wes Venteicher.