Labor rolls out an army for Newsom + Death penalty on trial + Willie Brown on debt relief bill
Good morning, and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
LABOR LAUNCHES GROUND GAME IN RECALL
The California Labor Federation will launch a corps of 10,000 volunteers to go door-to-door campaigning against the effort to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom, which union leaders say threatens the future of California workers.
Leaders and workers gathered on the south steps of the Capitol on Tuesday in support of Newsom, praising the governor’s COVID-19 actions that they say were essential in protecting workers.
“The governor acted quickly and decisively to protect essential workers. He mandated paid sick leave for COVID. He told employers that they had to report COVID outbreaks in the workplace. He beefed up health and safety protections, and since day one of this pandemic, the governor has followed the science,” said California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Art Pulaski.
This news comes just days after the president-elect of SEIU Local 1000, Richard Louis Brown, made headlines for ousting longtime president Yvonne Walker. Brown railed heavily against Newsom during his campaign, and said he won’t back him in a recall.
On Tuesday morning, Brown sent out a statement condemning current union leadership for efforts to make a $1 million contribution to Newsom before Brown takes over. A vote on that contribution is expected to take place today among Local 1000’s board of directors.
IN OTHER RECALL NEWS
Caitlyn Jenner debuted two policy platforms: Defunding the Legislature and putting a freeze on tax increases.
“Sacramento politicians work only about 30 weeks/yr, but they make nearly 3x the amount of the avg Californian,” Jenner tweeted. “It’s time we return that taxpayer money to the people. I can’t wait to support a ballot measure to make the legislature part-time and cut their 6 figure salary in half.”
Speaking of money, Team Newsom racked up more than $2 million in donations on Tuesday, including $1.5 million from the California Association of Realtors.
As Rob Pyers of the California Target Book noted, Newsom’s anti-recall committee has now raised nearly $13.2 million to date.
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR DEATH PENALTY ARGUMENTS
Via Rosalio Ahumada...
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments in the case of a death row inmate from Los Angeles that challenges the constitutionality of how the death penalty has been applied and could lead to the reversal of hundreds of death sentences.
As part of an automatic appeal for Donte McDaniel, who has been convicted and sentenced to death for two 2004 murders, the defense is asking the court whether the procedure in California capital punishment cases has allowed prosecutors to bypass state laws that require a unanimous jury vote to decide whether the evidence supports a death sentence.
Gov. Newsom in October filed an amicus brief in McDaniel’s case, arguing that the state should raise its standards for when death penalties can be issued because the current process is tainted by racism against Black people. Newsom says the court must raise the standards for unanimity and proof beyond a reasonable doubt in death penalty decisions to eradicate racial bias from the process.
Along with co-defendant Kai Harris, McDaniel was convicted in the killing of a rival member of his gang over a drug dispute. Three women who witnessed the attack in the Los Angeles apartment also were shot; two survived, but the third was killed, The Los Angeles Times reported. Prosecutors said Harris fatally shot two people and McDaniel shot and wounded two others.
The Supreme Court justices will hear arguments from both sides in McDaniel’s case Wednesday. The court has 90 days to issue a ruling.
WILLIE BROWN CONDEMNS AB 1405
If passed into law, AB 1405 would provide oversight and regulation of “debt settlement providers” and prohibit them from engaging in misleading or deceptive tactics.
“With many Californians struggling financially from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that consumers who are facing economic challenges are protected from predatory companies that may worsen their financial situations. Debt settlement companies have been loosely regulated and target vulnerable consumers with misleading advertisements and deceptive practices,” said bill author Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, in a statement of support.
One person who’s not a fan of the bill? Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, who lent his voice to a coalition of opposition to the bill that includes the California Black Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of Senior Citizens, Americans for Tax Reform and other groups.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an immense toll on communities of color, who desperately need debt relief services,” Brown said in a statement. “What they need most is access to debt settlement, which helps countless Californians avoid bankruptcy every single year. California lawmakers, many of whom I respect and admire, need to embrace the debt settlement industry and the consumers it protects. Let’s be clear: An attack on debt settlement is an attack on communities of color. They simply can’t afford it.”
AB 1405 has passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is set to be heard on the Assembly floor sometime in the near future.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Words cannot convey how difficult this last year has been for so many people, which is why we feel so fortunate that #PRIDE Month is coinciding with CA’s reopening. Pride has always been a beautiful blend of civic engagement and celebration — part activism and part festival. As we return to seeing our loved ones in person, we will use #PrideMonth as an opportunity to recognize our victories in advancing equality while acknowledging that the struggle continues. We must be unwavering in our mission until every LGBTQ+ person is free from persecution.”
- Assemblyman (and chairman of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus) Evan Low, D-San Jose, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
The newly elected president of California state government’s largest public employee union is trying to block a potential $1 million contribution from his union to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign, via Lara Korte.
Californians bought about 920,000 handguns from March 2020 through April 2021, a 66% increase from the previous 14 months, according to estimates from thetrace.org, a nonprofit journalism organization, via Phillip Reese.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Motor Vehicles was forced to close its doors and shift to a primarily digital approach. Now, the director of the DMV says the department is looking to make some of those changes permanent in a bid to become “more modern and agile,” via Andrew Sheeler.