Faulconer’s fire plan + Watchdog considers new nonprofit rules + Julie Su goes to Washington

Good morning, welcome to the A.M. Alert.

FIRST UP: Kevin Faulconer introduced his plan for combating wildfires on Tuesday.

The former San Diego mayor proposed four steps for addressing the fires, which burnt a record 4.3 million acres last year and have already burned tens of thousands of acres this year.

First, Faulconer says he would guarantee $1 billion in the state’s wildfire prevention budget every year, and slammed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approach. Newsom added $500 million to the wildfire budget just last week, shortly after CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom reported his administration had cut a similar amount from this year’s budget.

Faulconer said he would also issue a state of emergency for fires, using emergency powers to speed up the clearing of dead trees and vegetation. CapRadio’s investigation found the state cleared only 32,000 acres last year, while experts say California should be doing 1 million acres per year.

“I believe that absolutely has to be our goal — 1 million (acres) per year,” Faulconer said.

He proposed establishing a new California Department of Wildfire Prevention to streamline the state’s response, which is currently spread across multiple agencies.

Instead of the current “lengthy bureaucratic process” for homeowners to get help fire-proofing their homes, Faulconer would allow them to automatically access up to $10,000 in tax credits to remove vegetation and “harden” their homes against fires.

Gathered outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning, Faulconer was joined by Republicans, including State Sen. Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman Frank Bigelow.

The lawmakers praised Faulconer’s plan as one that would make meaningful change and save lives.

“Our current governor has not been throwing money at the fire services,” Bigelow said. “He’s been wasting time and resources.”

Meanwhile, Newsom spent the day down in Los Angeles, touting his $100 billion “California Comeback Plan” and signing a slew of budget bills. SoCal leaders, including City Councilman Kevin de León and Mayor Eric Garcetti applauded Newsom’s leadership throughout the pandemic and pushed back on recall rhetoric.

FPPC TO CONSIDER NEW RULES AROUND NONPROFIT DONATIONS

The California Fair Political Practices Commission will this week consider new rules governing donations from interest groups to nonprofits with connections to state lawmakers.

As CalMatters reported Tuesday, the state watch dog organization will discuss changing the rules to improve transparency around the transactions known as “behested payments” following an investigation by the outlet last year that found the payments are an increasingly common way for politicians to raise and spend money outside the limits of the state’s strict campaign finance laws.

Such donations are common around the Capitol, and raise questions about conflicts of interests between lawmakers’ nonprofit roles and their business in the Legislature.

The Bee’s Hannah Wiley in February revealed how, as Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon rose to power, nonprofits associated with his wife, Annie Lam, received more than $500,000 in donations and event sponsorships from dozens of companies with business before the Legislature.

Sophia Bollag found a similar trend in the donations to First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s organization. The nonprofit Representation Project received more than $800,000 from a dozen corporations that regularly lobby state government on matters affecting their financial bottom lines.

The FPPC on Thursday will discuss transparency measures. A vote will come at a later commission meeting, FPPC communications director Jay Wierenga said.

One would require disclosures in the event the official has a relationship of control over, or is an employee of, a nonprofit organization receiving a payment. Disclosures would also be required for situations where the payer of behested payments is involved in a proceeding before the official’s agency at the time the payment was made.

Another proposed regulation creates a specific process for officials to file “good faith estimates” of payments in the event that the official is unable to obtain the proper info from the payee.

JULIE SU CONFIRMED AS DEPUTY LABOR SECRETARY

Another Californian official is leaving for Washington D.C. after state Labor Secretary Julie Su was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the deputy secretary of the federal Labor Department on Tuesday.

As The Bee’s Jeong Park reports, Su secured confirmation on a 50-47 vote Tuesday afternoon, more than five months since her nomination to the job. No Republican senators voted to confirm Su.

As California labor secretary, Su has spent the last year at the healm of the state’s embattled unemployment agency, which has struggled to respond to an influx of calls as well as billions of dollars in fraudulent claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some business groups also protested Su’s confirmation, citing her support for a new California employment law known as Assembly Bill 5, contending the law has eliminated thousands of jobs in industries such as freelance writing.

Su’s supporters, which include labor groups, say she has spent decades protecting workers from being exploited at their job. Her support for AB 5, which gave protections such as paid sick leave and overtime to many workers in the gig industry, exemplifies her as a champion for those who have traditionally been overlooked.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“I’m mindful about the stresses and challenges that we face as a state, but I’m absolutely confident and enlivened by what this blueprint, what this comeback plan, offers 40 million Californians strong, into the future.”

- Gov. Gavin Newsom, celebrating the signing of the state’s $262 billion budget at a rally in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Best of the Bee:

• How The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office used inmate welfare fund for cameras, fencing — and a Tahoe resort. via Jason Pohl and Mike Finch

• Millions of Californians earning between $30,000 to $75,000 a year can expect to see $600 in their bank accounts this fall under a budget deal signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday. When to expect your check. via Kim Bojórquez

• CalPERS has agreed to pay up to $2.7 billion to settle a lawsuit over big price hikes the retirement system imposed on long-term care policyholders eight years ago, according to a Tuesday announcement. via Wes Venteicher

This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 4:55 AM.