Spanish language ads in Newsom recall + Tom McClintock, marijuana reformer + Bonta pushes PRO Act
.JPG "California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus as a cruise ship that transported at least two infected passengers sailed toward the state on March 4, 2020. He also held up a bottle of hand sanitizer and said he will not allow price-gouging in the state of California.")
Good morning, and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
RECALL LAUNCHES SPANISH RADIO AD
Via Lara Korte...
Rescue California, one of the committees promoting the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom, launched a statewide radio ad on Tuesday to target Hispanic voters.
The 60-second Spanish ad tells listeners that Newsom “failed and now our families are hurting.” The ad mentions rising crime and school closures as a reason to recall the Democratic governor.
“How does he expect us to live when prices for gasoline and food are so high? We cannot forget that Gavin Newsom closed our local schools while sending his own children to an exclusive private school that stayed open,” the ad says. ”If Newsom is not recalled, he can close our schools again and our children will fall even further behind.”
Rescue California consultant Dave Gilliard said Hispanic voters are an “important part” of the recall coalition.
“Our polling from day one has shown Hispanic voters to be very concerned about rising crime, the cost of living, school and business closures and the economy,” Gilliard said in a statement. “They are ready for change and ready to vote Gavin Newsom out of office.”
You can listen to the ad for yourself by visiting here.
TOM MCCLINTOCK, MARIJUANA REFORMER
Rep. Tom McClintock doesn’t approve of marijuana use.
He sees “clear evidence” its use can cause neurological problems in children.
He’s a reliable Republican, conservative vote in Congress.
Yet he’s one of the few congressional Republicans who for years has consistently called for easing federal restrictions on the drug’s use.
“He has the best record on the marijuana issue of any Republican congressman in California,” said Dale Gieringer, California NORML director.
“He’s pretty unique. He’s a pretty conservative Republican and conservative Republicans tend not to be the best friends of cannabis reform,” said John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution and author of “Marijuana: A Short History.”
This year, McClintock, R-Elk Grove, joined with liberal Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland and Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, to sponsor a measure to withhold money to enforce federal laws against marijuana activity that a state has deemed legal. The House could consider the proposal when it returns next month.
We have a lot more tell you McClintock’s long record advocating for reforms to marijuana laws in this report today by our David Lightman.
ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADVOCATE FOR THE PRO ACT
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announce that he is joining a coalition of 16 fellow attorneys general in calling for the passage of the PRO Act in Congress.
The PRO Act would strengthen the National Labor Relations Act and be a shot in the arm for unions nationwide.
“When we fight for the right to organize, we’re fighting for fair wages, safe working conditions, equitable benefits, and the wellbeing of our people,” Bonta said in a statement. “As a son of the farmworkers’ movement, I’ve seen firsthand the fruits of the labor of my parents and so many others like them who fought to give working families a chance. It’s because of them that I have the opportunity to serve as California’s attorney general. That’s the power of unions. It’s not just about ensuring people can get a living wage, it’s about opening doors for our children and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Respectfully, I urge the Senate to take action now and pass the PRO Act. Strong unions make for a strong America.”
Bonta joins the attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.
Bonta’s office said in a statement that the drop in union membership nationwide coincides with a rise in economic inequality.
The bill has already passed in the U.S. House, but it faces an uphill battle in passing through the Senate, where Republicans deploy the filibuster as a means of blocking legislation.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“There is a real possibility of Democrats losing their two most powerful state governors this year. Absolutely wild.”
- Sacramento Bee reporter Lara Korte, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
An obscure farm-irrigation agency in the San Joaquin Valley, the Panoche Water District has been struggling with a monumental scandal the past three years, with top officials under criminal indictment for embezzling public funds and illegally dumping toxic waste. It turns out the district has also been allegedly taking water from the federal government, via Dale Kasler.
Has the delta variant ended our shot at COVID herd immunity in California and Sacramento? Via Mila Jasper.
A college professor suspected in a series of arson fires in remote forested areas of Northern California near the massive Dixie Fire has been charged in connection with one of the blazes in Lassen County and was ordered held Tuesday in the Sacramento County Main Jail, via Sam Stanton.