Housing bills head to Newsom + McCarty backs Dave Jones for Senate + Election day in AD18

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

DON’T MISS: In addition to a new spot from Bernie Sanders, Gavin Newsom’s recall defense team on Monday released a new explainer advertisement warning voters that California is about to fall into the clutches of an anti-vax Republican.

The ad warns Californians that voting yes on the Sept. 14 recall “elects an anti-vaccine Trump Republican,” and shows an illustration of a red “cancel” symbol over the vaccine. The ad goes on to say that if Californians don’t vote, “we could have an anti-vax Republican governor of California.”

The ad plays off familiar messaging we’ve seen throughout the recall campaign. But is it accurate to say the Republicans leading the candidate field are “anti-vax?”

We decided to take a closer look at leading candidates’ views on vaccine requirements. Read this report by Lara Korte to see where they stand.

COMING TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU

California’s single-family neighborhoods could soon get a makeover.

Sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk are two bills that, if approved, would represent the most substantial housing production laws signed in California since 2017.

Senate Bill 9 would let homeowners build a duplex on their single-family lot or split the parcel into two to construct a total of four units. Senate Bill 10 gives cities the chance to plan for up to 10 units on a lot in transit- and jobs-rich areas traditionally reserved for single-family homes.

Both proposals overcame NIMBYism, pushback from local governments and opposition from affordable housing and community groups that, for different reasons, spent the bulk of this year fighting against their passage.

They also hand a group of Senate Democrats victory over a years long battle within their own caucus over how California should get more units online.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democrat who wrote SB 9 and led the charge for reforms, said the proposal will help California families achieve their homeownership goals, something her family always considered “a far off fantasy.”

Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, also celebrated SB 10 heading to the governor. Two years ago, Wiener’s rezoning measure Senate Bill 50 went up in flames in Senate Appropriations, an event that laid the groundwork for his writing of SB 10.

“California needs more options to address our severe housing shortage, and SB 10 is a powerful tool for cities to be part of the solution,” Wiener said.

Newsom has until Oct. 10 to sign the bills.

MCCARTY BACKING DAVE JONES

Put another high-profile endorser in Dave Jones’ column.

The Senate District 6 candidate, former Assembly member, city councilman and state insurance commissioner announced today that Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, has his back.

“No one is better prepared to fight for the Sacramento region in the State Senate than Dave Jones,” McCarty said in a statement. “Dave has decades of experience fighting for our diverse communities. He has delivered progressive results — from affordable housing, access to health care and education, environmental protection, justice for consumers, and equity in public policy.”

The race to fill current state Sen. Richard Pan’s seat in 2022 was never going to be boring, and Tuesday’s announcement proves why.

The race was already highlighting political alliances in the capital city, with Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby earning Pan’s choice as his successor and endorsements from other regional electeds.

The two candidates are basically fundraising against each other, though it’s worth mentioning other well-known names like Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra and South Sacramento pastor Dr. Tecoy Porter are vying for the spot, too.

McCarty said that Jones’ political tenure proves the candidate has an unwavering “commitment to help the most vulnerable Californians.”

“I am proud to support his campaign, and I look forward to serving alongside him,” McCarty said.

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 18 SPECIAL ELECTION

The recall election deadline may still be just over two weeks away, but today marks the deadline to get your ballots in in Alameda County’s Assembly District 18 race.

That seat was vacated when its occupant, Rob Bonta, was appointed by Gov. Newsom to replace Xavier Becerra as California’s next attorney general.

There are two Democrats vying for the Assembly seat.

Mia Bonta, wife of Rob Bonta, is the board president of the Alameda Unified School District School Board and serves as CEO of Oakland-based nonprofit Oakland Promise.

Janani Ramachandran is a self-described social justice attorney with a history of taking “Oakland’s most notoriously corrupt landlords,” according to her campaign website. She currently serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

When it comes to campaign finance, Bonta’s campaign is the heavyweight in this match-up. She has raised, and spent, more than $1 million, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. By comparison, Ramachandran has raised a little over $306,000 and spent around $243,000.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I would terminate the State of Emergency and there’s nothing the Legislature could do about it. That is the most consequential action a new Governor could take.”

- Assemblyman and recall candidate Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, with a campaign promise via Twitter.

Best of the Bee:

• California Democrats drop plan to require COVID vaccines to work, go to most public places, via Hannah Wiley

• Californians are in the midst of deciding whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom and cut short his four-year term. Here’s what you need to know about filling out your mail-in ballot, via Kim Bojórquez.

• Some advocates say the state should go further by expanding its vaccine mandates in targeted ways to cover more workers, from caregivers to child care providers and transit workers, many of whom regularly work in close proximity to others, via Jeong Park.