New Gavin Newsom campaign ad + Several ‘job killers’ stall + Prop 19 repeal effort stumbles

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

NEWSOM LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AD VIA TWITTER

California Gov. Gavin Newsom may have strong political tailwinds heading into the June primary election, but just in case voters need a refresher on the kind of governor he is, he’s released a campaign ad reminding them.

“Over the last few years, our redwood forests have suffered some of the worst fires we’ve ever seen. But our great trees are still standing tall. You see California redwoods don’t just survive, they thrive through adversity,” Newsom says in the ad’s opening.

Unsurprisingly, Gov. Newsom uses the redwoods as a metaphor for Californians themselves.

“I say that’s the California way. In recent years, our people have also faced some of our toughest challenges. And I’ve been inspired by the courage and resilience of Californians; health workers, teachers, parents and kids, you came together. And now you’re coming back stronger than ever,” Newsom says in the ad.

Newsom goes on to promise that no matter what adversity the state faces, “I will always lead the California way.”

“Based on compassion, common sense, telling the truth, following science, treasuring our diversity, defending our democracy, protecting our planet and always planting seeds for the future,” the governor concludes.

Unsurprisingly, the campaign ad drew criticism from the right.

Hallie Balch, California communications director for the Republican National Committee, summarized the ad thusly: “This is the way: Rising crime, soaring costs, climbing gas prices, unattainable housing, ongoing homelessness and mental health crises, and a continuing drought ravaging the state, but it’s unlikely that you’ll hear Gavin Newsom take credit for the damage he’s done.”

Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, who unsuccessfully ran against Newsom in the 2021 California recall election and who has prided himself on being a political thorn in the governor’s side, offered his own observation about the ad, in a tweet.

“I actually like the Newsom campaign ad. It really captures the Nero-fiddling-while-Rome-burns vibe of his governorship.”

CALCHAMBER ANNOUNCES ‘JOB KILLER’ UPDATE

Did a slot on the California Chamber of Commerce’s dreaded “Job Killer” list result in several bills stalling in the Legislature?

That’s what CalChamber is going with, as it announced that five bills won’t be proceeding (at least as originally written) this year.

One of the most eye-catching bills on the list, AB 2932, by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, would have required employers to pay overtime for anything more than 32 hours week. It made Jimmy Kimmel. The bill stalled in committee.

As did AB 2764, by Assembyman Adrin Nazarian, D-North Hollywood. You may recall that as the ban on new factory farms. The one prompted a protester to glue her hand to a tablec.

Then there was AB 1651, by Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, which would require employers to notify workers when the employer intends to use technology to collect their data, monitor their movements or make key employment-related decisions, according to Kalra’s office.

As CalChamber described it, the bill “imposes overbroad, unworkable mandates on employers of all sizes, including public entities and tribal communities, that would reduce worker privacy, chill the development of new technologies, and wipe out small businesses for even a good faith mistake due to its excessively punitive enforcement mechanisms.”

Kalra withdrew the bill last week, saying in a statement, “As conversations continued with our sponsors, stakeholders, and Assembly Privacy & Consumer Protection Committee, it became evident that this complex issue requires more time for further engagement. While I am disappointed the bill will not move forward tomorrow, I remain committed on working to ensure we provide protections for workers whose work is regulated and measured by technology every day.”

Another bill that appears to have stalled is AB 1771, by Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego. That bill would impose a tax of 25% on the profits from a home that is resold within three years of purchase, with the tax rate reduced on a sliding scale for seven years thereafter. While that bill does not have a hearing coming up, “it may be brought up at any time as tax increases are not subject to the normal legislative deadlines,” according to CalChamber.

Finally, SB 1301, by Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, was gutted and amended.

“Before it was amended, SB 1301 would have arbitrarily raised taxes on companies that invest in fossil fuel businesses based upon the financing amount,” according to CalChamber.

PROP 19 REPEAL VOTE WON’T HAPPEN THIS NOVEMBER

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which has been behind an effort to repeal Proposition 19 on the November ballot, announced that signature-gathering efforts fell short of collecting enough to make it.

According to a statement from the organization, more than 13,000 volunteers collected more than 402,000 signatures, but that was far short of the 997,139 by May 3 needed to get on the ballot.

Opponents of the initiative wanted to continue to allow tax assessments on inherited homes to be transferred to children or grandchildren.

Coupal said that his organization is considering its next steps. Still, HJTA President Jon Coupal praised the effort in a statement, saying, “This is a remarkable grassroots effort. It has been growing by leaps and bounds, but we just ran out of calendar before we got there.”

“We have found that many people are still unaware of the nasty tax hike that is now imposed on families who have just lost a parent,” Coupal said. “As more and more Californians learned about the change to the law, our phones rang off the hook and our volunteer sign-ups increased exponentially.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you run for office, rule #1: stop hating on housing policy. If you can’t lead in this moment of crisis and/or offer bold solutions to house people in every zip code in CA, then what are you doing? Housing is a human right!”

- Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, via Twitter.

Best of The Bee:

• California lost 117,552 residents last year, according to a new report from the California Department of Finance. As of Jan. 1 of this year, the state population was estimated at 39,185,605. The population loss marks a 0.3% decline, down from the 0.59% decline over the nine-month period between the April 2020 Census date and the year’s end, via Andrew Sheeler.

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that, beginning May 1, the state’s low-income health insurance would extend full coverage to all qualifying people who are 50 or older, regardless of immigration status. The Medi-Cal expansion is expected to provide full coverage to more than 185,000 Californians, according to Newsom’s office, via Andrew Sheeler.