Rendon’s still in + Abortion coalition touts success + FPPC investigates Ricardo Lara
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
THE PALACE COUP THAT WASN’T
Lindsey Holden contributed to this report.
After six hours of deliberation, Assembly Democrats adjourned and went home Tuesday with Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, still the speaker.
The Assembly session began simply enough, but soon became a battle between the camps of Rendon and Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, who on Friday announced that he had the votes needed to oust Rendon, who is term-limited in 2024.
The Assembly ultimately voted to recess and Democrats to go into caucus.
It’s unclear what happened behind closed doors. But Tuesday evening, instead of a regime change, Rivas and Rendon released a joint statement, doing their best to showcase unity.
“I applaud Robert Rivas for securing the support of a majority of the current Democratic Caucus to succeed me as Speaker of the Assembly,” Rendon said in the statement. “Assemblymember Rivas has brought together a broad and diverse coalition that reflects the high esteem in which he is held by our colleagues.”
Rivas said, “Anthony Rendon is serving us well as Speaker and we have a lot of important business in front of us. I agree with the majority of our current caucus that Speaker Rendon should remain as Speaker for at least the rest of this legislative session. I look forward to working with him for the betterment of California and the unity of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.”
The assemblyman emphasized his desire for a “thoughtful transition” between speakers during a press conference following the caucus and Assembly session.
Rivas said Tuesday’s events were “certainly the first step.”
“This is the time for us to plan for the future,” Rivas said. “We know that we are we are going to get a large number of new legislators, and there’s going to be a large class come in, and I’m excited to work with them.”
Following the caucus and session, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, said there were lots of opinions within the Democratic caucus, including members who continued to support Rendon.
A new Assembly will get to vote for speaker later in the year, following the November general election that will bring in a fresh class of members. Rivas will be at the top of the pack among those vying for the role, McCarty said.
“He has a big lead over anyone else who wants to be speaker,” he said.
ABORTION RIGHTS COALITION TOUTS SUCCESS OF LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
Last Friday was the House of Origin deadline for bills, meaning that a bill must pass out of either the Assembly or the Senate, depending on where it started, or else it’s dead for the year.
The California Future of Abortion Council is taking a victory lap because all 13 bills in its legislative package succeeded in passing out of their respective houses Friday.
“Reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations across California are working hard as we anticipate the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to ensure people, regardless of their home state, will be able to access abortion services here in California,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
Among the bills in the package are AB 2223, by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, which would shield pregnant people from criminal investigations if they have a miscarriage; SB 1142, by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, which creates an “Abortion Support Fund” to help organizations assist patients with overcoming barriers to abortion in the state; and AB 2091, by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, which would shield California abortion medical records from law enforcement and out-of-state third-party inquiries.
FPPC INVESTIGATES RICARDO LARA
California’s election watchdog is investigating Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and four political committees: Ricardo Lara for Insurance Commissioner 2022, LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund, Equality California Political Action Committee and Californians Supporting Ricardo Lara for Insurance Commissioner 2022.
This investigation first was reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission has not confirmed the nature of the investigation. It was initiated at the request of Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber, who wrote in a letter to the FPPC that, “Lara and his coordinated IE committees are violating one of the most serious provisions of the Political Reform Act (‘Act’) by laundering campaign funds without disclosing the true source of the contributors.”
Lara, a Democrat, is locked in a heated campaign for reelection. His most outspoken opponent is Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-Marin County.
Levine’s campaign released a statement following news of the FPPC investigation:
“Sadly, there seems to be no end to Ricardo Lara’s scandals, and today we learn of a new one. Ricardo Lara has been under a cloud of corruption since almost his first day in office for directly accepting insurance money and then doing the bidding of his insurance donors.”
Robin Swanson, spokeswoman for the Lara campaign, said: “If anyone should be investigated, it’s Marc Levine, the candidate who put a dark money lobbyist on state payroll, and who has actually been fined twice by the FPPC for misleading voters.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I had no idea that Twinkies or that deep fried ice cream would be of such interest to everyone in caucus.”
- Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, with a quip during Monday’s intense back-and-forth speakership fight.
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