Newsom touts California abortion rights to filmmakers + Lawmaker monkeypox committee
Good morning, and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
NEWSOM AD ENCOURAGES CALIFORNIA FILMMAKING IN ‘FREEDOM STATE’
Gov. Gavin Newsom is back with another campaign ad — this time pushing filmmakers to stay in California to support abortion rights and take advantage of tax incentives.
Newsom’s gubernatorial campaign released the ad on Wednesday, when it ran in Variety magazine. It called California “the best place in America to create” and disparages Georgia and Oklahoma, where filmmakers have flocked in recent years to take advantage of tax breaks and lower production costs.
“Over the past several years, the legislatures of states like Georgia and Oklahoma have waged a cruel assault on essential rights,” the ad said. “Now, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s abhorrent decision overturning Roe v. Wade, those same states are quickly moving to strip reproductive freedom.”
The ad said California is a “freedom state,” and film productions “have a responsibility to take stock of your values — and those of your employees — when doing business in those states.”
Newsom also endorsed Senate Bill 485, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, which adds $1.65 billion to California’s Television Tax Credit Program to extend it through 2030.
The Variety ad is the third one Newsom’s campaign has placed to highlight California policies and contrast them with those of other states.
During the Fourth of July weekend, Newsom ran a television spot in Florida attacking the state’s Republican leaders for their policies on abortion, book-banning and ballot access.
Later in July, Newsom placed newspaper ads in Texas touting a piece of California gun control legislation.
STATE SENATE CREATES MONKEYPOX SELECT COMMITTEE
California lawmakers have created a select committee to identify strategies for fighting the monkeypox outbreak and protecting the LGBTQ community.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, announced on Wednesday evening that Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, had appointed him chair of the new Senate Select Committee on Monkeypox.
“Monkeypox is a public health emergency, and we need to do everything we can to contain the outbreak,” Wiener said in a statement. “Monkeypox is a painful and serious infection, and no one should have to endure it. We need to ensure California’s response, at both the state and local level, is effective and adequately funded. Our community is depending on us to deliver.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a state of emergency over the monkeypox outbreak as the number of cases statewide continues to grow.
California had reported 1,135 cases as of Tuesday, according to the California Department of Public Health. San Francisco and Los Angeles continue to see the most cases.
Monkeypox causes a rash of blisters and flu-like symptoms, although it’s rarely fatal. Anyone can be infected with monkeypox, but it has primarily affected gay and bisexual men and transgender people in California and the United States.
Wiener and five other committee members will hold an oversight hearing on Tuesday in Sacramento with health officials and experts.
CALIFORNIANS FAVOR ABORTION RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Most likely voters in California support an abortion rights state constitutional amendment like the one that will appear on the November ballot, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll.
A blog post released Wednesday reported 73% of likely voters surveyed by PPIC in July favor a constitutional amendment protecting Californians’ reproductive freedom, including the right to abortions and contraceptive access.
The poll showed 89% of Democrats favor the amendment, while just 42% of Republicans support it.
Most Californians also disapprove of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal abortion rights. Sixty-eight percent of all adults and 70% of likely voters are against the decision.
However, the results differed drastically by party. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats disapprove of the Supreme Court decision and 63% of Republicans approve of it.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I have always felt lucky to be here because I feel like it crafted and molded me into a really good person. It just boils down to that… I want to stay because this place made me a good person.”
- Trey Harris of Greenville, California, on helping his Plumas County town rebuild after the 2021 Dixie Fire, via The Sacramento Bee.
Best of the Bee:
- California promised health care for retired state workers. It owes $99 billion for that benefit, via Wes Venteicher.
Wildfires have devastated these California towns. See how they are rebuilding, via Hanh Truong.
Congress could give seniors a break on prescription drug costs. Here’s how the plan works, via David Lightman and Cathie Anderson.
Exclusive: Sacramento’s homeless shelter measure could be pulled from November ballot, via Theresa Clift.
This story was originally published August 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.