Meet CA’s first Latino U.S. Senator + Another bad day for McCarthy + Newsom declares emergency
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
MEET CALIFORNIA’S FIRST LATINO U.S. SENATOR
Throughout his upbringing in blue-collar Pacoima, Los Angeles, Sen. Alex Padilla recalled his father would say to him in Spanish, “Son, when you grow up, I want you to work with your mind and not with your back.” The family valued manual labor, he said, but they knew pursuing higher education would better himself and others.
Taking his father’s advice, his engineering degree from MIT has been put to good use. It informs his legislative method: identify the problem, configure the solution, apply it. Every problem has a solution; work to fix it before complaining about it.
It’s an approach that’s served the ambitious politician well in his years in California politics. When Padilla was on the Los Angeles City Council in the early 2000s, his desire to become a senator was the “worst kept secret in town.”
“Everybody knew it,” said Mike Madrid, a GOP political consultant and expert in Latino voting trends.
“Everybody knew that he would get there someday.”
LEGISLATURE IS BACK, BACK AGAIN
Via Lindsey Holden...
California lawmakers on Wednesday returned to Sacramento to resume the legislative session that officially started on Dec. 5.
Members of the Assembly and Senate departed for a winter recess following swearings-in and organizational business, making January the true first month of work.
Although both chambers held floor sessions, lawmakers didn’t get into the nitty gritty of any bills just yet. The Assembly and Senate both gaveled in, gathered members briefly and then adjourned.
Several representatives were joined by family members. On the Assembly side, new Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita, acknowledged her young daughter, who is getting a taste of the Capitol while waiting to start her school term.
Assemblyman Greg Wallis, R-Palm Springs — who had not yet officially won his nail-biter of a race when the Legislature convened in December — made his Sacramento debut and commended his wife for her support.
Lawmakers already have a busy session coming up. Members have already introduced bills to reform California’s concealed carry permitting system, decriminalize psychedelic drugs, allow legislative staff to unionize and more.
In addition to their regular business, legislators will also meet in special session at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request to consider his proposal to enact a gas price gouging penalty on oil companies.
WILL KEVIN MCCARTHY’S PROBLEMS HURT CALIFORNIA?
California’s massive congressional clout had already been diminished when Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped down and Democrats lost control of the House. Now comes a fresh, largely unexpected new punch: the weakened position of Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, is struggling to win the speakership. His so-far unsuccessful bid bled into a second day of balloting, the first time in 100 years that it’s taken more than one vote to choose a speaker.
Even if McCarthy prevails, doubts about just how much power he has will remain, as a determined bloc of 20 ultra-conservatives have made it clear they don’t want — or even like — him.
“What they’re after…is Kevin,” said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, a McCarthy supporter.
NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning in response to a powerful atmospheric river storm that was expected to intensify later in the day and is forecast to pound Northern California with heavy rain, snow and extremely gusty winds.
“This proclamation will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support locals in their ongoing response,” the governor’s office wrote in a tweet just after 11 a.m.
“We anticipate that this may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years,” said Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, on Wednesday.
“If the storm materializes as we anticipate, we could see widespread flooding, mudslides and power outages in many communities.”
Ward said the declaration is a statewide emergency. The state’s operations center has been activated to coordinate response.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If Dems took a shot every time McCarthy lost a Republican, we’d all be unconscious by now.”
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, via Twitter
Best of The Bee:
Barely four days after getting struck by a powerful atmospheric river, a major winter storm carrying heavy rain, strong wind and Sierra snow is striking Northern California and the Sacramento region. Here’s the latest as the storm develops, via Ryan Lillis, Michael McGough, Benjy Egel, Ariane Lange,
If, having given blood so many times before, McCarthy can’t think of anything else to give away to the Freedom Caucus, then what? He’d give them a kidney if he could, but what does he still have that they want? And will they still jump because Trump says so? via Melinda Henneberger.
Hours before a major rain and wind storm, the city of Sacramento towed at least five vehicles that were being used by homeless people as emergency shelter. “We don’t know where to go,” said Joe Hill, whose trailer was towed. “I guess we’re gonna find tarps and tents. I heard there’s three more days of rain,” via Theresa Clift.