Gavin Newsom bragged about EV sales. But there’s more to the story, Republicans say.

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

SENATE R’S SPLASH COLD WATER ON NEWSOM’S EV CLAIMS

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the fact that a quarter of all vehicle sales in the Golden State were for electric vehicles.

That’s important for the governor, who set a standard requiring all vehicles sold in the state to be EVs by 2035 (11 years from now).

“We want to dominate in this space,” Newsom said Tuesday. “We think this is one of the most significant economic opportunities in our lifetime to move forward.”

But not so fast, says the Senate Republican Caucus, which cited reports from the California New Car Dealership Association, the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the Los Angeles Times.

The caucus put out a statement Wednesday adding what they said was additional context to the governor’s statement, such as the fact that EVs make up less than 4% of vehicles currently on the road, that sales are 1.3 million vehicles less than this time last year, that sales may be plateauing, and that overall vehicle sales are down nearly 1%.

“Car sales are down, EV sales are down, and the economy is down, this is not the time for bluster and braggadocio. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and fix California,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, in a statement.

GOP LAWMAKER ASKS ‘SUPER DISRESPECTFUL’ QUESTION OF COLLEAGUE

Via Stephen Hobbs...

It got a little tense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Wednesday when Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, presented a bill that would prohibit California airports from selling aviation gasoline with lead in it starting in 2031.

Commercial airline fuel is unleaded. But leaded gasoline is still used by small piston-engine airplanes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that it can endanger the health of people who live close to airports and the Federal Aviation Administration is working to phase out the fuel by 2030.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, who sits on the committee, said unleaded fuel won’t work in certain aircraft.

“They are going to be forced to leave California, fill their airplanes up and come back,” he said of private pilots.

Patterson said he has flown as a private pilot for decades.

Then, Patterson asked: Why isn’t the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association here?

Menjivar responded: “They’re no longer opposed.”

“What did you do to buy ‘em off?” Patterson said.

“I didn’t,” Menjivar said, “that would be illegal and I think that question is super disrespectful.”

Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and the chair of the committee, interjected and told Patterson: “That is not an appropriate way to talk to a senator here.”

Patterson was allowed to continue and said: “You’re going to close down general aviation” to Menjivar. Later, the senator said she worked for months to try and allay concerns of opponents.

Wicks apologized for Patterson’s comments and the bill advanced.

DONALD TRUMP TRASHES CALIFORNIA. AGAIN.

Via David Lightman...

Watch out, Donald Trump said Wednesday. If Kamala Harris treats the nation like she’s treated California, “We’re going to be living like dogs.”:

Trump has been bashing California for years as a place where crime is rampant, homelessness is out of control and undocumented immigrants freely roam.

On “Fox and Friends” Wednesday, he had a new warning about the Democratic presidential nominee.

“Look at how she’s destroyed San Francisco. She started it out as the D.A. in San Francisco, with policies that was so bad, it’s a crime-ridden place,” he charged.

Harris was the city’s chief prosecutor from 2004 to 2011, when she became state attorney general.

“It went to the greatest city in America, it’s a crime-ridden place right now. It’s not livable. You can’t even live there,” Trump said of San Francisco.

Property and violent crime were down in the first quarter of 2024, city officials reported, compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Trump is undeterred.

“She’s destroyed California. Her and (Gov.) Gavin Newscum (cq) have destroyed — absolutely destroyed California, and what a shame, what a beautiful place it was, but it’s not beautiful anymore,” he said.

“She cannot get away because if she does this to America, every one of us are going to either be leaving or we’re going to be living like — we’re going to be living like dogs. Our whole country, our whole system is going to collapse,” he said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“What nonsense. If these platforms could charge these rates in the marketplace, they wouldn’t hesitate to do it now. Competition from news outlets brings down ad rates. The proposed mitigation fee pays for the damage they have caused in gutting access to independent news.”

- Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, responding to the Chamber of Progress report (which we reported on here) that his bill, SB 1327, would cause advertising rates to rise significantly, via X.

Best of The Bee:

• California agency enforces laws for workers. But 2 of its officials were charged with crimes, via Joe Rubin.

• California universities promised to repatriate Native American ancestors, belongings after state audit. Did it? Via Emma Hall.

• Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg supports a mayoral candidate but hasn’t endorsed them. Why? Via Theresa Clift.

• As California power bills rise, lawmakers express frustrations with state energy goals, via Stephen Hobbs.

• Did Sacramento charter schools misuse public money? Report alleges major violations, via Jennah Pendleton.

• 4.6 million eligible Californians opt out of registering to vote. This plan would change that, via Cathie Anderson and Andrew Sheeler.

This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 4:55 AM.