New LEGISLATIVE SESSION -- DCCC POLL: DENHAM-HARDER toss-up? -- Where are JOHN COX’s tax returns? -- Women In Power PAC donates to GARCIA, under investigation for groping Presented by Facebook

By Carla Marinucci ([email protected]) and Jeremy B. White ([email protected]) with Maya Parthasarathy ([email protected])

THE BUZZ: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN THE NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION, via POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: Legislators are returning today after a month long hiatus to Sacramento, where the temperature is climbing to triple digits and the lawmaking action is heating up as we enter the frenetic final month of the 2017-2018 session. Here are five of the banner bills we’re watching:


-- WILDFIRE LIABILITY: With much of California ablaze, an effort to change when utilities are financially liable for fire damages has all the makings of a special interest brawl. Utility companies warn mounting costs could push them into bankruptcy, which is a prospect that spooks electrical workers’ unions and environmentalists who are counting on utilities to spearhead ambitious renewable energy goals; local governments, ratepayer advocates and insurance companies are warning this will amount to a utility bailout.

-- GRID REGIONALIZATION: Gov. Jerry Brown has been pushing to create a regional power system that joins California to other Western states. Proponents argue it would make the system more reliable and help California meet its renewable energy targets; opponents warn power from dirty sources like coal and natural gas could flow back into California.

-- NET NEUTRALITY: After the Federal Communications Commission nixed Obama-era prohibitions on internet service providers treating traffic differently, California was one of a few states to pursue its own net neutrality rules. The effort seemed to stall during a tense June hearing but was soon revived ; politically powerful telecommunications companies like AT&T will fight this one tooth and nail.

-- LEADERSHIP MONEY: This gut-and-amend would let legislative leaders create fundraising committees with higher limits than their campaign accounts. Party activists and good-government groups are wary.

-- COP KILLINGS: The citizens of Sacramento reacted to the shooting death of Stephon Clark with weeks of protest. One response: a bill that would make it easier to prosecute police officers by altering when the use of deadly force is justified. Social justice groups and law enforcement groups will both weigh in here.

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- STEYER’S NEW CAMPAIGN HOLDS MESSAGE TO STATE LAWMAKERS -- With the kickoff of the legislative session today -- NextGen California, the advocacy group founded by Democratic activist Tom Steyer, launches a $360,000 statewide campaign of digital ads, billboards as well as grassroots organizing. The aim: to urge legislators to support bills that would “protect net neutrality, transition to 100 percent clean energy, reform the money bail system, outlaw new offshore drilling, and ensure all Californians have access to clean drinking water.”

-- The campaign starting Monday will “target Californians living in high-density areas and progressives across the state,’’ with billboards going up in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento. Statement from Steyer: ““We have a responsibility to stand up and show Trump and the Republican Party that they do not represent our values... and our leaders in Sacramento should show them that California will continue to lead the way.”

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. A super PAC associated with women legislators who've pushed for #MeToo accountability has written a big check to the reelection campaign of state Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, who is still under investigation for sexual harassment. President Donald Trump took off after California environmental policies in a tweet. And Republican John Cox still hasn’t released his taxes.

-- “Where’s Jerry?” Nothing official released.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The last 100 years we have embarked on an absolutely unprecedented experiment: can 40 million people with 32 million vehicles running on fossil fuels find happiness? And that is an open question." -- Gov. Jerry Brown speaking over the weekend at the #CarrFire IC via LA Times Javier Panzar

TWEET OF THE DAY: @realDonaldTrump: “California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!”

-- Baffled response to @POTUS from LeRoy Westerling, a UC Merced professor specializing in wildfire and climatology, via the SFChronicle: “Even if we eliminated all habitat for riparian species and fish, and allowed saltwater intrusion into the delta and set up a sprinkler system over the state -- that wouldn’t compensate for greater moisture loss from climate change.”

It’s Monday-- Got a tip? Feedback? News to share? Let us know. By email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @cmarinucci, @JeremyBWhite and @politicoca.

CA PLAYBOOK EXCLOO -- CALIFORNIA TARGET BOOK exclusive look new TIP SHEET ON NOVEMBER RACES -- Publisher Darry Sragow and Research Director Rob Pyers' key toplines to watch:

-- WHY THE SUPERMAJORITY IS BACK IN FOCUS -- “The resignation of state Sen. Tony Mendoza left Democrats in the legislature short of a supermajority in the upper chamber, and the successful recall of Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman in June ended any chance of gaining it back by the end of the legislative session. ... With political polarization on the rise, the ability to secure or to block a supermajority has taken on added importance for Democrats and Republicans.”

-- THE LOWER HOUSE RUNDOWN: Democrats in the Assembly currently have 55 seats, one more than the 54 required for a supermajority. With two Democrats advancing in the AD76 race to replace incumbent Republican Rocky Chavez, the [state] GOP faces the challenge of flipping three or more seats to block a Democratic supermajority. Check out the data on the most vulnerable seats in the full post,

-- GOP’S BEST BET -- With Republicans facing a challenging Assembly map, the state Senate offers their best opportunity to block a Democratic supermajority in at least one chamber. Democrats are expected to easily win Tony Mendoza's open seat, leaving them one seat short of a supermajority.

-- Watch this: Among the even‐numbered seats up for election in 2018 that are currently occupied by Democratic incumbents, the registration advantage Democrats enjoy over Republicans ranges from a low of 26.19% in SD40 ... to a stratospheric 57.56% in SD30. Facing remote odds at flipping any Democratic seats, the [state] GOP's challenge will be to avoid losing a single seat they currently hold.

-- BUT THEN THERE’S THIS: Democrats appear prepared to go on the offensive against Republican incumbents in the Central Coast AD35 district and the northern L.A. County AD38 district, where both legislators are serving their first terms, along with San Diego County's AD77. Republicans have a registration advantage of less than one percent in all three. See all Pyers’ research here -- including primary standings in state Assembly and Senate races, plus cash on hand for each candidate.

-- THAT’S JUST A PEEK AT THE NEW ANALYSIS from the California Target Book, whose online subscribers are currently getting their hefty print reference edition in the mail. Stay tuned: this week, the POLITICO California Playbook will be previewing Sragow and Pyers’ exclusive looks what’s ahead for the midterms, accompanied by additional data including current financial information on candidate, ballot measure and independent campaigns.

KAMALA WATCH -- TWO FROM POLITICO’S DAVID SIDERS reporting from Netroots Nation conference in New Orleans:

-- “Harris blasts critics of 'identity politics'" -- “Sen. Kamala Harris accused critics of “identity politics” of weaponizing the term to diminish issues of race, gender and sexual orientation, pressing Democrats on Friday to address those issues head on. Story.

-- “Democrats’ 2020 presidential fight gets an early dress rehearsal” -- "In a three-day audition of presidential campaign themes at the annual Netroots Nation conference, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) pledged not to be “shut up” by critics of “identity politics,” while Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) lamented “things that are savagely wrong in this country.” ... And Tom Steyer, “the megadonor environmentalist, carried a message that resonated here — accusing Democratic leaders of lacking the fortitude to support his call for impeaching President Trump.” Story.

THE TRUMP ERA:

-- “Judge orders full restart of DACA program,’’ by POLITICO’s Ted Hesson: More than 700,00 are enrolled nationwide in the DACA program, an estimated 250,000 of them in California. Story.

CALIFORNIA ON FIRE:

-- "Mendocino Complex climbs to fourth largest wildfire on record in California; 68 homes lost,'' by LATimes' Joseph Serna, Jack Doland and Javior Panzier: Story.

-- “Sections of Yosemite National Park closed “indefinitely” due to fire, by SFChronicle's Trisha Thadani: “As a growing wildfire continues to blanket Yosemite Valley with smoke, the valley itself and major sections of the national park will remain closed “indefinitely,” officials said. Story.

-- “White House approves Carr Fire disaster declaration, California governor says,” via CNN: Story.

-- CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE? -- “California's destructive summer brings blunt talk about climate change,’’ by LATimes’ Rong-Gong Lin II and Javier Panzar: “In Death Valley, where daytime highs reached at least 120 degrees on 18 of the last 19 days of the month, about a dozen birds — including a raven, an owl and a brown-headed cowbird — have turned up dead in the last two weeks, the National Park Service said.

“Park rangers have found groups of songbirds and ravens huddled around small puddles and in the shade of a maintenance building, spokeswoman Abby Wines said. Story.

-- “A flat tire started the deadly Carr Fire and days of devastation in California,’’ by CNN’s Faith Karimi and Cheri Mossburg: “But on one road near Redding, California, when a tire failed last month on a trailer and its rim scraped the asphalt, the result was catastrophic for an entire region. The sparks that shot out July 23 from that minor incident, California fire officials said, ignited what is now the sixth-most destructive wildfire in state history.’’ Story.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR:

-- JERRY’S CHECK DOESN’T COMPARE -- “It pays to work for City Hall: Hundreds of SF officials outearn governor,’’ by SFChronicle’s Matier and Ross: “New payroll figures provided by the city controller’s office show that two dozen San Francisco managers earn a base pay of more than $300,000." ... San Francisco Mayor London Breed, “who just months ago drew a $121,448 salary as president of the Board of Supervisors, now earns $335,995 — making her the highest-paid mayor in California. That easily eclipses Gov. Jerry Brown’s $195,806 salary or the $201,680 he’ll be getting starting in December.’’ Story.

-- “These 6 California highways are among the most dangerous in the nation, report says, by Gabby Ferreira, Tribune News: Topping the list: I-5 in LA County: Story.

-- “California Supreme Court: “One justice short, and Gov. Brown won’t say why,’’ by SFChronicle’s Bob Egelko: “The California Supreme Court has been without a seventh justice for more than 11 months, the longest vacancy in its history….In that time, the six justices — three appointed by Brown, the other three by Republican governors — have seen their workloads increase.” Story.

CAMPAIGNS 2018 AND BEYOND:

-- WHERE ARE JOHN COX’s TAX RETURNS? -- After Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom released six years of his tax returns to reporters from around California last May, Republican businessman John Cox promised to release his tax returns before the June primary. The Rancho Santa Fe millionaire never made good on that vow. Instead, on Friday, the candidate released what Newsom campaign spokesman Dan Newman derided as a “lamestrosity of Trumpish ‘transparency.”

-- LATimes reporter Phil Willon, the only reporter invited to look at the documentation, reported Saturday that the GOP businessman gave access to “only the summary pages of his returns, along with forms outlining his tax deductions and interest and dividend income. He withheld tax information for the string of business partnerships that generate most of his income.” Cox campaign strategist Tim Rosales “said the selective release of Cox’s tax returns was done to protect the financial privacy of other investors in those partnerships.

-- FOOTNOTE: CALIFORNIA PLAYBOOK has asked for access to Cox’s promised tax returns. We’ll keep you posted.

-- AND, BY THE WAY: Some Playbook readers have asked why state GOP chair Jim Brulte — and not Cox — will appear in a one-on-one on-stage conversation at POLITICO’s August 16 forum at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles. POLITICO did reach out to Cox to attend the forum, which is part of POLITICO-AARP’s “The Deciders” series. Democrat Gavin Newsom accepted to be in a one-on-one on-stage conversation at the event, where Playbook Plus’ Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, and California Playbook’s Carla Marinucci will all be on hand. Cox declined our invitation to do the same. But you can still come: Doors open at 8:30 a.m. RSVP here.

#METOO, SAY WHAT? -- The members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus have pushed aggressively for more accountability for male legislators and bosses in Sacramento regarding #MeToo issues. But the Women in Power PAC , founded to work with those members, is backing a female legislator who’s been stripped of committee assignments and is still under active investigation for groping and sexual harassment, state campaign finance records show.

-- GARCIA GETS CASH -- The Women in Power PAC made a $4,400 June 14 post-primary contribution to the reelection campaign of state Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens. The contribution came one day after it was announced that the legislature had esumed its investigation into complaints first reported in POLITICO that Garcia groped a young legislative staffer, Daniel Fierro. Garcia was stripped of her committee assignments by state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and ordered to take sensitivity training after it was reported she made homophobic comments about past Assembly Speaker John Perez, who told POLITICO he also admonished Garcia for making anti-Asian comments.

-- The legislative women’s caucus is headed by state Assemblywoman Susan Eggman; SOS recrods show the Eggman for Senate committee also donated $4,400 to Garcia’s campaign for reelection in May, records show.

-- MORE HEADLINES: Garcia, who is running in the heavily Democratic 58th Assembly district against Republican Mike Simpfenderfer, made headlines Friday when her local paper, the Los Cerritos News, reported that Sheriff's deputies were called in to police her recent “State of the State” address to the Artesia Chamber of Commerce.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- POLL: CA-10 TOSS UP? -- Republican Rep. Jeff Denham is now facing a neck-and-neck race with Democratic challenger Josh Harder, according to a new June 27-July 1 poll in California’s 10th Congressional District.

-- The poll of 501 likely voters by the Garin Hart Yang Research Group in California’s 10th Congressional District will be released today from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The findings show a head-to-head matchup between the two candidates is a 48-48 percent tie, with only 4 percent expressing no preference. Harder leads among independent voters by 53-35 percent, and has a robust lead among Hispanic voters (70-26 percent).

MIXTAPE:

-- "Fancy a home on a stone? Wedge of rock in San Francisco sells for US$1 million," via Business Insider: Story.

-- ‘“Oceanside suspends sex education program after parents complain it’s too graphic,” via LATimes: “After parents objected, the district removed references to body parts including “urethra, vagina and anus,” said Oceanside Unified School District Board President Ann Corwin. Story.

-- ALTA MAGAZINE’s look at “THE ADVOCATE” by Gustavo Arellano: California lawyer John Manly “busted pedophile priests. Now he’s representing hundreds of America’s top gymnasts who allege they were sexually abused by their team's doctor.” Story.

-- DANGER: CONFETTI SWEEP -- via Jerry Roberts’ Newsmakers: “Santa Barbara’s Sacramento lawmakers demanded answers and chewed out bureaucrats on Friday, after state tax agents swept down State Street threatening people selling “cascarones” -- Fiesta party favor eggshells filled with confetti -- for a quarter apiece.”

-- “At a time when the Trump Administration is conducting paramilitary ICE raids on Latino and immigrant communities across the nation, the spectacle of California’s state government piling on with a surprise operation to squeeze pennies from the hands of grandmas who collect a couple wrinkled dollar bills by selling egg shells they’ve painstakingly painted all year could be a Saturday Night Live skit – if it wasn’t so callous and cruel.’’ Story.

HOLLYWOODLAND:

-- “USC School of Cinematic Arts suspends Leslie Moonves from board,'' by Variety's Tara Bitran. Story.

-- “Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen: Myths of the Hollywood conservative blacklist,’’ via Vanity Fair: Story.

SILICON VALLEYLAND:

-- "Apple Is Removing Alex Jones And Infowars' Podcasts From iTunes", via BuzzFeed News: The removal follows enforcement actions by platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify and is the largest crackdown on conspiratorial news content by a technology company to date. Story.

BIRTHDAYS: Nitzan Pelman ... Malika Saada Saar, Google’s senior counsel on civil and human rights ... Corey Jacobson, legislative director for Rep. Ted Lieu

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Jenny Mayfield, director of media relations and public affairs at SF-based Nextdoor. How she's celebrating: "In my favorite place, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with my favorite people, my hubby and three kids, preferably on a paddle board on String Lake in Grand Teton National Park." Playbook Plus Q&A

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