California senator won her Central Valley election by 13 votes. Now she might run for Congress

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WILL HURTADO SPOIL A SALAS CONGRESSIONAL COMEBACK?

Via Juan Esparza Loera

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado — who squeaked out a 13-vote win in her re-election last year — is “taking a serious look” at challenging Republican incumbent David Valadao in the 22nd Congressional District.

The Bakersfield Democrat’s potential run was first reported by the San Joaquin Valley Sun on Sunday and picked up by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Should Hurtado get into the race, she would also challenge former Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat who lost to Valadao by 3 percentage points last year in a district that favors Democrats by 17 points.

Salas announced a rematch against Valadao, the five-term Republican whose only political setback was in 2018 against former Democratic Rep. TJ Cox.

The district is one that Democrats hope to flip in an effort to retake the House. It covers Kings County and parts of Kern and Tulare counties and is heavily Latino. President Joe Biden carried the district by 13 points.

Read more in the Fresno Bee.

D.C. LOOKS TO CALIFORNIA FOR WORKER HEAT PROTECTIONS

Via Gillian Brassil

More than 100 federal lawmakers called on Biden’s administration on Monday to create a federal standard for addressing heat stress in the workplace as global temperatures rise.

Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla and 20 California House members, including Reps. Ami Bera and Doris Matsui, signed a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor asking them to swiftly implement a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule on dealing with extreme heat.

“Protection from extreme heat is a matter of life and death for many workers and their families across the United States,” the lawmakers wrote.

The legislators suggested rules in California and a few other states become a baseline for high heat standards. When temperatures exceed 80 degrees in California, employers must allow workers to take a break in a shaded area any time they feel at risk of overheating.

California has been used as a progressive model in the past for climate-related policies. The Biden administration looked to the state’s rules on vehicle emissions when developing federal limits. The president has tapped many Californians for key positions, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

On Monday, lawmakers asking for a heat standard also asked the administration to incorporate a California senator’s legislation.

Padilla, along with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, introduced a bill for an OSHA heat standard, titled the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatalities Prevention Act. The measure asks for:

• Adequate hydration

• Rest breaks

• Shaded areas for breaks in outdoor workplaces or air-conditioned indoor places

• Medical services and training to address signs and symptoms of heat-related illness

• A plan for acclimating to high-heat work conditions

OSHA, an agency within the Labor Department, has taken steps toward developing a heat standard during the past couple of years. But not fast enough, legislators contended, writing that rising global temperatures require the federal government to take “immediate action if we are to accomplish our shared goals of saving lives and prioritizing worker safety and dignity.”

This summer had the hottest June ever recorded, many scientific organizations concurred. The hottest week ever came in July. And the heat isn’t relenting anytime soon.

More than 700 people die from heat-related issues in the U.S. per year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Heat waves are associated with increased deaths from heart attacks and respiratory illnesses, as well as more hospitalizations for cardiovascular, kidney and respiratory issues.

“As you know, many workers whose jobs require prolonged exposure to extreme heat are not afforded paid time off or sick days,” lawmakers wrote. “Thus, any health complications caused by heat exposure can lead to missed work, missed wages, and financial instability for families.”

LEE GETS SENATE NOD FROM WORKING FAMILIES PARTY

Via Maggie Angst

Rep. Barbara Lee got a Senate campaign boost on Monday with an endorsement from Working Families Party California.

Party California director Jane Kim said it was a “tough decision” choosing between two “two incredible women leaders and progressive champions,” speaking of Lee and Rep. Katie Porter, who also sought the endorsement.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, did not participate in the organization’s endorsement process, which consisted of candidate questionnaires and a live-streamed forum.

Lee, Porter and Schiff are locked in a hotly-contested race to replace longtime California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who will not seek re-election in 2024. Two candidates will advance from the March primary to compete for the seat during the November general election.

The Working Families Party is a progressive group that “fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful,” according to the organization’s website. The Party is a staunch supporter of policies such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

In addition to the endorsement, Kim said the Party will be organizing a tour to introduce Lee to their member affiliates and undecided voters across California with the hopes that she’ll secure a general election spot.

Lee on Monday thanked the Party for “trusting me to realize our mission for social, racial, economic, and climate justice in the Senate.”

“I look forward to working closely to pass legislation that lifts people out of poverty and rebuilds the middle class,” Lee said in a Twitter post.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I, for one, think it’s great that Elon made Twitter non-binary.”

- Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, via Twitter. Twitter owner Elon Musk on Monday officially renamed the social media platform ‘X.’

Best of the Bee:

• California lawmakers want to borrow billions in 2024. Here’s how they plan to spend it, via Maggie Angst.

• These 10 California elections might decide partisan control of U.S. House in 2024, via Gillian Brassil.

• California Democrat opposed stronger fentanyl penalties. Now he wants $5B to fight overdoses, via Lindsey Holden.

• The Fed could raise interest rates this week as inflation persists. Is the end in sight? via David Lightman.