GOP names unexpected target for 2022 + ACLU rates lawmakers + Volunteers as mandatory reporters

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! As always, thanks for reading.

A SURPRISING 2022 TARGET FOR GOP

Fresh of an election in which the GOP flipped four California congressional districts, the national fundraising arm of House Republicans today is announcing that it wants to compete for four more seats held by Golden State Democrats.

The National Republican Congressional Committee plans to target Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, Josh Harder, D-Turlock, Katie Porter, D-Irvine, and Mike Levin, D-Vista in the 2022 midterm election.

Republicans are likely to have the advantage in 2022 House races, according to historical trends.

Typically a new president party’s loses House seats in the next election. Currently, Democrats hold 222 seats in the House to Republicans’ 212 seats — a thin majority.

Harder, Porter and Levin represent three out of seven congressional seats that have been constant political battlegrounds since the 2016 election. All three of those members of Congress won their seats in 2018, ousting Republicans.

The other four California battlegrounds were won by Republicans in 2020, and are likely to be targets for Democrats. Those include Reps. David Valadao, R-Hanford, Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, Young Kim, R-Fullerton, and Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach.

The new name on the list is Garamendi, whose district is not usually considered highly competitive.

Garamendi won his election by nine points over Republican Tamika Hamilton in 2020, when his was rated “solid Democratic” by nonpartisan race watchers like the Cook Political Report.

Garamendi, a former California lieutenant governor, won his House seat by 17 points in 2018 and 19 points in 2016. Biden won the district by 12 points in 2020.

He was first elected to the House in a special election for another seat in 2009, won re-election to that seat in 2010, and then won the third congressional district seat in 2012 after redistricting.

ACLU CALIFORNIA RATES LEGISLATORS

The ACLU of California has released its 2020 legislative score card — and 14 lawmakers received a perfect score from the civil liberties advocacy organization.

They include Sens. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena; Maria Elenda Durazo, D-Los Angeles; Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach; Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys; Connie Leyva, D-Chino; Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles; Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley; and Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, as well as Assemblymembers Rob Bonta, D-Alameda; Ash Kalra, D-San Jose; Sydney Kamlager, D-Los Angeles; Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley; Shirley Weber (now Secretary of State), D-San Diego; and Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland.

Three lawmakers — Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Red Bluff; Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City; and Jim Patterson, R-Fresno — received a 0% overall score from the ACLU.

The legislative scorecard looked at lawmakers’ performance in nine different categories — overall, criminal justice, economic justice, education equity, immigrant rights, LGBTQI issues, reproductive justice, privacy and technology and voting rights.

“As the Legislature begins to debate new policy and budget proposals for the 2021-2022 session, it is important that Californians know where their legislators stand on the key issues that matter to voters,” said Kevin Baker, director of legislative affairs for the ACLU of California, in a statement. “There is a wide range of viewpoints across political parties, and there are big differences between our civil liberties champions and other lawmakers. The public health crisis and economic challenges of the past year have heightened the disparities and tensions the Legislature must respond to. We need leaders who will continue to fight for racial justice and economic equity, and protect the civil rights and liberties of all Californians.”

You can view the scorecard for yourself, and see how your lawmaker rated, by visiting here.

MAKING YOUTH VOLUNTEERS MANDATORY REPORTERS

Volunteers at youth organizations who work more than 16 hours in a month, or 32 hours in a year, would become mandatory reporters, under a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego.

A mandatory reporter is legally required to notify law enforcement and social services of any actual or suspected child abuse or neglect.

Gonzalez’s bill, AB 506, also would require that youth-serving nonprofits — such as the Boy Scouts of America — establish policies to prevent child abuse, including protocols for reporting suspected incidents, in order to receive insurance.

“We’ve heard horrific stories of abuses against children that went unreported for decades,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “It’s not enough to hold abusers accountable after the fact. Parents should have the peace of mind that the adults who are entrusted to care for and provide a safe environment for our children are qualified and trained to catch incidents of abuse early on.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“In addition to sharing a commitment to a range of issues with @GavinNewsom from addressing the climate crisis to getting the pandemic under control, @POTUS clearly opposes any effort to recall @GavinNewsom.”

- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, via Twitter.

Best of the Bee:

• A California Democrat this week introduced legislation to penalize anyone found guilty of “stealthing,” or the sexual act of removing or damaging a condom without a partner’s consent, via Hannah Wiley.

• The California High-Speed Rail Authority is asking Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators to release about $4.1 billion in state bond funds to ensure that there is enough money to complete construction that’s now underway on the bullet-train route in Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties, via Tim Sheehan.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature are getting close to a deal on reopening elementary schools and hope to announce a final plan this week, the governor said Tuesday morning, via Lara Korte and Sophia Bollag.