After heated testimony, California Democrats proceed with bill to block book bans

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THE BOOK BAN DEBATE COMES TO THE CAPITOL

Via Grace Scullion...

The book ban debate roiling school boards across the country arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday.

The Senate Education Committee discussed AB 1078, a bill that would prohibit school boards from banning books that contain “inclusive and diverse perspectives.”

The measure would require a two-thirds supermajority vote from a school board for removal of a book from a library or curriculum for any other reason. It also includes requirements for audits of library and textbook offerings, with a funding penalty for schools who do not supply enough diverse instructional materials as required by the Department of Education’s content standards. The bill passed the Assembly along party lines in May.

Wednesday’s discussion turned into a de facto school board hearing. Dozens of parents and advocacy groups testified in opposition, with one quoting from a frequently banned book, “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Corey Jackson, D-Riverside, said California school districts have been removing classroom materials “not based on character but because of race, because of someone’s sexuality.”

The discussion of the anti-book ban legislation comes a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom, sent a letter warning that schools attempting bans would be investigated by the Attorney General.

California’s Democratic leadership has cast the state as the anti-Florida or Texas, which have passed laws facilitating book bans and restricting the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. In addition to having diverse curriculum requirements, the state in 2021 became the first to require students to take an ethnic studies course to graduate high school.

ARAMBULA LOSES HIS BUDGET COMMITTEE SEATS

Via Lindsey Holden...

New Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, is kicking off his leadership tenure by rewarding allies and punishing enemies.

On Monday, Rivas began making his first committee and organizational changes as speaker. He announced an Assembly leadership team made up of longtime supporters, with new Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, and Speaker pro Tempore Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, at the helm.

In decidedly quieter fashion, Rivas also removed Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, from the Assembly Budget Committee, the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and the Budget Subcommittee on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation.

He replaced Arambula on the committee and subcommittees with Assemblywoman Akilah Weber, D-San Diego, according to a letter Rivas sent to Assembly Chief Clerk Sue Parker. Weber will now take over Arambula’s previous post as chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

The move smacks of retribution following Arambula’s own, somewhat muted, play for the speakership earlier in the year. In January, Arambula told The Sacramento Bee and other media outlets that he was “considering” making a move for the leadership role.

“The only member who has been able to get 41 individual votes on the floor has been Speaker Rendon,” Arambula told The Bee. “And thus, I believe it’s important for us to find a consensus candidate as we’re working through this upcoming year, where our state will have budget issues to address.”

The public statements were a slap in the face to Rivas, who was in the midst of a tenuous transition period following a contentious leadership fight with outgoing Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood.

The Assembly Democratic Caucus in November agreed Rivas would take over as speaker on June 30. The entire Assembly approved that agreement on the first day of session in December.

No Assembly member ever publicly supported Arambula’s bid, and Rivas’ team and allies worked hard to quash any notion that a speakership coup was afoot.

Barring additional changes, Arambula will continue to serve on the Assembly Health, Higher Education, Human Services and Environmental Safety and Toxic Chemicals committees.

Arambula told The Bee he is “deeply humbled and appreciate that I served on the Budget Committee for seven years, especially in my role as chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.”

“I had the honor of working tirelessly with many advocates, fellow legislators, and members of the public to improve services for so many underserved people — specifically, expanding access to health care to our most vulnerable communities, regardless of immigration status, and to people with disabilities,” Arambula said in a statement.

Reached for comment, Rivas office released a statement saying Weber “brings a much-needed perspective as Chair of the Budget Subcommittee on the Health and Human Services.”

“He appreciates the work of Assemblymember Arambula, and his leadership in expanding Medi-Cal for undocumented Californians. The Speaker looks forward to continuing to work with him,” the statement concluded.

CALIFORNIANS WORRY ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, WOULD SUPPORT A NATIONWIDE ASSAULT RIFLE BAN

On Tuesday, as America celebrated its birthday, Americans experienced six mass shootings, including one in California. There have been more than 350 in America this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Nearly two-thirds of Californians worry about the threat of a mass shooting happening where they live, according to a recent survey from the Public Policy Institute of California.

“The share [of poll respondents] saying they are at least somewhat concerned has risen to levels not seen since September 2019, about two months after a mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival,” the PPIC’s Deja Thomas wrote in a Wednesday blog post.

As is so often the case, whether one is concerned about the threat of mass shootings breaks down along party lines.

Three-quarters of California Democrats share that concern, as do 59% of independents. However, just 46% of Republicans believe mass shootings are a cause for concern.

According to the PPIC, 71% of likely California voters would support a nationwide ban on assault rifles — which frequently are used in mass shootings. That includes 89% of Democrats and 65% of independents, but just 37% of Republicans.

AFTER CENSURE, SCHIFF CAMPAIGN REPORTS BIG FINANCIAL HAUL

Via David Lightman...

Getting censured may have been a good political move for Rep. Adam Schiff.

The California Democrat, seeking the seat of retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein next year, raised $8.1 million in this year’s second quarter, an unusually big haul for this early in a campaign.

Schiff’s campaign now has $29.5 million on hand, as he competes with Rep. Katie Porter, D-Orange County, and Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, for the Democratic nomination. Porter herself has a reputation as a champion fundraiser, and Lee has a strong base of support among progressives.

“In California, you can’t buy a record of progressive accomplishment — you have to earn it. Congressman Schiff, a self-funding tech executive, and other candidates rumored to be getting into this race may be able to spend big, but no amount of money can buy a decades-long record of progressive accomplishment like Barbara Lee’s, and that’s what matters to voters,” Lee’s campaign said in a statement to The Bee.

Porter raised $25.4 million for her 2022 House campaign, the second biggest amount of any House candidate. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, was first. After she announced her Senate candidacy in January, Porter raised $1.38 million in 24 hours.

The Republican-run House voted along party lines to censure Schiff last month for his role in investigations of former President Donald Trump. Censure votes are rare in the House, and Democrats saw the action as partisan pique, yelling “shame” and “disgrace” on the House floor.

Schiff’s campaign would not say how much money was raised during and after the censure debate and vote.

CORRECTION — In yesterday’s AM Alert, we incorrectly stated who the youngest Assembly Majority Leader was. The youngest Assemblymember to hold the position was Assemblyman Ian Calderon.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Talk is cheap. It’s time for us to act. And you can count on us, especially in California, to act.”

- Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, speaking at a press conference denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling regarding affirmative action.

Best of The Bee:

• Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to sign a package of five bills in the coming days that he says will make it easier to build $180 billion worth of clean energy, water, transportation and broadband internet projects across California over the next decade. But what projects would benefit and how quickly they could be completed remains to be seen, via Maggie Angst.

• In 2015, Democratic Elk Grove Assemblyman Jim Cooper voted for Senate Bill 34, which restricted law enforcement from sharing automated license plate reader (ALPR) data with out-of-state authorities. In 2023, now-Sacramento County Sheriff Cooper appears to be doing just that, via Andrew Sheeler.

• AAPI community leaders met new hate crime data with trepidation and caution – though reported anti-Asian hate crimes decreased in 2022, the number was still the second-highest since at least 2001, and anti-Asian rhetoric and violence are still widespread. But they also noted, the drop may be because efforts to thwart anti-Asian action are having a positive effect, via Samson Zhang.

• It had been nearly one month since the state of Florida, under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, chartered two flights that picked up 36 migrants. The migrants — mainly from Venezuela and Columbia— were unaware at the time that they had become political pawns. Each was promised to be flown to a location plentiful with work and housing. Some were told they would be sent to Los Angeles. Instead, all were left in Sacramento. Within days, local groups and religious congregations organized to provide housing, food and clothing. And today, the migrants are enjoying a semblance of normalcy while continuing their search for stable work, via Mathew Miranda.

• CalPERS pensioners David Berry and Bonnie Gayle Ng filed a lawsuit Friday in San Francisco federal court for damages they suffered as a result of a data breach that exposed their names, social security numbers, birth dates and other personally identifiable information, via Cathie Anderson.

• A bill before state lawmakers that supporters say could dramatically alter the economics of California journalism had its beginnings more than 8,000 miles away, via Andrew Sheeler.