Newsom nothingburger + Demand for a public apology + Bill to hold oil industry liable

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

NEWSOM HOLDS NOTHINGBURGER PRESS CONFERENCE ON ABORTION

Via Maggie Angst...

In anticipation of a key ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court expected Wednesday regarding access to abortion pills, California Gov. Gavin Newsom summoned members of the press, legislative leaders and the attorney general Tuesday for a 45-minute press conference to discuss the Golden State’s efforts to protect medication abortions and those that provide them.

But despite the drumroll, the governor had very little new to say, other than that he and other state leaders would “be creative” in their efforts to protect access in the Golden State.

“Don’t think for a second that we don’t have more ideas,” he said. “And don’t think for a second I’m going to say any more about it.”

The real news came in a press release from his communications team after the briefing wrapped up, but even that was vague and dependent on an anciticpated ruling from the nation’s highest court on Wednesday. The court is expected to decide whether an earlier decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will take effect, sharply limiting access to mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill. The Biden Administration wants the matter put on hold while the court fight plays out.

The statement said the governor is working with lawmakers to craft legislative language that would protect California pharmacists who dispense mifepristone — even if the Supreme Court suspends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval — and ensure the privacy of patients and providers.

The latter concept has already been proposed by Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, through AB 352.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM SENATOR

Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, on Tuesday took to Twitter to demand a public apology from Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, for remarks the latter made during a hearing of the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

“I was an original signer of the #metoo letter & I take exception to anyone questioning the intentions of (Samantha Corbin) & (Alicia Benavidez Lewis) who work selflessly to end sexual harassment & assault in the #caleg. Sister (Wahab) we need to talk. You owe them a public apology,” McKinnor wrote.

Here’s what prompted the tweet.

On Tuesday, Wahab was defending her bill, SB 573, which would bar legislative staffers from working as lobbyists for two years after they leave state employment.

The bill was opposed by the group We Said Enough, which said a Tuesday tweet that it “would create unfair limitations on the future opportunities of talented Legislative staff. Worse, it could TRAP staff in hostile or abusive work places by preventing them from holding meaningful, well compensated employment elsewhere.”

We Said Enough was co-founded by Corbin and Benavidez Lewis in 2017 to speak out against harassment, discrimination and bullying in the California Legislature and in workplaces across the state.

While defending her bill, Wahab said that opponents of her bill were using marginalized people “to distract from the argument at hand.”

“It also cheapens the experience of survivors of sexual assault and discrimination. This bill is not how or where they will get made whole, which they deserve. And to be using victims as a prop to not have lobbying reform in the state of California is disgusting and not fair to them,” she said.

“I find it also insulting and harmful to the men and women that experience sexual assault, let alone as an advocate and survivor, that an organization would utilize the trauma of people to oppose a bill that strictly is about lobbying reform.”

Reached for comment about McKinnor’s demand for an apology, Wahab said in a statement that she respect’s everyone’s right to speak their truth and that she hopes to engage with opponents of her bill. She said that SB 573 is “a critical component” of protecting the integrity of the legislative process.

“Finally, I have always been and will always be a supporter of victims and survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. I will continue to do my part to improve workplaces, organizations, and systems such that victims and survivors feel safe, supported, and can be made whole,” Wahab said.

COALITION FORMS TO SUPPORT BILL HOLDING OIL INDUSTRY LIABLE FOR HEALTH PROBLEMS

Californians who have developed cancer, respiratory illness or birth defects as a result of nearby oil drilling could sue the oil industry for up to $1 million, under legislation now under consideration.

SB 556, by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, is set to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 25.

“Oil drillers who have disregarded the detrimental impacts to communities they drill in, need to be accountable for the harms they cause that are scientifically linked to their drilling,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

The bill is backed by a coalition of more than 130 groups, including co-sponsors Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment, as well as the Center for Biological Diversity, CALPIRG, Food and Water Watch and the Sierra Club.

A previous bill by Gonzalez, SB 1137, banned oil drilling within 3,200 feet of schools, hospitals and other vulnerable centers. That law is currently on hold pending a voter referendum in 2024.

“Like the gun industry that is liable for unsafe conduct in the manufacture and distribution of weapons in California, oil drillers that ignore safety standards should be presumptively liable for the illnesses linked to their negligence,” said Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court in a statement.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Senator Feinstein’s staff rushed out her statement two hours after my tweet to stop the bleeding and halt the growing chorus for her to resign. It worked for a few days but didn’t solve the problem as many of us had warned. The ball is now back in Senator Feinstein’s court to provide a specific timeline of when she can cast votes on Judiciary to confirm President Biden’s judges.”

- Rep. Ro Khanna, D-San Jose, in an interview with NBC News.

Best of The Bee:

• California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s prolonged absence has forced the Senate Judiciary Committee to effectively pause confirming the president’s picks, via Gillian Brassil and David Lightman.

• It is likely to only take one Democratic Senate opponent to sink Julie Su’s nomination as U.S. labor secretary. And at least two Democratic senators won’t say they’re backing her, via David Lightman.

• In February, Lackey introduced a bill that would change how California handles requests from adopted people who want to obtain their unredacted birth certificates. While the rules around the requests would remain more restrictive than those in many other states, Lackey said his goal is to give adopted people better access to their personal records, via Stephen Hobbs.

• Hispanic-serving colleges like Sacramento State increasing. But some say equity gaps remain, via Mathew Miranda.

• Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act when he expressed support for Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla’s election at an event last year, a government watchdog said Tuesday, via Gillian Brassil.

• Could you have overlooked hundreds of dollars in federal income tax refunds that you are legitimately owed? The Internal Revenue Service says that about 144,700 Californians have yet to claim refunds owed them from 2019, via David Lightman.