Look away, Mike McGuire!

Politico

28-02-2025

Presented by
THE BUZZ: PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT — If you're the leader of the California Senate, please avert your eyes.
Playbook was chatting with state Sen. Tom Umberg about the Legislature's new bill limit, and he had some thoughts, but he really, really didn't want Mike McGuire to read them.
Because, after McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas in December capped legislators at 35 bills a piece over the two-year session, Umberg has already introduced 33 — and it's only week 12 of year one.
That gives Umberg the ignominious — or, for fans of the Santa Ana Democrat — glorious distinction of carrying the most bills of any legislator after last week's introduction deadline.
How productive is Umberg, really? For starters, he's been so busy introducing new bills that he only recently became aware of his vaunted status.
'My staff does a good job of reminding me that we can't do all things at all times, notwithstanding that I can't say no to stuff,' said Umberg, who did manage to sneak away for a few minutes of chit-chat.
Even then, he was clearly in on the joke. Umberg pleaded with your Playbook author to 'talk fast' because he 'knew the subject' of this edition.
Umberg's patient staffer who joined us on the line didn't seem as amused, though we're confident her boss will be so pleased with how he's portrayed here that he'll give her a big raise.
But it wasn't all in jest. After all, the man means business.
The Judiciary Committee chair said the complex challenges of implementing tough-on-crime Proposition 36, the CARE Court program and other judicial issues have led him to a 'vigorous' streak of legislating during his final session in office.
'I think the combination of all those things' got him to the high-water mark, Umberg said, before returning to his usual candid self, 'and then, attention-deficit disorder.'
Umberg isn't the only one bumping up against the lower cap in year one of the two-year session. Already, 16 other senators and 22 assemblymembers have burned through 20 or more bills of their reduced allowance, by the count of veteran lobbyist Chris Micheli.
The overall flow of legislation hasn't gotten much lighter since the Assembly and Senate dropped their ceilings from 50 and 40 bills, respectively. The 2,350 introduced this year is up more than 250 from last year, according to Micheli, a noted fan of the limits.
However, members typically introduce more proposals in the first year of the session — mostly to avoid drawing out controversial debates in election years in which there is a shorter calendar and higher electoral stakes. This year's bill load is the smallest in year one of a session since 2015, when the Assembly's bill limit was 30.
The real effect of the new restrictions will be seen and felt next year.
'While we didn't see it really impact the 2025 introductions because they were about the same as previously, we will see the impact in the second year of the two-year session,' Micheli said, adding the new limits will dictate that around 500 fewer bills will emerge next year.
That's assuming rules committees don't waive the limit for anyone, though Micheli predicted leadership will be reluctant to give people a pass after they touted the reductions at the beginning of the legislative year.
Rivas' stated aim was to draw more focus to affordability issues after an election in which Democrats suffered setbacks on the heels of a rough inflationary stretch.
He and McGuire are still piecing together their policy agendas on that issue, and time will tell how much they're able to accomplish in reining in the state's stubbornly high cost of living.
OK, Honorable Senate President Pro Tempore, you can start reading again!
GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.
You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at [e-mail] and [e-mail], or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej.
WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
THE SCOOP
WORKING THE PHONES — Assemblymember Mia Bonta is calling Democratic Party insiders and asking for their support to run for state superintendent of public instruction in 2026, three people familiar with her outreach said.
Bonta's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
If Bonta does enter the race, she would appear on the statewide ballot in the same election cycle as her husband, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, who's running for reelection in 2026.
Rumblings about Mia Bonta's interest in the gig have amplified in recent weeks, shortly after Rob Bonta opted not to run for governor in 2026 and seek another term as AG.
That's likely no accident. Having two Bontas vying for new statewide offices on the same ballot could have been a difficult lift, as well as a strain for their donors and labor allies. But Rob is likely to cruise to reelection, freeing up resources for Mia to take a bigger swing.
The assemblywoman's interest in California's top education post harkens to her background. Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Mia Bonta was president of the Alameda School Board and ran a nonprofit that supports low-income students.
HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
LOCALS BUCK BACK — Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly put counties and local governments across California on blast in recent months over their handling of the homelessness crisis. Now, those locals are increasingly venting their frustration with his 'finger pointing.'
The tension comes after Newsom unveiled an online accountability tool earlier this week that tracks how quickly counties move homeless people into shelters or addiction treatment and build new housing. After the state has invested billions in housing projects over the last six years, Newsom's office argues that 'Californians deserve results from their local governments.'
But the governor's pressure tactic drew terse replies from the major associations representing local governments. California State Association of Counties CEO Graham Knaus said Newsom's announcement was 'just spin' without substance; and League of California Cities lobbyist Caroline Grinder said the approach 'ignores real solutions.'
That clapback foreshadows what's likely to be a central dynamic of budget negotiations this session as the governor navigates a tight fiscal outlook: Newsom wants results on what the state has already spent to combat homelessness, but counties and cities say it's not enough. They don't just want one-time funding; they want a dedicated, ongoing stream of money to expand shelters and build affordable housing.
The organizations followed up with a letter to Newsom and legislative leaders, demanding the state continue to provide at least $1 billion per year in homeless/housing assistance for local governments. The letter states that 'ongoing funding provides a critical accountability tool for all levels of government' — a not-so-subtle retort to the premise behind Newsom's new website.
'We're playing roulette on who is responsible for solving homelessness in California,' Knaus told Playbook. 'And that is absolutely the wrong way to make progress.'
Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Newsom, said the governor isn't backing down from the tracking website. She noted that counties and cities have received $3.3 billion to address homelessness, including $760 million coming later this year.'The governor is done with excuses,' she said. 'Their numbers are their numbers — we just made it easier for their constituents to see.'
IN THE COURTS
FIRE AWAY — San Francisco-based federal Judge William Alsup ruled Thursday that the Office of Personnel Management broke the law when it ordered other federal agencies to terminate thousands of 'probationary' employees.
But his ruling does not appear to immediately help any of the federal workers who have already lost their jobs, report POLITICO's resident legal eagles Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney.
Alsup also stopped short of ordering the agencies to reinstate the fired workers or to halt looming firings, saying he doesn't currently have the authority to do that.
Still, the ruling is 'a setback for the Trump administration's ongoing effort to dramatically shrink the federal workforce,' Josh and Kyle write. Alsup ordered OPM to rescind any directives it has issued requiring the mass terminations and said OPM must inform several agencies that it has no power to dictate firings across the federal bureaucracy.
CLIMATE AND ENERGY
CALIFORNIA UNPLUGGED — Federal EV charger grants are just a drop in the bucket for California's overall funding pool. Read last night's California Climate to find out why Trump's attempt to claw dollars back could still have a major impact.
TOP TALKERS
HE'S JUST KEN — California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert has become Newsom's ally in trying to secure almost $40 billion for wildfire aid, Bloomberg reports.
'He certainly believes that California and these Los Angeles residents deserve the same federal aid that anyone else in the country deserves,' said Jason Gagnon, a Calvert spokesperson.
HERE TO HELP — Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman says he would work with ICE in certain situations, the Sacramento Bee reports.
He said he would not round up people for the federal agency, but would consider calling authorities if someone was being released from jail.
'I just feel it's my duty as sheriff,' he said.
BE MY GUEST — Sen. Alex Padilla hopes to send a message next week with his choice of guest to President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress. California's senior senator will be joined by Frank Lima, a longtime LA fire captain and union leader.
'As President Trump outlines his priorities for our country, we want to make clear that Los Angeles County cannot be forgotten,' Padilla said in a statement. 'The community faces a long road to recovery and we need a fully staffed and supported firefighting workforce and federal support without conditions.'
AROUND THE STATE
— A San Jose school district will close three elementary schools amid its $23 million budget shortfall. (San Jose Mercury News)
— The Fresno Police Department says it arrested two men for impersonating ICE officers and harassing customers in local businesses. (GV Wire)
— Mattie Scott is San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's choice to replace Max Carter-Oberstone as police commissioner. (San Francisco Chronicle)
— compiled by Nicole Norman
PLAYBOOKERS
SPOTTED: FARMER MIKE — McGuire is awful proud of his roots with the Future Farmers of America. ICYMI: He busted out his FFA pride — and dance moves — when a gaggle of high schoolers with the group visited the Capitol this week.
'You can take the dude out of FFA, but you can't take the FFA out of the dude,' McGuire posted on X, along with a video of him doing a traditional FFA dance.
PEOPLE MOVES — Arie Dana is joining the Republican Jewish Coalition as deputy director of government affairs/director of executive branch relations. He most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.).
— Chris Masami Myers has been promoted to director of governmental relations at the California School Employees Association. He was previously assistant director of governmental relations.
— Anastasia Baskerville and Ashley Hong have joined the law firm White Brenner LLP in its government affairs practice.
BIRTHDAYS — Cara Hewitt at Amazon … Adam Sieff …
BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Thursday): Noah Emmerich ... Eleanor Antin
WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.