Essential Politics March 21-31 archive: Minimum wage bill passes

The Senate on a 26 to 12 party-line vote approved the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15, sending the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

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As debate over the proposed minimum wage bill continued inside the state Capitol on Thursday, an incident that occurred during a rally outside the building drew fire and police officials and quickly raised alarm.

The Sacramento Fire Department initially described the event as a “mass casualty incident,” adding to the concern.

About 7,000 people were gathered outside the Capitol for a rally with Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, according to Chris Harvey, public information officer for the Sacramento Fire Department.

Reports of threats made during the rally have not been substantiated, Harvey said. During the event, the fire department and California Highway Patrol received “numerous” calls from people who were feeling lightheaded and experiencing chest pains and dizziness.

Five people were taken to the hospital to be treated, and some passed out, Harvey said. One person was evaluated at the scene and refused treatment.

Fire officials say the injuries were heat-related despite temperatures being in the mid-60s, and may have been caused by the tightly packed crowds gathered on the Capitol grounds.

Debate in the state Senate, which is considering the minimum wage bill that passed the Assembly earlier Thursday, continued uninterrupted.

Earlier in the day, Sacramento police removed a suspicious package found in a parking structure across the street from the Capitol, KCRA-TV reported. No evacuations or street closures were in effect.

State Sen. Mark Leno

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) told his colleagues during the lengthy floor debate that his bill would lift many hard-working Californians out of poverty.

“Workers are struggling.” Leno said. “Two point two million Californians are currently earning minimum wage, and they are struggling in poverty because it is a sub-poverty wage.”

Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) added, “Everybody should have a crack at the brass ring, the American dream.”

But Republican Sen. Ted Gaines of Rocklin said the bill is a “death sentence” for struggling businesses in his district.

“Our job in this building is to help people climb the economic ladder, not cut off the bottom rungs,” Gaines said on the floor. “That is exactly what will happen if we shove this unprecedented cost increase on businesses.”

Republican Sen. Jim Nielsen said increasing the minimum wage will hurt new workers and lead to mechanization of jobs. “You will go to the hamburger store and you won’t have a young person or elderly person to wait on you,” he said.

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A final printout of the vote tally:

It looks like the vote on the minimum-wage deal is already causing headaches for one Republican legislator in the middle of a race for an open seat in Congress.

Protesters led by supporters of San Luis Obispo Republican K.H. “Katcho” Achadjian’s Democratic opponents are gathering 300 miles away from Sacramento in front of Achadjian’s office this morning to urge him to vote for the deal.

Democrat Salud Carbajal and his supporters are trying to ratchet up the pressure on Achadjian ahead of the June primary to represent California’s 24th Congressional District, a seat opened by the retirement of Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara). There are nine candidates on the ballot.

Achadjian has voted against past minimum-wage increases. His chief of staff, Ross Buckley, said the assemblyman “definitely has concerns” with the current bill.

In a statement, Carbajal said he supported the bill and also called for an increase in the federal minimum wage.

At a Monday press conference, Gov. Jerry Brown hugs Burger King worker Holly Diaz, 38, of Sacramento, who has worked for the minimum wage for nine years.

(Renee C. Byer / Associated Press)

Today, state lawmakers are expected to pass the big minimum wage package unveiled this week by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The action begins in the Assembly at 9 a.m. and state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who authored the minimum wage bill, told us he expects approval in the Assembly, followed shortly in the Senate.

The deal had broad support among Democrats during its first legislative hearing Wednesday.

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Whether it’s the California Coastal Commission or the state Public Utilities Commission, residents have been complaining that the panels are operating too much out of public view and are too cozy with businesses.

Legislative committees have moved forward on bills that would shed some light on important state panels, also including the state Board of Equalization.

“People naturally distrust government agencies and bureaucracies,” said Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), author of six measures to deal with the issue. “The Legislature has a responsibility to keep those agencies in check and responsible to the citizens.”

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A new bill from state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa) takes aim at rising prescription drug prices by forcing manufacturers and health plan providers to make more information public about price increases and costs.

Hernandez said the bill, SB 1010, would address a gap for consumers after the federal Affordable Care Act’s mandate that everyone buy health insurance.

“Because of that we have to make sure that individuals have a cost effective policy,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez’s bill would force drug manufacturers to notify state health care providers — such as CalPERS and Medi-Cal — and private insurers at least two months before they raise prices by more than 10 percent. The bill would also require health plans and insurers to publicize what portion of their prices are attributed to drug costs.

Hernandez cited recent high-profile cases of pharmaceutical companies rapidly increasing drug prices as further impetus for his effort.

“It brings light to where the cost trends are going,” Hernandez said. “There could be public backlash.”

Hernandez, however, does not support government price restrictions on prescription drugs, saying that he believes the market is the better regulating mechanism for the industry. He opposes a measure targeted for the November ballot that would limit state agencies from paying more for drugs than the prices paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

SB 1010 is not the only recent attempt in the Legislature to wade into drug pricing transparency. Earlier this year, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) withdrew a bill that would have required drug companies to report costs and profits for certain drugs in the face of opposition from the pharmaceutical industry.

A state lawmaker proposed Wednesday to expand a law aimed at reducing the number of immigrants in the country who face deportation for committing crimes.

Federal law requires deportation of immigrants who are sentenced to at least 365 days in jail — even if they serve fewer days. State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) won approval of a law two years ago that says all future misdemeanors carry a sentence of no more than 364 days in jail.

Lara estimates that it has spared hundreds of people in California from deportation.

His new bill, SB 1242, would apply the new standard retroactively to protect immigrants who committed low-level misdemeanors. It is waiting an assignment to a committee for a hearing.

“No family should be torn apart because of a minor legal technicality,” Lara said in a statement. “By applying this change, we will prevent a minor technicality from having drastic and harmful human impact.”

Amid discussion about a regional approach, state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) talked about the huge economic disparity between the top earners and the lowest-wage workers in his district.

He said if anything, he would dial it back a notch because the wealth created by venture capital has rocketed the economy to “red hot” at the same time others are suffering.

With Assemblyman Tom Daly’s opposition noted, Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Lorena S. Gonzalez (D-San Diego) announced the measure to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2022 had passed.

There was no roll call vote, though several Republican members indicated they do not favor the proposal.

The legislation will head next to the floor of the Assembly tomorrow, according to Speaker Anthony Rendon’s office.

Lawmakers at the Appropriations Committee panel on the minimum wage heard from a few dozen people urging them to pass the proposal.

From low-wage workers to healthcare organizations, a representative for Mayor Eric Garcetti and many reps from labor unions, person after person hailed the compromise plan.

“Conditions need to change,” one person said.

“We desperately need a raise,” said another.

Many of the workers were wearing SEIU T-shirts. The committee cut off an official SEIU representative after she spoke longer than the allotted one sentence.

A man who is helped by in-home care workers called $15 per hour “so important” and also said getting paid sick days is critical.

“They spend all of their holidays with me. They have no sick leave,” he said.

People who earn minimum wage are having their say at the Appropriations Committee hearing. Yolanda Toliver of Yuma County is one of the witnesses who spoke on behalf of the bill.

Here is the text of the measure the Legislature is considering.

Our Business desk dives into a new analysis by UC Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education to take a detailed look at how a statewide $15-an-hour minimum wage would affect Californians.

If a plan proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown passes, 5.6 million low-income workers would earn $20 billion more in wages by 2023, according to the Berkeley analysis. It assumed that no net jobs would be lost as businesses look to trim costs.

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Gov. Jerry Brown gave a speech at a benefit for Cal State Fresno’s Maddy Institute in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday night. He is perhaps the only person to tell a successful joke about a recently passed tax on healthcare plans.

California is in the throes of a major transformation when it comes to its demography, even as the people who cast ballots look largely the same as they did a generation ago.

That’s the conclusion of a new report by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. The report is actually a follow-up to the organization’s 2006 report on the same topic, concluding that the state has an “exclusive electorate” that doesn’t represent its diverse population.

The report finds that while California’s adult population is only 42% white, its likely voters are 60% white. There are only half as many Latino residents who vote as there are Latinos in the state population.

Similarly, the institute finds 68% of frequent voters are age 45 or older, while an almost equal portion (67%) of California’s nonvoters are younger than 45. And the gap exists, as well, when measuring income, education level and home ownership.

The question, then, is how does this unrepresentative electorate vote compared to the positions taken by Californians from all walks of life? The institute’s report uses its recent statewide public polling to find some pretty surprising results.

Likely voters in the state are evenly split (46%-46%) on whether government should do more to provide equal opportunities. Among nonvoters, the report finds, the desire for more government help wins by 21 percentage points (58% to 37%). And where only 47% of likely voters would restore funding for higher education before paying down government debt, 70% of nonvoters would support that kind of focus.

“California faces the prospect of an electorate making policy decisions that neglect the realities and problems facing large and growing segments of society,” the report concludes.

Chris Christie, left, and Jeb Bush during a break in a Republican presidential debate this year.

(Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

California’s presidential primary ballot — which just last week was bloated with Republican candidates who’ve dropped out of the race — is slowly being winnowed.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and current New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie officially asked the California secretary of state to remove their names from the June 7 presidential ballot. Their requests come a day after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had his name scrubbed.

Under California law, candidates who have ended their campaigns can be removed from the ballot only if they file an affidavit with the secretary of state’s office before April 1.

A few former Republican candidates still remain on the ballot alongside Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.

Since dropping out of the race, Bush has endorsed Cruz, and Christie did the same for Trump.

David Ryu last year became just the second Asian American elected to the L.A. City Council.

(Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A new poll by a Los Angeles-based civil rights organization found that 65% of Asian American voters in California support providing a “pathway to legalization” for immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

The poll, which was conducted by advocacy group Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles, highlights the growing political clout of Asian Americans in California.

Two of California’s top statewide officeholders are Asian Americans — Treasurer John Chiang and Controller Betty Yee, both Democrats. And former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made a concentrated effort to win support from Asian American voters in California and across the nation in her bid for president.

Among the findings of the poll, which surveyed 3,516 Asian American registered voters in the state:

• A pathway to legalization was favored by 72% of Democrats, 59% of Republicans and 59% of independents.
• 67% would pay higher taxes to increase student enrollment at University of California and California State University campuses.
• 76% think the Affordable Care Act is good for the country.

According to the civil rights group, 37% of registered Asian American voters in California are Democrats, 23% are Republican and 35% are independent — registered as “no party preference.”

A few other tidbits about California’s Asian American electorate provided by the organization:

• 1.7 million Asian Americans were registered to vote in the 2012 presidential election.
• By the 2016 presidential election in November, Asian Americans will account for nearly 11% of California voters.
• Asian Americans make up 25% or more of the electorate in 25 legislative districts in California.

It’s an imperfect measurement, but one way to assess the political muscle of California’s business community in the state Capitol is to track the legislation it brands with the moniker “job killer.”

And for 2016, the list numbers 13.

The list, released by the California Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon, is like previous years in that the bills are all ones introduced by Democrats.

Two of the more high-profile bills on the chamber’s list are priority items for the Legislative Women’s Caucus: legislation to require up to three months of leave when caring for a new child, and a proposal to require additional notice to workers before changing their schedules.

The state business group also is opposing a bill to allow independent contractors in the “gig economy” to band together when it comes to labor disputes.

And, not surprisingly, they are labeling the new minimum wage plan unveiled by Gov. Jerry Brown as a “job killer.”

The chamber has a pretty good track record on bills placed on the annual list. Of 176 bills given the designation since 2011, all but nine have been killed or vetoed.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Supporters of Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Santa Ana) have launched a new super PAC to back her campaign for U.S. Senate.

The initial focus of the political action committee, called California’s New Frontier, will be to ensure that the Democratic congresswoman finishes in the top two in the June 7 primary, which would land her a spot on the November ballot, said political consultant Stu Mollrich of Newport Beach.

The committee formed at the end of 2015 and was launched with a $20,000 contribution from Irvine developer Michael Ray of Sanderson J. Ray Development, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. Ray is a longtime supporter of Sanchez and other Democratic candidates.

Mollrich said the money was enough to get to committee up and running, and to start an aggressive fundraising effort.

“Now we’re out raising money to try to make sure that she at least makes it into a runoff,” Mollrich said.

He said he expects the super PAC to receive strong support from Democratic donors, as well as Republicans and members of the business community who are skeptical that a GOP candidate has a chance to win the Senate race.

Under federal law, a super PAC can receive an unlimited amount in donations from individuals and corporations for an independent campaign, but is barred from coordinating with Sanchez’s Senate campaign.

A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that nearly a third of California voters are undecided about who to vote for Senate in the June 7 primary election. Democratic state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris led Sanchez 28% to 19% among those registered voters polled.

Among the Republicans, Tom Del Beccaro had 8% and George “Duf” Sundheim had 6%. Del Beccaro and Sundheim are Northern California attorneys and former chairmen of the California Republican Party.

Republican Ron Unz, who championed a 1998 initiative to end bilingual education in California, jumped into the Senate campaign last week and was not included in the poll.

Few governors have had as long a streak of good poll numbers as Gov. Jerry Brown.

Today’s new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll finds Brown gets good marks from 60% of those surveyed. And while his support is strongest among his fellow Democrats, the governor has allies in all sorts of unusual voter subgroups.

Almost 1 in 5 supporters of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump like the job Brown’s doing. Yes, Trump voters.

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Gov. Jerry Brown has expressed a desire that California’s action to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 over time will serve as a model for states across the U.S.

But the package must first pass the Legislature. Some Assembly Democrats — a business-aligned wing that has grown in stature in recent years — haven’t yet embraced the effort, saying they are worried about automatic cost-of-living increases baked into the plan and other issues.

Later today, Democratic Assembly members will meet behind closed doors for what’s expected to be a lengthy discussion about the package.

The first formal hearing on the plan is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

The language for the minimum wage bill, SB 3, has now been posted. Click here to read it.

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A Northern California assemblyman is seeking to carve out an exception in state law that would allow victims of domestic violence to carry concealed guns on school and college campuses.

Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Plumas Lake) has introduced AB 2340, which would allow those who are victims of domestic violence to carry guns on campus if they possess a protective order and a valid concealed weapons permit.

A bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year banned concealed weapons at California schools, bringing the state in line with 18 other states that also prohibit the practice.

The measure, SB 707, made exceptions for those who are retired from law enforcement and allowed school officials to grant permission to carry on a case-by-case basis.

California banned open carrying of handguns in 2011.

“Domestic violence victims are some of the most vulnerable people in our community,” Gallagher said in a statement. “Without protection, domestic violence victims would be left defenseless against an attacker on or near school grounds.”

Gallagher’s bill is due for a hearing by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday morning.

It is being supported by the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, the National Rifle Assn., and the Outdoor Sportsman’s Coalition of California.

Business-friendly Democrats in the Assembly have taken on an increasingly powerful role at the Capitol and not all of them have pledged their support for the minimum wage hike unveiled by Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León and labor leaders Monday.

“Generally, people support an increase in the minimum wage,” said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), the co-leader of the Moderate Caucus. “But what are the details? That’s what we need to know.”

Cooper, who said he was undecided on the proposal, said members were concerned about any unintended consequences of the move and its effect on nonprofits.

Similarly, Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) said he needed to see the actual language of the bill before he could decide whether to support it. He said he had never previously backed a minimum wage deal that included automatic cost-of-living increases.

“I’m just trying to understand personally how the pieces fit together,” Cooley said. “I can’t say I know where I’m at.”

Assembly Democrats met briefly behind closed doors Monday to discuss the deal and plan to do so again on Tuesday. Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said members asked about the cost-of-living increases and potential exemptions for nonprofits during the meeting, but were generally in favor of the measure. He said a couple moderate Democrats already have committed their support, but declined to name them.

Rendon, who supports the deal, said the plan will have its first hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.

If centrist Democrats try to scuttle things, they’ll do so knowing that at least one ballot measure – which has a more aggressive timeline to reach a $15 an hour minimum wage than the current six-year plan – will be on the November ballot. Labor leaders, who funded the efforts to get a wake hike before voters, said Monday they’d pull their ballot measures if the Legislature passes the governor’s plan.

Brown said the chances of a more expansive minimum wage measure should convince business groups and business-aligned Democrats to back the current plan.

“Given the fact there’s a more far-reaching $15 minimum wage on the ballot already that can be taken off if this measure passes, I think there will be very few business people that are going to lobby against this bill because then they’d just be cutting their own throat,” Brown said.

Both Democratic presidential candidates made clear their support for California’s proposed $15 an hour minimum wage hike.

First came former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

An hour later, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders jumped on Clinton’s response to emphasize that he backs an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour:

Former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has officially asked the California secretary of state to remove him from the state’s June 7 presidential primary ballot.

Thus far, Rubio is the only former GOP candidate who has asked California to remove his name. Rubio made the request, in writing, to Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

Rubio’s request could help Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, both of whom desperately need to make up ground against GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

Under California law, candidates who have dropped out can be removed from the ballot only if they file an affidavit with the secretary of state’s office before April 1.

The names of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore will be on the ballot alongside Trump, Cruz and Kasich.

The ballots were set in February under the state’s rules for determining which candidates make the cut.

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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praised Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders for taking “decisive action to give more Californians a chance to join the middle class.”

Garcetti said he was glad to see California “following L.A.’s lead” in the minimum wage fight.

In 2015, the city and county of Los Angeles approved changes that will bring the minimum wage to $15 by 2020, two years earlier than the rest of the state under the proposed deal announced Monday.

Asked about complaints from business groups that they weren’t included in negotiations, Gov. Jerry Brown said the concerns of industry were taken into account.

He said the deal is the result of “dozens if not more than that” meetings and many phone calls.

“It’s a moving target with a lot of conversation,” Brown said.

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Over the weekend, we broke the news that California Gov. Jerry Brown and union leaders reached a deal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.

Brown could make a formal announcement of the plan as soon as today and the Legislature could vote by the end of the week to make it official.

We’ll be tracking the deal here.

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