California Politics: A state Democratic convention filled with barstool politicking

What did you do for the three-day holiday weekend? I spent most of mine in the hotel lobby bar at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles — for work, I swear.

I’m Melanie Mason, a Times political reporter, filling in for Laurel Rosenhall while she is on special assignment. Let’s kick off this guide to the week’s news in California politics with a recap of the state Democratic Party’s convention, its first in-person confab since 2019.

While most of the official speeches and procedures took place in a massive exhibition hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the nearby hotel was the place to gain insight into the current dynamics of California’s dominant political party.

The lobby bar was a swarm of politicians and delegates, labor officials and lobbyists. Candidates sweet-talked potential endorsers, consultants shepherded around their newest clients, and political frenemies awkwardly tried to avoid each other in the tight, crowded quarters. In short, it was a hub of unofficial but essential socializing that undergirds much of the political action in California.

The most closely-watched candidates — the three Democrats vying to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein — did not dawdle much in the lobby, although I did spot a power-walking Rep. Katie Porter slow down for selfies as she made her way to the adjacent restaurant. Most of the politicking took place a few floors up, where the contenders bopped among various caucus meetings in a bid to court committed party activists.

Since they’re mostly aligned on policy, the Senate hopefuls are trying to distinguish themselves on style. My colleagues Seema Mehta and Laura J. Nelson smartly observed how the candidates’ schedule that weekend telegraphs the types of voters they’re targeting in the campaign. Their story delves into their various creative approaches; come for the mouthwatering description of the treats at Rep. Barbara Lee’s reception, stay for a sampling of Rep. Adam B. Schiff’s stand-up act.

The queen bee of the weekend was, without a doubt, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom the party honored throughout the weekend, including at a closed-press banquet dinner. I wrote about how the sometimes rocky relationship between Pelosi and Democratic activists has evolved into a love fest, especially in the post-Trump era. The tributes only served to highlight a question dominating California political circles: What does Pelosi intend to do at the end of her current term, now that she’s stepped away from congressional leadership? Publicly, Democrats are reticent about even speculating that she may be nearing retirement, but the topic was certainly whispered about throughout the weekend.

Here’s what else you need to know about California politics this week.

A rare obstacle for abortion-rights backers

Even before last year’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, California policy was firmly on the side of expansive protections for abortion. Since the Dobbs ruling, politicians have sought to make the state even more of a haven for abortion access, in stark contrast to conservative states.

But as my colleague Mackenzie Mays wrote this week, one policy priority keeps eluding abortion rights activists: passing regulations to crack down on “crisis pregnancy centers.”

Supporters of these centers say they provide crucial maternity care, including free pregnancy tests and first-trimester ultrasounds. But the industry has been criticized for misleading women to steer them away from having an abortion, sometimes by providing medically inaccurate information such as the disproven link between the procedure and breast cancer.

Mays details how numerous attempts by Democrats to regulate these antiabortion centers have fallen flat over the years. One such law, requiring religious clinics to provide information about abortion and contraceptive services offered by the state, was even struck down by the Supreme Court in 2018.

This year, two bills that sought to limit these clinics quietly stalled. Still, Mays reports, abortion-rights supporters have vowed to keep trying, even as crisis pregnancy centers seek to expand their footprint in California.

Read the full story here: Even in blue California, attempts to regulate controversial antiabortion centers continue to fail

Newsom’s iffy budget math

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office offered a stark assessment last week of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest budget proposal: It is “very unlikely” the state will able to afford the spending plan he has put forward.

In order for Newsom and the Legislature to pass a budget by the June 15 deadline, they’ll have to decide to raise taxes, cut spending or do a bit of both, says our columnist George Skelton.

The governor has flatly ruled out hiking corporate taxes, earning him rare praise from the fiscally conservative Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. But, Skelton says, that puts the onus on Newsom to identify cuts, even if that imperils some of his pet projects.

The governor has managed to stave off tough budget choices for most of his tenure, but he couldn’t outrun California’s notoriously volatile tax system forever — and this year, the uncertainty is abnormally high. One factor, Skelton notes, is the extended tax-filing deadline for Californians because of winter storms.

“We’ve never had a delay of that many months,” says H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state finance department. “It’s a new level of uncertainty we haven’t had to deal with before.”

Read Skelton’s full article here: Column: Newsom’s budget math doesn’t add up

Keeping up with California politics

Former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey weighs U.S. Senate bid

A Dodger in the U.S. Senate? Several state Republican Party insiders say the All-Star infielder is weighing a bid to succeed Feinstein, which would give GOP a big-league name to take on the three Democratic hopefuls. Republicans are hoping a well-known candidate would consolidate the conservative vote in the top-two primary, ensuring a spot in the general election.

18-wheel robot trucks on freeways? California lawmakers don’t trust DMV to ensure big rig safety

Some California legislators believe the DMV has mishandled the driverless car industry. A bill that passed the Assembly this week would wrest control of testing of robotic trucks away from the agency. The driverless truck industry is strongly opposed to the measure.

Manson follower Leslie Van Houten could be freed after court overrules Newsom

A California appeals court ruled that Van Houten is entitled to parole after spending more than 50 years behind bars for helping Charles Manson and his followers kill Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, in 1969. Van Houten had been recommended for parole five times since 2016, but all were denied by Newsom or former Gov. Jerry Brown. Newsom’s office has not said if he will ask Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to petition the California Supreme Court to reverse the decision.

Poll: Trump takes big lead over DeSantis among California Republicans

Former President Trump is the pick for 44% of California GOP voters, according to the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by The Times. Ron DeSantis is in a distant second place, with the backing of 26% of Republicans — a striking reversal of fortune for the Florida governor, who led Trump by eight percentage points three months ago.

California to step up efforts to find boxers owed pensions following Times report

Times staff writer Melody Gutierrez dug into the nation’s only pension plan for retired boxers and found that eligible fighters weren’t receiving their benefits from the state commission that administers the programs. Now, her reporting has led to renewed efforts to make sure those who are owed are finally seeing their benefits.

Opinion: A Supreme Court ruling is a warning for Prop. 13 — tax law should be fair

What does a decades-old property tax law in Minnesota have to do with California’s landmark tax initiative? Shayak Sarkar, a professor of law and an economist at UC Davis, and Josh Rosenthal, legal director of the Public Rights Project, write that a recent Supreme Court ruling against the Minnesota law shows that tax laws that harm communities of color could be legally vulnerable. The ruling revives old concerns about Prop. 13 and race discrimination.