California Politics: The unlikely friendship between Republican Kevin McCarthy and Democrat Karen Bass

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Years in the past once I was reporting a profile on Kevin McCarthy — the Bakersfield Republican who’s now the speaker of the Home — I used to be stunned to study that he was pals with Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Democrat who’s now mayor.

That they had met in Sacramento within the early 2000s when each had been members of the Meeting. After McCarthy was elected to Congress, Bass turned Meeting speaker and located herself lobbying McCarthy because the Nice Recession hit and California’s finances went bust.

“He was receptive, however he additionally informed me the truth of the partisanship right here,” Bass informed me once I interviewed her in Washington in 2017. “I didn’t know this world.”

Just a few years later, Bass was elected to Congress. Republicans managed the Home and she or he turned to McCarthy for assist constructing bipartisan alliances, particularly in her effort to offer higher federal help to kids in foster care.

“I wanted type of a blessing,” Bass mentioned. “I wanted to be blessed by the chief with a purpose to get Republicans to take part within the foster youth caucus. And he was capable of assist me.”

Hello, I’m Laurel Rosenhall, The Occasions’ Sacramento bureau chief, right here to share some fascinating tales about California Politics.

An affinity spanning 20 years and two coasts

Because it turned clear extra lately that Bass and McCarthy would take management positions on reverse coasts — and reverse ends of the political spectrum — I assumed the time was proper for a narrative about their unlikely friendship. Occasions reporters Melanie Mason and Ben Oreskes ran with the thought, and delivered this terrific article. Right here’s a snippet:

It’s arduous to think about in these occasions of bitter partisan antagonism, however the high Home Republican and the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles are pals. Not within the Washington sense, the place “my pal” borders on insult, however a real affinity that has spanned 20 years and each coasts.

The following two years will take a look at whether or not that type of private chemistry can nonetheless yield substantive accomplishments. Bass’ hope to win further federal assist for the town’s battle in opposition to homelessness might be stymied by McCarthy’s political vulnerabilities to an ascendantRepublican proper wing that sees deep-blue cities largely as rhetorical punching luggage.

McCarthy has saved up the partisan assaults on Democrats, together with fellow Californians equivalent to Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) and Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin). Nonetheless, Bass, who returned to Washington this week for the primary time since changing into mayor, is undeterred.

When McCarthy lastly gained the speakership, after a protracted15 rounds of balloting, Bass texted congratulations and talked about her upcoming go to.

“I’m coming to gather,” she informed him.

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A pocket book stuffed with agony, anger and hope

Right here’s one other yummy learn you’ll discover solely within the L.A. Occasions: A glance contained in the pocket book saved by considered one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s aides as he toured California on a quest to alleviate poverty.

Michael Tubbs, the previous mayor of Stockton who’s now Newsom’s advisor on financial mobility, met with Californians up and down the state who battle to make ends meet. Occasions reporter Mackenzie Mays adopted alongside, telling the tales of the folks he encountered via the notes Tubbs jots in a easy grey pocket book:

Together with “agony,” he has scribbled down broad ideas and directives like “shelter is foundational” and “rewrite historical past.”

One notice reads merely, “everyone seems to be maxed out.”

He has had emotional epiphanies. He attracts an arrow to how one girl describes her life — “residing simply to die”— and provides his personal response beside it: “OMG!”

Tubbs misplaced reelection as mayor in 2020 however is seen as a rising star within the Democratic Social gathering: younger, formidable and well-connected. His personal story of rising up poor in Stockton with a single mom and an incarcerated father, making it to Stanford after which returning to his hometown to turn out to be the town’s youngest mayor at age 26 has attracted consideration from Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. You’ll want to learn the story right here.

Maintaining with Newsom and the Legislature

Biden visits California to survey storm harm with Newsom
The go to marks a break within the delicate political pressure between the California governor looking for the next nationwide profile and a president who has but to publicly announce his plans to run for reelection in 2024.

L.A. County on monitor to affix Newsom’s sweeping psychological well being plan a yr early
Supervisors are cut up over whether or not the county ought to launch CARE Court docket forward of schedule.

California vs. Florida: A story of two Americas
The governors of California and Florida — two of the nation’s largest ideological rival states — are main in reverse instructions. Each could run for president.

California lawmaker joins different blue states in newest try and tax wealthy folks
Within the absence of a federal wealth tax, Democratic lawmakers are pushing them in states together with California, New York and Hawaii. That is the third yr California Assemblyman Alex Lee has launched a wealth tax.

A brand new California housing regulation has finished little to encourage constructing, report says
A California regulation handed in 2021 was purported to make it simpler for owners to construct duplexes, however few are benefiting from it.

Skelton: California has numerous catching as much as do on flood administration — with or with out local weather change
California has added little to its once-prized water system since 1960, and the inhabitants has greater than doubled, columnist George Skelton writes.

Skelton: Don’t have any Prop. 1 water tasks been inbuilt California? No, however they’re transferring slowly
Republicans final week blasted Democrats for alleged inaction on the 2014 bond act, Proposition 1, making some good factors whereas being off base on their primary premise, columnist George Skelton writes.

Man’s demise after tasing reignites debate over LAPD’s position in visitors enforcement
State Sen. Steven Bradford has launched laws that might prohibit pretextual stops to situations through which an officer has cheap suspicion {that a} search will uncover proof of against the law.

California Senate’s new well being chair to prioritize psychological well being and homelessness
State Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman will give attention to increasing psychological well being companies and transferring homeless folks into housing and remedy.

California legislators demand Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel take away Dana White as UFC president
The Legislative Girls’s Caucus responds after a video went viral exhibiting UFC head Dana White slapping his spouse.

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