Latest news with #MikeMcGuire
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California closes $12B deficit by cutting back immigrants' access to health care
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Friday a budget that pares back a number of progressive priorities, including a landmark health care expansion for low-income adult immigrants without legal status, to close a $12 billion deficit. It's the third year in a row the nation's most populous state has been forced to slash funding or stop some of the programs championed by Democratic leaders. Lawmakers passed the budget earlier in the day following an agreement of a $321 billion spending plan between Newsom and Democratic leaders. But the whole budget will be void if lawmakers don't send him legislation to make it easier to build housing by Monday. The budget avoids some of the most devastating cuts to essential safety net programs, state leaders said. They mostly relied on using state savings, borrowing from special funds and delaying payments to plug the budget hole. 'It's balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it's focused on supporting Californians,' Newsom said in a statement about the budget. California also faces potential federal cuts to health care programs and broad economic uncertainty that could force even deeper cuts. Newsom in May estimated that federal policies — including on tariffs and immigration enforcement — could reduce state tax revenue by $16 billion. 'We've had to make some tough decisions,' Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said Friday. 'I know we're not going to please everyone, but we're doing this without any new taxes on everyday Californians.' Republican lawmakers said they were left out of budget negotiations. They also criticized Democrats for not doing enough to address future deficits, which could range between $17 billion to $24 billion annually. 'We're increasing borrowing, we're taking away from the rainy day fund, and we're not reducing our spending," said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland prior to the vote. 'And this budget also does nothing about affordability in California.' Here's a look at spending in key areas: Health care Under the budget deal, California will stop enrolling new adult patients without legal status in its state-funded health care program for low-income people starting 2026. The state will also implement a $30 monthly premium July 2027 for immigrants remaining on the program, including some with legal status. The premiums would apply to adults under 60 years old. The changes to the program, known as Medi-Cal, are a scaled-back version of Newsom's proposal in May. Still, it's a major blow to an ambitious program started last year to help the state inch closer to a goal of universal health care. Democratic state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo broke with her party and voted 'no' on the health care changes, calling them a betrayal of immigrant communities. The deal also removes $78 million in funding for mental health phone lines, including a program that served 100,000 people annually. It will eliminate funding that helps pay for dental services for low-income people in 2026 and delay implementation of legislation requiring health insurance to cover fertility services by six months to 2026. But lawmakers also successfully pushed back on several proposed cuts from Newsom that they called 'draconian.' The deal secures funding for a program providing in-home domestic and personal care services for some low-income residents and Californians with disabilities. It also avoids cuts to Planned Parenthood. Environment Lawmakers agreed to let the state tap $1 billion from its cap-and-trade program to fund state firefighting efforts. The cap-and-trade program is a market-based system aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Companies have to buy credits to pollute, and that money goes into a fund lawmakers are supposed to tap for climate-related spending. Newsom wanted to reauthorize the program through 2045, with a guarantee that $1 billion would annually go to the state's long-delayed high-speed rail project. The budget doesn't make that commitment, as lawmakers wanted to hash out spending plans outside of the budget process. The rail project currently receives 25% of the cap-and-trade proceeds, which is roughly $1 billion annually depending on the year. Legislative leaders also approved funding to help transition part-time firefighters into full-time positions. Many state firefighters only work nine months each year, which lawmakers said harms the state's ability to prevent and fight wildfires. The deal includes $10 million to increase the daily wage for incarcerated firefighters, who earn $5.80 to $10.24 a day currently. Public safety The budget agreement will provide $80 million to help implement a tough-on-crime initiative voters overwhelmingly approved last year. The measure makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders, increases penalties for some drug charges and gives judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges into treatment. Most of the fund, $50 million, will help counties build more behavioral health beds. Probation officers will get $15 million for pre-trial services and courts will receive $20 million to support increased caseloads. Advocates of the measure — including sheriffs, district attorneys and probation officers — said that's not enough money. Some have estimated it would take around $400 million for the first year of the program. Other priorities Newsom and lawmakers agreed to raise the state's film tax credit from $330 million to $750 million annually to boost Hollywood. The program, a priority for Newsom, will start this year and expire in 2030. The budget provides $10 million to help support immigration legal services, including deportation defense. But cities and counties won't see new funding to help them address homelessness next year, which local leaders said could lead to the loss of thousands of shelter beds. The budget also doesn't act on Newsom's proposal to streamline a project to create a massive underground tunnel to reroute a big part of the state's water supply.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
50+ Environmental and Public Interest Groups Oppose CA Oil Refiner Bailout, Urge State to Stand Strong on Accountability, Says Consumer Watchdog
SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the California Energy Commission (CEC) proposed a list of oil refinery strategies to Governor Newsom, including key regulatory rollbacks, 51 public interest and environmental groups are urging the state to stand strong on refinery accountability and consumer protection in a letter to Governor Newsom, Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. Among the rollbacks proposed are a pause on developing the price gouging penalty rule enacted by the legislature in 2023 and increased oil well permitting in Kern County. The groups pointed to new state data showing oil refiners making a killing off California consumers – with a combined gross refining margin and distribution margin of $1.71 in April, twice the national and historical averages. "California oil refiners do not need a bailout. New data posted by the California Energy Commission shows oil refiners made a retail gross refining profit margin of $1.02 per gallon in April," the groups wrote in the letter. "In addition, the data shows that the distribution margin, which includes the Mystery Gasoline Surcharge, was .69 cents per gallon in April. Combined these extraordinary profit and overhead costs add more to a gallon of gasoline than the cost of crude oil, as CEC created graphic below shows." "California's oil refining and distribution sector are charging Californians more than double what they take in elsewhere. It would be perverse to give this industry more subsidies." The groups include: Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Biofuelwatch California Nurses for Environmental Health and Justice Center for Biological Diversity Center for Environmental Health CERBAT Clean Water Action Climate Hawks Vote Climate Health Now Climate Reality Project Orange County Chapter Climate Reality Project, San Fernando Valley Chapter Consumer Watchdog ContraCosta MoveOn Courage California Elected Officials to Protect America Climate Justice Action, First UU of SD Food & Water Watch Friends Committee on Legislation of California Glendale Environmental Coalition Greenpeace Indivisible Marin Local Clean Energy Alliance Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy Ocean Conservations Research Oil and Gas Action Network Pacifica Climate Committee Pelican Media PowerCA Action Resource Renewal Institute Rise Economy Rodeo Citizens Association RootsAction San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility SanDiego350 Santa Cruz Climate Action Network SEE (Social Eco Education) Sierra Club California Sunflower Alliance Sustainable Mill The Climate Reality Project San Diego Transition Sebastopol Voting 4 Climate & Health West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs Working Families Party 350 Bay Area Action 350 Humboldt 350 Sacramento 350 Santa Barbara "We urge you, instead, to insist that the Administration finish the job it started and that the legislature directed it to do in special sessions in 2023 and 2024: propound rules for a price gouging penalty, finalize and enforce the ABX2-1 re-supply inventory rule and begin the minimum inventory rule-making. In addition, we call on you to reject rollbacks to refinery process safety management (PSM) rules which protect refinery workers and communities while preventing sudden outages that trigger price shocks." The gross margins are what the refiners keep after the cost of crude oil, environmental fees, and taxes are deducted. The only refiner cost included in the gross margin is the operating costs for the refinery, which are reported by the refiners to the SEC at about 20 cents per gallon. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
California leaders approve budget to close $12bn deficit in blow to progressive causes
California lawmakers on Friday approved a budget that pares back a number of progressive priorities, including a landmark healthcare expansion for low-income adult immigrants without legal status, to close a $12bn deficit. It's the third year in a row the nation's most populous state has been forced to slash funding or stop some of the programs championed by Democratic leaders. This year's $321bn spending plan was negotiated by legislative leaders and the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. Newsom is expected to sign the budget. But it will be void if lawmakers don't send him legislation to make it easier to build housing by Monday. The budget avoids some of the most devastating cuts to essential safety net programs, state leaders said. They mostly relied on using state savings, borrowing from special funds and delaying payments to plug the budget hole. California also faces potential federal cuts to healthcare programs and broad economic uncertainty that could force even deeper cuts. Newsom in May estimated that federal policies – including on tariffs and immigration enforcement – could reduce state tax revenue by $16 bn. 'We've had to make some tough decisions,' Mike McGuire, the senate president pro tempore, said on Friday. 'I know we're not going to please everyone, but we're doing this without any new taxes on everyday Californians.' Republican lawmakers said they were left out of budget negotiations. They also criticized Democrats for not doing enough to address future deficits, which could range between $17bn to $24bn annually. 'We're increasing borrowing, we're taking away from the rainy day fund, and we're not reducing our spending,' said Tony Strickland, a Republican state senator, prior to the vote. 'And this budget also does nothing about affordability in California.' Here's a look at spending in key areas: Under the budget deal, California will stop enrolling new adult patients without legal status in its state-funded healthcare program for low-income people starting in 2026. The state will also implement a $30 monthly premium in July 2027 for immigrants remaining on the program, including some with legal status. The premiums would apply to adults under 60 years old. The changes to the program, known as Medi-Cal, are a scaled-back version of Newsom's proposal in May. Still, it's a major blow to an ambitious program started last year to help the state inch closer to a goal of universal health care. A Democratic state senator, María Elena Durazo, broke with her party and voted 'no' on the healthcare changes, calling them a betrayal of immigrant communities. The deal also removes $78m in funding for mental health phone lines, including a program that served 100,000 people annually. It will eliminate funding that helps pay for dental services for low-income people in 2026 and delay implementation of legislation requiring health insurance to cover fertility services by six months to 2026. But lawmakers also successfully pushed back on several proposed cuts from Newsom that they called 'draconian'. The deal secures funding for a program providing in-home domestic and personal care services for some low-income residents and Californians with disabilities. It also avoids cuts to Planned Parenthood. Lawmakers agreed to let the state tap $1bn from its cap-and-trade program to fund state firefighting efforts. The cap-and-trade program is a market-based system aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Companies have to buy credits to pollute, and that money goes into a fund lawmakers are supposed to tap for climate-related spending. Newsom wanted to reauthorize the program through 2045, with a guarantee that $1bn would annually go to the state's long-delayed high-speed rail project. The budget doesn't make that commitment, as lawmakers wanted to hash out spending plans outside of the budget process. The rail project currently receives 25% of the cap-and-trade proceeds, which is roughly $1bn annually depending on the year. Legislative leaders also approved funding to help transition part-time firefighters into full-time positions. Many state firefighters only work nine months each year, which lawmakers said harms the state's ability to prevent and fight wildfires. The deal includes $10m to increase the daily wage for incarcerated firefighters, who earn $5.80 to $10.24 a day currently. The budget agreement will provide $80m to help implement a tough-on-crime initiative voters overwhelmingly approved last year. The measure makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders, increases penalties for some drug charges and gives judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges into treatment. Most of the fund, $50m, will help counties build more behavioral health beds. Probation officers will get $15m for pre-trial services and courts will receive $20m to support increased caseloads. Advocates of the measure – including sheriffs, district attorneys and probation officers – said that's not enough money. Some have estimated it would take around $400m for the first year of the program. Newsom and lawmakers agreed to raise the state's film tax credit from $330m to $750m annually to boost Hollywood. The program, a priority for Newsom, will start this year and expire in 2030. The budget provides $10m to help support immigration legal services, including deportation defense. But cities and counties won't see new funding to help them address homelessness next year, which local leaders said could lead to the loss of thousands of shelter beds. The budget also doesn't act on Newsom's proposal to streamline a project to create a massive underground tunnel to reroute a big part of the state's water supply.
Politico
4 days ago
- Business
- Politico
California's signature climate policies face a new foe: Democrats
SACRAMENTO, California — President Donald Trump is threatening California's marquee carbon-trading program. But it's in-state Democrats who are taking aim at the state's other emissions market for transportation fuels. Credit prices in California's low-carbon fuels market dropped $4 per ton Tuesday morning on the recognition of a credible threat in SB 237, a bill introduced overnight that would cap prices instead of letting them rise as planned in service of encouraging refiners to sell more biofuels, electricity and other non-fossil fuels. This isn't some potshot from marginalized Republicans — it's a bill from seven Democratic senators during the thick of the state's legislative session, blessed by Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire. 'This critical legislation will reduce costs for drivers across the Golden State while continuing to move our climate and energy goals full steam ahead,' McGuire said in a statement. And it's not all moderate Democrats, either — besides Sens. Tim Grayson, Anna Caballero and Melissa Hurtado, Sen. Jesse Arreguín, a former Berkeley mayor, is signed on, as is Sen. Jerry McNerney, a freshman and eight-term U.S. House member who was known for being Congress' 'science guy.' The bill is a grab bag of measures to address gas prices, along the lines of another sprawling affordability bill this session, Sen. Josh Becker's SB 254. In addition to capping credit prices at roughly $75 per ton, with increases pegged to inflation, it would also push state officials to ditch California's unique, lower-emission gasoline blend in favor of a broader, West-wide standard. It would also offer refiners a 'one-stop shop' for environmental permitting and impose more state oversight of any future rules that affect retail fuel prices. It's already triggering some odd-bedfellows alliances. The petroleum industry's main trade group, the Western States Petroleum Association, supports it — but so do environmental justice advocates who have long opposed the fuel market's incentives for dairy farms that capture their methane emissions and sell it for electricity. So does at least one sitting member of the state agency that put the policy in place. 'This isn't a surrender,' said Dean Florez, a member of the California Air Resources Board and a former state lawmaker from Bakersfield. 'It's a reality check. When credit prices spike so high they quietly tack 85 cents onto a gallon of gas, people stop believing that the green future includes them.' But other environmentalists are concerned about losing another climate policy in the state's toolbox, right after Trump revoked the state's permission to enforce its nation-leading electric vehicle targets. 'Why would we handcuff ourselves by not using a key policy to address transportation, the single largest emitting sector in California?' asked Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California director for the Environmental Defense Fund. For Gov. Gavin Newsom — who's beat up on oil companies but then instructed his California Energy Commission to try to keep refiners from leaving after two of them subsequently announced departure plans — the bill could cut both ways. (Newsom's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.) It puts a spotlight on the state's perpetually high gas prices and reopens a wound from last year, when lawmakers hit CARB over its admission and subsequent walkback of its estimate that the program could raise gas prices by 47 cents per gallon. But it could also help close another wound from last year, when neighboring governors whose states depend on California gas publicly complained about Newsom's bill to have refiners keep more supplies on hand in the event of outages. There's surprisingly wide agreement that California's custom blend of gasoline, formulated to reduce smog in the summer, might not need to be so uniquely tailored. Dan Sperling, a former CARB board member and director of the University of California, Davis' Institute for Transportation Studies, said broadening the market to align with the fuel used in other Western states would bring down prices and reduce the impact of refinery closures, while having minimal impacts on emissions. 'If you can make some minor modifications and open up the market to more refiners outside California, then the concern about refiners leaving goes away,' he said. Grayson acknowledged things could change. 'Details of the policy are up for negotiation, but I will be fighting to ensure that we get needed change for Californians who are fed up with our fuel economy,' he said in a statement. But the mere fact of the bill is already juicing conversations about how it could interact with the ongoing negotiations to reauthorize the state's other carbon price, its cap-and-trade program. Environmental justice advocates are hoping it will count as a win for industry and moderate Democrats so they'll soften their opposition to proposed cap-and-trade changes like eliminating offsets. 'It's not really benefiting us and it is costing us, and we'd rather see that [price] go down than cap and trade go down,' said Katie Valenzuela, a consultant for environmental justice groups. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO's California Climate newsletter.
Politico
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
SCOOP: McGuire plans to stay until 2026
Presented by California Environmental Voters THE BUZZ: TAKE YOUR TIME — California Senate insiders are jonesing to know when the chamber might select its next leader. But Mike McGuire is in no rush to share his plans, even as he's raked in more than $221,000 this year to run for another office. McGuire, the Senate president pro tem who's termed out of the Legislature next year, is signaling he doesn't expect to announce a transition plan until 2026, an adviser familiar with his thinking revealed exclusively to Playbook. 'The pro tem has made it clear to his colleagues and caucus that he intends to lead the Senate into next year,' the adviser said. 'Doing this job, and doing it well, is his sole focus. There will be time in 2026 for him to decide what's next, and at that point he'll work with his caucus — just as he always does — to determine next steps.' McGuire may not be ready to plot his exit, but the contest to lead the Senate is taking shape around him. And his ideal timeline stands in direct conflict with some senators eager to solidify the chamber's top ranks. Rumblings about jockeying for votes intensified in recent weeks — and the likelihood of a leadership fight coming to a head by late summer is now an open question, according to Capitol insiders familiar with dynamics of the chamber, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. Four senators have been the focus of internal discussions: Lena Gonzalez, Angelique Ashby, Monique Limón and Steve Padilla. None has officially declared their candidacy, though their aspirations are well known within the caucus. The unease about McGuire's plans comes as he's raked in contributions via his campaign committee for state insurance commissioner. McGuire hasn't said if that's the job he wants; he's also a potential contender for longtime Rep. Mike Thompson's seat in the North Bay Area, whenever he retires. Kevin de León, a former pro tem who served nearly four years before running for the U.S. Senate in 2018, said he cautions McGuire about trying to hold onto legislative power while running for a higher office. 'In the words of Mick Jagger — you can't always get what you want,' de León told Playbook in a text. 'Sometimes you just need to pick a damn lane to get what you want.' The people familiar with Senate dynamics said they generally agree there will be no push to force the question before the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom work out a deal to resolve the state's $12 billion budget deficit. Lawmakers must pass a budget by June 15 — or go without pay. The real challenge for McGuire is what comes after the budget and lawmakers' summer recess. A fellow Democratic senator needs 16 votes — a majority of the 30 Senate Democrats — to force an internal caucus vote. By publicizing a timeline, McGuire could have a harder time saving face (and buying more time) should his colleagues move to replace him sooner. And if McGuire resists a quicker timeline, he would effectively be asking senators to not repeat his own leadership play from two years ago, when he gathered the votes needed to broker a transition with former President Pro Tem Toni Atkins earlier than she had expected. Steve Maviglio, a veteran Democratic strategist, said a key frustration for some inside the Capitol seems to be that McGuire's plans could force the caucus to deal with a leadership shakeup in an election year. Democrats in the state Senate lost a seat to Republicans last year, and the pro tem is charged with leading caucus fundraising. 'You can't do that if you're raising money yourself,' said Maviglio, an Ashby ally. 'The sooner he makes his decision, the better it will be for the Senate because the Assembly already has a longtime leader.' GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. 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 dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. CAMPAIGN YEAR(S) FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DOWN THE BALLOT — Former state Sen. Steven Bradford is exiting the lieutenant governor's contest to run for state insurance commissioner, moving into an emptier field but vying for one of the most vexing jobs in California politics. Bradford, a Gardena native who served on his home city council and in the Legislature for 14 years, had long been rumored to be considering the move down the ballot. But his launch officially thins the lieutenant governor's field, where more Democrats could still join Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs — particularly if former Vice President Kamala Harris gets in the governor's race and sends other Democrats looking for a landing spot down the ballot. Bradford, a Democrat, could be pitted against McGuire if — and that's a sizable 'if' — the Senate leader uses his open committee to run for the insurance job. The office, namely term-limited Commissioner Ricardo Lara, has drawn increased scrutiny as wildfires and other climate disasters put intense strain on the insurance market. Bradford's campaign pointed to the Los Angeles fires, the exodus of insurers and the difficulty of securing affordable policies in California as motivators for him entering the race. 'It's critical that California establishes a stable marketplace that can attract and maintain a business environment so that insurance companies can compete here,' Bradford said in a statement. 'At the same time, we need to ensure that consumers are not priced out, that they get the coverage they need, that it's fair, equitable and adequately covers their needs.' Bradford was a member of California's first-in-the-nation reparations task force and chaired the state legislative Black Caucus. He also chaired several committees as a legislator, including Senate Energy Utilities and Communications as well as Assembly Utilities and Commerce before term limits stopped him from running for the Senate again in 2024. SAN DIEGO CORY IN THE HOUSE — Before speaking at the California Democratic Party Convention in Anaheim on Saturday, Sen. Cory Booker is stopping in San Diego today to stump for board of supervisors candidate Paloma Aguirre — who is running to restore Democratic control to the panel. The officials plan to stop at the Tijuana River, through which sewage seeps from Mexico into San Diego County, posing a concern to residents more widespread than the odor. 'The health and safety of these communities have been ignored for far too long,' Booker said in a statement. 'I'm here to see it firsthand, to stand with local leaders like Mayor Aguirre, and to push for the federal action this crisis demands.' Aguirre, now mayor of Imperial Beach, is running against Chula Vista's Republican Mayor John McCann in a July 1 runoff election for a vacant seat after neither candidate won outright during an April special election. The board of supervisors is deadlocked on partisan issues including immigration, with two Democrats and two Republicans. CLIMATE AND ENERGY THE MUSK EFFECT — Elon Musk already played a lead role in killing California's electric vehicle mandate, and now he's giving state officials headaches as he leaves the Trump administration. Read last night's California Climate to see how Musk has turned Democrats against California's EV policies. TOP TALKERS CLASS DISMISSED — The San Francisco Unified School District will back off of the 'Grading for Equity' initiative, a plan to have about 10 percent of the district's teachers align grades closer to learning outcomes rather than factors like attendance and participation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. 'It's clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal,' said Superintendent Maria Su. 'We want to make sure any changes benefit our students. I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community.' SOMETHING'S IN THE AIR — Scientists from University of California San Diego have discovered that pollutants from the raw sewage in the Tijuana River are polluting the air near the U.S.-Mexico border, the Los Angeles Times reports. They found, for example, that sea spray aerosols contain illicit drugs and drug byproducts that are found in human urine. AROUND THE STATE — Rep. David Valadao's constituents protested his vote for a budget megabill that includes Medicaid cuts outside several of his district offices this week. (The Fresno Bee) — San Diego will analyze how the city can remedy funding disparities between recreation centers in southern and northern parts of the city. (The San Diego Union Tribune) — Morro Bay's City Council voted to move forward with an environmental review of a controversial roundabout, potentially giving the project a second life. (The San Luis Obispo Tribune) PLAYBOOKERS SPOTTED: WEDDING BELLS — Public affairs pro and former Newsom comms aide Alex Stack married political fundraiser Naomi Jefferson in Edinburgh over the weekend. The weekend kicked off Friday with a welcome party that included Scottish country dance at the royal Edinburgh castle and culminated in a festive affair in a 14th century crypt surrounded by friends and family (and nearly all men in kilts). Other guests include Newsom alums Priscilla Cheng, Tonya Lamont, Joey Freeman, Nathan Click and Sepi Esfahlani, LA Mayor Karen Bass comms head Zach Seidl, digital consultant Alf LaMont and SEIU USWW communications aide Sebastian Silva. SPOTTED: CAPITOL MEOW-MENT — Assemblymember Alex Lee and his staff love cats so much that they recently turned 'Donut Fridays' at the Capitol Swing Space into a feline fest. Last Friday was Team Lee's turn to host the weekly gathering and provide breakfast bites. Naturally, they created a 'Cat Cafe' and invited staffers to submit their pets in a 'Cutest Cat Photo Competition.' Mr. Richard, whose parent is Eddie Kirby in Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens' office, took home first place honors. PEOPLE MOVES — Judith Gutierrez is now the American Heart Association's state government relations director. She was most recently communications director for Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. Zane Barnes, San Jose's chief intergovernmental relations officer, is departing for a new position as the vice president for government relations at Austin Capital Metro in Texas. BIRTHDAYS — Beth Miller at Miller Public Affairs Group … TV producer Mitchell Hurwitz … consultant Todd Flournoy … Dayna Geldwert at Meta … Nkiruka Catherine Ohaegbu at Adaptive Strategies Consulting … BELATED B-DAY WISHES — Chris Fadeff at Galvanize Climate Solutions 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.
