Other Organization Updates
October 8, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Oil Spill
Southern California beaches are covered in crude oil after the rupture of a pipeline from an off-shore oil rig. Orange County beaches are currently closed as crews attempt to prevent further damage and clean up the spill.
October 1, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
School Vaccine Requirement
Earlier this morning, Governor Newsom announced that all California students will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine if attending in-person classes. The mandate applies to kids in public and private schools alike and will take effect once the vaccine has been officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
September 24, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Tackling Climate Change
Governor Newsom signed a package of climate measures yesterday that makes a $15 billion investment to tackle the climate change crisis in California.
September 17, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Newsom Defeats Recall
Governor Gavin Newsom decisively defeated the effort to recall him. Within about 30 minutes of the polls closing on Tuesday, the election was called for the Governor. Nearly 10 million votes were cast in the recall election and, per the Secretary of State’s current tally, an overwhelming 63.6% of voters voted to oppose the recall. This win gives Newsom significant momentum leading up to his 2022 gubernatorial reelection, where we do not expect him to draw a serious challenger.
September 10, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Turn Out the Lights
The legislature wrapped up the first year of the 2021-22 legislative session today. Weideman Group helped secure a number of legislative victories in the final days of session, including:
September 3, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Newsom Creating Separation
A recent recall poll was released by the Public Policy Institute of California showing that 58% of likely California voters oppose the recall of Governor Newsom compared to 39% who favor it. These are welcome numbers for the Governor, who had seen polls narrowing up until recently.
August 27, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Suspenseful
Senate and Assembly Appropriations committees dispensed with hundreds of bills from their suspense files this week, sending many to the floor and permanently shelving dozens of others. A bill is put on suspense if it has more than a negligible fiscal impact to the state. It can only survive suspense with the support of the Appropriations Chair and the leader of the house.
August 20, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Boosters on the Way
The Western States Vaccine Advisory Group is recommending that people with compromised immune systems receive a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
August 13, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Back to Session
The Legislature will return from summer recess on Monday for the last few weeks of the legislative session. There are hundreds of pending bills in both houses and many of these must first clear the fiscal committee before receiving a full house vote.
August 6, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Wildfire Response
Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Siskiyou, Nevada and Placer counties as a result of the Antelope and River fires. By declaring a state of emergency, the state is able to tap into an abundance of mutual aid, including FEMA grants, that will bolster response efforts. The two fires combined have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres and numerous structures in Northern California.
August 1, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Energy Emergency Proclamation
Governor Newsom issued an emergency proclamation this afternoon to allow energy projects to be expedited in order to relieve demand on the grid as extreme weather events continue to stress the state’s power supply. The proclamation suspends a number of regulatory requirements in an effort to bring more energy onto the grid in a short period of time. For example, the proclamation allows large energy consumers to relieve demand on the grid by moving to backup generation by suspending specific permitting requirements.
July 23, 2021
Weideman Group Weekly
Newsom’s Billions
In a campaign style tour around the state, Governor Newsom has been highlighting a series of budget investments he inked in the last few weeks.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
July 16, 2021
Health Information Exchange
The Legislature passed and sent to the Governor another round of budget “trailer bills” this week. One of the bills is AB 133, a measure that mandates the sharing of health information among health plans, health systems and providers.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
July 13, 2021
Drought Response
With drought conditions intensifying, Governor Gavin Newsom extended the state’s emergency drought declaration to an additional 9 counties – San Luis Obispo, Inyo, Marin, Mono, Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz – bringing the total to 50 out of 58 counties.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
July 1, 2021
Show Me the Money
The legislature passed a package of budget bills, some of which have already been signed by the Governor, just in time for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to begin. Highlights of the package include investments to fund universal school meals for all students, expansion of Medi-Cal coverage to all income eligible Californians 50 years or older regardless of immigration status, $6 billion for broadband infrastructure, and $8.1 billion in direct stimulus payments to Californians making under $75,000 a year.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
June 28, 2021
Capitol Access
The Legislature announced updated workplace COVID-19 rules designed to maintain safe access to the Capitol building. Legislators, staff, and the public are required to wear masks in shared spaces (elevators, hallways, committee rooms, restrooms) regardless of their vaccination status and are encouraged to maintain physical distance.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
June 18, 2021
Deal or No Deal
The Legislature passed a placeholder budget this week in order to meet the constitutional deadline of June 15th to pass a balanced budget. AB 128 (Ting) is the Legislature’s bicameral budget proposal, but it does not represent a budget deal with the Governor. Negotiations between the Governor and legislative leadership are ongoing around a final budget package that the Governor will actually sign.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
June 11, 2021
Reopen California
On Tuesday next week, California will move past the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and reopen after more than a year of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While larger congregate events or mega events are still discouraged, most businesses and activities will be allowed to resume at full capacity with little or no restrictions. The Newsom administration will begin the process of winding down various executive orders that waive statutes and regulations.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
June 5, 2021
House of Origin Deadline
The Legislature dispensed with hundreds of bills ahead of today’s house of origin deadline. All bills that made it out of their house of origin by today will now move to the opposite house for consideration in the coming months. Bills that didn’t make it out of their house of origin by today will be eligible to move in January 2022, unless it is a measure that was defeated in committee.
Weideman COVID-19 Update
June 2, 2021
Vax for the Win
Governor Newsom announced Vax for the Win, a $116.5 million incentive program to help increase vaccination rates as the state approaches its June 15th reopening target date. Under the program, a lottery will award 10 lucky Californians that have at least had their first vaccine shot $1.5 million each and 30 people will win $50,000.