Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says that California Gov. Gavin Newsom lacks ‘guts’

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PENNSYLVANIA SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN SAYS GAVIN NEWSOM LACKS ‘GUTS’

Via Maggie Angst...

Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., jabbed Gavin Newsom over the weekend when he criticized California’s governor for failing to own up to his alleged White House ambitions, according to NBC News.

Speaking at an event for the Iowa Democratic Party, Fetterman reportedly said there were two Democrats, in addition to President Joe Biden, “running for president right now.”

“One is a congressman from Minnesota, the other one is the governor of California, but only one has the guts to announce it,” he added, alluding to Newsom.

Newsom has repeatedly denied any interest in the Oval Office, yet continues to take steps to raise his national profile.

He’s following a fundraising strategy often deployed by presidential candidates and recently sat down for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. He’s also scheduled to debate Florida Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis later this month on Fox News.

Newsom campaign spokesperson Nathan Click did not respond to a request for comment regarding Fetterman’s assertions.

The day after Fetterman’s remarks, Newsom’s political action group sent out an email asking for “urgent” contributions to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party before the state’s Tuesday general election.

“With Republican efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the courts and otherwise, these races for state Supreme Court, Superior Court and more are in many ways the first elections of the 2024 presidential race... and in one of the most important states possible,” the email read.

BUILDING UP CALIFORNIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE...FOR CRICKET

Baseball may be America’s pastime, but one California lawmaker is hoping to put the good word in for cricket. Yes, cricket.

Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, announced Monday his intent to file a resolution calling for recognition and support for the internationally beloved sport, which is set to appear at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It is the first time cricket will be played at that level since 1900.

Kalra, the first Indian-American to be elected to the Legislature, said in a statement that “cricket is more than just a sport internationally, especially in South Asian countries where it invokes a sense of national identity and pride, while also requiring tremendous agility, focus, and strategy. As California prepares to host cricket at the 2028 Olympics, we must use this time to raise awareness and ensure we are ready to bring cricket to the ultimate world stage.”

Kalra’s office also called for a feasibility study to assess how the state can best support the sport “in terms of infrastructure and organizational needs” ahead of the Olympic games.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD END TIME CHANGES. FOR REAL THIS TIME.

Sick of springing forward and falling back? Assemblyman Tri Ta, R-Westminster, has a solution.

The Republican lawmaker on Monday announced his intention to file a bill to stop the changes and lock California into year-round standard time.

“Changing clocks twice a year is not only frustrating, but it’s dangerous for drivers and contributes to our state’s mental and physical health crises every year,” the assemblyman said in a statement.

The proposal might have some political juice.

California voters in 2018 voted 59% to give state lawmakers the authority to do just that, with Proposition 7.

“When voters passed Proposition 7 overwhelmingly in 2018, they did not expect the Legislature to stall the will of the voters by refusing to take up this important measure,” Ta said. “This legislation makes good on a promise that California voters decided on long before I was in office. It’s been 5 years, and now that I’m here in Sacramento, I’m going to hold government accountable and take action.”

But while the proposal might have public support, it may still prove a heavy lift in the Legislature — it will need to pass with a two-thirds vote in both houses and survive Newsom’s veto pen before it could become law. If it gets that far, it would go into effect in 2025.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The data is clear: Domestic violence abusers should not have firearms. When an abuser has access to a firearm, it endangers the safety and lives of those around them. Violence is not an accident. It is also not inevitable, and it can be prevented.”

- California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement announcing the release of a study linking domestic violence to gun violence.

Best of The Bee:

• Gov. Gavin Newsom put a long-debated water storage project north of Sacramento on the fast track for approval Monday, using his power under new infrastructure laws to accelerate development and reduce regulatory hurdles, via Ari Plachta.

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta has agreed to investigate the decision by the Calaveras County District Attorney to drop charges against an indicted priest found liable for numerous sex crimes against children, via Joe Rubin.

• Last week, a California man charged with driving across the country with an AR-15 and body armor while threatening to kill President Joe Biden and others won a slight delay in his case, via Sam Stanton.

• Adam Schiff’s Senate campaign had $32.1 million on hand at the end of last month, nearly three times as much as his closest rival, Katie Porter. But is the big advantage going to help Schiff — or make him a fat target for opponents and critics who say he’s too tied to monied interests? Money is usually a big advantage in politics, not always, via David Lightman.

• Late last month, lawyers in Oakland clashed during a hearing over the fate of hundreds of federal lawsuits from California and many other states. The cases accuse social media companies of employing design features that entice young people to compulsively use their platforms, leading to mental and physical harm, via Stephen Hobbs.

• A former Sacramento LGBT Community Center employee alleges that the nonprofit violated a dozen labor laws on pay, reimbursements, workplace safety and breaks in a new lawsuit, via Cathie Anderson.

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday released a report on the links between domestic violence and shootings, one day before the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case that could restrict the power of federal lawmakers to regulate gun possession nationwide, via Rosalio Ahumada.