Thursday, August 14, 2025

Democrat Assemblyman Visits 

Assemblyman Corey Jackson toured WECA Riverside this week for a discussion about workforce development and how beneficial it is for young adults to begin adulthood debt-free. On the tour, Assemblyman Jackson heard from a fourth-year WECA electrical apprentice about the great opportunity that apprenticeships are for students. Joined by Dave Everett with WECA’s Government Affairs team, Jackson sat down to learn more about WECA’s commitment to apprenticeship, training, and safety. Thank you, Assemblyman Corey Jackson, for taking time out of your busy schedule in the California State Legislature to learn more about our members and students!

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California’s Lawmakers Love to Talk, But These Eight Barely Say a Word

Since the legislative session began in December, the average lawmaker has spoken for 6.3 hours. But eight lawmakers have talked for around an hour or less – six of them Republicans, who are a superminority in the Legislature, according to a CalMatters Digital Democracy analysis.

Quiet Republicans include a trio of assemblymembers from Orange County and a north state senator. Two other quiet Republicans represent competitive Assembly swing districts in the Inland Empire. A pair of Democratic assemblymembers – one from the San Joaquin Valley, the other representing the Chino area – also have been keeping their thoughts mostly to themselves this year. Story

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Truck Makers Sue California Regulators

According to POLITICO, a group of truck makers sued California regulators on Monday to block an industry agreement on zero-emission sales targets, arguing that the state no longer has authority to enforce its pollution regulations for heavy-duty vehicles.

The suit, filed in U.S. district court for the Eastern District of California, argues that truck manufacturers shouldn't have to abide by the state's sales targets for zero-emission trucks, or a separate voluntary agreement that the truck makers signed with California in 2023, because Congress overturned California’s Advanced Clean Truck rule in June through the Congressional Review Act.

The U.S. Justice Department sent cease-and-desist letters to the California Air Resources Board, but the state agency has continued to try enforcing the rules, the suit says. A CARB spokesperson said the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation.

“Plaintiffs are caught in the crossfire: California demands that [original equipment manufacturers] follow preempted laws; the United States maintains such laws are illegal and orders OEMs to disregard them,” lawyers for Daimler Truck North America LLC, International Motors LLC, Paccar Inc. and Volvo North America LLC wrote. “This situation is not tenable.”

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A Deceptive Ballot Game

John Fleishman recently wrote about AB 699. “Picture this: you’re at the ballot box, scanning a measure called “Better Schools and Roads.” It sounds like a win for the community, but the fine print, tucked away in a voter guide you might never read, reveals a costly tax hike for decades. California’s Assembly Bill 699, racing through Sacramento, wants to make this sleight-of-hand standard. Former State Senator and fiscal watchdog John Moorlach, in an Orange County Register column, puts it bluntly: ‘Assembly Bill 699 makes it easier to pass feel-good tax measures that sound great on the surface but hit your wallet later.’ This isn’t about clarity; it’s about masking costs to sway voters.

AB 699 reflects a deeper issue: the progressive left’s relentless drive for wealth redistribution through ever-higher taxes. Current law, shaped by bipartisan reforms in 2015 and 2017, demands ballot measures disclose tax rates, duration, and revenue. AB 699 would let proponents swap that transparency for vague phrases like “See voter guide for details,” which is the intent. This bill would move critical fiscal impact information from the ballot itself (which everyone reads) over to the voter pamphlet that is mailed out. It’s a deliberate move to obscure the financial impact of bonds and taxes, making it easier to fund sprawling government programs by hiding their true price from voters.

This isn’t Sacramento’s first attempt to dilute ballot transparency. Dan Walters, in a CalMatters column, calls AB 699 part of a ‘political Whack-A-Mole’ game, noting a similar 2019 bill was vetoed by Governor Newsom for reducing openness. Backers, including low-income housing advocates, claim AB 699 helps pass bonds, but its effects stretch to all bond measures, potentially hiding tax hikes. The assumption seems to be that voters are too distracted to dig into voter guides or websites. It’s a tactic that doesn’t just undermine informed choices: it erodes trust in the democratic process.

If lawmakers believe new taxes or bonds are vital, they should make the case openly, rather than rely on vague ballot labels to nudge voters along. AB 699 bets on apathy, assuming people won’t notice they’re signing up for heavier tax burdens. Hiding costs to push an agenda isn’t leadership: it’s manipulation. Transparency isn’t a hurdle to overcome; it’s the foundation of fair governance.

What will Gavin Newsom do? This bill sailed through the State Assembly on the strength of Democratic votes and has gone through a couple of State Senate committees on partisan-line votes. Undoubtedly it will pass out of the liberal upper chamber and head to Newsom’s desk. AB 699 is a test of his priorities as he eyes a future beyond Sacramento, with whispers of presidential ambitions growing louder. In 2019, he vetoed a similar bill, citing the need for transparency. Will he hold that line, appealing to moderate swing voters who handed Trump the presidency over Harris by demanding clarity and accountability? Or will he bend to the progressive delegates who dominate Democratic nominating conventions, eager to fund expansive programs through obscured tax hikes?

Newsom’s decision on AB 699 will be one of many signals as to whether Newsom is playing to the far-left base or betting on the broader electorate’s demand for honesty. Californians deserve a governor who values truth and transparency, not one enabling Sacramento’s tax tricks.

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DOT Restarts EV Charger Funding After Court Blocked Halt

Key provisions from a program designed to develop a national network of electric vehicle charging stations were recently updated by the Trump administration.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Aug. 11 announced a series of modifications and updates meant to reform the Biden-era National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The Department of Transportation’s aim is to further facilitate state agencies’ access to resources for building new EV charging stations.

A federal court blocked an earlier move by the Trump administration to freeze the program, ruling that DOT overstepped its authority and attempted to override the will of Congress. Story

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Valley Candidates Boast Booming War Chests Ahead of 2026 Battles for Legislative Seats

Candidates for the California Legislature have submitted their fundraising reports for the first half of the year, spanning Jan. 1 through June 30.

Senate District 12

Three Republicans are vying for Senate District 12, currently held by Sen. Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield), who will be termed out of office next year.

·      Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig ($446,322.25)

·      Navy veteran and former Congressional candidate Michael Maher ($17,315.77)

·      Kern County Supervisor David Couch ($7,500)

Senate District 14

·      Asm. Esmeralda Soria (D–Fresno) ($338,886.51)

·      Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza ($206,081.25)

Senate District 16

·      Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D–Bakersfield) is the lone candidate to have filed paperwork for the race so far ($136,748.74)

Assembly District 31

The race to succeed Asm. Joaquin Arambula (D–Fresno) includes the following three candidates:

·      Fresno Building Healthy Communities CEO Sandra Celedon ($94,599.02)

·      Fresno City Council member Annalisa Perea ($256,666.29)

·      Republican James Polsgrove ($22,047.69)

Assembly District 27

Soria (D–Fresno) is leaving her spot in the Assembly to run for the State Senate, making it a two-person race so far:

·      Merced Mayor Mike Murphy ($191,417.32)

·      Merced City school board member Priya Lakireddy ($100,050)

Story

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California Supreme Court Backs Solar Companies in Rooftop Payments Fight

The California Supreme Court sided with rooftop solar advocates Thursday in ruling that a lower court gave too much deference to state utility regulators in a legal fight over solar incentives.

The California Supreme Court sent the case back to the Court of Appeals, First Appellate District to reconsider on the merits, agreeing with rooftop solar advocates who argued that the lower court should have applied a 1998 state law that reduced the level of deference the court owed to the California Public Utilities Commission to interpret its own statutory authority.

Thursday's decision also disapproved three other instances when lower courts applied high deference to the regulators in decades-old rulings involving ratepayer advocates and Southern California Edison.

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Acting NLRB General Counsel Issues Guidance for Salting Cases

On July 24, National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel (AGC) William B. Cowen issued Memorandum GC 25-08 (the “Salting Memo”), which provides case processing guidance to the Regions for investigating refusal-to-hire and refusal-to-consider-for-hire cases that arise in the “salting” context. Read More

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ICE Raids Leave the Future of Construction Labor in Limbo

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided an Alabama elementary school construction site on July 23, WKRG5 reported, resulting in the arrest of 11 people.

It’s one of the latest examples of ICE cracking down on jobsites believed to be employing immigrants unauthorized to work in the U.S.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump used heavy anti-immigration rhetoric, but it was tough to know how much the administration would follow through once in control in the White House. That lack of clarity has cleared somewhat, said Anirban Basu, chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors.

Story

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California Approves Landmark AI Employment Regulations

On June 30, 2025, the California Civil Rights Council (“CRC” or “Council”) secured final approval for revisions to Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations, which governs administration of the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). These regulations interpret California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act’s (FEHA) prohibitions against discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotion, training and termination, specifically inserting requirements and expectations when using “artificial intelligence, machine-learning, algorithms, statistics, and/or other data processing” to facilitate human decision-making. These revisions take effect on October 1, 2025, hence creating some urgent compliance needs for employers using AI-based tools in the Golden State. Read More

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More States Grant Unemployment Benefits to Striking Workers

In the span of just 36 days this spring and summer, the number of states offering unemployment benefits to striking workers doubled, to four.

New Jersey was the first to offer such benefits, beginning in 2018. New York followed in 2020.

Then Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed SB 5041 by Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D) on May 19, establishing unemployment insurance benefits for striking workers in the Evergreen State.

“This bill levels the playing field for workers who are fighting for fair wages and working conditions,” Ferguson said in a press release. “Strikes are a last resort, and while they are an important tool for workers, they can be financially debilitating. This bill ensures workers have the resources they need to effectively bargain with their employers.”

Less than a month and a half later, on June 24, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed SB 916 by Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D), providing unemployment benefits for striking workers in the Beaver State.

Story

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News of an Employee’s Arrest or Pending Criminal Charges Poses a Dilemma for California Employers

Every day, the press reports on arrests for one reason or another in California and other states. Many of those arrested have jobs. In turn, the employers of the arrestees in California are confronted with a dilemma: on the one hand, the fact of the arrest may raise concerns about an employee’s suitability for continued employment (e.g., if the employee stands accused of violent, threatening, destructive, or other serious misconduct); on the other hand, state law affords the employee certain rights. Navigating between these competing risks requires careful consideration of the specific circumstances. Read More

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And Finally: Jellyfish Jam Up a Nuclear Power Plant

A jellyfish invasion has taken a French nuclear power plant offline, reports POLITICO. The French company EDF recently announced that jellyfish had entered the cooling system of a plant in Gravelines over the weekend, disabling three of its reactors (no word on who gave them the key). A fourth reactor shut down (the plant’s six reactors each generate 5.4 gigawatts of power). An EDF spokesperson said that the jellyfish only swarmed the “non-nuclear part of the installations” (that’s reassuring, who’d want a swarm of massive radioactive jellyfish?) and that the company is conducting diagnostics and repairs to resume operations. EDF uses water from the North Sea for cooling, where rising temperatures and the overfishing of jellyfish predators have led to an increase in jellyfish populations. Cue the Roger Corman movie.