California Politics: Newsom frames today’s inauguration as denunciation of Jan. 6 attacks

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Two years ago today, supporters of former President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in what was the worst attack on the seat of government in more than 200 years, breaking America’s tradition of peaceful transfers of power. The Jan. 6, 2021 riots prevented Congress from authorizing the election of Joe Biden, leaving several dead and injuring more than 100 police officers.

It was a terrifying day for America.

Or was it?

American sentiment about the date is overwhelmingly divided along partisan lines, according to The New York Times. New poll conducted by YouGov At the request of The Times. 48% of Democrats said his January 6, 2021, was a “tragic day” for America, while his 12% of Republicans called it so. A third of Republicans said it was neither a good day nor a bad day for America.

By contrast, pollsters found little partisan disagreement on other historic attacks: 42% of Democrats and 43% of Republicans said the assassination of President John F. He called it a “tragic day.” And 9/11 was a “tragic day” for America in the views of 70% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans.

The Jan. 6 divide formed the backdrop to today’s inauguration of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who said he had “a peaceful response to the violent riots and attacks on our democracy that took place two years ago.” claimed as a contrast.

Newsom took the oath of office personally on Monday, although the state constitution stipulates that the governor must “take office” on the Monday following January 1 after the election. An inauguration is more of a public celebration than a legally mandated event. Newsom’s decision to publicly begin his second term on this anniversary was therefore a political choice and a reflection of his desire to take the national stage as a warrior of the Left. .

“This is performative stunt politics,” said Bill Warren, a Hoover Institution fellow and speechwriter for former Republican Governor Pete Wilson. “The inauguration should be positive and prescient, but he’s doing the opposite by calling January 6th.”

This is Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bureau Chief of The Times. His inauguration day begins this morning with the governor marching through downtown Sacramento to the state capitol, where he delivers a speech. My colleagues and I will be covering it all, so check back later on latimes.com for full coverage of the event.

speakerless house

California’s most prominent Republican congressman spent the week fighting for his political life.Historic conflict over whether Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy will get enough votes to become chairman again Revealing divisions within the Republican Party pitting the ultra-right against the rightEven Trump’s endorsement of McCarthy hasn’t convinced hardliners who don’t want him to head the House.

It was shocking to see.

McCarthy’s Identity as a political climber Aspiring to one day become Speaker of the House, he has been a defining feature since being elected to the California Legislature 20 years ago and quickly becoming the leader of the Republican Party. At the time, McCarthy shared a house with other Republican lawmakers in Sacramento that acted as a sort of clubhouse for a caucus, complete with pool tables, poker he tables, and barbecues. He invited lawmakers to use flash cards to make sure they had mastered the parliamentary rules of procedure. So, he told me in an interview a few years agowhile everyone else was relaxing with card games and billiards, he kept an eye on everything, asking what happened at the committee that day.

In Washington, McCarthy became known for hanging pictures of caucus members on the walls of his office.Now, after 20 years of helping the Republican Party win, and thus helping himself to power, McCarthy’s career is about to take off. Torpedo by Slim Minority of the House Republicans.

it’s the law

The start of a new year is a constant reminder of how important the work being done in Sacramento is, with hundreds of new state laws coming into force.

In case you missed it during the holidays, here are some fascinating stories of how Californians are taking advantage of state laws signed into law over the past few years.

• 2020 law to give to adults spurred more time to sue about childhood sexual abuse thousands of lawsuits filed For schools, religious organizations, sports organizations, and non-profit organizations.
• Long-secret records of police misconduct, including details of when officers made illegal arrests and searches, used unjustified or excessive force, and discriminated against, will become law in 2021. Published inHave a look at this What Those Records Revealed in San Diego.
• woman called He was granted parole after spending 32 years in prison for a violent robbery he committed when he was 18. California law under 2019 law “Felony Murder” RulesLanza Marshall was eligible to vacate the attempted murder conviction. Because she had no intention of killing anyone, nor was she a major participant in the underlying felony.
• California civil rights authorities Sued two landlords in Sacramento, alleging that it unlawfully harassed and evicted tenants for paying through Section 8 vouchers. This is the first lawsuit filed by the state civil rights department under a 2020 law that makes it illegal for landlords to refuse to accept tenants paying with subsidies like Section 8.

that’s *not* the law

Two of Newsom’s most interesting vetoes from last year were: Block Bills Regulating Cryptocurrencies When stop efforts to prevent drug overdoses By allowing a handful of cities to set up clinics where addicts can inject drugs under medical supervision. .

• The fate of overdose prevention in California will likely be decided in the coming weeks by one woman — San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Columnist Anita Chhabria reports: “Breed will either bow to state and federal laws and the vociferous disapproval of the crackdown crowd to open another safe-consumption site, or it will bow to mounting political pressure and not do so. Close future state.”
• In the months since Newom exercised its veto, crypto exchange FTX has filed for bankruptcy, its former CEO has been indicted on multiple federal crimes, and crypto prices have fallen further. Still, Newsom has expressed no regrets about his veto, said in an interview, “California’s approach was a cold one.” Lawmakers in Sacramento were unconvinced and are preparing to try again.

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