CalWatchdog Morning Read – December 13

• O.C. congresswoman running for top post in the House
• CA farmers win in federal water bill
• Former Assembly Republican leader tapped for CA GOP vice chair
• More bills coming!
• Women rule L.A. supes board, big difference from Legislature

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Let’s dig in with some news from Washington: Congresswoman Mimi Walters is preparing a run for a high-ranking spot in House Republican leadership, the Irvine Republican confirmed on Monday.

The House Republican chair position is not yet vacant, but with Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers reportedly close to being selected to head the Interior Department in the Trump administration, Walters is locking up support for the #4 spot.

Walters lauded McMorris Rodgers’ “tireless” work on behalf of both her constituents and fellow Republicans, confirmed her own intentions to run for the post if and when it becomes available and said she’d already been seeking support.

“I am humbled by the support I have received in preliminary conversations, and I look forward to speaking with all the members of our Conference,” Walters said.

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• Water: “California’s beleaguered farmers had their hopes for a better 2017 rekindled as landmark water legislation delayed for years finally passed Congress. But the political cost to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a key supporter, has been high, with outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer digging in her heels against the bill and pushing for White House opposition. The strife has underscored the difficulty California Democrats have had in smoothing over internal disagreements over core policy issues that have risen to the surface of contention after years of all but one-party rule in the state.” CalWatchdog has more. 

• Another Republican woman on the rise: “The California Republican Party has picked Kristin Olsen, a former assemblywoman from Modesto, to be its vice chair.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• More bills coming: “Just minutes after taking the oath of office last week, new and returning members of the California Assembly received an early holiday gift, one that no lawmakers in Sacramento have been given for more than two decades. They’ll be able to write more bills, an extra allotment totaling as many as 800 new pieces of legislation that could circulate through the state Capitol before the next election in 2018.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• Women: “At the start of a new legislative season, the number of female elected officials in the state Capitol has dropped to 27 of a total of 120, down from a peak of 37 in 2006. That’s a sharp contrast to Los Angeles County, where the Board of Supervisors, representing the nation’s most populous county, recently installed its first female “supermajority” in history. And just days after four women took their place on the five-member board, the body began tackling a number of key women’s issues.” Politico has more. 

Legislature:

• Gone till January.

Gov. Brown:

• In Coronado at 9:30 a.m. From event announcement: “Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join regional leaders from around the world tomorrow in Coronado to launch the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification, which will work to protect coastal communities and economies from the effects of rising ocean acidity.”

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