Voter fraud in CA?

Good morning! Legislators are back in Sacramento today for the swearing in of their new colleagues. But at the same time, top Republicans are questioning the integrity of some of the state’s election results, forcing the state’s top election official to dismiss the allegations.

Leaders in the state party are concerned about local elections, particularly in one important Orange County state Senate race.

But President-elect Donald Trump fanned the flames by tweeting California was one of three states with “serious” voter fraud. His Sunday tweet followed another sent hours earlier claiming that he’d “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” 

So far, Trump has offered no proof to his claims, which were dismissed in great detail by PolitiFact California. Secretary of State Alex Padilla immediately sent a press release disavowing the claim: “It appears that Mr. Trump is troubled by the fact that a growing majority of Americans did not vote for him. His unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud in California and elsewhere are absurd.”

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte told party officials in an internal email obtained by CalWatchdog that the state has a history of “anomalies” that “deserve further scrutiny.” Brulte added that he believed “most of the government officials charged with ensuring voter and ballot integrity are good people who want to do the right thing.”

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• “A day after halting plans for a strike, state government’s largest employee union announced that it had reached a tentative agreement for a new contract. Neither SEIU Local 1000 nor the state’s Human Resources Department would disclose the deal’s highlights Saturday morning.” The Sacramento Bee has more. 

• “Bay Area elected officials are calling on Rep. Xavier Becerra, named by Gov. Jerry Brown to be the state’s attorney general, to prioritize a criminal investigation into the California Public Utilities Commission,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle. 

• “With President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric on illegal immigration still fresh on their minds, legislative Democrats have readied a pair of proposals they believe will offer some immigrants additional legal help. The bills, set to be introduced on the first day of the new legislative session Monday, primarily aim to bolster the legal representation of immigrants who are in the country illegally and threatened with deportation.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• “Ahead of next month’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, more than two dozen returning and new Democratic members of the California Senate on Friday asked President Obama to enact a ban on new oil drilling off the state’s coast.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

Legislature:

• New legislators will be sworn in today at the Capitol at noon. 

Gov. Brown:

• Hosting the 85th Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony today at 4:30 p.m. on the west steps of the Capitol.
• Press conference with Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, at 11:15 a.m. in the governor’s office in Sacramento. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @mwstafford

U.S./Mexico water negotiations closely watched

Good morning. Happy Hump Day. A deal between the U.S. and Mexico on how to apportion Colorado River water in drought conditions expires next year and negotiators are in overdrive to renew the pact before President Barack Obama leaves office on Jan. 20.

The talks are being closely watched by California officials. The Golden State relies heavily on Colorado River water, with an entitlement to 4.4 million acre-feet a year. That’s enough to supply nearly 9 million households, though a big chunk of the supply is used to irrigate the hundreds of square miles of agricultural fields in Imperial County (pictured) and the Coachella Valley.

Why the rush? Because U.S. and Mexican officials believe a new deal is crucial to preserving fragile Colorado River supplies. 

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• “California officials are pushing back on SEIU Local 1000’s plans for a one-day strike next week, warning employees that they could be subject to disciplinary action if they participate in what the state regards as an unlawful walkout,” writes The Sacramento Bee.

• “The state Supreme Court last week agreed to hear an appeal of a groundbreaking ruling that allows cuts in the pensions earned by current state and local government workers, including judges,” reports Capitol Weekly. 

• “A San Francisco supervisor is proposing more money for lawyers to defend immigrants who face possible deportation under a Trump administration. KCBS radio reports that San Francisco Supervisor David Campos will introduce legislation Tuesday setting aside $5 million from the city’s budget to help pay for lawyers to represent people in deportation proceedings.” The Los Angeles Times/Associated Press has more. 

• And in case you missed it: What a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature in the upcoming session may mean for the state. CalWatchdog has more. 

Legislature:

• Gone till December.

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @richardsstarr

Democrats on verge of supermajority

Good morning! Programming note: Morning Read will go dark Thursday and Friday in honor of Thanksgiving. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Democrat Josh Newman now has a lead of almost 1,400 votes in the Southern California state Senate seat upon which rests Democrats’ chance of a supermajority in the Legislature.

Newman, a political neophyte, had been running behind Republican Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang since Election Day. But Chang’s lead began slipping away recently. 

On Tuesday, Chang clung to a lead of less than 200 votes. By Wednesday evening, Newman had overtaken Chang, stretching his lead to nearly 1,400 votes.

Chang’s camp is undeterred. A campaign spokesman told CalWatchdog they would wait until “the votes were counted.”

“We never declared victory (while Chang had the lead) and I’m not in the mood to declare defeat,” said Jim Nygren, a campaign consultant for Chang.

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news: 

No transportation deal before new legislators are sworn in: “Speculation over a potential last-minute push on a transportation funding plan ended Tuesday, when Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders declared there would be no lame-duck negotiations this month,” reports the Los Angeles Times.

SEIU Local 1000 to strike on day of swear in: “California’s largest state-employee union announced Tuesday that it will go on strike Dec. 5 in response to what union leaders complain is ‘unlawful conduct and egregious unfair labor practices’ during negotiations for a new contract,” reports The Sacramento Bee. 

Harris’ big accomplishment may fall flat: “Incoming U.S. Senator Kamala Harris is facing an embarrassing end to one of her final high-profile prosecutions as California Attorney General, with a court poised to throw out a string of sex trafficking charges against the operators of adult classifieds site Backpage.com.” Buzzfeed has more. 

Initiative to bring many bond measures before voters fails: “California voters have rejected Proposition 53, a November measure to limit the state’s use of revenue bonds to pay for large public works projects that could have undermined Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed twin water tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.” The Sacramento Bee has more. 

Legislature:

• Gone till December (officially).

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mfleming

New follower: @landshark805