They also passed a bill to get the bond issues on the Nov. 5 ballot by calling a simultaneous special election — and to determine the order many of the propositions will appear. The Senate approved it on a 31-8 party line vote.
Barreling through interruptions and shouts from pro-Palestinian protestors in the gallery, just after 7 p.m., the Assembly gave final approval to that election measure on a 54-6 vote. With that, legislators set the final list of 10 propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot, after a series of 11th-hour additions and subtractions .
To find out more about the measures — and about how propositions work in California and their history — read our newly updated explainer .
Republicans who support the Prop. 47 repeal already on the ballot celebrated, and promoted the bipartisan retail theft bill package introduced in June (which will be taken up by the Legislature in August).
Assembly GOP leader James Gallagher of Chico, in a statement: “Together, we as legislators have crafted a retail theft package to be proud of. It went through a transparent process, has bipartisan support and will provide much needed public safety reforms. These bills are 100% our work, not the governor’s.”
Who’s in charge: With Newsom in Washington, D.C. (more on that later), and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis also out of the state due to personal matters, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire of Santa Rosa was next in the line of succession and stepped in Wednesday as acting governor. So it fell to him to sign the election-related bills into law Wednesday night.
McGuire also issued a statement reassuring Californians that state officials are “on high alert as record-setting temperatures and challenging fire conditions set in across a wide swath of the Golden State.” More on that below, too.
More ways to get CalMatters news: We now have an app, available for both iPhone and Android users. You’ll get a notification each morning about the day’s top stories, and you’ll be the first to know about important breaking news. And we can send you text alerts on our latest investigations, election coverage and more. Sign up here .
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Fireworks and wildfires
A fireworks stand in Vernon on July 2, 2024. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters
At a press conference Tuesday, state Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said residents should avoid setting off fireworks near flammable objects or vegetation.
Berlant: “The dry grass, the vegetation across the state, coupled with triple-digit temperatures and the wind is a perfect recipe for a disaster.”
Berlant has reason to be on alert: As of Wednesday evening, Cal Fire reported 27 active wildfires.
One of the biggest is the Thompson Fire in Butte County. Roughly 1,400 firefighters have been dispatched, but it was only 7% contained. About 28,000 residents in the area were ordered to evacuate, and so were staff at the Hyatt Powerplant at Oroville Dam. The power plant remains offline and the dam’s main spillway has reopened “to maintain water releases and temperature control,” according to the Department of Water Resources.
The National Weather Service has also issued red flag warnings for critical fire weather conditions in areas of northern California, stretching north from Shasta County down to Santa Cruz County.
Under such conditions, the risk from errant fireworks is especially high. Though some types of fireworks are legal in many California cities, such as sparklers and noisemakers, projectiles and explosive fireworks are prohibited statewide. Many illegal fireworks in California come from Nevada, prompting the biggest seller of legal fireworks to lobby California officials to make a deal with Nevada.
Also, check out CalMatters’ wildfire tracker for live updates on active fires, a FAQ and other information. And find out more on wildfires in our updated explainer .
Garvey backs Trump, Newsom all in for Biden
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey fields questions during his election night party in Palm Springs on March 5, 2024. Photo by Gregory Bull, AP Photo Credit: AP
Leading up to the March primary, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey repeatedly refused to say directly whether he would vote for former President Donald Trump in November.
That prompted this zinger from Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in the first debate : “Once a Dodger, always a dodger.”
After advancing to the November election, this week the former Los Angeles Dodgers star confirmed that he voted for Trump in the March 5 primary and that he plans to do so in November, after also supporting Trump in 2016 against President Joe Biden.
Garvey , to John Fenoglio of KTLA : “I think that he’s the most capable of the two candidates at this time.”
Not only that, Garvey jumped on the bandwagon suggesting Biden should step aside after last week’s disastrous debate.
Garvey , to Elex Michaelson of Fox LA : “I don’t think our eyes deceive us. … He’s clearly at a point in his life where he needs to step down.”
Where’s Newsom? Gov. Newsom joined other Democratic governors Wednesday at the White House to back the president, Newsom’s latest public show of support for Biden .
Newsom , in a social media post , after the closed-door meeting: “I heard three words from the president — he’s all in. And so am I. Joe Biden’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his.”
The governor is now headed for surrogate duty in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire over the holiday weekend.
In another Newsom news nugget, he promoted Wednesday that he’s launching a new podcast to “talk about everything and anything” with two unexpected collaborators — former NFL player Marshawn Lynch and Lynch’s agent Doug Hendrickson.
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: California is a prime example of a one-party rule becoming the norm, leading to political tribalization and America becoming more divided .
Other things worth your time:
Some stories may require a subscription to read.
How the CA-Mexico border changed after Biden’s order limiting asylum // Los Angeles Times
Gun rights group sues to overturn CA firearms excise tax // Sacramento Bee
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