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Labor closes in on landmark wins



MANY LABORS: Deal by deal, SEIU California is maneuvering its way to a prolific finish.

End of session is always a frenetic melee of interest groups seeking amendments and working votes. But few players have had as many balls in the air this year as SEIU, and the labor juggernaut is closing in on multiple wins.

The union group has forged a deal with fast food corporations that neutralizes an industry referendum while boosting wages and preserving a (diminished) labor council. Getting that done required passing a bill allowing groups to pull referendums; Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed SEIU's bill doing that, setting the stage for a final weekend of negotiations. And SEIU is near a pact with medical interests to give health care workers a $25 minimum wage.

That's not the end of it. Neither the fast food nor the health care deal is truly done until the Legislature passes them and Newsom signs them.

But SEIU has another task to achieve: passing a constitutional amendment that would undermine a business-backed ballot initiative making it tougher to raise taxes. The late-emerging ACA-13, SEIU's response to the Taxpayer Protection Act, cleared the Senate Elections Committee this morning en route to a Senate floor vote.

HAPPY MONDAY AFTERNOON! Welcome to California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check of California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to [email protected] or send a shout on Twitter. DMs are open!

BITES WITH THE BUREAU -- Miss our POLITICO coffee truck Monday morning? You're in luck! We'll be serving up breakfast again Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the west lawn of the State Capitol near 10th Street, and on Wednesday at the same time on the corner of 10th and N streets near the building. Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner will be on hand from 9:30 to 10:30. Grab a cup of joe and chat with our California team!

And lawmakers, if you're looking for a spot to take a dinner break Tuesday night, swing by the California Museum for our conversation with Newsom. Food and drinks to follow!

MAKE AN APPEAL: Mark Ridley-Thomas is bringing firepower to appeal his corruption conviction, including one of the University of California's most prominent legal figures.

Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky has joined the former Los Angeles City Council member's legal team, per a notice of appeal filed today. Also added to the team are two attorneys from Los Angeles-based white shoe firms.

At his sentencing last month, Ridley-Thomas expressed regret for seeking favors from the University of Southern California on behalf of his son, but he maintained that his actions were not illegal. Ridley-Thomas is set to report to prison on Nov. 13 to begin his three-and-a-half-year sentence. -- Melanie Mason

FEINSTEIN FRACAS: The judge presiding over the bitter legal drama around Sen. Dianne Feinstein's family finances had a clear message to the parties today: Settle this outside of court, in private.

Superior Court Judge Roger Picquet, presiding over the first public hearing in the case, ordered attorneys for Feinstein and the trustees of her last husband's estate to go to mediation. "I am looking for a global outcome, if we can get it," said Picquet, who was brought in from San Luis Obispo County because the senator's daughter, Katherine Feinstein, is a former San Francisco judge.

Both parties said they welcomed the move -- though there were indications that finding a resolution could be difficult.

Katherine Feinstein has filed a series of lawsuits against the trustees managing the estate of the senator's late husband, billionaire financier Richard Blum. She wants to compel the trustees to make payments for her mother's medical treatment and to allow the sale of a family home in Stinson Beach. The Blum trustees have denied wrongdoing and alleged the dispute is driven by Katherine Feinstein's greed. They also question whether the daughter should have power of attorney for the senator.

Today, an attorney for the trustees doubled down on speculation about whether Katherine Feinstein is accurately representing her mother's wishes. "There is no evidence of what the senator wants," said attorney Steven Braccini. -- Dustin Gardiner

ABOUT FACE: Police will have free rein until at least 2024 to use facial recognition technology with officer-worn body cameras. Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) tabled her bill to extend a recently expired ban on the technology. Wilson and the ACLU, which sponsored the bill, told POLITICO they will try again next year.

This session featured a clash between legislators who supported regulating the technology and those who wanted to extend the outright ban. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who authored the original moratorium, pushed legislation to allow facial recognition in body cams and more broadly with regulations. Critics of Ting's bill pushed for full prohibition, and it was held in committee in May.

The debate looks likely to continue next year. Wilson chief of staff Taylor Woolfork said they wanted to work on a solution with Ting, who voted for Wilson's bill on the floor, but said she remains "very strongly supportive of a ban at this point and wants to see if we can get that done." -- Forest Hunt

SPOILER ALERT -- Carl DeMaio's Reform California is looking to flex its muscle in a region where it holds sway with a large number of volunteers.

The group today announced a new push that targets Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, a Democrat-turned-Republican from the San Diego area.

Reform California wants to direct Republicans and independents to vote for his opponent and help punish Democrats for their votes in Sacramento. Maienschein is eyeing the city attorney's office, and California politicos are watching closely how groups like Reform play in Dem-on-Dem races. The ultimate place they might have influence is if Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter emerge to a Senate runoff -- allowing right-leaning groups to try to play spoiler. -- Christopher Cadelago

-- AN ABUSE RECKONING: Bay Area schools are facing dozens of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse after a state law opened an avenue for more victims to file claims.

-- MISINFORMATION MISSTEP: A contentious law penalizing doctors who spread Covid-19 misinformation could be scaled back in the coming days.

-- YOU OTTER KNOW: Sea otters are an irresistible success story. But a plan to reintroduce them along the West Coast is making waves.

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