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THE BUZZ: Some assemblymembers may have felt more thankful than others this past weekend.

Speaker Robert Rivas released a new slate of committee chairs as everyone was heading out of town for the long holiday weekend, rewarding loyal allies and giving us a peek into his leadership vision ahead of his first full session leading the body.

Few anticipated the dramatic demotion of his longtime first lieutenant Isaac Bryan — who may have overplayed his influence in a fledgling regime, as POLITICO’S Melanie Mason reported. But much of the new roster met expectations of the Capitol community, which had been eagerly eying the changeup for more than a year.

We do know that Rivas made some gametime decisions, waiting until the day of, or in some cases just a few hours before the announcement, to let members know where they landed. You might recall that new Speaker pro Tempore Jim Wood, who is not running for another term, signaled days before that he was staying on as Health chair.

And it’s still not clear exactly how much power the speaker is willing to give chairs, who for the past seven years have presided over their committees like personal fiefdoms.

“We have not had that discussion,” new Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry told Playbook when we asked her about chair powers. “Speaker Rivas holds his cards close to his chest.”

Here’s what else you should know about the new docket of power players:

Jesse Gabriel, Budget chair — Gabriel was always expected to get one of the top slots in the Assembly, and there’s no bigger job than the budget. It’s a huge vote of confidence for Gabriel, who will spend the next year haggling over hundreds of billions of dollars with leaders in the Senate and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

But it’s also a political football. It’s not easy being Budget chair in good times, and with California facing the possibility of a deficit next year, Gabriel may be on the delivering end of some unpopular decisions.

Buffy Wicks, Appropriations — This is another unsurprising appointment for one of Rivas’ top lieutenants and a fulfillment of Capitol rumors. Wicks is leaving her longtime perch as head of Housing to oversee the assembly’s most cutthroat committee — replacing Assemblymember Chris Holden, who is termed out and running for the LA County Board of Supervisors.

Matt Haney, majority whip — Not the most prestigious of promotions for a member who was seen as being in Rivas’ tight inner circle. Haney was rumored to be jockeying for Judiciary chair, but only got a small bump up from minority whip.

Ash Kalra, Judiciary — Another spoil of war for a loyal Rivas follower. We’re interested to see what Kalra, the former chair of the Progressive Caucus, does with this committee.

Liz Ortega, Labor and Employment — An expected appointment for a fierce labor ally. Ortega previously served as the statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union. Ortega also got the stamp of approval from Labor Fed leader Lorena Gonzalez: “A union leader heading the labor committee… we have waited a long time for this!” she posted on X.

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Privacy and Consumer Protection — RBK was rumored to want the Judiciary Committee, but this is an unsurprising post for the lawmaker who has relationships with many of the big tech and privacy players and has been working on artificial intelligence legislation.

Mia Bonta, Health — This gig typically goes to a doctor, but with Wood promoted and Akilah Weber running for state Senate there weren’t many MD options in the Rivas circle. As our colleague Rachel Bluth writes, Bonta, who previously wasn’t on the Health Committee, will be the gatekeeper for major legislation on such issues as single-payer health care and prescription drug costs.

Kevin McCarty, Public Safety — McCarty takes over a committee that has been in the headlines perhaps more than any other this past year. He will likely have to preside over continued battles over fentanyl and retail crime — all while also running for Sacramento mayor.

Cottie Petrie-Norris, Utilities and Energy — One of the more surprising picks from Rivas. As our colleagues at California Climate noted, Petrie-Norris most recently served as chair of Accountability and Administrative Review — which provides oversight of state spending and implementation of legislation — and has never sat on Utilities and Energy.

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Back in California after the Thanksgiving holiday. He heads to Alpharetta, Ga. later this week for his debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago caught up with Fox News’ Sean Hannity and has the latest on the dynamics between the two heavyweight governors and the conservative moderator.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD — California is entering a new era of congressional power.

Rep. Anna Eshoo’s announcement last week that she would not seek reelection to her Silicon Valley seat marked the latest in a series of congressional retirements that have the potential to reshape the landscape of California politics.

And with just a few weeks left until the filing deadline, there’s still time for more to drop out.

Eshoo’s departure opens up a solidly blue district for the first time in 30 years — more below on who could join a mad dash to succeed her — and follows the recent exit of several colleagues.

It’s not just a California thing. As our colleague Steven Shepard reports, the country is experiencing a flood of congressional retirements. But in California, the withdrawals are part of a power outage across the Golden State with major implications on the state’s seniority in Washington.

Notably absent from the retirement list is Pelosi, whose decision to seek another term in 2024 means the crowd of young, ambitious San Francisco Democrats looking to take her seat will have to languish for another two years. When she exits, it will mark the real end of the era.

THE SCRUM: Several South Bay Democrats are already eyeing Eshoo’s seat. Among those who confirmed they’re considering it: Assemblymember Evan Low, whose clout has sharply diminished in the Legislature lately following an unsuccessful gambit to become speaker; state Sen. Josh Becker; Santa Clara Supervisor Joe Simitian; and tech entrepreneur and 2022 candidate Ajwang Rading. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who’s already polled his chances, and Assemblymember Marc Berman both deflected a question from POLITICO by focusing on Eshoo’s legacy. Executive Rishi Kumar was already running.

— with help from Jeremy B. White

SINKING SANTOS — Long before there was a bipartisan push to oust Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from Congress, one California lawmaker was the tip of the spear.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) was among the first to call for Santos’ expulsion back in February, shortly after the two took office. His effort was blocked when Republicans voted to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee.

Almost 10 months later, the GOP-controlled chamber is expected to vote to remove Santos, following a committee report that found he improperly used campaign funds for personal expenses, including Botox, subscriptions to a porn website and trips to Atlantic City.

“We should have expelled him when I first introduced the resolution in February,” Garcia told Playbook on Sunday. “Not expelling him would say a lot about the institution.”

Garcia, an outspoken freshman, said while he’s upset Santos wasn’t expelled months ago, he’s confident the ethics report is too damaging. He said he plans to force a vote on an expulsion resolution as soon as lawmakers return on Tuesday. Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) has also said he plans to introduce a resolution.

In a three-hour rant on X Spaces over the holiday, Santos admitted he will probably be expelled, accusing his congressional colleagues of widespread corruption. He’s unlikely to go without a fight.

DOPAMINE DROP: New unredacted documents show how Meta designed its products to capitalize on teen vulnerabilities, as California and other states have alleged in a recent lawsuit. (The Wall Street Journal)

WATCHDOG: California’s Fair Political Practices Commission has fined former Orange County Republican Assemblymember William Brough $100,000 for using campaign funds to bankroll family vacations, fancy clothes and a cigar humidor. (Los Angeles Times)

PATRIARCHAL PROBLEMS: For at least a decade, some Mormon congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area have allowed women leaders to sit on the pulpit next to male clergy during Sunday services. But the practice was stopped by LDS headquarters. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

BIRTHDAYS — Kathryn Ciano Mauler … Kaiya Waddell … (was Sunday): Chris Hughes of the Economic Security Project … Lisa Vedernikova Khanna of Instacart … Randon White … (was Saturday): Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) … Kristina Bas Hamilton … Lee Dunn … Colin Crowell … Alexandra Givens … (was Friday): DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas … Tyler Goodspeed of the Hoover Institution … Robin Lyons … (was Thursday): Amy Schatz of Glen Echo Group

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CORRECTION: A previous version of California Playbook incorrectly stated Ash Kalra’s role at the Progressive Caucus. He is a former chair.