THE BUZZ: California has proven it can set climate change goals. Now comes the hard part.

State officials at the Air Resources Board passed a major milestone yesterday by giving its stamp of approval to California’s latest scoping plan, the years-long roadmap that lays out how the state plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2045. Doing so will require a serious shift away from fossil fuel, and recent moves by state officials, like the 2035 ban on new gas vehicles and a $54 billion climate package, will help the state get there.

But as Gov. Jerry Brownkeenly observed when he signed the executive order in 2018, reaching carbon neutrality by 2045 “will not be easy.”

California will need to quadruple wind and solar power by 2045 to meet its goals and the expected growth in demand, as POLITICO’s Camille von Kaenel has reported. The Air Resources Board also says California needs to cut back its driving by roughly a third to lower pollution to target levels — something that’s going to be tricky considering efforts to reduce driving have faltered in the past.

Gov. Gavin Newsom specifically has invested a significant amount of political capital in ensuring California meets its goals, but it’s not just his future that will be affected by this plan. Ambitious moves on climate change have quickly become a defining characteristic of the California brand. The vision laid out in the Golden State is often the model for others around the country and the world. President Joe Biden last year signed a nationwide goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

California’s successes in this arena — and its struggles — will surely be noted on the world stage.

Speaking of struggles: A hard-fought battle between utilities companies and the solar panel industry came to a close yesterday when the Public Utilities Commission approved a change to how the state incentives rooftop solar power.

The shift aims to incentivize the use of batteries with solar panels, while also reducing costs for users who can’t afford the expensive solar power systems. But industry leaders have decried the change, saying it reduces incentives for homebuyers to purchase solar panels and could severely hinder growth in an important clean energy sector.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. We’re a week out from the big holiday travel season, and Covid rates in California are still hovering in the double digits — with test positivity at 11.1 percent as of last night. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We're going to be going after dirty politicians and we're also going to be going after dirty journalists. Yes, because the two have a very symbiotic relationship." Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villeneuva in his first livestream video since losing the election. Villenueva was widely criticized earlier this year for threatening to launch a criminal investigation into a LA Times journalist who reported on a coverup in his department. 

TWEET OF THE DAY:

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

STILL AT IT — “‘Enough is enough!’ Striking UC workers say they are weary but won’t give up,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Debbie Truong and Grace Toohey: “During the fifth week of the historic strike by UC academic workers, hundreds of demonstrators converged on the UCLA campus, shouting for better pay and benefits, and forcing the delay of a regent’s meeting, as picketers said they were determined to show that winter break will not erode their momentum.”

— “San Francisco’s deadly failure on the drug crisis is unfolding inside its own housing program,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Trisha Thadani and Joaquin Palomino: “Faced with a drug epidemic that kills nearly two people a day on average, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has repeatedly promised to combat overdoses in the Tenderloin, the epicenter of the crisis. But a new Chronicle investigation found that the mayor has largely neglected a crucial danger: the disproportionate number of people dying inside city-funded hotels like the Winton.”

DISSENTERS BEWARE — “Elon Musk’s Twitter Barbs Have New Magnitude,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Tim Higgins and Alexa Corse: “For years, Elon Musk has used Twitter to provoke, pontificate and go on the offensive against criticism and perceived threats from rivals, regulators, and regular folks. His flame-throwing has a new magnitude—and the perception of impunity—now that Mr. Musk owns the social-media platform where he has been a so-called super user for years.”

— “Former California union leader sentenced after pleading guilty to grand theft, tax fraud,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Maya Miller: “The former leader of California’s largest labor union must serve 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty last month to felony counts of embezzlement and tax fraud in Sacramento County Superior Court.”

CUTTING CORNERS — “L.A.’s rich are already scheming ways to avoid new ‘mansion tax,’” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Flemming: “Just weeks after Los Angeles voters backed a new measure that puts a one-time transfer tax on property sales above $5 million to generate money for affordable housing and homelessness prevention, the city’s affluent homeowners are exploring potential ways of avoiding the tax.”

— “No way out: Why a mentally disabled man was jailed nine years awaiting a murder trial that never happened,” by CalMatters’ Jocelyn Wiener: “Eight years, 9 months, 24 days. That’s how long Lorenzo Mays waited inside a cell in the Sacramento County jail, struggling to understand the court system well enough to stand trial for a 2010 murder he insists he didn’t commit.”

POINT OF ORDER — “Here are 5 new California laws that will change how your local government works,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Andrew Sheeler: “This January, the face of local government in California will change in many ways. In 2022, state lawmakers passed a series of measures, some intended to empower and protect local officials who feel unsafe in the volatile political climate. Here’s a rundown.”

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM — “Kevin de León casts shadow over LA City Council as Winter recess begins,” by the City News Service’s Eric He: “The Los Angeles City Council began its winter recess this week after two tumultuous meetings, with all signs pointing to continued uncertainty in the chamber when it reconvenes during the second week of January over the presence of embattled Councilman Kevin de León.”

 — “Mark Ridley-Thomas is accused of taking bribes. That’s no justification for stopping his salary,” Opines Nicholas Goldberg for the Los Angeles Times: “Should Mark Ridley-Thomas be paid his salary as a Los Angeles City Council member — his exorbitant, more-than-$229,000-a-year salary — even though he’s been indicted and is awaiting trial for betraying the public trust by taking bribes and engaging in fraud and conspiracy? Answer: Yes, he should.”

STOP THE CLOCK?  — “After decades in California politics, Bob Hertzberg is hanging it up. Too bad there are term limits,” Opines George Skelton for the Los Angeles Times: “Yes, it’s true that term limits rid California’s Capitol of some sorry political specimens. Fresh blood is infused, and that’s good. But they also boot out productive lawmakers who are valuable because of their dedication, legislative know-how and acquired knowledge.”

— “Sacramento’s City Council just moved to the left. Here’s what to expect on big issues,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Theresa Clift: “The Sacramento City Council moved to the left in the last election and now counts a “solid” liberal bloc of four members, one of them said this week. That’s not quite enough votes on the nine-member council to be able to adopt any given item, but it means the group is much closer to winning majorities than it was prior to Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony.”

HIGH HOPES— “The Big Potential of Karen Bass’s Homelessness Agenda,” Opines Jay Caspian Kang for the New Yorker: “From the perspective of actually solving the homelessness crisis—a process that will take decades, not a single mayoral term—if all Bass does is smooth out the absurdly parochial and bureaucratic nature of Los Angeles city politics, she will have achieved a major victory.”

— “LA’s Available Hospital Beds Have Hit The Lowest Number In Years,” by LAist’s Jackie Fortiér: “COVID-19 case rates dipped slightly in L.A. County in the past week, but health officials warn the trend is unlikely to hold. Zooming out, current cases are up about 120% from one month ago, indicating very high COVID-19 transmission.”

KEVINLAND — McCarthy's ongoing speaker battle paralyzes House, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers, Jordain Carney and Sarah Ferris: The GOP leader on Thursday took the unusual step of punting conferencewide races for committee leadership slots until after his speaker election on Jan. 3, a maneuver that could help insulate him from disgruntled members who fall short in those contests and their allies.

THE PURGE — ​​Twitter suspends journalist accounts without explanation, angering lawmakers and those affected, by POLITICO’s Olivia Olander, Ben Schreckinger and Rebecca Kern: Twitter suspended the accounts of several prominent journalists and pundits on Thursday night, prompting criticism from lawmakers and bewilderment from several of the reporters taken off the platform.

— “Former Twitter employee sentenced for selling information to Saudi Arabian officials,” by the Mercury News’ Rick Hurd: “A federal judge has sentenced a former Walnut Creek resident and Twitter employee to 3½ years in prison following his conviction for acting as a foreign agent to the Saudi Arabian royal family, authorities said.”

— Why the ‘Twitter Files’ Are Falling Flat, Opines Joan Donovan for POLITICO: The “Twitter Files” are a desperate attempt to legitimize a well-worn conservative narrative that the suppression of Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” proved collusion between the so-called deep state and social media companies.

IS NOTHING SACRED? — “UCLA said its pot research was independent but hid that Big Cannabis was paying some of the bills,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Adam Elmahrek: “However, documents obtained by the newspaper, eventually released by UCLA under the California Public Records Act, show that cannabis companies and investors provided at least some of the early financial support, writing checks for tens of thousands of dollars in donations and assisting with fundraising events.”

— “​​Man who attacked Dave Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl sentenced to 270 days in jail,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Nardine Saad: “The man who attacked comedian Dave Chappelle onstage at the Hollywood Bowl in May has been sentenced to nearly nine months in jail. Isaiah Lee, 24, who pleaded no contest to one charge of misdemeanor battery and one charge of entering a restricted area during a live event, was sentenced Wednesday to 270 days in county jail, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.”

— “Orange County twin expert comes to rescue of former medical students accused of cheating,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hannah Fry.

HIDDEN GEM — “The Priciest Wine-Country Real Estate in the U.S.? You Won’t Find It in Napa,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Flint.

— “‘Texas is watching.’ Reparations meeting attracts those placing their hopes in California,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Stephen Hobbs.

WATER WOES — “Here’s how Southern California’s drought emergency could affect you,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hayley Smith.

— “Coalition of tribes, government agencies unite to restore California's giant sequoia population,” by CapRadio’s Manola Secaira.

(was Thursday): Paul Gordon … (Friday): Emilie Simons of the White House … Carol Browner … Kelsey Knight … Heather King

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