Sen. Diane Feinstein I haven’t said much publicly since then. back to washington dc, Last week, she was staying at her home in San Francisco for an extended period while recovering from shingles.

However, she did answer some questions for a Times reporter this week. Benjamin Oresquez found her in the halls of the Capitol and asked her about the blessings she had received from her Senate colleagues since her return.

“I have never been,” she said. “I am working.”

It was part of a brief but surprising exchange amid growing concerns about Feinstein’s health and mental acuity, and it quickly captured national attention.you can Read more of their conversation in this article again Listen to the recording in this CNN report.

rear back to washington Mr. Feinstein cast a critical vote last week to advance a judicial candidate who lacks Republican support. yet, Times political reporter Cima meter and Oreskes reportAmong some California Democrats, Feinstein’s return did little to assuage concerns about her effectiveness in the Senate, fueled by a very thin Democratic majority.

Susie Tompkins Buell, big fundraiser for the Democratic Party The San Francisco-based woman, who has raised money for Feinstein in the past, told Mehta she thinks Feinstein should step down.

“I know she likes being out there, and I know she’s a fighter. I think he should resign, it is an honorable act to do so.”

Read the full article here: Feinstein’s return to Washington further divides California Democrats

I am Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bureau Chief of The Times. We bring you the news of the week in California politics.

A suspenseful day in Sacramento

Today is the day hundreds of bills die in the California State Capitol in a mysterious “suspense file.”

Officially, the Suspense File is a tool for legislative leaders to weigh bills and decide which ones deserve a full House vote. Unofficially, it’s being used by the Democrats who control Congress to wipe out controversial bills without leaving any fingerprints.

In some cases, it may be due to underlying costs. Other times, Democratic leaders use the Suspense File to discourage Democrats from publicly speaking out about dangerous policies they’re too embarrassed to vote against. Bills often turn to dust in suspense files without any explanation.

When this newsletter arrives in your inbox, The Times reporters will be scrutinizing hundreds of bills in their pending files to see which bills have been dropped and which will go to vote. prize. Here’s what we’re looking at:

Check out our coverage on the Times website later today.

Newsome’s plan to fill the $31.5 billion budget hole

California’s estimated $31.5 billion budget deficit is putting the governor on edge. Gavin Newsom To make a big change from the surpluses that graced his first years in office and begin to curb his progressive policy agenda, Times reporter Taryn Luna writes:.

The governor’s $306.5 billion budget plan, which he detailed Friday, relies on bond-financed funds and plans to tap $450 million from the state’s safety net reserve to limit growth. As we continue, we are updating the tax on managed care programs to support Medi-Cal. For climate and transport programs.

With tax collections expected to fall short of funds allocated to essential programs for millions of Californians, Mr. Newsom has sought to protect flagship programs like Universal Preschool and Health Care, but has become more conservative. take a cost-effective approach to spending.

Luna and our policy reporters detail Newsom’s revised budget in this helpful article. What you need to know about Newsom’s plan to offset California’s $31.5 billion deficit

Rest in peace Gloria Molina

California lost a legend this week.

Gloria MolinaThe unapologetic Chicana, the daughter of working-class parents who changed the political landscape in Los Angeles, died Sunday night after a three-year battle with cancer, says a Times columnist. Gustavo Arellano I have written This comprehensive obituary details her barrier-breaking career:

“Molina’s political life was the first in a row to motivate generations of women and Latinos to seek public office. California’s first Latino legislator, Los Angeles City Council member, Los Angeles City Council first. Congressman, became the first Latino Congressman.

Throughout his rise, Molina strode LA’s power corridors with outsider skepticism and insider know-how. For Molina, a populist equally influenced by her Chicano and feminist movements and her parents’ immigrant ethos, her battlefields were many. ”

US Senator. Alex Padilla (Democratic Party of California) recalled Molina as a leader who “never shied away from a tough fight.”

“From helping build more affordable housing to fighting to expand public transportation, Gloria has been a staunch advocate for Los Angeles’ East Side,” Padilla said in a statement. “Today, every time we speak out against the status quo and demand improvement from governments and political leaders, we turn the page in Gloria’s strategy and California takes a step forward.”

keep up with california politics

Newsom and California legislators need to take their stand on slavery reparations
Because California voters are more liberal than Americans as a whole, they may be more receptive to reparations than most citizens. But columnist George Skelton wrote that he thought this would be difficult, saying, “We need strong support from the governor, but so far he hasn’t said much.”

California created the nation’s only pension for older boxers.but many fail
California has the only state-run retirement system for boxers in the nation, intended to be a safety net for the most vulnerable in sports. But more than a dozen boxers contacted by The Times said they didn’t know they too were recipients of a 40-year-old pension scheme. Many retired boxers said they don’t remember receiving information about eligibility or how to apply from the California Athletic Commission, which administers the program.

Newsom signs extraordinary deal to allow farm workers new ways to unionize
California’s farm workers will find it easier to work after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday into the final stage of an unusual compromise reached last year between Democratic leaders and union supporters. You can now form a guild.

Larry Elder fined for failing to disclose earnings during 2021 governor recall campaign
The Republican presidential candidate agreed to pay a $2,000 fine for violating state political reform laws while running for governor during the 2021 recall election, according to the Commission on Fair Political Practices. Elder, who was a conservative talk radio host based in Los Angeles before entering politics, used revenues from 10 companies, including Salem Media, The Epoch Times and Turning Point USA, to articulate his financial interests. did not disclose.

Newsom’s budget was padded with fees, cuts and a few gems, thankfully no big tax increases
Governor Gavin Newsom wants you to pay the state more and get less if you’re a sailor in California. Columnist George Skelton writes that it’s just one of the tiniest items in the governor’s revised $307 billion state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Column: Children are dying from fentanyl.Increasing Dealer Jail Time Doesn’t Help
To understand why neither arrests nor needle swaps can ever stop opioid overdoses, we need to know a few things about why this drug epidemic is unlike crack or heroin or anything that has happened before. , writes columnist Anita Shabria.