12 days after he was born New Job as Speaker of the California Congress, Robert Rivas On Wednesday, in front of a packed lunchtime crowd, I attended a meeting of the Sacramento Press Club and sat down with Sacramento Be reporter Matthew Miranda.

The biggest surprise came during the short “lightning round” section of the interview, when we asked Rivas for a one-word answer, mixing personal and political questions. More on that later.

Rivas, a Democrat from Hollister, is acting cautiously at the helm of a divided caucus that has been in turmoil for more than a year. A fierce battle over who should be the speaker. He spoke mostly in general terms, expressing his desire to build unity and listen to his colleagues in establishing priorities for assuming one of the most powerful positions in the state. emphasized.

But reporters are not interested in generalities. we like the details. So, in the course of our conversation, we set out to clarify where Rivas stands on some key issues.

This is Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bureau Chief of The Times. Here are the highlights from our interview with Mr. Rivas and a quick recap of this week’s California political news.

Rivas begins to signal a break with Rendon

Features of the front speaker Anthony Rendon (D, Lakewood) was his decentralized approach, giving committee chairs a great deal of power to decide the fate of bills.

Rivas appointed a new leadership team and named several new committee chairs, but so far avoided major overhauls and instead let Rendon-appointed leaders fill most of the committee. I’m placing

Cracks are beginning to appear in its arrangement. Two comments made by Rivas during our conversation show that he may take a more hands-on approach than Rendon.

on controversial issues The bill aims to further encourage housing constructionRivas said he disagreed with the lawmakers Luz Rivas (Democrat, North Hollywood), this week tried to nullify the bill at the Natural Resources Commission, where Rendon appointed her chairman.of The bill passed despite her objections. — in a rare event — because several Democrats teamed up with Republicans to overthrow the chairman. Mr. Rivas told us that he is fully committed to Senator Scott Weiner’s (D-San Francisco) SB 423 bill and wants it to pass Congress.

He also said he was committed to reviving the rigid bill. Penalties for those convicted of child traffickingwas rejected by a congressional public safety committee headed by lawmakers this week. Reggie Jones-Sawyer (Democrat, Los Angeles), who is also Rendon’s nominee. Rivas did not specifically say whether he wants the bill to pass through Congress, but he is exploring options and has already been in contact with the Republican senator from Bakersfield who drafted the bill, he said. Stated.

“I contacted Sen. [Shannon] To Grove and my colleagues. That’s what we’re working on and we’re going to get it right,” Rivas said.

“stay tuned.”

The results became clear the next morning when the bill was returned to the commission, where it was voided and passed without debate.

Rivas talks boundaries with politically connected brother

Brother of Rivas Rick Rivas He is vice president of the American Beverage Association, which lobbies for the soda industry, and advises a network of donors called the Governance for California, which seeks to counter the power that civil servants unions have over California politics. there is

“I am certainly grateful for all the political advice my brother has given me over the years, but as you know, he has work to do and I have work to do,” he said. The chairman said, pointing out that he had voted against the position his brother’s employer was pushing for.

“I will always express my values ​​and speak for the people who entrusted me with this task.”

Rick Rivas’ client-funded political action committees spent millions of dollars to help elect new lawmakers in last year’s elections, many of which backed Rivas as chairman.In a very unusual move, lawmakers who supported Mr. Rivas in the presidential election will also contest raised donations to support candidates They hoped they would support him too.

I asked Rivas how he reacted to critics who said his supporters seemed to have bought him a powerful post.

“My win for the presidency was due to my involvement and the build-up of relationships in this state with candidates I knew before I announced my candidacy for the House of Representatives,” Rivas said. rice field.

“The transactional nature of politics will never go away. And it will never change.”

Surprising Questions That Stumped Ribas

Let’s go back to the lightning bolt I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter. Rivas surprised me by quickly answering questions I expected to hedge, but stalling on questions I thought were softball.

“Should California legalize psychedelics?” I asked, refer to invoiceThe bill passed the Senate and is now facing a vote in Congress.

“Yes,” Rivas replied without hesitation.

“What’s the best Mexican restaurant in Sacramento?” I asked.

pause. long pause. longer pauses.

Finally, after about 20 seconds, Rivas answered by naming a fellow Democrat.Sharon Quark SilvaIt’s Mr.’s house. “

Surprise of the day: Talking about tacos was harder than saying about magic mushrooms.

keep up with california politics

Gov. Gavin Newsom launches Biden campaign in Idaho to build unique foothold in red states
Mr. Newsom’s recent swing in Idaho has not only revitalized Mr. Biden’s hitherto neglected base in conservative corners of the West. It helped build Newsom’s future.

Veteran Democrat from Norwalk Rep. Grace Napolitano to retire
Her retirement could create a rare vacancy in the House of Representatives and erupt in a large-scale scramble among ambitious local officials seeking higher office.

Age Tracking Questions for Rep. Barbara Lee, 76, Aiming for Senator Diane Feinstein’s Seat
In California’s race for the coveted U.S. Senate seat, some activists and officials question whether it’s right for a candidate in his late 70s to replace a 90-year-old. ing.

Scam PAC defrauded Trump and Clinton supporters from millions California residents
Seven years after the initial allegations of wrongdoing, two California men were sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison earlier this year for bogus political fundraising. The profit from this scheme is one of his highest ever in the small but growing world of fraud PACs.

The California legislature took action after the Taylor Swift ticket debacle.Ticketmaster tries to shake it off
California lawmakers sought to take on Ticketmaster, introducing a bill this year aimed at helping disgruntled consumers. But the proposal has been plagued amid heavy lobbying by the music industry and a long-running battle between primary ticket providers like Ticketmaster and secondary ticket resellers like StubHub.

California Bill Requires Big Tech Companies to Pay for News Withheld Until 2024
A California bill that would force tech companies such as Facebook and Google to: pay publishers for news The content is pending in Congress until 2024.

Suputo, California.Public Educator Tony Thurmond Considers Running for Governor
Thurmond, a former state legislator who was first elected superintendent of schools in 2018, said he was “fully focused” on his current job but began preparing for a possible run for governor in 2026. rice field.

Column: Here’s why California will be a kingmaker in the 2024 presidential election. (just kidding)
Every four years in California, the topic emerges that this time it’s different, the high-profile state will finally exercise its weight and take on the role of king that millions of voters have long shunned. do. Don’t count on it, writes Times columnist Mark Z. Balabak.