California wants to lead at global climate change summit

While Gov. Gavin Newsom is in Georgia for his debate with Gov. Ron DeSantis, lots of other California leaders are headed to the global climate summit that starts today in Dubai.

At the U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP28, the delegation of administration officials and several state legislators is expected to tout California’s role as a “climate leader,” (similar to what the governor recently did in China), attend events and mostly talk climate shop while building relationships with officials from other countries and subnational governments.

Cynicism surrounding such international conferences is expected. Critics often argue that these events are less about changing the world and more about elbow-rubbing elites making backdoor deals — which turned out to be not not true. Holding a climate conference in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates has also left some attendees questioning how they can exactly “speak truth to power.” And a handful of Newsom’s climate policies, particularly around the state’s water usage, have disappointed environmentalists and tribal communities.

But apart from the high-level hobnobbing, COP28 can serve as a chance for California to elevate more local environmental issues on an international stage. For instance, officials will have the opportunity to collaborate with indigenous nations and, according to Newsom’s office, “reinvest in traditional knowledge to restore best practices to the lands and waters of California.” 

Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari will also be the first indigenous person to represent California’s executive branch at such a conference. During an online press briefing Tuesday, she said she was “really looking forward” to continuing conversations with international partners.

• Snider-Ashtari: “For me, it’s an amazing opportunity to be able to elevate the role of indigenous people in crafting solutions, and reinvigorating practices that have been used since time immemorial.”

The state lawmakers going to Dubai include Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (or “the most senior elected lawmaker representing California,” as his office reminded me via email) and Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from Bakersfield. COP28 will be Hurtado’s second U.N. climate conference, and she is perhaps uniquely positioned to navigate this year’s conference since Kern Oil & Refining Co. is a major employer in the county she represents.

She plans to focus on food, agriculture and water, and said she finds the event useful because “very rarely do state legislators have an opportunity to hear panelists and experts from federal agencies,” and that the “thousands” of different workshops, panels and conversations enable lawmakers to improve systems and share different approaches to climate issues. 

Most importantly, she argues that despite the criticism, it’s likely savvier to be part of the conversation than not.

• Hurtado: “Attending the climate conference is probably something really out of touch with the dynamics of the district that I represent. But quite frankly, as I always tell my constituencies, we have to be at the dinner table, otherwise we’re for dinner.”

Speaking of the big Newsom-DeSantis debate tonight: If you’re going to watch, CalMatters has a game to play and keep things interesting during the 90-minute event. 

It’s a political version of fantasy football: You pick Team Newsom or Team DeSantis, then select topics or pet phrases. You get points if your governor talks about them. 

Our crack data team led by John Osborn D’Agostino will be updating the game live so you can see your score. Bookmark the game here so you’re ready.   

Reminder: The debate airs live from Alpharetta, Ga., at 6 p.m. PT on Fox News. It will be streamed on Foxnews.com and simulcast at radio.foxnews.com.

Debate prep: Besides actually getting ready for the face-off, Newsom just happened to beef up his record on abortion access on Wednesday. He announced that the state is investing $20 million to diversify California’s reproductive care workforce with more training and to expand access to medication abortion at pharmacies. 

This is the latest move to keep California a haven for a woman’s right to choose.

• Newsom, in a statement: “Regardless of what out-of-touch and radical politicians may do, California will continue its nation-leading fight for reproductive freedom.”

If you didn’t know who one of those “radical politicians” might be, Newsom’s political action committee started airing a TV ad in Florida last week bashing DeSantis for signing a new law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The loud political debate over the Gaza war didn’t end with what happened at the California Democratic Party convention this month.

It’s now reverberating in more city halls. For instance, the Oakland City Council, in a marathon meeting Tuesday, passed a resolution supporting a proposal in Congress calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the freeing of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian aid. 

But it’s what didn’t make it into the resolution — a condemnation of Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group — and the public comments defending Hamas that got attention. (The resolution doesn’t criticize Israel, either.) 

The clips went viral and even prompted Gov. Newsom’s social media account to respond on Wednesday, though there’s a debate whether they were taken out of context.

• Newsom, on X (formerly Twitter): “Hamas is a terrorist organization. They must be called out for what they are: evil.”

The state Republican Party has been hitting Newsom and Democratic legislators and candidates for not condemning the pro-Palestinian protests that disrupted the Democratic convention. It appears the GOP wants to make it a 2024 campaign issue. 

It’s already an issue in the U.S. Senate race. Of the three leading Democrats, Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland has been out front on calling for a ceasefire. And now that the fighting has stopped and hostages are being released, she’s basically saying, “I told you so.” 

• Lee, Wednesday on X: “Weeks ago, I was one of the first elected officials to call for a ceasefire. War hawks said it was impossible…. Peace through diplomacy is not only possible — it’s the pathway forward.”

Meanwhile, the state Office of Emergency Services confirmed to CalMatters that promised medical and humanitarian aid for Palestinians is about to make it into Gaza during the pause in hostilities.

In an email, a spokesperson said the supplies were “on the ground” as of Tuesday night and “are being transported via truck as part of a larger international convoy of aid heading into the country.” It’s not certain, however, that the office will get confirmation when the aid gets into Gaza.

As CalMatters state Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal explained, that aid has been slow in arriving, compared to the supplies donated to Israel on Nov. 7, following Newsom’s visit soon after the Oct. 7 Hamas assault. 

California has the largest population of undocumented college students. Among them lies a giant rift: Those who qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — a federal program also known as DACA — and those who don’t. And as CalMatters community college reporter Adam Echelman explains, the educational and living experiences of both groups can differ widely.

Established in 2012, DACA offers benefits, particularly limited employment opportunities, for undocumented students. After former President Donald Trump’s administration decided to phase out DACA in 2017, an estimated 17,000 people in California became ineligible for the program, and nearly another 100,000 in California were ineligible for other reasons.

The situation has created challenges around employment, financial aid and deportation for colleges and students, including Auner Barrios Vasquez. As someone ineligible for DACA, he had to turn down an internship at a tech startup. And when President Joe Biden tried to reinstate DACA in 2021, Barrios Vasquez quickly assembled an application, only for a judge’s ruling to halt his progress. 

• Barrios Vasquez: “I felt like I was once again robbed of an opportunity, but it wasn’t up to me. At that point, what could I do?”

For more on Barrios Vasquez’s story and others like him, read Adam’s story.

In other education news: The California Faculty Association is following through on its threats of one-day strikes at four campuses starting Monday through Dec. 7, writes CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn. 

Out of a total of nearly 460,000 students that attend Cal States, the four schools (Cal Poly Pomona, San Francisco State, CSU Los Angeles and Sacramento State) are among the largest in the system, with a combined 105,000 students. The walkouts are meant to signal to Cal State leadership how quickly the union can mobilize its members.

• Kevin Wehr, bargaining team chairperson for the union and Sacramento State professor: “We’re going to demonstrate to them that we can shut down any campus we want with only a couple of weeks’ notice.”

The union, which represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, is seeking a 12% pay bump this academic year, as well as other benefits. But with a $1.5 billion funding gap, the nation’s largest public four-year university system says it cannot afford to meet those demands.

To learn more about the Cal State strike, read Mikhail’s story.