Xavier Becerra won’t be pinned down on policy

Xavier Becerra considers it just being careful — though his critics could call it being noncommittal.

Unlike his Republican opponent Steve Hilton who is campaigning on big promises such as $3-a-gallon gas and halving electricity bills, the Democratic candidate has avoided tying himself to lofty goals in his bid to lead California, reports CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang.

Becerra says the state needs to build more housing, but doesn’t say how many new homes he would deliver as governor. To pay for California’s public healthcare programs, he says he wants to eliminate some administrative spending, waste and fraud, but won’t say how. And on the question about whether to keep the state’s mandate to phase out gas-powered cars, he basically says, “it depends.”

His vague stances make sense to some political experts — with Democratic voters outnumbering Republicans two-to-one in California, Becerra “doesn’t have an incentive to go out on a limb,” said Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College. 

This approach isn’t new to him. Seven years ago, in one of his most controversial decisions as California attorney general, he refused to release records of police investigations of officer misconduct, as required by a new state law. Becerra said he would wait for further direction from judges on whether the law applied retroactively, triggering a lawsuit from news organizations and a court order for Becerra to release the records.

Becerra doesn’t view his deliberativeness as a negative, arguing that no policy gets his vote “unless I know what I’m voting for completely.” Besides, to understand where he truly stands, just look at his record, he says.

When President Joe Biden, nominating him as health secretary, warned him he was against single-payer healthcare, Becerra said he accepted it despite being a longtime supporter of that policy. Instead, Becerra agreed to focus on increasing Medicaid enrollment.

• Becerra: “Just because I didn’t get single-payer, doesn’t mean I’m not a progressive, and just because I didn’t fight for single-payer doesn’t mean I am establishment. At this stage of my life, at this stage of my career, I just want to get things done.”

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Could a state law meant to cut plastic waste cost Californians more than expected? Plastic producers say yes.

As CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde explains, California passed a law in 2022 requiring companies that produce plastic to cut packaging and food-service waste by 25%, and ensure products are recyclable or compostable by 2032. CalRecycle estimated the law would cost $21 billion to enact, or $190 a year per California household.

But a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association and the California League of Food Producers — found CalRecycle’s figure to be based on “idealized assumptions.” They estimate the cost to be as much as $58 billion, or $948 annually per household. On Wednesday, two dozen state legislators sent a letter to legislative leaders urging a two-year delay on parts of the law.

Proponents of the legislation, however, oppose any delay in implementation.

• State Sen. Ben Allen, an El Segundo Democrat and the law’s author, in a statement: “This 11th-hour Hail Mary (by plastic producers) is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window.”

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A contentious bill that aims to protect immigration service providers is heading to the governor’s desk, despite fierce opposition from some Republicans who argue that the measure would curb First Amendment rights.

The Legislature passed the proposal Wednesday, largely on party lines. The bill would enable people who provide legal, healthcare, counseling or other assistance to immigrants to be eligible for a privacy program that hides where they live from public databases.

GOP lawmakers have slammed the bill saying it limits journalists’ ability to investigate organizations for fraud, waste and abuse. They’ve dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” in reference to the conservative YouTube journalist who last year accused child care centers in Minneapolis of widespread fraud.

The bill’s author, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, said she and her staff have received death threats over the measure. Appearing to hold back tears during her remarks on the chamber floors, Bonta said the bill “fundamentally is about freedom from fear.”

• Bonta, an Oakland Democrat: “Right now, our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of the work that they do. That is an intolerable consequence to the fear-mongering that happens right now. … This is a very scary time.”