Two times during the Trump years, California led a coalition of states suing the administration, claiming it was illegally diverting tax money to build the border wall.
Now, there’s a new president. And on Monday, California’s attorney general announced a settlement with the Biden administration to stop the disputed wall construction and provide money to help restore environmental damage.
Specifically, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will give the state $25 million to help an environmental nonprofit buy 1,200 acres (known as the Otay Village 14 property) in San Diego County near the border — or if the group can’t come up with the other $35 million, to fund conservation projects in the Proctor Valley/Lower Otay Lakes area. Under the settlement, the department will also provide $1.1 million to monitor endangered species and install wildlife passages in the border area for those animals.
- Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement: “The Trump Border Wall is officially a relic of the past, which is where it belongs. With environmental mitigation projects coming online to protect our sensitive ecosystem along the U.S.-Mexico border and the confirmation of over $427 million in funding restored for military construction projects, today’s settlement ushers in a new beginning.”
—Lynn La, CALMatters
Other political news: For this legislator, personal is political
For most legislators, last Thursday was noteworthy as the final day before their month-long summer recess. But for Assemblymember Lori Wilson, it was significant in a much more personal way — right after session ended, Wilson underwent what she hopes to be her last round of chemotherapy.
“I’m very happy to be done with this chapter of treatment,” Wilson told me Thursday.
Since announcing she was seeking treatment for breast cancer in April, fellow Democrats and Republicans alike have rallied in support of Wilson. On July 10, they posed for a photo on the Assembly floor to mark Breast Cancer Awareness. Besides her staff, the Suisun City Democrat also thanked her colleagues for accommodating committee hearings — switching file orders and the like — so that she can present bills when she has the most energy to do so.
“The only silver lining about my treatment is that it has very predictable days,” said Wilson. Because of that, setting boundaries is crucial. Within the first few days after receiving treatment, her staff knows to let her rest. But as the days pass and she regains her strength, her schedule fills up.
The personal and political overlap for her in other ways at the state Capitol. Wilson is the only one of 120 lawmakers with an out transgender child. She authored a bill that would enable judges to consider a parent’s affirmation of a child’s gender identity or expression when it comes to granting custody.
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other conservative public figures caught wind of the proposal, Wilson recalled that her office began to receive death threats. The vitriol she received prompted her to sit down with her son and get his assurance that he would not put himself in harm’s way over the measure.
“I was like, ‘If people are talking to you and using my name, then they’re talking about this (bill). So you don’t even have to engage and you don’t have to defend your mom.’”
In anticipation of her birthday, which was on Monday, Wilson said she will likely rest since she’ll be too fatigued from chemotherapy. Still, she’s determined to remain in good spirits, viewing this challenge as something she simply must go through.
“I can’t avoid it. At the end of it, I can be depressed, angry and upset,” she told me. “Or I can be joyful and full of life, like how I carry my life anyway. I chose to be that — that I would do that all the way through.”
California Legislature could boost night markets
Have you ever enjoyed a night market in East Asia? Or hoped to experience the delicious food and lively atmosphere of one? Good news: There may be many more night markets coming soon to California.
A new bill unveiled Monday is trying to pave the way for night markets and farmers’ markets by cutting red tape and costs. Currently, the California Department of Public Health does not have a streamlined permitting process for regularly occurring market events.
Assembly Bill 441 would change that by creating a dedicated permit, Democratic Assemblymember Matt Haney said Monday in the Outer Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, where a new night market will open Sept. 15.
“There’s no constituency in California calling for more red tape and paperwork,” said Haney. “Part of bringing culture and business back into our downtown means removing barriers and cutting through unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Haney was joined by San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio, who was inspired to bring night markets to the Bay Area after a trip to Taipei, a city famous for its night markets.
“As we address the serious issues facing San Francisco, a night market reminds us why our city is worth fighting for by creating more joy,” said Engardio. “It also brings people together, makes streets safer, and helps small businesses.”
Night markets are not unheard of in California: 626 Night Market, the largest Asia-inspired night market festival in the United States, began in the San Gabriel Valley in 2012. The festival now takes place across California during the summer, boasting hundreds of food vendors, stores, games and live shows.
This may seem like an odd time to announce a new bill, considering the Legislature went on a month-long break Friday. In its past life, the subject of AB 441 was an earned income tax credit. However, Haney withdrew the bill from committee in April. The bill analysis said it could result in a revenue loss of millions of dollars at a time when California has a budget deficit of more than $30 billion.
Lawmakers are limited in how many bills they can introduce — for the Assembly, it’s 50 for the session — so sometimes resort to the controversial “gut and amend” process, whereby they gut a bill and use it as a vehicle for new legislation. In this case, instead of a bill to help poorer families, Haney is substituting a proposal to boost culture and cities.
—Political intern Rya Jetha, CALMatters
