Sacramento County Elections & Politics Digest

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., revealed her plans to run for reelection at a breakfast with volunteers in San Francisco. She followed up publicly with an announcement on social media.

More than 100 people spoke for and against the measure during the six-hour meeting of the Rocklin Unified School Board, which voted to approve a policy requiring teachers to tell parents if their child asks to be identified as a gender other than their assigned sex at birth.

This summer, the state libraries in Montana, Missouri and Texas and the local library in Midland, Texas, announced they’re leaving the ALA, with possibly more to come. Right-wing lawmakers in at least nine other states demand similar action.

Gov. Gavin Newsom for president in ’24? A lot of influential conservatives are convinced that it’s going to happen.

In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

Last week, Mayor Darrell Steinberg took an unconventional approach to the annual State of the City address.

A small group of activists want California voters to decide whether transgender minors should be allowed to receive puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries.

The Rancho Cordova City Council narrowed down a list of possible by-district election maps, taking another step toward ending its at-large representation system.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) announced Aug. 28 that Senate Democrats decided by “acclamation unanimously” that Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) will take over the leadership role.

Many of the state’s most outspoken supporters of the parents’ rights movement are newly elected school board members in the Sacramento region. They are confident that their cause—fed by the conviction that schools have become centers of leftist indoctrination—will only gain strength.

Sacramento City Council reps Katie Valenzuela and Caity Maple were among eight people arrested in the Capitol swing space as state workers called for a new contract and higher pay.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants counties to spend some revenue from California’s so-called “millionaire’s tax” on the state’s homeless crisis. That alarms advocates for programs that are getting that money today.

Many of the Latin American migrants who arrived in Sacramento via Florida-chartered planes could soon be responsible for paying rent while they still cannot legally work. Sacramento ACT, a faith-based community organization, can only guarantee housing until Sept. 30.

Although he hasn’t made a formal announcement, by filing California Form 501, Elk Grove Vice Mayor Kevin Spease has documented his intent to seek another four-year term as District 3’s council rep.

At a panel discussion hosted by the California African American Political Action Committee, five former lawmakers shared their experiences and accomplishments, highlighting the challenges of serving in the California State Legislature.

As the California Legislature reconvenes for the final five weeks of its session, the leader of the Assembly Public Safety Committee is under the spotlight. But Reggie Jones-Sawyer isn’t backing down.

Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen is now in her second term, having defeated incumbent Steve Ly in 2020 and her lone challenger Brian Pastor in last year’s race. She told the Citizen that she had known for a long time that she would seek a third term.

Many local governments see voter majorities approve bond measures without reaching the two-thirds required. A new effort to reform that system would drastically improve the ability of local governments to fund housing and infrastructure projects.

Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Bret Daniels is shifting his focus from a congressional race and will instead pursue the seat Sue Frost is vacating on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Ultraconservative Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost will not seek reelection in 2024, she told constituents in an email. Frost, on the board since 2017, represents the 4th District, which includes Antelope, Orangevale, Rancho Murieta, Rio Linda and Elverta.

The race is on for a vacant seat on the Natomas Unified School District board of trustees with several candidates already vying for votes. The filing period ends Aug. 11 for candidates seeking to run in the November special election.

Sacramento County supervisors in 2020 passed a resolution acknowledging racism as a public health crisis. They committed to identifying and implementing solutions to eliminate systemic racial inequity in all county-provided community services.

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general have sent a cautionary letter to the CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies, highlighting the potential legal ramifications of using race as a factor in employment practices.

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln plans to launch a bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Josh Harder in California’s 9th Congressional District, which covers part of the north San Joaquin Valley.

Rep. Katie Porter was the choice of 19% of likely voters, just ahead of Rep. Adam Schiff at 16% and Rep. Barbara Lee at 13%, a June survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found. PPIC also found that in the race for the White House, 50% of the state’s likely Republican voters support former President Donald Trump.

California lawmakers tried nine times to stiffen penalties for trafficking of a minor. The latest effort appeared to die — until a social media campaign forced Democrats to reconsider.

The debate continues over whether local Elk Grove Unified School District libraries should remove books that some parents consider to be obscene. This conflict began in April and returned at the school board’s June 27 meeting.

The first-in-the-nation measure to add caste to state anti-discrimination laws, which passed the state Senate, survives the Assembly judiciary committee. The bill’s author refused to water down the measure further.

Cornel West traces back his moral and ethical roots to Shiloh Baptist Church in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood. And his educational path was formed by his mother—the first Black educator in Elk Grove Unified School District.

After a prolonged transition, the Central Coast Democrat will be sworn in as Assembly speaker today, taking over from Anthony Rendon. They’re ideologically similar so the differences may be more in leadership style than policy.

Prosecutor Maggy Krell announced she is dropping out of the race to run for state assembly, and told CapRadio she will seek the seat held by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, who announced a run for mayor.

An obscure 1910s-era labor board once regulated everything from canneries to film sets to sheep farms. Why is California trying to bring it back now?