Newsom’s power move bruised Dems. Now, they look forward to the Becerra era

It’s Xavier Becerra’s honeymoon period, and he’s pledging to treat Democratic leaders in the Capitol better than the last guy. We’ll see how the promise holds come budget season.

We have a new election result with Prop. 5 passing. That’s the Democratic-backed ballot measure that aims to shake up recall elections, presumably in a way that helps political insiders.

And you don’t want to skip our story on a lawsuit that alleges real estate agents working both sides of the deal are giving the short end of the stick to buyers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom at times ticked off even his Democratic allies in the state Legislature by jamming big policy proposals down their throats right before deadlines, using the time crunch to generate urgency and discourage opposition.

But it appears that Newsom’s successor doesn’t want to work that way. At least that’s what he’s saying now, a couple months before he has to send a budget proposal over to the Capitol.

Standing alongside Democratic legislative leaders at the state Capitol rotunda last week, Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra signaled that he is embracing a more collaborative relationship with lawmakers, write CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller and Jeanne Kuang.

Lawmakers, in turn, are looking forward to the change up.

• Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas: “It’s going to be a different type of relationship than what this Legislature has experienced over the past eight years. I fully expect and trust the governor-elect when he says that he’s going to do his best to … not drop stuff on us unexpectedly.”

Becerra’s push for cooperation between the two branches of government could stem from his experience as a California assemblymember and member of Congress. Since advancing from the primary as the Democratic candidate for governor, Becerra has met individually with several legislators, as well as the Senate and Assembly Democratic caucuses.

But where Becerra stands on major policy issues still is unclear, and both he and the Legislature have plenty on their plate to tackle, including how the state will deal with federal cuts to Medi-Cal; resolving the debate over who pays for wildfire damage caused by utilities; reining in artificial intelligence; and lowering the cost of living.

Even when asked if he would commit to one policy — reversing Newsom’s rollback of healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants, which Becerra appeared to endorse in an interview with KQED earlier this month — Becerra lectured reporters for “playing politics.”

• Becerra: “Guys, don’t play this game about asking me to commit, because I didn’t get elected doing that.”

Read more.

California voters narrowly approved Proposition 5 Thursday, changing the recall process of state officials, reports CalMatters’ Kate Wolffe.

Currently, voters are simultaneously asked whether an official should be removed from office and who should replace the recalled official. But under Prop. 5, voters will now decide first whether to remove an official. If successful, they’ll vote again in a followup election on who the replacement should be.

Democratic lawmakers backed Prop. 5, arguing that the current system leads to unnecessary state expense and can lead to “undemocratic” outcomes, since the winner does not need a majority to win. The 2021 campaign to recall Newsom, for example, cost taxpayers about $200 million and the campaigns on both sides spent another $100 million total.

But Republican lawmakers said changing the recall process is unnecessary and would lead to additional costs because of the need to hold two elections.

Nevertheless, Prop. 5 passed with 52% of the vote.

Read more.

A Sonoma County lawsuit is bringing to light what appears to be a growing trend among real estate brokerage companies that are leaving some homebuyers worse off, writes CalMatters’ Ben Christopher.

“Dual agency” is a practice in which both buyer and seller are represented by the same agent or brokerage. Though it’s illegal in more than half a dozen states, it’s permitted in California — as long as both buyer and seller fully understand and consent to the arrangement.

But homebuyers in a lawsuit against W Real Estate, one of the largest brokerages in Northern California, are accusing the company of pushing new buyers of a Santa Rosa housing development into dual agency transactions without giving them any real choice in the matter. 

These deals could also hurt homebuyers’ pocketbooks: At a different W Real Estate brokered development where dual agency was not required of buyers, those with their own agents were four times more likely to receive concessions and credits, said the lawyer bringing the dual agency lawsuit. 

Some experts also say that dual agency deals operate in an ethical grey area.

• Wayne Bell, a former commissioner at the California Department of Real Estate: “You can’t try to get the highest price for the seller and also try to get the lowest price for the buyer, it’s an inherent conflict of interest.”

Read more.

California Voices

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Newsom insists that he respects voters, but his unilateral efforts to stop executions violate the promises he made, while running for governor, to honor voters’ support of the death penalty.

Gigantic acquisitions like Paramount-Warner and Fox-Roku have the potential to turn California’s entertainment industry into a handful of lumbering corporate behemoths that produce too much slop and not enough well-paying jobs, writes William Lockyer, a former California attorney general and state legislator 

These Californians missed an important vote on Pete Hegseth impeachment — here’s why // San Francisco Chronicle (gift link)

Becerra picks Brown, Newsom alums to helm budget transition // Politico (paywall)

After historic losses, CA GOP faces a fight over its future // Los Angeles Times (paywall)

CA teachers urge 3-year pause on AI use in K-8 schools // The Sacramento Bee (gift link)

CA almonds, grapes and vegetables are grown with ancient water that is not coming back // KQED (free)

San José could hit the brakes on data center projects // San José Spotlight (free)

San Diego police used Flock to surveil officers, domestic violence victim // Voice of San Diego (free)