Political Watch

• Gov. Jerry Brown announced his appointment of Joshua Groban, 45, to the California Supreme Court on Nov. 14 to fill the vacancy left by retiring Associate Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar. “Josh Groban has vast knowledge of the law and sound and practical judgement,” Brown stated. “He’ll be a strong addition to California’s highest court.” The nomination was submitted to the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Appointments for confirmation. Groban, a Democrat, has served as a senior advisor to Gov. Brown since 2011, and worked Brown’s 2010 campaign as legal counsel. Groban studied at Harvard Law School and has also lectured at the UCLA School of Law since 2015. “Serving the people of California over the past eight years has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Groban stated. “I am truly humbled by this nomination and, if confirmed, I look forward to working alongside the highest court’s truly exemplary jurists.”

• Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) toured areas affected by the Camp Fire on Nov. 18, including Paradise and Middletown. In Middeltown, Harris met with local officials, survivors, firefighters, and first responders and was briefed on current response efforts and ongoing concerns regarding wildfires. “These wildfires claimed precious lives, devastated communities, destroyed thousands of homes, and forced thousands of Californians to evacuate. My heart aches for the families who lost everything, including loved ones,” Harris said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful to the firefighters who have been hard at work fighting these fires. The road to recovery for these communities won’t be easy, and we have a responsibility to give them the federal support they desperately need.”

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) issued a statement following the use of tear gas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to quell a crowd of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border—including women and children—on Nov. 25. In the statement released Nov. 26, Feinstein said the use of force was “horrifying” for affecting “mothers and young children as they seek refuge in the United States.” “These families have traveled thousands of miles,” she said. “They’re exhausted, hungry, and not a threat to national security. They’re simply seeking the opportunity to request asylum from the U.S. government and make a better life away from violence and poverty.” Feinstein also criticized President Donald Trump over his administration’s immigration policies and approach toward asylum seekers. “Our immigration policies must be implemented in a lawful, humane way,” Feinstein said.

• State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, and Assemblymembers Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) and Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), co-chairs of the Assembly Select Committee on Natural Disaster Response, Recovery, and Rebuilding, convened a joint informational hearing on Nov. 27 in Carpinteria to examine the state’s emergency alert system. “As California faces increasingly catastrophic wildfires, we need to take every step possible to ensure residents are notified clearly, quickly, and effectively during an emergency event,” Jackson stated before the hearing. “This year, we passed a series of bills to improve our emergency alert systems but there is still more to be done.”

• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) honored the Comfort Inn in Morro Bay with Small Business of the Month for the 35th Assembly District. The inn is owned by Jalpa and Hemant Patel of Morro Bay, according to a release from Cunningham’s office, who have helped promote tourism on the Central Coast. “Tourism is an increasingly important part of the Central Coast economy,” Cunningham stated. “I am proud to honor business owners, like Hemant and Jalpa Patel, who are committed to pushing the industry forward and creating jobs in our region.”