GSBE Business Update 02/04/21
HOUSING PERMIT REPORT CARD FINDS CA NOT ON TRACK TOWARDS BUILDING SUFFICIENT HOUSING
Southern California News Group released their housing permit record card, finding that only 3% of CA cities and counties are fully on track to build sufficient housing, and 30% are not issuing any permits for affordable housing. The average grade was a C-minus. Read more.
SCHIFF LOBBYING NEWSOM TO BE CALIFORNIA’S NEXT AG
It appears that Rep. Adam Schiff is quietly lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies to appoint him California’s next attorney general. The attorney general’s job would better position Schiff, a high-profile Democrat who led the Russia investigation into then-President Trump, to run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, should the 87-year-old decide not to run for reelection in 2024. The AG’s job is being vacated by Xavier Becerra, who President Biden has nominated to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services. Read more here.
ROUND 2 HAS STARTED! APPLY FOR THE CA SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 RELIEF GRANT
Small businesses can apply for Round 2 of the CA Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program starting today through February 8, 2021. Click here to learn more about how to apply. This is the final application window for the grant—don’t miss out!
LOW MARKS FOR VACCINE ROLLOUT
Gov. Newsom’s approval rating has fallen from record-high levels notched earlier in the pandemic, according to two polls released Tuesday — potentially fueling the campaign to recall him from office. The Berkeley IGS poll (over 10K sample size) of registered voters found that Newsom’s once-soaring popularity has gone into free-fall, finding fewer than one in three Californians (31%) rating Newsom as doing an excellent or good job in handling the pandemic overall, down from 49% last September. PPIC’s polling was far more comforting to Newsom, finding that a healthy 54% of adult Californians and 52% of voters approve of his gubernatorial performance and just 36% disapprove.
DETAILS SCARCE FOR NEW VACCINE PLAN
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top health official, gave a Tuesday press conference on the state’s major shift in vaccine strategy that left most with more questions than answers. Asked repeatedly for more information about CA’s vaccine delivery partnership with Blue Shield, Ghaly said Government Operations Agency Secretary Yolanda Richardson, who wasn’t present at the press conference, could answer those questions next week. In addition, advocates had thought it likely Ghaly would announce revisions to the state’s new age-based system to ensure Californians with disabilities and underlying health conditions would be prioritized for the vaccine. But Ghaly merely hinted at a future announcement. Ghaly offered a similarly unclear timeline of “hopefully between now and next week” for when the state would release vaccination priority guidelines for educators, childcare workers, food and farm workers and first responders.