California's not-so-big reopening - CalMatters

Rome wasn’t built in a day — and neither did California reopen in one.

Flanked by minions, Smurfs and Transformers at Universal Studios Hollywood, a maskless Gov. Gavin Newsom drew $15 million worth of prizes in the state’s vaccine lottery and declared the

Golden State open for business after 453 days of lockdowns. But the reality for many Californians on Tuesday — the first day fully vaccinated residents could forgo face coverings in most

situations and many businesses could reopen at full capacity — was more complicated, reflecting the divide between urban and rural parts of the state.

Many residents buying a cup of coffee or grocery shopping in the Bay Area and Los Angeles kept their masks on, despite boasting some of California’s highest vaccination rates. Meanwhile,

more conservative parts of the state — like the San Joaquin Valley city of Merced — questioned why it took Newsom so long to ease tough pandemic rules.

To make matters more complicated, a patchwork of policies is already emerging across the state. Many restaurants in San Francisco, for example, are allowing diners to forgo masks indoors.

But others are requiring them whenever diners aren’t seated at their table. And although Cal/OSHA, the state’s workplace safety agency, is expected to vote Thursday to permit fully

vaccinated workers to go maskless, some companies say they will continue requiring all employees to wear them.

Despite the fanfare at Universal Studios, the state government itself is reopening gradually. The state Capitol opened to the public at reduced capacity on Tuesday, with masks required — as

they will be for anyone taking a behind-the-wheel driving test at the DMV.

The coronavirus bottom line: As of Tuesday, California had 3,697,927 confirmed cases (+0.02% from previous day) and 62,515 deaths (+0.02% from previous day), according to a CalMatters

tracker.

California has administered 39,789,490 vaccine doses, and 55.6% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated.

Plus: CalMatters regularly updates this pandemic timeline tracking the state’s daily actions. We’re also tracking the state’s coronavirus hospitalizations by county and lawsuits against

COVID-19 restrictions.

Now that the state has opened, many Californians will likely shift their focus to other pressing challenges — namely, the housing crisis. The Golden State’s eviction moratorium expires in

two weeks, sparking fears that tens of thousands of renters could be forced out of their homes. CalMatters’ Nigel Duara asks housing expert Carolina Reid, a UC Berkeley associate professor

of city and regional planning, to break down what’s at stake.

The problems extend to housing that hasn’t been built yet. Lawmakers’ attempts to accelerate affordable housing development are being hampered by a standoff between the state’s powerful

construction workers union and affordable housing developers, CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias reports. The State Building and Construction Trades Council wants lawmakers to require new housing be

built with union labor; developers say such a rule will constrict an already small labor pool and make projects impractical in areas with low union membership.

How bad is California’s drought? Well, state regulators on Tuesday took their most aggressive step in years to restrict the use of water rights, warning about 4,300 users — primarily farmers

and cities — to stop diverting water from the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta watershed, CalMatters’ Rachel Becker reports. The move came a day after the same regulator, the State Water

Resources Control Board, approved a plan for water releases into the Sacramento River that could kill up to 88% of endangered winter-run chinook salmon, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Advocates slammed the decision, which they said prioritized the agricultural industry at the expense of fish facing extinction. 

Another thorn in the state’s water management strategy: Officials don’t know whether the notices telling users to restrict their water use will actually make a difference, Rachel reports.

Research has shown California has issued far more water rights than there is water to supply them.

Quite a few interesting lawsuits involving California are wending their way through state and federal courts this week. Here’s a look at a few of them:

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CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: How California handles competing demands during this drought may be a harbinger of the conflict over the long-term reallocation of water as climate change

affects supply.

Make abortion more affordable: California must ensure that health plans can’t require cost-sharing for abortion or abortion-related services, argues Dr. Sarah Roberts, a UCSF professor with

the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program.

Support American workers: If we want workers in California and the rest of the country to benefit from our switch to electric vehicles, lawmakers must put domestic parts and assembly at the

heart of Assembly Bill 794, write David Campbell of United Steelworkers Local 675 and Jennifer Drudge of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

Reader response: Although Newsom should take responsibility for the unemployment department’s failings, it was terribly run long before he came on the scene, writes Oakland resident Gerald

Cauthen.

How the virus unraveled Hispanic American families in Santa Clara County. // New York Times

San Francisco is urging landlords to add housing units. Renters say they’re paying the price. // San Francisco Chronicle

California local elections officials: Don’t hold Newsom recall before Sept. 14. // Politico

Councilman Mike Bonin is served with a recall notice, the second in Los Angeles in a week. // Los Angeles Times

Petitions out to recall entire Mount Diablo school board. // Mercury News

New contract gives 20% raises to some California state attorneys. // Sacramento Bee

California offers $100 million to aid legal cannabis industry. // Los Angeles Times

Long Beach City College receives $30 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, largest in school’s history. // Press Telegram

Scientists are trying to make California forests more fire resilient. // Bloomberg

LAUSD teams with Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre to create ‘the coolest high school in America.’ // Daily News

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