Political Watch 3/15/18

• One March 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against the state of California over alleged obstruction of federal immigration law, and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave a speech at a meeting of the California Peace Officers Association the following day, where he said, "Contrary to what you might hear from the lawless open-borders radicals, we are not asking California, Oakland, or anyone else to actually effectively enforce immigration laws. I can't sit by idly while the lawful authorities of federal officers are being blocked by a legislative action of politicians." Gov. Jerry Brown fired back against Sessions' remarks to the press that day, saying, "This is really unprecedented for the chief law enforcement of the United States to come out to California and act more like Fox News than law enforcement. This is a political stunt." Brown continued, blaming the Trump administration for "sowing division and discord," and called on lawmakers to "build bridges, not walls." Brown also accused Sessions of lying about California's immigration laws, saying, "And like so many in the Trump administration, this attorney general has no regard for the truth. What he said earlier today is not true, it is a lie." Brown said that California "is going to stick to the facts and stick to the law," and said that after hearing talk of the suit between California and the Department of Justice possibly reaching the Supreme Court, said, "This lawsuit is going to last a lot longer than the Trump administration."

• Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to President Donald Trump on March 12 ahead of Trump's visit to California to view prototypes for his proposed border wall. Brown wrote clearly against Trump's stance on immigration, saying, "But our prosperity is not built on isolation. Quite the opposite. California thrives because we welcome immigrants and innovators from across the globe." Brown also called on Trump to visit California's Central Valley to view the high speed rail project. "We are already putting 1,700 Americans to work," he wrote, and asked Trump to support the rail project and "come aboard and truly 'Make America Great Again.'"

• On March 12, the day of President Donald Trump's visit to California to see proposed designs for a border wall with Mexico, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) criticized the plan on Twitter. "Trump's border wall is a waste of money. We should be using that money for infrastructure, Medicare for All, and tuition-free college." Harris had given a speech days prior to an audience of activists in Nevada, urging them to vote in the upcoming primary elections. "We've got to just go into 2018 and take back the flag," she said, and later brushed off a question about whether she would run president in 2020 or not, saying, "Don't answer that honey."

• Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is seeking nominations for the Congressional Women of the Year Award, which will recognize women in the 24th Congressional District for community impact. "During Women's History Month, while recognizing trailblazers for equality in our past, it is also important to acknowledge some of the women throughout the Central Coast who are working to improve our quality of life," Carbajal said in a statement." Carbajal also pointed to the "Me Too" movement as an important campaign for awareness. "Movements like this, and other issues including the gender wage gap and protecting women's access to health care, remind us that there is still so much to be done in the fight for equality. I encourage constituents to nominate someone they know on the Central Coast that has made a positive impact through her service."

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