It’s the day for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. A mini-magazine in your Inbox.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigns against the recall election.
Genaro Molina/Getty Images

BOTH SIDES OF CALIFORNIA’S RECALL ELECTION WANT VOTERS OF COLOR. GETTING THEIR VOTES IS A DIFFERENT TASK
By Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, @cres_guez ([link removed])
Communities Reporter, Digital

In a parking lot outside the Fresno County Democratic Party headquarters, extreme heat and nerves permeating the air, California Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula made a plea to the sparse crowd before him.

“We get the government we deserve,” Arambula, who represents communities in the San Joaquin Valley, said into a microphone. “If we’re not out there actually voting and making a difference and raising our voice, we’re stuck with the results of the election.”

On this Saturday, a lineup of local elected officials had come together in support of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who today faces a Republican-led recall election triggered earlier this summer by voters angry about his handling of the pandemic -- including shutdowns -- and immigrant-friendly laws.

This is only the fourth time in U.S. and the second in California history, that a recall attempt has reached the ballot. The last time was in 2003, when Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, won a recall election to replace then-Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat. This time around, there is cautious optimism by Democrats in the lead up to the special election that Newsom may defeat the recall, in which 46 candidates are vying to replace him.

According to recall election rules, 51 percent of the vote is needed for either side to win. If a majority of voters vote “yes” on the recall, Newsom will immediately be removed from office and the candidate with the highest percentage becomes governor. If a majority votes “no,” the governor will remain in office.

But Newsom’s fate, as he weathers multiple crises on COVID-19 and natural disasters, depends on voter turnout, as well as outreach to a new electorate that didn’t exist when this issue last hit the ballot 18 years ago.

Read the full story ([link removed]) for more about what voting officials, voter right advocates and recall supporters say about voter outreach and what happens after ballots are cast.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Saher Khan, @SaherMKhan ([link removed])
Politics Producer

The Unemployment Insurance System Is Set to Get a Tech Makeover — but It Needs Much More, the Biden Administration Says ([link removed]) - Sept. 10 The challenges of the pandemic shed light on an antiquated unemployment system that couldn’t handle the overwhelming number of claims and was also plagued by some fraudulent claims, making it difficult for millions of Americans to get assistance. Why it matters: New software being developed by the U.S. Digital Service, an arm of the White House that tackles tech challenges, is a start. But advocates say that Congress needs to address the larger systemic issues of unemployment insurance through legislation, pointing out how the system has not kept up with a changing labor market and isn't equipped to help the different types of workers in today's economy, gig workers, contractors, part-time workers and more. -
ProPublica

To mandate or not to mandate? Small business owners grapple with employee vaccinations ([link removed]) - Sept. 12 After President Joe Biden mandated vaccines for larger businesses, small businesses around the country are now weighing whether to follow suit, taking into account how it could lead to the loss of employees and limit new hires. Why it matters: The pandemic has put a lot of burden on small business owners to enforce health care guidelines that keep their customers safe while also trying to retain employees who have the upper hand in a tight labor market. - The Nevada Independent

Justice Dept. to unveil new rules on federal monitors overseeing local police reforms ([link removed]) Sept. 13.- Attorney General Merrick Garland announced new rules for federal monitors, who are appointed to oversee compliance with police reforms required by legal agreements. These rules would set limits on how long consent decrees and civil settlement agreements last, address police budgets and require more training. Why it matters: The rules come after a four-month DOJ review exploring ways to bolster public confidence in the federal government’s efforts to curb abusive policing practices. Monitors typically cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year and have been criticised for serving on oversight committees for more than one city at a time, and have also drawn criticism from law enforcement that their oversight keeps the city under consent degrees for
never-ending periods of time. The new rules would set term limits and implement period reviews of the settlements monitors are overseeing. - Washington Post

U.S. election workers get little help from law enforcement as terror threats mount ([link removed]) - Sept. 6. U.S. election workers have been facing an unprecedented harassment and threats of violence and intimidation following the 2020 election, but they’re finding little protection or recourse from law enforcement. Why it matters: This Reuters investigation found that 102 death threats to around 40 workers resulted in just four arrests and no convictions, showing how vulnerable election workers continue to be as the country gets ready for another election cycle. - Reuters

Biden Ended Contracts with Private Prisons. So One May Turn To House Immigrants ([link removed]) - Sept. 13. Ahead of a December expiration for federal contracts with private prisons, facilities like Leavenworth Detention Center in Kansas are looking into operating as immigration detention centers instead, since the executive orders do not cover those facilities. Why it matters: Ending federal contracts with private prisons was a long-fought battle for criminal justice reform advocates. But now, undocumented immigrants could face the harsh conditions of the prison industiral complex, a system that’s often infringed upon the rights of vulnerable communities; low income people and people of color. - NPR
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch ([link removed])
Politics producer

Voters in California decide today whether to recall Gov.Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. It’s the second time a recall effort has successfully prompted an election, the first being in 2003, when Californians ousted Gov. Gray Davis in favor of his Republican challenger, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Our question: How many states allow for recall elections of state legislators, including California?

Send your answers to or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.




============================================================
Copyright © 2021 NEWSHOUR LLC, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
3620 South 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22206

** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])