TOUGH PLAYS: Just in time for tonight’s NFL kickoff, Gov. Gavin Newsom is looking for a way back into the youth tackle football conversation. The governor today announced he recently held a “youth football summit” to help the administration determine whether additional safety rules are necessary in a sport that’s a fixture in much of the state. And lawmakers are already contemplating new bills on the topic. It’s tricky political territory for California Democrats, whose efforts to protect kids from lifelong brain injuries have slammed headlong into “nanny state” allegations. Newsom last waded into the discussion in January, when he said he’d veto a bill that would have banned tackling for football players under age 12. Its author, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, promptly shelved the legislation. The governor said he was against an “outright ban,” but he committed to working “with the Legislature and the bill’s author to strengthen safety in youth football — while ensuring parents have the freedom to decide which sports are most appropriate for their children.” The last part of his statement was aimed at those who think California goes overboard in regulations aimed at kids. That sentiment hit a peak with Covid-era mask and vaccine rules — and Republicans and opponents of a youth tackle ban seized on it with appearances on Fox News. Newsom and Democrats didn’t want to tangle with the topic during an election year. But they may have more success next legislative session, depending on the outcome of the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, said Doug Herman, a Democratic strategist based in Los Angeles. “If, for example, the Republicans lose, there's going to be a reckoning over what they believe is the best future for their party: more Trump or less Trump,” Herman said. “If it's less Trump, these issues are going to start to recede, because there's no reason that they should do political cultural issues.” Herman said controversies over topics like youth tackle football are “just manufactured for the sake of politics, and that puts our children's safety at risk.” Newsom in 2019 signed the California Youth Football Act from then-Assemblymember Jim Cooper. The law created safety rules for youth tackle football. Cooper, who now serves as Sacramento County sheriff, emphasized the importance of football and sports for children in low-income areas. “These kids in these neighborhoods, sometimes there's nothing to look forward to other than a sport like this,” he said. Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, who played college football at San Jose State, was torn on the McCarty bill. His concern about the legislation mandating behavior was tempered by the fact that he suffered a concussion in practice that caused brain fog and light sensitivity for days afterward. Valencia told Playbook he’s considering legislation promoting the use of “padded, soft-shell caps that reduce the impact of collisions and can lower concussion risks.” He said in a statement that he’s “happy to see the governor taking this issue seriously.” “I want to emphasize that I respect the rights of parents to make decisions about their children’s participation in sports,” Valencia said. “My goal is not to eliminate tackle football for youth but to make the game as safe as possible.” — with help from Eric He and Rachel Bluth IT’S THURSDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@politico.com.
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