PRESSURE POINTS: Almost like clockwork, potential fissures are opening around the Trump-proofing (sorry to Gov. Gavin Newsom!) legislative special session. Newsom wants to keep it narrowly focused on giving the California Department of Justice and other state agencies $25 million to prepare for legal battles with the incoming Trump administration. The Assembly appears to be on board with this plan. But the Senate and some advocacy groups say that’s not enough. They want the state to chip in more like $60 million, with $35 million extra for local governments and legal aid for undocumented immigrants and other groups likely to find themselves in the new administration's crosshairs. “We have to be ready on all fronts, and that takes time,” said Los Angeles state Sen. María Elena Durazo, a longtime immigrant rights supporter who is backing Senate efforts to provide additional money. “It takes resources to be able to put into place. We depend on community-based organizations. We depend on clinics. We depend on our social infrastructure to get the message across to our families: ‘Don't be afraid. Make sure your kids continue to go to school.’” Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, who authored the $60 million funding bill, stressed his sense of urgency – and the need “to be ready in January.” “Bad things can start happening very, very quickly,” he said. As we’ve previously reported, Newsom and the Legislature don’t need a special session to expedite state money for various Trump-proofing initiatives. Lawmakers could theoretically in January introduce funding bills that would take effect the moment Newsom signs them into law — but that would be unusual. Proposals introduced outside of the special session wouldn’t necessarily carry the same political weight or be able to count on the governor’s approval. Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel seems to prefer a narrower approach, and is carrying two bills: one with $25 million, as Newsom requested, and another chipping in $500,000 for initial legal case prep. But he didn’t close the door on providing more money for local governments and legal aid through the special session, telling Playbook the Assembly will be negotiating with the Senate and Newsom administration. A spokesperson for Newsom's office said the team was reviewing both proposals and "actively collaborating with legislative leaders and the Attorney General." Gabriel said Assembly Democrats have not “had an opportunity to have conversations about this." But, he emphasized, lawmakers are “very much constrained in the special session by what's in the governor's proclamation” and there’s “some benefit to really doing most of this work in regular session.” “If we need to act quickly, if there's a reason to protect the interests of Californians, to protect their fundamental rights, to protect the interests of California taxpayers, if there's federal action that requires us to move quickly, we've proven that we have the ability to do that time and again,” he said. IT’S WEDNESDAY 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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