tonight , governor gavin newsom signed into law a wild fire insurance fund for the stes largest utilities. also we will discuss the shifting political landscape in the 2020 presidential election and president trump's on-again off-again push to get citizenshipinrmation as part of the 2020 census. a plus california is ep o allowing student athletes to get paid. pathe fair to play act. hello. welcome to the kqed news root i am scoshafer. we begin with a wild fire update. governor gavin newsom signed a $21 billion wild fire insurance fund that would back the state's largest utilities. assembly bill 1054 will allow california utilities to use the

fund to cover the liability. if the california public utilities district determines the utility try to prevent wildfires. butthe utilities would first have to invest a combined $5 million. pg&e would have to meet additional requirements including current claims and exiting bankruptcy by the end of next june. many of those who oppose the bill say it was rushed intlaw in that ratetoo much cost. payers re bearing too much cost. joining me are kqed politics reporter kati and loretta, a former pree dent of california public utilities commission. the state agency that regulates utilities. katie, me begin with you. you were at the signing ceremony this morning. remind us what this legislation is intended to do. >> it is really intended to givu

omers and financial markets some certainty. we've been having these massive wildfires in california th ve been causing billions of dollars worth of damage. companies like pg&e are --urnot about whether or not it would be made whole something tragic happens to their house or car or their ongings. this gives some certainty that they will be paid back and made whole if they suffer one of these wildfires. >> so this $21 billion fund, how is it going to be funded? where is the mcoey going to from? >> half of the money will come y from rats. they won't see a direct increase on their bill. it will be a small monthly fee. right now it is about $2.50 that ratepayers are already paying. it is set to expire . they are going to stretch it out for another 15 years. that will raise half of the 21 billion. the other half will come from utility companies,their shareholders. that will be divided up based

on percentages, based on how large the company is. >> loretta, this is being deedribed by some as a bala approach, balancing input from ththe utilities in terms oir funding plus ratepayers. how do you see it? is it balanced? >> the futurvictims fund, which is what katie is describing, is somewhat balanced initially. the problem is, that fund is used to wag a very big dog of utility and wall street giveaways. can compensate the victims and stabilize the markets just with the future victims fund. w don't need to repeal and rollback long-term regulatory issues. with the regulato rollback, ould have an almost eight increases in the future, but the legislature will have already big given the utilities to do that. >> this needed a two thds vote.

is that part of the deto get the additional votes that were needed? >> i don't know. this deal was negotiated in private in the back room. the bill was just published for the very first time two weeks ago. and then major amendments that is the >> that's what the law requires. at least 72 hours. >> this monumental of the program that has to begin with $29 billion of cost and has all sorts of side costs inside w deals thastart no the locations of, generally the legislature and the governor takes a lot more time anis a lot more public vetting. my concern is, what was in it that they really didn't want us to find? >> tie, what did he governor say today at the signing ceremony? did he address this criticism that we just heard roloretta , but others have been saying that this has en rest. >> yeah, i think it's something that the governor and other supporters are feeling a bit defensive about as loretta

said, the bill hasn't ben out that long. the amended version of the cannot a week ago. whether or not lawmakers had enough time to comprehend the amendment to go through them. he said hey, [ inaudible ]. b. is your read the amendment. he has en working onthis for years think some of it actually started coming together before he was in office and the governor jerry brown's. you are always can have criticism. certain deals don't have enough time in public. this one especially because of the amount of money and the complexity of it people are really saying, why did we need to do his so quickly i have these committee hearings back to back to back. we really should take more time. >> loretta, you were present inu 2000 th 2002 at a time

where we had an energy crisis, came up out of nowhere seemingly. do you feel like the lessons du learneing that period of time have been learned and applied to this current crisis? >> sadly, no. the lesson that we learned back in the asergy crisis to get it right, not get it fast. the times we move too fast, we got it wrong. what i do know is this. i doubt that most people who voted on this bill understood all the ins and outs and all the regulatory rollback they were part io but they trusted the governor thand they took plunge. the people who did understand every single word change and just how much they're going to profit from it are the utianty lawyerwall street financiers. >> toward the end, the advocates for ratepayers signed onto the packag t. wat just sort of accepting reality that this was going to pass her there wasn't a better alternative that could make it through the legislature? >> you will have to k them as a k. this is what i do know. during energy deregulation,

they stood silent. as thlast pg&e bankruptcy ballot, ty opposed it unti they supported it. sadly, i don't but they have a lot of credibility on predicting ratepayers on these big deals. >> katie, what did the governor say today, if athing, about keeping the ion deflation that is gone now and how veit may to be amended in the future. >> the governor really try to get out ahead. he said i know you're going to be asking me about things we have to do in the future. itit started in this area? he said yes, yes, yes. they plan to have bills coming up. he says it is not the be all and dull. it is a step toward addressing the destructive wildfires and how we deal with them. in the fall [ inaudible ].

nobody thinks this bill is perfect. is what we have right now. we have to do something. >> loretta, the governor today appointed a new head, marybelle bacher, which he named just a few months ago. what you know about her and what kind of a learning curve is she going to be facing >> mirabelle is an experienced government executive. howeve to my knowledge, she doesn't have a utility regulatory or environmental background. neither did i wheni was appointed by gray davis. not in a crisis situation. i was appointed before the energy crisis hits. my learning curve is like this. it is very intense. even in a non-crisis situation, i was 24 seven learning the job. i did have one qualification that came in really handy during the energy crisis. i was a criminal defens i knew how the enron's of the

world worked with they were guilty. i want after the right away. the problem here is, the utilities have already been briefed on this bill. they participated in creating it. so did wall street. creditors and tank of the court are vying for control as pg&e. they knojust how they are going to profit at just how they are going to slip through these rollbacks. dyo you need somewho is going to catch them doing it and stop them. >> alttright, lolynch, i'm sure we will be keeping a close eye on this. expert coming in, and thanks for katie orr in sacramento. tom steyer announced he is joining an dealready cr field of democratic candidates for the d20ocratic. that came after one already dropped out. also friday morning, labor secretary alex acosta abruptly

resigned as dem for him to step down over his role in a secret settlement with blionaire child sex trafficker jeffrey epsteina decade ago. and president trump backs down from putting a citizenship question on the 2020 census, insistinhe will get the information some other way. iscuss all now to of this and more, our live senior writer carl and senior writer for the san francisco chronicle, joe. welcome to you both. wants to talk about. let's talk with omas stier. what do you think he brings. >> he is a very big checkbook. he h a big mailing list. 1 million people have signed the need to cimppetition. he has a lot of experience. he is a rich white guy who has never been elected to anything. but we have en that playboo before. in donald trump. he is looking at this and

sayinghe is a olitical outsider. he is not somebody who was inside the washington circles. whether that is going to fly or not is another thing >> what did he tell you this week, he would be a we have been to all the democratic adventures. he's got the speaking slots. >> he is a political outsider who ve spent hundre billions of dollars on political campaigns. the worst thing he could have donewa when he said i'm going to spend $100 million on the race. who is going to give money to a billionaire who said i'm going to spend $100 mi> ion. even going to try to raise money? >> he has to. if wants to be in the debates he has to raise, what? >> he will at least have a showing in the polls. >> for the september debates you have to have both. 130,000do rs and a super percent in the polls. >> what about getting corporate

money out of politics. is that something that even vo resonates withers? >> i think it does. he has done more than 50 town haols d the country this year alone. i have seen him. he does connect. he does bring out baby boomers and millennials who like this message. like joe said, it is one thing to go from being o cause being a candidate. whether he can actually connect and make voters feel like he understands their problems at a granular level. he is a very rich guy. >> wehave seen how tough it is to break out in a field as big s this one. what you imagiit would take other than interrupting joe biden -- >> i don't know what his passport is becauof that. is also going o face a lot more scrutiny his finances. how did you get to become a billionaire? a lot of those investments were in fossil fuels. ho even h he has become an environmental list and has donated a lot of time and money

to energy, those things will come up. good stance, especially when so many democrats are talking about climate change. >> carla, as you pointed out, he has been pushing the need to impeach donald trump. that is not a message nancy pelosi is fond of. >> he td us thaone of the reasons he is running. he is frustrated with where the whole drive is going. he feels the system is broken. he is hearing from voters that the system is but broken. i think that is going to be his message. weather is going to h through on the debate stage, if he even gets there, is the question. he tells us that he is going to continue to funds democratic causes and the need to impeach issue and the climate changes to. that's a lot of money out tre . tom steyer has the money. he can do it. >> a great message, but is he the right messenger? that's e thing. because of all the reasons we are talking about. >> he doesn't really need the corporate money. he has his own money. let's talk to many about eric

swallwell. heis cutting hilosses. is there any damage done or any benefit for having run? >> he gets a little name recognition. what's interesting is the diagnosis since hes left his he is playing nice. he is been a total good soldier. he says y e democratic, the the debates are chosen is not rigged. it has been fair. this is the best way to do it. s i got a fundraising email today that says give money to the democratic party. i was like really? he is saying, they asked him at the farewell prescott, who are you going to endorse. he said i don'tknow yet a specific person. one of the criteria is i want someone who is a next generation person. >> he is only 38. he has pushed that idea of the next generaheon leading. has plenty of time.

he has increased his name recognition. he is a cable news regular. is the gugoing to continue. that can only help them in the future. >> a? question about alex acosta labor secretary stepping down. what is the message about the demonstration? >> how long is the list now of jump officials that have been shown the door? acosta, like so many of the others, insisted until the last minute that he was safe and had the kpresident's bg. that is going to create within the administration. trump didn't want this distraction of the epstein taser any more questions about a. that was found to continue had acosta stage. >> when he departed they can't trump was right by his side. one of the reasons, acosta, cuban-american from florida,

florida is a major swing state. that is a big part of the n republicte. that is the key. he did not want to seem disrespectful. >> the president this week refusing tback off even though he sorta did back off on the census citizenship question. th joe, what arpolitics of all this? >> he real world applications are that the damage is already done. by talking about it so much, and i spent someime this week , are actually a couple of weeks ago, with young american citizens and their parents are immigrants, some of them legal, some of them ret. this a little fear. a lot of chaos. one young person told me it's chaos. we are afrai i don't know if i'm going to be separated in this country from appearance of the i.c.e. he has freaked out a lot of people and has temps down the latino vote. >> he didn't get the census question he wanted. he tried to portray that as a win anyway. for him win-wi

because he has created so much tnxiety about this census and questions abou integrity of the census the now the question is, will peoe, essentially immigrants, answer those questions? california is putting $187 milli into the effort to make sure that they do because hthey e more at stake than any other state when it comes to billions of dollars in federal aid and potential steaks. >> adding to the fear there are going to be i.c.e. raids. e apply this weekend in san francisco and elsewhere across the country. what are the politics of immigration? here in the bay area, everyone sort of thinks morthor less same about immigration to sanctuary cities. some controversy. butrout there in the , this is much more divisive, even among democrats, isn't it? >> yes. we saw some of the divisions about whether crossing the border should be a criminal act or not. we saw some division in the first debate on that.s the of the country the republicans will win if trump

can make this a bigger part the national conversation. immigration is nunot the ber one issue for a lot of people, a lot of americans. certainly one of the top issues for latinos. but even among the latinos the top issues are the economy and healthcare. because it's so divisive among democrats, that is a win for republicans. >> do you think it will tempt down latino turnoin 2020? or will it motivate latinos to register and vote? >> this is the question. democts have to worry little bit about some of these immigration issues and how they may play out especially with trump issue pushing issues moli ats want open borders, they are socialists, they want to pay for health care for undocumented immigrants. somesuof these do not play as well as centrist democrats. i think trump may have win in this case. >> that is sort of where joe biden's support is coming from, from some of those democrats

who are maybe t so comfortable. >> even though biden put up his hand when he asked should have document tgrants get healthcare, as in every other democrat, that is going to be a tough one s r the democrto either walk back or negotiate in the general econ. >> as always, thanks so much for coming in. help dewhen a athletes are one step closer to being allowed to earn compensation and sponsorships mbile in college. the california ly higher education committee unanimously passed senate bill 206, the fair pay to play act. is made into law, it will allow student athletes and california universities tonsearn compeation for the use of their name, image, and likeness starting in january 2023, and was the ncaa moves to block i recently, the ncaa has been criticized for exploiting student athletes after reportedly making over $1 billion inrevenue last year. nare now to talk about this is state senatory skinner who

co-authored the bill and san francisco sports columnist welcome. senator skinner, what wrong is this legislationxpted to write? >> the issue of athletes being exploited has been around for decades. r yomember harry edwards book, the revolt of the black stdent hlete. every interview of kareem r.abd- jab recently the hbo special produced by lebron james. all about the fact that student athletesare the only category of people for whom someone, entities, benefit from their labor in huge monetary amount, and yet they are access to any of that revenue or that benefit. >> many of the students, not all, but many me from low income families. many of them are students of color. does that play into the unfairness, the ince? >> the civil rights issue of it

definitely plays into it. y, historicat has been something that black athletes th inblack community has really raised as a significant issue. but i think we need to just look at it as an issue for all athletes. you and i, everyone in california, has the right to their name, image, and likeness. and no one else can monetiz you are mine image likeness without our permission without giving us a chair of that, except student athlete every other student can. why should a student athlete have to right away that right to do something t tthey love? >> of course, the schools, the ncaa, they are pushing back very hard on this. was their argument? do they have a leg to stand on? >> i think they think they have a historic like to stand on. they bpn the ones iting and manipulating throughout time. they don't want to change things. they are making a ton of money. the ncaa has historically like

to strike fear into the hearts of student athletes everywhere. that is pretty much their game plan of how they operate. thehave a lot f heavy hitters, a lot of presidents of universities that are beholden to them. it is a very complicated issue. california, i love this bill because once again, california is on the cutting edge of something that is in a conversation nationally, has been for a decade. and finally, this appeal in a couple of other states to push forward and yo rectify. it is a pwrong. sonally, i could little nervous. i was just talking to nancy about it. hen i heabout people, athletes being paid, i always think about title ix andn r equity in the fact that people want to pay the quarterback. they don't think about the lacrosse a female lacrosse player.

>> or the thlineman for t matter. >> who is doing the exact same job and has her schedule interrupted as well. why they don't produce revenue for the school, they do the same thing. this is about a person's likeness or image. i think that's obvious. o such an ious thing. you should be able, if someone is using your image, you should be able to share in that revenue. who is going to decide? is it just the marketplace? >> i love that annie brought up the issue about our athletes and title ix. they've recently allowed for basket players to have agents. but only mail basket ballplayers. we have female basketball players. a female professional league. but they are not allowed agents. they've also allowed for tennis player both men and women, to take home a $10,000 purse if they get such a winning. no other athlete. why only tennis player interestingly, when i

introduced the bill, who reached out to me? i thought alkinds of student athletes would. only women athletes. erin, a rower for cal. she said dinancy, i 't get a scholarship for my nior year. i had to cover all the costs of all my training. n yet, as olympic athlete, i had the right to market, to take endorsements, to even silly t-shirt with my name on itand yet, under the ncaa rules, i could ot. >> interms of unintended consequences, could this shorted discourage students who get benefits from being athletes from studying, from graduating? >> you can help them graduate. they don't have the same motivation to quit school. there's a young woman, i don't ght now, name california, 14 years old. she is a soccer phenom. she is now taking endorsements because her family have had to bear such cost

her family were interview. her parents said yeah, we are forfeiting college because of that. t >> thrse has left the barn. if you can make money in whatever, programming, computer programming, youtube, anything, you might choose to do that instead of get your college education. hat's that kind of protective argument that the ncaa will want to make. 18-year-old to make their own choices. >> but the computer person can market an apple they are in school. the music student can sell their music. >> they could bein california schools participating in ncaa championships >> that is there threa, but it is a violation of antitrust law. so far, the various court challenges, the times they've tried to do things at have been brought to court around the antitrust issue, they have lost. >> to whatxtent has this become a bipartisan issue?

republicans are supporting this. hu >>e. i have republican co-authors. the sport is completely bipartisan. there's a bill in congress right now, it is a bipartisan bill introduced by a republican congressional membe and a democrat. >> if this happens here, if the governor signs it, has he indicated he will sign it? governor newsom? >> we have not sat down and talked. >>this going to sort of be the dam opening up in other states if not the federal government doing something like thisin >> i it could be. we have the story in the clinical that was funny about athletes beingf recruited. u are being recruited by ucla and arkansas, if you u thought n make money at ucla, why would you go there? i think from a competitive standpoint, yes, other states would. i also think that there would be pressure from the student athletes themselves across the board that this is the way it should be. >> really quickly, do you see

this as fitting in with what we are seeing with the pay equity callfor the national women's soccer team. >> absolutely. we concentrate a lot on lead athletes. let's talk about every single athlete, no matter what their sport is. the women, they would be able to promote themselves. moting themselves tepro women's athletics which maybe brings an audience. >> we want to leave it there. we are out thank you. that will do it for us. as always you can find more of our coverage online. thanks for joining us.

robert: another cabinet member eps down. and deportation rates loom. i'm robert costa. welcome to "washington week." >> until this came up, there was never an ounce of problem with this very good man. robert: president trump accepts the resignation of labor secretary alex acosta. the exitomes as acosta's handling of epstein's case is under scrutiny and epstein faces new charges in new york. >> we cannot have as one of the leading appointed officials in america, someone who has done this. >> they came in illegally, they gout legally. >> immigration crackdown. nationwide raids are planned for thiseekend. and the president drops his