THE BUZZ: EXPRESS CHECK-OUT — Anthony Rendon wants to crack down on the laundry list of cleaning tasks that often come with stays at short-term vacation rentals.

The former Assembly speaker managed to get his Assembly Bill 2202 through the perilous suspense file process Thursday, pushing to require hosts at sites like Airbnb or VRBO to disclose a detailed list of cleaning tasks prior to booking, and any fees or penalties the guest might incur should they fail to perform them.

Rendon’s bill comes amid several headline-grabbing incidents of “out of control” cleaning lists on top of sometimes $150 cleaning fees and follows a slate of consumer-rights legislation proposed in the California Capitol in recent years. The legislation targets a frequent source of complaints for travelers who bristle at the surprising amount of work — like mopping floors, doing laundry, or taking out trash — that sometimes accompanies short-term rentals.

The author said the bill was inspired by a recent stay of his own at a home near Tahoe, where he and his sister-in-law discovered a list of cleaning tasks after other members of their party had left, and scrambled to complete them prior to check-out.

“We thought, ‘crap, we wish the three other carloads hadn’t left,’” he said. “All that would’ve been fine if we had budgeted it into our day, if we had known ahead of time.”

Several laws, passed by the Legislature last year, aim to bring more transparency into the vacation rental market. Starting July 1, California will require short-term lodging to list all fees and charges up front and the state currently requires hosts, hotels and booking platforms to give consumers a 24-hour grace period after booking to cancel their reservations without penalty.

Rendon’s bill has no formal opponents and therefore could have a good chance to pass. Airbnb did not comment on the bill. As part of a set of upgrades, the company last year added transparent checkout instructions that guests can see before they book. Expedia, the parent company of VRBO, said it is supportive of efforts to increase transparency and looks forward to continuing conversations with Rendon’s office.

“We encourage policymakers to focus on the importance of vacation rental operators sharing clear expectations ahead of the guest's stay,” Alyssa Stinson, Expedia’s senior government and corporate affairs manager for California, said in a statement.

GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at [email protected] and [email protected], or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte.

WHERE’S GAVIN? At the Vatican for an international meeting on the climate crisis.

CONTEST UPDATE! The winner of our “Kill Bill” prediction game is Emily Zhou, a legislative aide in state Sen. Steve Padilla’s office. Some of you clearly came to compete and listed dozens of bills you predicted wouldn’t advance from the appropriations committees to the floor. But Zhou was the clear winner, correctly guessing a whopping 27 bills which were killed off yesterday in the rapid-fire suspense hearings.

They win bragging rights around the Capitol as well as some sweet POLITICO swag headed their way. For those keeping score, this is the second time in a row one of Padilla’s staffers has won our contest. Cameron Sutherland (pictured here with some of his winnings) won our Senate leaders prediction game in February by correctly naming the most committee chairs later picked by the incoming Senate president pro tem.

Congrats to Padilla’s office on their dominance. To the rest of you at the Capitol: You’ll have to work harder next time to win the grand prize!

We plan to reach out soon to the runners up with an invite to a POLITICO coffee date.

By the way, the most popular guess for the bill most likely to die in committee? Assemblymember Ash Kalra’s AB 2200, proposed legislation for “Guaranteed Health Care for All,” which you all correctly guessed would fail to advance.

STATE CAPITOL

THE SUSPENSE IS OVER — The Assembly and Senate appropriations committees passed — and held — hundreds of bills on Thursday in swift hearings that ended with several of the year’s most high-profile bills, including ones on magic mushrooms and single-payer health care, left in the dust.

All in all, the Senate appropriations committee approved 254 out of 341 bills, for a passing rate of about 75 percent. The Assembly kept things a bit tighter — passing 436 out of 668 bills for a rate of about 65 percent.

ICYMI, we had all the top takeaways in yesterday’s Playbook PM. Check it out here.

MEANWHILE — To cap off a hectic suspense file day, the swing space building that contains state officials’ offices was evacuated late Thursday afternoon after a suspicious package was delivered to the 9th floor, which includes the governor’s offices. Staffers received a message from legislative officials around 4:30 p.m. that the package contained a threat of Anthrax.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said a specialist team swiftly tested the substance and confirmed it was not anthrax or dangerous.

SAN FRANCISCO

PELOSI ATTACK UPDATE — David DePape, the man who attacked Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer, will be sentenced today in federal court. The defendant could face 40 years in prison, as prosecutors have recommended. He was convicted last fall on two federal counts for assaulting Paul Pelosi and attempting to kidnap then-speaker Pelosi when he broke into the couple’s San Francisco home in October 2022.

Prosecutors have urged the judge to enhance DePape’s sentence for an intent to “promote a federal crime of terrorism.” In a court filing, the feds noted DePape’s lack of remorse as well as his own words post-arrest, when he said he planned to kidnap Pelosi to force her to expose Democrats’ supposed lies about former President Donald Trump. Prosecutors cited DePape’s statement to police that he would “break her kneecaps if she lied to him.”

But today’s sentencing won’t be the end of the painful courtroom saga for Pelosi’s family. DePape still faces five state charges, including attempted murder. His state trial is expected to start soon, possibly this month.

CAMPAIGN TRAIL

THE PODIUM — Fox News’ Peter Doocy on Thursday asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about POLITICO’s reporting that Vice President Kamala Harris joked with friends about returning to California and running for governor in 2026 if Democrats lose the White House in November. Harris’ spokesperson denied she made the comments, but Jean-Pierre didn’t challenge their veracity. “That is news to me,” she said, adding that Harris has been a “great partner” to Biden.

ON THE AGENDA

CONVENTION TIME — The California Republican Party gathers for a three-day convention in Burlingame this weekend, where members will hear from the RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. 

Our own Lara will be in attendance on Saturday to catch all the fun. Say hi if you see her!

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

WHEN THE POPE CALLS — Newsom gave his classic climate stump speech at Pope Francis' climate resiliency summit yesterday. It may not sway many Catholics. But the trip could still have some political returns. Read more in last night's California Climate.

Top Talkers

— This NYT review of Noem’s book: “If Noem’s mistake was a solar eclipse, she achieved totality.” Consider it required reading ahead of this weekend’s state GOP convention.

— President Joe Biden’s decision to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, a lower classification under federal law, could provide a financial boost for California's struggling weed dispensers, who will become eligible for tax breaks available to other businesses. (The Fresno Bee)

AROUND THE STATE

— FBI files suggest that former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer lied to government investigators about a fraudulent lawsuit related to claims about excessive water and power bills. Feuer maintains he’s innocent. (Los Angeles Times)

— Former Rep. T.J. Cox appears to be close to a plea deal in the federal case against him over allegations of money laundering. Court documents indicate he plans to change his not guilty plea. (GV Wire)

— Palo Alto has an unusual response to protesters demanding the city pass a Gaza cease-fire resolution. City leaders have invited vocal activists on both sides of the conflict to talk it out. (San Francisco Chronicle)

— Pharmaceutical company Takeda is shutting down its San Diego research facility, which employs 324 people. Some workers will be offered the chance to relocate to the company’s offices in Massachusetts. (The San Diego-Union Tribune)

PLAYBOOKERS

PEOPLE MOVES — Meredith Vivian Turner is the new interim senior vice president of external relations and communications at the University of California Office of the President.

BIRTHDAYS —  former Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) … Rebecca Nelson Kay … 

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