Gov. Gavin Newsom’s free diaper program is transferring ahead in a tentative California funds deal — over the objections of skeptical Democratic and Republican lawmakers who say this system reeked of favoritism.
Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles nonprofit with deep Hollywood ties, is poised to maintain working Newsom’s Golden State Begin diaper program after his administration sought an exemption to permit the group to keep away from a proper bidding course of whereas receiving a $12.5 million contract extension into subsequent 12 months.
This system, which launched forward of Mom’s Day, offers 400 free diapers to newborns discharged from taking part California hospitals, no matter household revenue.
The nonprofit’s co-CEO, Norah Weinstein, sits on the board of the California Companions Challenge, a nonprofit co-founded by first companion Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
That connection has fueled questions over whether or not Baby2Baby acquired favorable therapy via a request-for-information course of that critics say supplied much less oversight than a conventional request for proposals.
State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from San Fernando, raised the problem instantly throughout a funds listening to final month, questioning why Baby2Baby was chosen regardless of what she referred to as “the closeness to the primary companion.”
“I’ll say the optics of this vendor will not be good in any respect,” Menjivar mentioned.
She additionally questioned why the state is offering diapers to all households, saying lawmakers could be left to defend this system after Newsom leaves workplace.
“The administration and the governor goes to be gone, and we’re going to proceed to get hit on this,” Menjivar mentioned.
“Optically talking, it was not a wise transfer to decide on the seller that we selected.”
Officers with the Division of Well being Care Entry and Info defended the method on the listening to, saying the state acquired 15 responses from distributors, nonprofits, diaper banks and others. They mentioned Baby2Baby was chosen after proposals had been evaluated for value, distribution capability and skill to satisfy this system’s targets.
Newsom’s workplace has beforehand mentioned the funds language was wanted to make sure this system’s continuity because it expands to extra hospitals statewide.
However Republican lawmakers stay unconvinced.
State Sen. Tony Strickland, of Huntington Seashore, mentioned the deal reveals “the waste and inefficiency of presidency.”
“If you break down the price, they’re going via a nonprofit run by somebody near the governor’s spouse, and it comes out to about 50 cents per diaper,” Strickland mentioned. “You’ll be able to go to Goal and discover diapers for 16 cents apiece. That simply reveals the waste and inefficiency of presidency.”
Baby2Baby officers have mentioned the nonprofit was contracted for $6.2 million within the first 12 months, protecting 40 million diapers for roughly 100,000 births — about 15.5 cents per diaper. They mentioned the California Companions Challenge had no position within the Golden State Begin initiative and that Weinstein volunteers on the California Companions Challenge board with out pay.
Strickland mentioned the Legislature’s broader funds deal is transferring forward regardless of considerations about new spending and taxes.
“There’s no stopping it,” he mentioned. “At a time when we’ve file revenues coming in, we’re spending as much as match these revenues in a approach that may’t maintain itself, and we’re going to have a structural deficit transferring ahead.”
Baby2Baby is backed by celeb donors and Hollywood energy gamers, the identical universe of rich liberals who might be vital for Newsom if he runs for president in 2028.
Baby2Baby’s public-facing “Angels” roster reads like a Hollywood donor name sheet, with Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Blake Energetic, Drew Barrymore, Amy Adams, Kristen Bell, Mindy Kaling, Paris Hilton, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kerry Washington, Serena Williams, Chrissy Teigen, Zoe Saldaña, Hilary Duff and Ali Wong among the many donors.
Its board contains celebrities like Jessica Alba, Ciara, Miranda Kerr and Kelly Rowland.
Maybe by no means earlier than has a diaper deal smelled a lot like money.
