Gavin Newsoms fishy $12M diaper deal riles Dem, Republicans

Gov.Gavin Newsom’s free diaper program is moving forward in a tentative California budget deal — over the objections of skeptical Democratic and Republican lawmakers who say the program reeked of favoritism.Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles nonprofit with deep Hollywood ties, is poised to keep running Newsom’s Golden State Start diaper program after his administration sought an exemption to allow the group to avoid a formal bidding process while receiving a $12.5 million contract extension into next year.The program, which launched ahead of Mother’s Day, provides 400 free diapers to newborns discharged from participating California hospitals, regardless of family income.The nonprofit’s co-CEO, Norah Weinstein, sits on the board of the California Partners Project, a nonprofit co-founded by first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

That connection has fueled questions over whether Baby2Baby received favorable treatment through a request-for-information process that critics say provided less oversight than a traditional request for proposals.State Sen.Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from San Fernando, raised the issue directly during a budget hearing last month, questioning why Baby2Baby was selected despite what she called “the closeness to the first partner.”“I will say the optics of this vendor is not good at all,” Menjivar said.She also questioned why the state is providing diapers to all families, saying lawmakers would be left to defend the program after Newsom leaves office.“The administration and the governor is going to be gone, and we’re going to continue to get hit on this,” Menjivar said. “Optically speaking, it was not a smart move to choose the vendor that we chose.”Officials with the Department of Health Care Access and Information defended the process at the hearing, saying the state received 15 responses from vendors, nonprofits, diaper banks and others.

They said Baby2Baby was selected after proposals were evaluated for cost, distribut...