SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement in response to Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committee hearings. With the exception of AB 593, all of EnviroVoters’ priority bills made it through and will be heard on the Assembly or Senate floor by August 31st.
Statement from Melissa Romero, Deputy Legislative Director, California Environmental Voters:
“Today’s appropriations committee wins are a significant step forward in our fight against our climate challenge. The passage of three polluter pays bills (AB 1866, AB 2716, AB 3233) sends a strong signal that the legislature is willing to hold corporations accountable could mean major wins for communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution if the Senate passes these bills in the coming weeks. We’re particularly excited about the advancement of drought (AB 460) and conservation bills (AB 3023, AB 1963), along with SB 1221, a crucial piece of legislation that will drive emissions reductions through neighborhood scale decarbonization zones.
While we celebrate this victory, we’re disappointed that AB 593 didn’t make it through Senate Appropriations. This bill was another critical tool in our toolkit to address the urgent need for a statewide plan to decarbonize buildings. Its failure to advance is a setback for our climate goals and a missed opportunity to further protect our communities from the impacts of fossil fuels and to make needed progress towards an affordable, clean energy future.
Despite this setback, we remain committed to pushing for comprehensive policy that address all aspects of building decarbonization. The fight for climate justice is far from over, and we will continue to ensure that policies reflect the urgency of the climate crisis. We are looking now to the Legislature to show climate courage by passing all of these bills in the next two weeks.”
Appropriations Wins:
– AB 460 (Bauer Kahan & Principle coauthor: Friedman) State Water Resources Control Board Interim Relief
– AB 1963 (Friedman) Paraquat Dichloride Prohibition
-AB 2666 (Boerner) Utilities Rate of Return
-AB 2716 (Bryan) Low-Producing Oil Well Accountability Act
-AB 3023 (Papan) Cross Agency Funding and Coordination for Wetlands Restoration, Healthy Forests, and Wildfire Resilience
-AB 3233 (Addis) The Local Environmental Choice and Safety Act
-SB 615 (Allen & Min) Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling
-SB 960 (Wiener & Principal coauthor: Friedman) Complete Streets and Transit Priority Policies
-SB 1221 (Min) The Neighborhood Decarbonization Act
-SB 1321 (Wahab) Employment Training Panel
Other Priority Bills on the Floor:
– AB 985 (Arambula) Central Valley Air Pollution Credit Reform
– AB 2875 (Friedman) No Net Loss of Wetlands
– SB 1337 (Gonzalez) Referendum Funding Transparency
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CONTACT:
Erika Guzman Cornejo
310-755-1615
erika@envirovoters.org
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ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.
