Legislative Wrap-up: Environmental Justice, Cap-and-Trade Funding
The lead-up to the end of the California legislative session at midnight last night included a standard amount of grandstanding, tearful farewells, laughter, and exhaustion. Some bills passed and will now await the governor's good graces, and some died on the legislature floor. Here's a quick recap of a few bills relevant to sustainable streets. Details on each follow:
September 2, 2016
CA Assembly Passes Bills to Extend Greenhouse Gas Targets to 2030
Today, the California Assembly passed A.B. 197, the companion bill to the Senate's greenhouse gas reduction target bill, S.B. 32, which it passed yesterday. A.B. 197 will now go to Governor Jerry Brown to sign into law, which he has said he is eager to do. S.B. 32, which extends greenhouse gas reduction targets out until 2030, passed the Senate later in the afternoon and is also headed to the governor's desk.
August 25, 2016
Stop Already with the “Cap-and-Trade Is Dead” Business
Some members of the mainstream media seem to be enjoying a good rip on California's climate change policies, especially its cap-and-trade program, heralding its imminent collapse and describing Governor Jerry Brown as desperate and “nervous” about whether he can save it.
August 19, 2016
California Senate Proposal for Cap-and-Trade Revenues Focuses on Equity
The Senate released a spending plan for the unallocated portion of cap-and-trade revenues today, in the form of Assembly Bill 1613. The plan, say Senate leaders and advocates, focuses on environmental equity while supporting projects that will reduce greenhouse gases.
August 17, 2016
CA Legislative Update: Student Transit Pass Bill Is Dead—For Now
A bill that would have created a statewide program to fund low-cost transit passes for students stalled out in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
August 16, 2016
Legislative Update: GHG Targets, Cap&Trade, Transportation Special Session
The California legislature returned from its summer break last week and now has one month to finish all the business it started in this session.
August 9, 2016
Will California Legislature Make it Legal to Roll through Red Lights?
No, this is not about a bill to allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, sorry. This is about a bill that supposedly set out to lower fines for cars that turn right on red without stopping. It is sailing unopposed through the state legislature.
August 3, 2016
Environmental Justice Committee Seeks Input on Climate Change Plan
California's Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2006, opened the door for cap and trade, which among other things collects revenue to be invested in reducing emissions. The bill, A.B. 32, also created an Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to help the state spend those revenues equitably.
July 21, 2016
ClimatePlan Studies SCAG’s Progress on Climate Change
Can California meet its climate change goals? A.B. 32, which set in motion the state's current climate change policies including cap and trade, is set to expire in 2020. The legislature and the governor are taking up the question of what's next. Do we continue down the same path? Adjust our policies? Scrap them entirely and start over?
July 18, 2016
CA Legislative Update: Student Transit Passes, ATP, Equity in Climate Policies
This week in Sacramento, policy committees are rushing through a last-minute load of bills. The July recess is looming, and this week is the last opportunity to pass bills in the 2015-16 session. That has led to limited public discussion in some committees, with committee chairs admonishing attendees to keep remarks short. Meanwhile amendments are being proposed, revised, and refined behind the scenes.
June 29, 2016