OAKLAND, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement to the deadline for California bills to pass out of their house of origin.
EnviroVoters’ saw 13 of our 14 top priority climate bills advance to the second house this week. Including these transformational bills: legislation to protect taxpayers, create thousands of jobs, and safeguard communities from the urgent climate and public health crisis of idle oil wells (AB 1866), enable neighborhood decarbonization projects, long-term energy affordability, responsible system planning, workforce benefits, and increased equity (SB 1221), defend local democracy and affirm the rights of cities and counties to protect their communities from oil and gas pollution (AB 3233).
Chevron is one of the top spenders on lobbying this year and has spent over $3 million in just the first quarter of 2024. The fossil fuel company took a public position on just one bill AB 3155, which aimed to protect people living near toxic oil drilling sites by making oil well operators liable for health issues known to be connected to living near oil and gas operations. The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents Big Oil, is the second top spender on lobbying this year, spending almost $2.5 million in the first quarter. It is no coincidence that the one bill which failed to pass before this week’s house of origin deadline is also the only bill that Chevron is reported to have lobbied against.
Statement from Mary Creasman, Chief Executive Officer, California Environmental Voters:
“Despite special interest groups and the biggest oil companies spending more than $5.5 million since January this year lobbying against environmental bills, most of the highest priority critical climate bills have passed out of their house of origin. This is a powerful message to corporate polluters and that California continues to take its outsized responsibility to creating a roadmap for climate action seriously.
We are excited to continue working to pass ACA 16, the constitutional amendment that recognizes the importance of a healthy environment, clean air and water for all Californians and SB 1497, the Polluters Pay Climate Cost Recovery Act that will require the largest fossil fuel polluters to pay their fair share of the damage their products have inflicted upon our communities, environment, and economy in California in the coming weeks.
We have some key “two-year” bills from 2023 that have already advanced to the next chamber and will receive votes in policy committees in June: SB 252, which would make public pensions divest from fossil fuels, and AB 1176, which will require local governments to plan for the electrification of buildings and cars.
This means we are one step closer to holding corporate polluters accountable, transitioning to a clean energy economy, and protecting our democratic process.”
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CONTACT:
Veda Banerjee
415-999-8332
veda@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.
