Get prepared for one more raft of ambitious climate bills when California lawmakers return to Sacramento subsequent month.
A couple of days after the Nov. 8 election, bipartisan teams of greater than a dozen state legislators — together with some who’ve hit time period limits and gained’t be returning to the Legislature — launched into worldwide journeys with a heavy climate focus. One delegation headed to Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and one other went to Japan to check its climate and reasonably priced housing insurance policies.
The journeys come lower than a month earlier than newly elected lawmakers are set to convene Dec. 5 in Sacramento for a swearing-in ceremony — and to start a special session known as by Gov. Gavin Newsom to consider levying a tax on oil industry profits. And they arrive amid an intensifying fight with the oil industry, which is in search of to qualify a 2024 referendum to overturn a brand new state regulation banning new or extensively retrofitted oil and fuel wells close to houses, colleges and hospitals.
But lawmakers attending the U.N. convention mentioned throughout a Wednesday press convention from Egypt that much more aggressive motion is required, and that California’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045 doesn’t go quick sufficient.
- State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, a termed-out Fremont Democrat: “We spend too much time worrying about 2045 and not worrying about 2024 and 2023. We need to do things right now to reduce our carbon emissions.”
- State Sen. Dave Min, a Costa Mesa Democrat: “Ultimately, if we don’t innovate rapidly right now, we’re gonna be in big trouble. … We can solve this problem. But we really have to take it with the seriousness that it deserves. To date, I think we’ve not quite done that, although of course our state is leading.”
Among the proposals lawmakers mentioned they’re contemplating introducing in the subsequent legislative session:
- Auditing “global corporations” that pledge to attain net-zero emissions. “One thing I’ve been exploring is whether we can … find a path for California to be that stamp of approval and sort of be the integrity cop,” mentioned state Sen. Henry Stern, a Calabasas Democrat.
- Incentivizing Californians to return extra vitality saved in electrical automobile batteries to the state’s energy grid throughout peak hours to keep away from blackouts. Instead of California sending residents an emergency alert asking them to reduce consumption, “Imagine an alert saying, ‘Hey, you can make like 100 bucks right now if you hook up your car to the grid,’” Min mentioned.
- Considering focused investments in overseas nations. Wieckowski, who gained’t be returning to the Legislature, floated the thought of utilizing non-taxpayer funds — resembling cash reaped from California’s pollution credit program — to deal with sure points past state borders. One instance he cited: cleansing up Mexico’s Tijuana River, which perpetually pollutes San Diego beaches.
Other legislators who attended the Egypt convention: Democratic state Sens. John Laird and Bob Dodd; Democratic Assemblymembers Eloise Gomez Reyes and Reggie Jones-Sawyer; and Republican Assemblymember Mike Fong. A Senate spokesperson mentioned no state funds had been used. The Assembly paid for a safety staffer to attend, however didn’t cowl prices for legislators, who obtained a $5,000 journey stipend from The Climate Registry, mentioned Katie Talbot, a spokesperson for Speaker Anthony Rendon.
Meanwhile, a separate delegation is in Japan from Nov. 11 to 22 for a “study tour” sponsored by the California Foundation for the Environment and the Economy, which recently took lawmakers on trips to Maine, Canada, Iceland and Portugal.
Joining representatives from the muse’s board of directors — which incorporates enterprise, labor, environmental, utility and native authorities leaders — had been State Treasurer Fiona Ma; Democratic state Sens. Bob Archuleta, Susan Talamantes Eggman, Lena Gonzalez and Josh Newman; Republican state Sen. Scott Wilk; Democratic Assemblymembers Steve Bennett, Tasha Boerner Horvath, Laura Friedman, Alex Lee, Al Muratsuchi and Chris Ward; and Republican Assemblymember Devon Mathis. Senior Newsom administration officers had been additionally set to attend.
According to a visit itinerary, the group is slated to tour hydrogen manufacturing services, port infrastructure and a Toyota hydrogen gas cell automobile manufacturing plant; meet with elected officers and enterprise, labor, environmental and neighborhood leaders; and study extra about Japan’s well-known bullet practice, reasonably priced housing packages, clear vitality investments and nuclear energy plant operations.
- Jay Hansen, president and CEO of the muse, mentioned in a press release: “Japan is leading the way on hydrogen fuel and nuclear power as promising climate-smart technologies. It’s critical that California keeps an open mind as we look for the best ways to reduce carbon emissions while keeping the lights on, managing costs and building on our state’s history of environmental protection.”
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1
McCarthy eyes House speakership
Every week after polls closed in California’s Nov. 8 election, right here’s the newest take a look at the place issues stand:
- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy? Although the Associated Press had but to declare management of the U.S. House of Representatives as of Tuesday evening, Republicans had been just about assured to return out on high: They had 217 of the 218 seats required for a majority, in comparison with Democrats’ 209. But different media organizations called a California congressional race in favor of Republican Kevin Kiley, placing the House in GOP arms. Meanwhile, House Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield to take the speaker’s gavel, though the final vote won’t happen until January. Possibly complicating McCarthy’s path to the speakership: Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid for the White House, which he announced Tuesday night.
- California isn’t any nation for Republicans: Lanhee Chen, seen by many because the GOP’s finest guess of successful statewide workplace in California for the primary time in practically 20 years, conceded the state controller’s race Tuesday night to Democrat Malia Cohen. “While more votes remain to be counted in the race for California State Controller, it has become clear that I will not be able to win this election,” Chen said in a statement. “We are fortunate to live in California, a place of hopefulness and aspiration for so many. … Unfortunately, in too many ways, California continues to fall short of its enormous potential. The hard work of creating a better state goes on.”
- Checking in on the City of Angels: U.S. Rep. Karen Bass continues to widen her lead over billionaire businessman Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, whereas controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva conceded Tuesday that he’d lost his reelection bid to Robert Luna, a little-known retired police chief from Long Beach. Meanwhile, voters in the city of Inglewood were poised to approve — and those in Duarte seemed ready to reject — poll measures to set a minimal wage requirement of $25 per hour for a few of the lowest-paid staff at personal hospitals, built-in well being programs and kidney dialysis clinics. The initiatives are the brainchild of California’s largest health care workers union, which was additionally behind the failed statewide measure to extend regulation of dialysis clinics.
2
Will new nursing guidelines broaden well being care entry?
California took a long-awaited step aimed toward increasing well being care entry on Monday, when the state’s nursing company authorised guidelines to permit nurse practitioners to deal with sufferers with out doctor supervision, CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra reports. About 20,000 nurse practitioners could possibly be eligible to use for expanded authority in 2023, a serious milestone in their years-long battle to interrupt freed from doctor oversight. The enlargement was opposed by the state’s highly effective medical doctors foyer, which warned it might reduce the standard of care and even put sufferers in danger. But nurse practitioners — who can carry out bodily exams, order lab checks, diagnose illnesses and prescribe remedy — say the regulation will merely assist them present much-needed care in underserved areas.
3
California strike updates
Let’s dive into the newest news on the widespread work stoppages across California:
- Today and Thursday, unionized resident physicians and fellows at UCLA and UC San Francisco hospitals are set to carry “unity break” occasions to name for improved pay and advantages. (A UC Davis hospital held an identical occasion Tuesday.)
- They be a part of about 48,000 University of California tutorial staff, who’re heading into their third straight day of systemwide strikes which have disrupted classes, grading and lab research not lengthy earlier than closing exams. UC has known as for an impartial third-party mediator to help with negotiations, which aren’t set to renew till at this time, union organizers told the Associated Press. They mentioned no finish date has been set for the work stoppage. (The UC Regents, in the meantime, could vote Thursday on whether or not to dam UCLA’s try to go away the Pac-12 and be a part of the Big Ten Conference, according to the Los Angeles Times.)
- Meanwhile, quick meals staff used their Tuesday strike as a possibility to ship to the California Department of Industrial Relations practically double the ten,000 signatures required to ascertain a new state council to regulate industry wages and working conditions. The transfer intensifies their marketing campaign towards fast-food corporations’ try to qualify a 2024 referendum to overturn the first-in-the-nation regulation establishing the council. “Corporations had their chance to argue. They hired every lobbyist in town. They went into every office. And they lost,” Democratic Assemblymember Miguel Santiago mentioned at a Los Angeles rally. “The bill went to the governor’s office. He signed it. (The companies) need to come to the table” and interact with quick meals staff.
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