SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s sign and veto decisions.
Statement from Melissa Romero, Policy Advocacy Director, California Environmental Voters:
“This year was an extraordinarily difficult year. With the costliest wildfires in California’s history devastating entire communities, ICE raids across the state, massive federal funding cuts to health care, clean energy, and education, economic pressures made worse by Trump tariffs, and the President’s attempt to dismantle democracy, the cards we were dealt this year were not easy.
While California was able to advance on grid regionalization, strengthen energy affordability, uphold local air quality protection, and protect endangered species, we’re frustrated by the Governor’s vetoes of measures that would have banned forever chemicals, prioritized cost effective energy consumption, expanded virtual power plants to lower electricity bills, and banned microplastics. The reality is that while we did make some important progress this year despite the tough conditions, we can and should be striving for more action on these issues.
Next year, we need stronger action to close those gaps by accelerating the transition to zero-emission cars, trucks, and public transportation, reducing our dependence on oil and gas, holding Big Oil accountable for the insurance affordability crisis, and making polluters pay their fair share. Even in years as difficult as this one, Californians deserve bold leadership that ensures our state’s progress doesn’t come at the expense of our communities.”
Priority Bills Vetoed:
– AB 740 (Harabedian) Electricity Affordability through Virtual Power Plants
– AB 823 (Boerner) Reducing Microplastics by Banning Plastic Beads & Glitter in Personal Care Products
– SB 24 (McNerney) Protecting Ratepayers from Utility Abuses
– SB 541 (Becker) Clean Energy Load Shifting Solutions
– SB 682 (Allen) Banning PFAS in Non-Essential Uses
Priority Oppose Bills Vetoed:
– SB 34 (Richardson) Undermining South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Port Rule
Priority Bills Signed Into Law:
– AB 39 (Zbur) Local Electrification Planning Act
– AB 288 (McKinnor) Safeguarding the Right to Organize
– AB 454 (Kalra) California Migratory Bird Protection Act
– AB 825 (Petrie-Norris) West-wide Electricity Markets
– AB 900 (Papan) Planning for the Durable Stewardship of California’s 30×30 Land
– AB 1167 (Berman) California Ratepayer Protection Act
– AB 1319 (Schultz) Protecting the Endangered Species Act
– SB 42 (Umberg) Ending the Statewide Ban on Public Financing of Elections
– SB 254 (Becker) Electricity Affordability
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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 (EnviroVoters) 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 Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. See more press releases.
