CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS EXTEND LANDMARK CLIMATE CHANGE LAW
Source: Associated Press
Jul 18, 12:01 AM EDT
BY JONATHAN J. COOPER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California lawmakers voted Monday to extend a climate change initiative that Gov. Jerry Brown holds up as a model for states and nations looking to lower carbon emissions.
Brown's signature will add another decade of life to the state's cap-and-trade program, bolstering the Democratic governor's quest to portray California as a leader in the fight against climate change at a time when President Donald Trump is pulling back.
"Tonight, California stood tall and once again, boldly confronted the existential threat of our time," Brown said in a statement after the vote. "Republicans and Democrats set aside their differences, came together and took courageous action. That's what good government looks like."
Brown portrays the initiative, which would have ended in 2020, as essential for the survival of civilization. Extending it has been one of his highest priorities as he nears the end of his fourth term, but critics say it fails to aggressively combat pollution.
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE_CAOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-07-18-00-01-22
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KATE WHEELING
JUL 17, 2017
An extension to California's Cap-and-Trade Program, in which polluters pay for permits to offset carbon emissions, passed the state Senate on Monday by a slim margin.
The bill, which was brokered by Governor Jerry Brown's office, gained the support of business and agricultural groups with tax breaks, but lost the support of environmental groups who believed the final version was too lenient on the oil industry. "This plan has Big Oil’s fingerprints all over it and doesn’t do enough to protect vulnerable communities or to achieve California’s ambitious targets for reducing carbon pollution," 350.org's Masada Disenhouse said in a statement.
Despite the Democrats' supermajority in both houses, Brown needed support from at least one Republican to pass the bill, as assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin is out all week.
Following several days of intense negotiations over what to do with the funds from Cap-and-Trade auctions, one Republican, Tom Berryhill, joined the Democrats to pass the proposal.
Read more: https://psmag.com/environment/california-senate-passes-controversial-cap-and-trade-extension
