California lawmakers pass climate deal extending cap-and-trade, permitting more drilling By: Kate Wolffe, Sacramento Bee
and sell permits to emit carbon dioxide. Among other things, the sale of those permits funds emocratic lawmakers EV rebates, affordable housing in California approved and transit projects like the a sweeping slate of beleaguered high speed rail. climate and environmental The two cap-and-trade bills Saturday – a package proposals lawmakers approved that would double-down on Saturday, Senate Bill 840 climate commitments like and Assembly Bill 1207, cap-and-trade and high speed would extend the program rail, while also permitting for 15 years and only slightly additional oil drilling in the tweak the current system. state. The “straight” reauthorization The measures were the was a priority of Gov. Gavin result of months of discussions Newsom and business and a last-minute sprint that groups, but frustrated some forced lawmakers to come environmental organizations back over the weekend, past and negotiators in the Senate, what was supposed to be who argued there was room a Friday deadline for the for improvement in the legislature. program. The bills center around On Friday, the night cap-and-trade, California’s before the Legislature’s vote, tentpole environmental Newsom cited support from regulation system, which dozens of environmental places a limit on emissions justice groups, climate and allows businesses to buy champions, former Gov. Jerry
D
Brown, organized labor and business industry for the reauthorization deal. With a few exceptions, lawmakers seemed willing to approve the package during the Saturday session, following work that continued until 3 a.m. the night before. Some of the limited debate centered around Senate Bill 237, which opens parts of the Central Valley up to more drilling to stabilize gas prices, a win for the fossil fuel industry Democrats have long railed against. “This bill is not about stabilizing gas prices. It is a regulatory giveaway to Big Oil,” said Asm. Alex Lee, D-San Jose. “The thing we need to focus on is a controlled, managed phaseout of fossil fuels.”
Al Muratsuchi, a Torrancearea Democrat with three refineries in his district, reluctantly supported the measure, calling it part of the “rocky road” to move away from fossil fuels. “I don’t think we can meet our climate goals without, you know, keeping the public support in terms of this managed transition,” he said. In February, Gov. Gavin Newsom said renewing cap-and-trade was not a top priority for him, but that he was “open to a conversation.” “Do I feel it’s absolutely necessary this year? My See 'Climate Deal ' Page 8