Banner Day on Global Warming in California: Senate Package Passes Assembly Committees, Including Two Bills Defeated Last Week

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Perata Exultant

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday was a banner day for the legislature as two Assembly Committees, working at the same time, passed nine bills that are part of the Senate Democrats’ package of legislation aimed at climate change and its potential effects on California. Legislation to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better coordinate state planning for climate change cleared what may have been their biggest hurdle, their Assembly policy committees on largely party line votes with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed. Many of these bills will go to the Assembly Floor, only needing to pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee (which seems likely given the makeup of that body) before the August 31 deadline for the year.

In the bills that passed were two major measures--SB 140, requiring the phase in of renewable biodiesel blend fuels, and SB 210 requiring the California Air Resources Board to develop and enforce a greenhouse gas emissions fuel standard--both defeated last week in the Assembly Transportation Committee. Senator Kehoe, the author of these bils was seen conferring with Democratic Assemblymember Jose Solorio during the committee hearing. Solorio, the Justice Kennedy of the committee, provided the key vote to pass them, after having abstained the week before.

Both of these need to be approved this week by the usually environmentally friendly Assembly Natural Resources Committee chaired by Assemblymember Loni Hancock of Berkeley/Oakland before Friday's deadline. Later, they will also need to pass through the Appropriations Committee.

Passing the Assembly Transportation Committee is no small feat, with a much narrower Democratic majority than on many other committees and two moderate to conservative Democrats, Jose Solorio and Catherine Galgiani. The committee met in room 4202 of the Capitol, the largest hearing room which was packed with lobbyists from the major environmental groups in California in support of bills and others representing powerful industry groups generally opposed, including the California Chamber of Commerce, California Manufacturers, California Trucking Association and Western Petroleum Association.