by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Life in the post-election, post-bonds, post-AB 32, post-partisan world

By Susan Smartt
Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters

As we reported in last year’s Scorecard, the 2006 legislative session was one of the most productive in recent years for the environment, capped by the enactment of the milestone AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. It was also an election year, and 2006 closed with hopeful signs of change:

• Almost half of the Assembly – 37 out of 80 members – were newly-elected freshmen (in 2004 there were 18). In fact, a majority of the Assembly Democratic caucus – 25 out of 48 – were elected to their first term.

• The voters approved an unprecedented $43 billion in infrastructure bonds, for everything from transportation to housing to flood control.

• Governor Schwarzenegger triangulated his way to easy re-election, cheerfully declaring that his election and the 2006 legislative session ushered in an era of post-partisan cooperation.

• For environmentalists, AB 32 promised to change just about everything. If the state was serious about reducing its global warming gas emissions, then the process itself would lead to many other environmental improvements we had long supported.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Some Progress, But on Many Key Issues It’s “Wait ‘til Next Year”

By Bill Magavern
Senior Representative
Sierra Club California

After a highly productive session in the 2006 election year established key new safeguards for the global climate and human health, this year has seen far fewer major new laws enacted to protect California’s environment. Although some key measures found success, on many vital issues our elected officials seem to be echoing the eternal refrain of Chicago Cubs fans: “Wait ‘til next year.”

Bright spots included flood protection, clean air, and endangered species protection. A package of bills negotiated by the Legislature and Governor finally starts to bring some sense to development in flood-prone areas. SB 5 (Machado) requires the state to prepare a Central Valley Flood Protection Plan by 2012. AB 5 (Wolk) reforms, restructures and renames the state Reclamation Board, which is the agency in charge of flood protection in the Central Valley. AB 70 (Jones) would provide for limited shared contribution between the state and local governments when local governments approve new developments in previously undeveloped areas that can increase property damages resulting from a flood for which the state is liable.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

With the days getting shorter and the nights turning cooler, the mood among Congressional Republican leaders in Washington is apparently growing just as gloomy. According to today’s Politico: "Top Republicans are privately bracing for the possibility that they could lose additional House seats in next year’s elections as a result of untimely retirements, ongoing scandals and unexpectedly gloomy fundraising forecasts, according to several members and aides."

Of course, the GOP isn’t helping its own cause by offering up challengers like anti-environment Stockton developer Dean Andal in California’s 11th congressional district -- the seat in which last November, the equally un-green incumbent Richard Pombo was defeated by now-Congressman Jerry McNerney.

For obvious reasons, Andal is desperately plotting a makeover of his environmental record as he gears up for the campaign. The Contra Costa Times reports: "Dean Andal, the Stockton Republican who hopes to take the seat away from McNerney next year, has already vowed that he will not cede the environment to his opponent.

by Kim Stevens [courtesy of Party Line]