Capitol Voice August 2021

The latest edition of Sierra Club California’s Tracking the Dirty Dollars project — which discloses campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry and its allies to California political leaders — will be released early next week, and its findings promise to raise some eyebrows. 

While fossil fuel donations to senators from both parties remained relatively low this past quarter — as expected, given the campaign cycle — the report does reveal some disturbing, and frankly embarrassing, totals from several Assembly Democrats. 

Assemblymember Rudy Salas Jr., who represents Central Valley communities, including part of Bakersfield, now leads all members of the legislature with the highest total dollar amount in fossil fuel contributions — a staggering $18,800, according to the report.

Assembly members Mike Gipson and Freddie Rodriguez also received high dollar amounts from polluters so far this year — findings that are disappointing, but not altogether surprising, given the legislators’ relatively low Sierra Club scorecard grades on environmental leadership.  

During the second quarter of 2021, the California Republican Party also more than tripled its dirty dollars from the first quarter of 2021, according to the report — bringing the party’s total to more than $300,000 in fossil fuel contributions.

Finally, the report uncovered two shockingly high dirty dollar donation totals from two of the Assembly’s most powerful and progressive members. 

Which members, you ask? Visit our website and read the August edition of the Tracking the Dirty Dollars report early next week to find out!

This year, Monday, August 16th is a key date in California politics for two reasons. 

First, the 16th begins the final month of the 2021 Legislative Session. 

Assemblymembers and Senators will return from their month-long summer recess. For the first two weeks after their return, most attention will be focused on the status of bills going through the appropriations committees. The last day for the appropriations committees to release bills to the floor is August 27. And when bills are released, it’s usually in one big flood. 

Between August 30 and September 10 - the last day of session - interest groups, legislators, lobbyists, and the general public will work tirelessly to try to persuade legislators to vote for or against key bills on the Assembly and Senate floors.

You can see on our website a list of bills our volunteer legislative committee and staff have agreed are the highest priorities for this year. A number of the bills on the priority list have died or become two-year bills. But other bills are still alive, including two key bills that the Sierra Club supports, AB 1395 (Muratsuchi) and SB 343 (Allen), which will move California in the direction of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce consumer confusion about which products are actually recyclable, respectively.

Second, August 16th marks the commencement of the final month before the September 14th recall election. Sierra Club California opposes the recall. 

The September 14 recall ballot will ask two questions: (1) Should Governor Newsom be removed from office? and, (2) If Governor Newsom is removed, who should replace him as governor? If over 50% of voters vote “yes” on the first question, Gov. Newsom will be removed and the candidate who receives the most votes on the second question will replace him, even if they do not win a majority of votes. In other words, a minority of voters could determine who will be the next governor of California. 

No state has more to lose in the fight against climate change than California. But many of the candidates running in this recall election won’t protect us from climate change, with some even outwardly denying the existence of the climate crisis.

August 16th is the last day for counties to mail ballots. When you receive yours, vote for the future of California that matters to you!