Capitol Voice November 2021

A few weeks ago, Sierra Club California released its annual legislative report card which grades state legislators based on their votes on key environmental bills. This coming week, we will release another enlightening document: the November Update to our Tracking the Dirty Dollars Report.

We launched the Tracking the Dirty Dollars report one year ago to research and report donations to legislators from the fossil fuel industry and its allies. For the first release, we chose a select few Democrats whose environmental track record did not align with their party’s values. Today, our beloved Dirty Dollars report has grown, and we now report dirty donations received by every member of the state legislature, and the Governor.

This quarter's report shows 17 legislators now report over $10,000 in dirty dollars donations. 11 of the 17 are Democrats, 5 are Republicans, and 1 is an Independent. All 17 are in the Assembly.

Assemblymember Chad Mayes now leads all legislators in dirty donations, and is the only legislator to receive more than $20,000 in donations. This major haul of oil and gas money coupled with Mr. Mayes’s abysmal 13% score on our report card solidifies the former Republican as a true IINO (Independent In Name Only).

Speaking of Republicans, oil and gas interests are not letting the party’s dwindling numbers in Sacramento stop lobbyists from writing hefty checks to legislators. Republican legislators, although very clearly in the minority, have brought in a total of more than $150,000 in dirty dollars, in addition to their state party’s trove of more than $300,000 fossil-fueled donations.

These are just a few insightful appetizers as we put the finishing touches on the November update. Keep an eye on our website and social media for the full report in the coming week!

• Where is your all time favorite vacation destination?

• Michael: Denver, Colorado - absolutely loved the hiking trails there!

• Caty: I've been all over the world but nothing beats California, especially on the Central Coast!

• Molly: Hawaii. I’ve been to every island except the Big Island

• Erin: Anywhere in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

• What’s your favorite TV show that you’ve binged over quarantine?

• Michael: Devs on FX

• Caty: The Crown or Narcos (Netflix)

• Molly: Queen’s Gambit

• Erin: The Repair Shop (on Netflix)

• Which environmental issue/area are you most excited about working on in 2022?

• Michael: I’m really looking forward to helping build out California’s clean transportation infrastructure, and rolling back our reliance on internal combustion vehicles.

• Caty: Getting a NO vote on the next phase of Delta tunnel planning!

• Molly: Protecting the SF Bay Delta and advocating for a sustainable water system in CA!

• Erin: I’m looking forward to working on water issues, especially protecting the San Francisco Bay Delta and the Salton Sea.

• What’s your favorite easy-to-make comfort dish?

• Michael: I love making bean burritos. Simple ingredients, but can have a lot of variety depending on the spices.

• Caty: homemade marinara- Mom's recipe

• Molly: I like to bake, so cakes and cookies and such.

• Erin: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Sometimes I add grilled onions and garlic bread to make it fancy.

Sierra Club California held our annual Summit, Rising to the Challenge, on Saturday, November 6th. The summit featured panels on a variety of topics, including the 2021 legislative session, and Sierra Club’s 30x30 campaign , as well as its oil, transportation, and environmental justice campaigns.

Over 100 attendees tuned in to listen in and ask questions of speakers like Dan Chu, Acting Executive Director of Sierra Club, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-58), Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-27), California Natural Resources Undersecretary Angela Barranco, and Sierra Club activists and staff.

The intro keynote panel featured Assemblymember Kalra, Assemblymember Garcia, and Sierra Club California’s own Director Brandon Dawson. Brandon spoke with the legislators about their work in the 2021 session, and their insight on California’s environmental legislation. Asms. Kalra and Garcia answered pre-submitted questions from summit attendees, and laid out their visions for California’s future climate leadership.

In the second panel, Sierra Club leaders Dan Chu and Meghan Sahli-Wells gave a presentation on Sierra Club’s plan for expanding the organization’s influence and meeting the challenges of the environmental movement more broadly. Moderator Marlene Esquivel talked with Dan and Meghan about how best to engage and empower Sierra Club’s activists and volunteers.

The third panel focused on the 30x30 campaign, an ambitious effort to preserve 30% of California’s lands and waters by 2030. Sierra Club’s Jenny Binstock, Deborah Williams, Lecturer at UCSB Environmental Studies, and Angela Barranco held a roundtable with moderators from Sierra Club California’s 30x30 Task Force highlighting the challenges and successes so far for the campaign.

For the final panel, Sierra Club staff Katherine Garcia, Mercedes Macias, and Matthew Gough fielded questions from moderator Igor Tregub on the movement to electrify California’s infrastructure and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The speakers discussed the importance of a rapid but equitable transition to renewable energy sources, and highlighted the negative effects oil and gas-based energy has had on public health across the state.

As the event closed, activists and Sierra Club staff signed off feeling energized and excited about the possibilities for environmental action in 2022. If you were at the summit, thanks so much for attending!

For those who weren’t able to make it, stay tuned for updates on how you can support Sierra Club California’s work in the coming year, and we hope to see you at next year’s event.