Letter from Sacramento: What’s On Your Mind This Election Cycle?

2022 is an important election year for state politics, with voters preparing to elect over 30 new state legislators in November in the coming weeks. As I sit here contemplating how to fill out my ballot, one big question comes to mind: What should be on these legislators' environmental agendas for 2023?
 
There are hundreds of crucial environmental issues that need to be addressed next year. If I listed each and every one, this article would be dozens of pages long. Instead, I'll provide just a few issues that are top of mind for me as I think about who and what I’m voting for: 

Promoting Resilient Water Management: California’s perpetual drought conditions have yet to be adequately addressed by our policymakers. Although multiple bills to address water resilience, sustainability, and quality have been introduced in the legislature over the past few years, very few have passed and been signed into law. We need legislators in 2023 who will prioritize local, sustainable water projects - such as conservation, water efficiency, and storm-water capture - over imported water to meet California’s water needs. That means taking on Newsom and his wasteful and costly Delta tunnel project.

Ramping Up Clean Electricity: As I wrote last month, California desperately needs to invest in a reliable, affordable, and clean electricity grid that can keep the lights on no matter what the climate crisis throws at it. If the state continues to rely on polluting fossil fuels to power its grid, our air quality, public health, and local ecosystems will continue to suffer. Next year, legislators must focus on funding renewable energy projects that will ensure California can weather the long-term effects of the climate crisis. This includes ramping up - not decreasing - deployment of rooftop solar; investing in more transmission; and promoting greater demand response programs. 

Increasing Climate Literacy: To combat the climate crisis, the next generation of Californians must be equipped with the necessary educational tools and resources. Over 400,000 California youth graduate high school every year, and it’s during this time in their lives that youths are deciding whether or not to engage in activism and registering to vote. It’s paramount that our legislators invest in climate literacy education to develop the next generation of leaders, scientists, politicians, and activists. Legislators have the opportunity to increase funding in the budget process for this, as well as pass legislation updating the state curriculum to include interdisciplinary courses offering key solutions to fight the climate crisis.

Strong Enforcement of Environmental Laws: The California Environmental Quality Act, California’s Clean Water And Air Acts, and California Endangered Species Act are just a few examples of laws that help protect the state’s environment and communities. Moreover, CEQA is essential to transparency of environmental impacts in the permitting process (for even more info on CEQA, watch this video). However, these laws are only as strong as their enforcement. Our elected officials must continue to ensure these laws are strong and enforced against polluters and bad actors, and strengthen them where appropriate. 

Taking on the Oil & Gas Industry: This year, environmental activists won a significant victory with the passage of SB 1137, which mandates a 3,200-foot buffer zone between new oil and gas operations and Californian communities. The bill was a major step towards protecting frontline communities from toxic polluters, but there’s more work to be done. California must stop all oil and gas drilling where we’re living, and work to hold polluters accountable for poisoning our neighborhoods. Legislators have a unique opportunity to lead the nation on oil and gas policy and put people over profit. 

These are just a handful of the issues I’m considering as I fill out my ballot. Others include reducing plastic pollution, cutting exposure to hazardous waste, toxics and pesticides, and protecting our pristine public lands.

No single factor dictates exactly how many environmental and climate bills will be introduced in 2023. But what is certain is that if folks like you all reading this - those committed to protecting our environment - vote with these issues in mind, and send only the best environmental stewards to Sacramento, our legislators can seize the opportunity to address the climate crisis at the state level. 

Sincerely,