The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)This was crossover week, and both chambers considered hundreds of bills that only a few days before had cleared their respective suspense hearings. Here is a smattering of some of the significant action under the dome this week.
Image by kodda. OPINION – California desperately needs the resources to protect residents from the inevitable reality of the climate crisis. Thankfully, legislation currently moving through the California legislature could be a lifeline for our budget and get us back on the right track.
Image by Seiya TabuchiOPINION – The devastating LA-area wildfires are a stark reminder of how extreme weather is reshaping our state with no signs of slowing down. Without changes to how we respond to these disasters, costs will keep piling up, driving utility bills even higher for Californians who are already struggling with high rates.
Los Angeles, California, USA - 12 January 2024: Empty container ship MSC Athos being assisted by a tug boat to enter the port of Los Angeles. Image by Ceri BreezeOPINION – California’s approach to environmental regulations must balance immediate effects with long-term consequences. Recent California Air Resources Board (CARB) amendments to the Commercial Harbor Craft Rule highlight the need for this balance.
Image by Deemerwha studioOPINION – While there’s no quick fix for the climate crisis, there is now solid scientific consensus that restoring the world’s forests is the fastest and most efficient way to capture enough carbon to meet the Paris Climate Accord goals by 2030.
Image by Africa StudioOPINION – At a time when household energy costs are soaring in California, Passive House keeps heating and cooling bills far below average—and often eliminates them altogether.
I spoke with Paul Mason, Vice President, Policy and Incentives at Pacific Forest Trust, to hear what trends and changes he sees in land management, and for insight into how to think about the role and health of California’s forests in the age of climate change.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: With nearly five decades of advocacy under his belt, there are only a handful of people who have lobbied in Sacramento longer than John Norwood. A lawyer as well as a lobbyist, Norwood has earned a reputation as a hard worker and a straight shooter. We asked him about the changes he’s seen, and the biggest challenges facing California.
Inmate firefighters head to the Colleen Fire in the Santa Teresa Foothills near San Jose. (Photo: Jaden Schaul, via Shutterstock)The law that offers wildfire-fighting inmates a chance to clean up their records in hopes of civilian careers got off to a slow start last year as administrators crafted rules for the procedure, but now, with those rules in place, the prison-to-profession pipeline is starting to take shape.
Masked youths walk down a street in Pacific Palisades, as a brush fire burns beyond the houses. (Photo: BrittanyNY, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California is laying the groundwork to transition millions of homes and buildings from fossil fuel heat to clean energy in coming decades, but the policies guiding our state’s investment in affordable housing are pushing California in the exact opposite direction — by penalizing developers who want to build sustainably.