September 30th marks the deadline for Governor Brown to decide whether to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature. The Governor’s signature is the final hurdle a bill must clear before becoming enacted in statute. As the deadline draws closer, these are some of the pivotal environmental bills’ PCL is working to get the Governor to sign:

Climate Change & Cap-and-Trade

SB 535 (de León) and AB 1532 (J. Pérez) - If enacted  into law, these bills would ensure California stays ahead of the consequences of climate change in a way that truly supports California’s mandated greenhouse gas reduction targets.  With the first AB 32 cap-and-trade auction nearly upon us, AB 1532 will help create the framework and structure for allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to equitably further the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a green economy.  Without creating a new fee or tax, SB 535 directs 10% of AB 32 auction revenue to the communities first and most affected by climate change. Together, these two bills will help make the vision of AB 32 a reality.

Protecting State Parks

Despite the recent news of undisclosed funds from the Department of Parks and Recreation, many parks remain threatened by pending closures. If enacted, AB 1589 (Huffman), also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, would change the relationship between state parks and the government, and aims for stability through new revenue streams. This bill will provide a creative funding approach to keep our precious parks open.

Innovative Water Supply Management

AB 1750 (Solorio), the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, will help California move forward on rainwater capture, thus improving regional self-sufficiency and our resiliency to the effects of climate change. If enacted, this bill would authorize and encourage Californians to capture rainwater off their roofs for non-potable purposes, such as landscaping. The bill provides safeguards to protect public health and potable water systems, as well as authorizes landscape contractors to install rainwater capture systems.

Establishing a Human Right to Water

PCL also supports AB 685 (Eng), one of a series of bills known as the Human Right to Water package. This bill would declare that it is the policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.

If you care about these bills and the state of our environment, take action now! You can call, e-mail for fax Governor Brown to urge him to sign these priority pieces of policy.

SENATOR RUBIO NAMED HEAD OF SENATE EQ: WHAT DOES APPOINTMENT MEAN FOR FUTURE OF CEQA?

On September 13th, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg appointed Michael J. Rubio as Chairman of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, which has jurisdiction over environmental quality, air quality, water quality, integrated waste management, toxics and hazardous waste.

This appointment came as a surprise to many environmental leaders, who had recently battled the Senator over his bill, SB 317, which would have made comprehensive changes to CEQA that would have likely ended the law as we know it. Senator Rubio and Pro Tem Steinberg have both indicated they plan to hold a series of roundtable discussions around CEQA reform, and we are hopeful that the environmental community will be strongly represented in efforts to improve on California’s preeminent environmental law.

Historically, Senate EQ (as it is known), which has been headed by environmental champions like Senators Alan Lowenthal, Byron Sher and most recently Joe Simitian, has been one of the most important committee in the Legislature when it comes to pushing strong environmental legislation and stopping bad bills from moving forward. PCL will certainly be watching closely to see what this appointment, as well as the remaining committee makeup, signals, and we remain optimistic that we can continue to work closely with Senate EQ to ensure strong environmental protections for all Californians.

LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR SAN FRANCISCO RECEPTION ON OCTOBER 4!

Join Assemblymember Huffman and Scores of Local Activists, Community and Business Leaders to Celebrate and Support PCL’s Work.

Join longtime environmental champion Assemblymember Jared Huffman on October 4th from 5:30 -7:30pm at an intimate fundraiser for PCL at Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art in San Francisco. Assemblymember Huffman will discuss the State of the Environment in the Capitol, while PCL Executive Director will address our legislative priorities for the coming year and PCL’s “One Vision, One Voice” campaign aimed at mobilizing communities around a shared vision for our future. PCL will also be honoring the outstanding work of the Greenbelt Alliancehttp://www.greenbelt.org/ . Local wines, beer and food will be provided, and guests will have an opportunity to bid on art, with proceeds going to PCL.

This reception is part of a series of events PCL is hosting throughout the State to better connect with our members, environmental partners and community leaders… keep an eye out for an event near you.

Individual tickets are $100, with $250 Host tickets and Sponsorship opportunities also available. To register, click here. Space is limited, so register now. We hope to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE: PCL’S ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM 2013

Please join the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) and the PCL Foundation on January 12, 2013 for our annual Environmental Symposium, to be held this year at The University of California at Davis School of Law. With the Legislature focusing so much attention on CEQA reform over the past couple years, we have decided to use our Symposium to address the past, present and future of California’s foundational environmental law.

Join PCL staff and directors and leading experts as we discuss and debate what CEQA has meant for California’s lands, air, waters and communities over the last four-plus decades, what is likely in store for this law moving forward, and learn what PCL will be doing to ensure CEQA continues to play a vital role in safeguarding our natural resources and empowering communities.   

More information about the event, including how to sponsor or attend the Symposium, will be available on PCL’s website soon. As UC Davis’ King Hall is a smaller venue than we’ve had in the past few years, it will be more important than ever to get your sponsorships and tickets early!

Please contact Bruce Reznik if you are interested in sponsoring this important event, or have ideas for CEQA-related panels or presenters.

JOIN PCL AND CALIFORNIA PRESERVATION FOUNDATION FOR FREE ONLINE FORUM ON ‘THE FUTURE OF CEQA’

California Preservation Foundation and the Planning and Conservation League are offering a FREE online forum on the “Future of CEQA” on Tuesday, October 2nd from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.

“CEQA Reform” is a hot topic on a lot of legislators’ minds. The last few legislative sessions have seen an ever-increasing number of bills – some successful, some not - aimed at providing CEQA streamlining, exemptions or other reform. With Governor Brown recently lauding CEQA reform as ‘The Lord’s Work’, CEQA reform being (as a senior legislator put it) at an ‘all-time fever pitch in the Capitol’, and an effort to end CEQA as we know it almost successful at the end of last session, what does the future hold for California’s foundational environmental and community-protection law? Hear from, Bruce Reznik, Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League as to why CEQA is under attack, changes that have been proposed, and what we could potentially see in future.  Also, learn what PCL and others are doing to better prepare for the next legislative session.

This online forum is free and open to the public.  The format will include a presentation by Planning and Conservation League followed by time for questions and answers.  If you have a specific question you would like to submit ahead of time please email it to Jennifer Gates at jgates@californiapreservation.org.

Registration is FREE so sign up now!

For additional information or questions please contact California Preservation Foundation at cpf@californiapreservation.org or call 415-495-0349.