Dear Neighbor,

We recently wrapped up the end of the legislative session, and I am thrilled to report that we had a very productive year in the Senate. We finished strong with some major victories for climate, reproductive rights, expanding healthcare, strengthening our middle class, investing in infrastructure and housing, and so much more. Stay tuned for more details on all the legislation in these areas in our upcoming newsletters!

Today, I want to take a moment to share about the historic climate package that was passed by the Legislature and is on its way to the Governor’s desk for consideration, including my bill SB 1137 to end neighborhood oil and gas drilling!

Historic Climate Change Package

California is facing several simultaneous climate-caused crises - drought, wildfire, rising sea levels, and strains on the energy grid. In the Legislature, we are establishing ambitious and necessary goals and investing billions of complementary dollars to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy. Some of the highlights of the climate package include these bills which I authored and co-authored:

• SB 1020 (co-author) - The Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022 will establish benchmarked accountability and interim goals to ensure California reaches its ultimate goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy use by 2045.
• SB 1251 (author) - Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Equity Ombudsperson will ensure that state ZEV programs are equity centered and support underserved Californians.
• AB 1279 (principal co-author) - The California Climate Crisis Act will establish a workable and ambitious plan to meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets.
• SB 1314 (co-author) - Stopping Enhanced Oil Recovery will prohibit the use of captured carbon technologies for enhanced oil recovery. Enhanced oil recovery is the practice of pumping CO2 underground to produce additional oil that would not be recoverable otherwise.
• SB 1382 (author) - Clean Cars 4 All Equity Measures will advance the equitable deployment of clean vehicles by giving a state tax exemption to vehicles bought and sold under the existing Clean Cars for All (CC4A) program, and by directing the state to develop protocols and metrics to address barriers currently preventing underserved Californians from participating in the CC4A program.
   

SB 1137 – Setbacks for New Oil Wells

Last but not least, this end of session I was incredibly proud to celebrate with community advocates and my colleagues in the Legislature the successful passage of SB 1137. This bill will require setback zones of 3,200 feet between new and reworked oil wells and sensitive receptors such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes, and strengthen protections for people living near existing oil wells. Over 2.7 million Californians live within 3,200 feet of an operational oil or gas well and over 90% are people of color. The legislation is the result of years of on-the-ground advocacy by community groups who have fought for setbacks to protect the health of Californians and marks a significant milestone in achieving environmental justice for pollution burdened communities.

This climate package is a historic victory! Now, SB 1137 and the entire, robust climate package is headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature.

As always, if you need any other information or assistance, please contact my office at (562) 256-7921 or send us a message here. Happy Labor Day weekend! I will report back soon with more updates!  

Sincerely,

Lena Gonzalez
33rd State Senate District