In the News

Capital & Main: Will California’s Fossil Fuel uIndstry Use the Ukraine War to Undermine Oil and Gas Legislation?

March 11, 2022

By Aaron Cantu

Three bills may fall victim to a new push for more oil drilling.

The shock to the global financial system from the Russia-Ukraine war isn’t only driving up the cost of gasoline in the U.S., but also raising the price of gas to heat homes, boosting inflation and potentially undermining climate change legislation in California as well as the state’s efforts to ramp down oil and gas production.

LA Times: Will California go big on climate action? Here’s what lawmakers want

February 24, 2022

BY SAMMY ROTH STAFF WRITER

There are currently 116 members of the California Legislature, and they were busy last week. Friday was the deadline to introduce new bills for this year’s legislative session — and like many journalists, lawmakers often need a deadline to get stuff done.

Daily Kos: State Senator Lena Gonzalez Introduces Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill in CA Legislature

February 17, 2022

By Dan Bacher

On February 17, Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) introduced a bill in the California Legislature that would mandate that California’s public pension funds stop investing in fossil fuel companies.

The Press Democrat: New state senate bill would force CalPERS, CalSTRS to divest from major fossil fuel holdings

February 17, 2022
By MARY CALLAHAN
 
California’s two powerful public employee pension funds would be required to withdraw their investments from fossil fuel companies to help fight climate change under a state Senate bill introduced Thursday.
 

LAist: This California Bill Could Make Health Permits More Accessible For Street Vendors

February 11, 2022
By Phoenix Tso and Caitlin Hernández
 
State Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) has introduced SB 972, which would reform the state food code to make it easier for sidewalk vendors to obtain permits to sell food.
 
Organizer Carla De Paz works with Community Power Collective, which has long advocated for this bill. She says it addresses certain requirements for a food vending permit, including having to to use carts with a three-compartment sink.
 

Long Beach Post: California bill would support street food vendors and ease current restrictions

February 11, 2022
By Laura Anaya-Morga
 
A state senator introduced a bill Thursday that would support California’s large population of street food vendors by removing barriers that currently prevent them from obtaining food safety permits.
 
Senate Bill 972, written by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) would revise the California Retail Food Code to reduce illegal vending, protect public health and create a more equitable economy for street vendors.

LA Times: DMV ‘revisiting’ its approach to regulating Tesla’s public self-driving test

January 11, 2022

BY RUSS MITCHELL STAFF WRITER

For years, Tesla has tested autonomous vehicle technology on public roads without reporting crashes and system failures to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, as other robot car developers are required to do under DMV regulations.

But confronted with dozens of viral videos showing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving beta technology driving the car into dangerous situations, and a letter of concern from a key state legislator, the DMV now says it’s reviewing Tesla’s behavior and reassessing its own policies.

LA Times: How will California’s workplace laws change in 2022? More protections are coming

December 31, 2021
BY MARGOT ROOSEVELT
Workplace safety
 
An explosion of COVID-19 infections across large companies such as supermarket chains, meatpackers, fast-food outlets and warehouses highlighted the weak penalties of California’s worker safety laws. And workplace safety agency Cal/OSHA, with just one inspector per 103,000 workers, has said it is too understaffed to visit 80% of sites where workers complain of safety violations.
 

The Sacramento Bee: Planned Parenthood rates lawmakers

November 26, 2021

BY ANDREW SHEELER

PLANNED PARENTHOOD RELEASES LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD

KQED: 'Rolling Deep': Here's How Latinos Are Reshaping California Environmentalism

November 22, 2021

By Ezra David Romero

Latino power players stacked the California delegation at this month's U.N. climate meeting in Glasgow, which concluded last week.

“California is rolling deep, as they say,” said Assemblyman Eddie Garcia, who represents the Coachella Valley.