For any environmentalist that has been hiding under a rock for the last two years, the opening for the 5th annual Green California Summit (sponsored by the California League of Conservation Voters) in Sacramento today clearly sounded the battle cry that environmental regulations are under attack and will be as long as conservatives are pitting the environment against jobs.
In a well timed wake up call, Senator Alan Lowenthal declared that environmental legislators must not continue to be "taken for granted" by legislative leaders. After a year in which environmental regulations that protect the states coast, water quality, air quality, and general environmental health were weakened, circumvented or assailed upon by the legislature, it was refreshing to hear this from a Senator. The question to be seen is can Lowenthal and other environmental legislators deliver or will they continue to let the big five push through environmental concessions in the name of the economy.
One ally of the environmental community may hold the silver bullet to protecting environmental issues during an economic recession. Bob Balgenorth, President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, passionately advocated that the environmental and labor communities can work together to generate legislation that promotes "good jobs and a clean environment."
For any environmentalist that has been hiding under a rock for the last two years, the opening for the 5th annual Green California Summit (sponsored by the Conservation League of California Voters) in Sacramento today clearly sounded the battle cry that environmental regulations are under attack and will be as long as conservatives are pitting the environment against jobs.
In a well timed wake up call, Senator Alan Lowenthal declared that environmental legislators must not continue to be "taken for granted" by legislative leaders. After a year in which environmental regulations that protect the states coast, water quality, air quality, and general environmental health were weakened, circumvented or assailed upon by the legislature, it was refreshing to hear this from a Senator. The question to be seen is can Lowenthal and other environmental legislators deliver or will they continue to let the big five push through environmental concessions in the name of the economy.
One ally of the environmental community may hold the silver bullet to protecting environmental issues during an economic recession. Bob Balgenorth, President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, passionately advocated that the environmental and labor communities can work together to generate legislation that promotes "good jobs and a clean environment."
This article written by: Former Assemblymember, Hannah-Beth Jackson of Speak Out California
A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending September 8, 2007
Key bills and issues we've been following during the
past week and beyond
The first of the final two weeks of the regular session is now done, with hundreds of bills having been heard and or otherwise disposed of. Healthcare, predictably continues to be front and center. The environment has seen some good news and bad, while civil rights--for both the gay community and working women round out the headline grabbers for the week.
Ballot initiatives and threats of same continue to be bandied about, while the Republican play to steal yet another presidential election is taking on broader national attention as its implications for Republicans holding the White House become known. Term Limits has dodged a bullet and will now appear on the February ballot, creating greater pressure to get a redistricting measure passed before the coming recess. And the Perata Iraq initiative sits on the Governor's desk, most likely facing a veto. Of course, the Gov didn't endear himself to his party this weekend at the Republican state convention, but that is of little concern as the Reps continue on a downward spiral in this state.
Schwarzenegger has waded into the fray on Sen. Alan Lowenthal's redistricting bill.
Hoping to resurrect an idea voters rejected in last year's special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to offer lawmakers a deal: He'll support an easing of term limits if they'll agree to change the way California draws voting districts.
Schwarzenegger said in an interview Thursday he does not believe term limits have improved Sacramento's political culture. Allowing legislators to stay in office longer would be worthwhile, he said, if it induced them to put a proposal on the ballot that would strip them of the power to carve political boundaries.
The governor reasons that lawmakers may not want to change voting districts, most of which favor incumbents, but they dislike term limits even more. One idea already under consideration in the Legislature would double the number of years members could serve in the Assembly — to 12 from six — provided they not run for the Senate when their term is up. Senators' maximum service could be extended to 12 years from eight.
Schwarzenegger says that he wants to make California elections more competitive, and that a new method of redistricting would help. He is backing a measure by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) that would transfer political map-making powers to a panel of 11 citizens, chosen by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and judges, and take effect after the 2010 census. [(LA Times
7/14/06) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold14jul14,1,4608230.story?coll=la-headlines-california]
The law will have to be passed in two separate initiatives to pass constitutional muster, but I think both are good ideas. The hopping back and forth of Senators and Assemblymen doesn't allow them to fully learn the pace of each body. And redistricting done right could be a good thing for both the Democrats and the State.
Getting people to vote to extend term limits might not be such an easy task though. A redistricting initiative without all the baggage of a mid-decade redraw and Tom Delay will do far better than last year's ill-fated Prop 77.
