URGENT ACTION: 5 minutes to STOP SB/AB 131 Trailer bill

[Rue]

Bills that couldn’t make it through the legislature have been added (and renumbered) as a Trailer Bill.  So much for transparency!  

Please urge others to call and/or email … Or show up!

I sincerely apologize for this Broad Email Blast - but time is short and we need all hands on deck.  I’m sorry … and deeply concerned.

SB 607 has been repackaged as a trailer bill – SB 131 -- that must be passed as part of the Governor’s budget on Monday, June 30.  SB 131 is set for a hearing before the Senate Budget Committee at noon on Monday, June 30th.  The bill’s language was negotiated behind closed doors and only made public on Friday (right before a weekend), and added giveaways for sprawl, exemptions for heavy industrial advanced manufacturing projects, and more. There was none of the transparency and public review allowed by the normal legislative process.

SB 131 is the greatest threat to the California Environmental Quality Act that we have seen in recent years. And the timing could not be worse, as our federal environmental laws are also being dramatically weakened by the Trump Administration.

 

SB 131 got rid of the part of SB 607 that eliminated the “fair argument” test for EIRs.  However, it adds a long list of new CEQA exemptions, including for “advanced manufacturing” facilities, which can be incredibly harmful to surrounding communities, creating 23 Superfund sites in Santa Clara County alone. There are also exemptions for certain types of vegetation management, parks and non-motorized trails, high-speed rail, and more.  It crushes protections for environmental justice review.

The Budget Committee is the first stop for these bills … CALL before11:00 AM 

The Budget Committee is just the beginning on Monday.  And damage to CEQA is just part of the problem with the Bill.  Their (Wiener & the Gov) plan is to get it through Budget, Assembly and the Senate - all on Monday.  

Starting with the Budget Committee, contact these Representatives’ offices (especially if you live in their District):

  Scott Wiener, Budget Committee Chair

  Roger Niello, Vice Chair

  Ben Allen Catherine Blakespear Chris Cabaldon Steve Choi

  Maria Durazo Shannon Grove John Laird Jerry McNerney

  Caroline Menjivar Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh Sasha Perez Laura Richardson 

  Kelly Seyarto Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Aisha Wahab Akah Weber Pierson 

If you can get to Sacramento - that’s great.  If not - email &/or call your Representative today and tomorrow.  (Budget, Assembly and Senate). Let them know we are aware of the failure of transparency and that the bill should NOT be passed in its current form.  If you need citations - let us know.  

The Senate Budget Committee meets at 12 PM Monday at 1021 O Street, Room 1200.  Each person will have about 30 seconds to speak – see below talking points if you need suggestions.  Environmental and EJ advocates will be gathering on the 4th Floor of the Swing Space at 9:30 AM to prepare for the hearing and drop in on legislative offices.  You can join them there or just show up at the hearing! Also, folks are feeding questions to friendly Committee members to ask at the budget hearings.  Even if you don’t speak, your presence would be felt and appreciated. Work is being done to get a permit to hold a rally on the grassy area near the Capitol steps at 10 am on Monday.  Signs are being prepared in anticipation of the permit being issued. 

You can leave a message if you call on Sunday.

 

FIRST - Call your State Assemblymember and State Senator. Their contact information can be found at https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov. 

 

SECOND - Call the Speaker of the Assembly, Robert Rivas, at (916) 319-2029.

 

THIRD – Call the Senate President Pro Tempore, Mike McGuire, at (916) 651-4002.

Speak as a constituent who is one of MANY watching the bill - and how the legislators vote!

The text of the bill is here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB131&firstNav=tracking

Key details of the bill:

SB 131 got rid of the part of SB 607 that eliminated the “fair argument” test for EIRs.  However, it adds a long list of new CEQA exemptions, including for “advanced manufacturing” facilities, which can be incredibly harmful to surrounding communities. There are also exemptions for certain types of vegetation management, parks and non-motorized trails, high speed rail, and more.

 

Sample talking points for the hearing Monday:

• My name is [your name] here on the behalf of/as a member of [insert organization if appropriate] in strong opposition to SB 131.
• This bill is an unprecedented rollback of California’s fundamental environmental and community protections in CEQA.
• This bill includes broad CEQA exemptions that include no safeguards for habitat for species protected under the federal and state Endangered Species Act.
• This bill will expose residents to toxic industrial projects with zero protections for environmental justice communities living alongside industrially zoned land.
• Why was this bill negotiated behind closed doors with NO input from the public or even other legislators?  It is because this kind of bill only happens without the sunshine of public scrutiny.  And it only happens if you hold the budget hostage.
• So, you, legislators have a choice:  Pass a bill that removes protections for the environment and vulnerable communities or say NO and ask for something better.  I urge you to reject both the process and the substance behind SB 131.

I’m glad so many are paying attention … but we’ll need a lot more eyes on this one.  Be in touch with everyone you know who might consider making a call or sending an email.  Ask them for five minutes of their time to avert yet another disaster.

If you can say more, add your perspective ...

•    This bill is an unprecedented rollback of California’s fundamental environmental and community protections in CEQA.

•    This bill includes broad CEQA exemptions that include no safeguards for habitat for protected species under the federal and state Endangered Species Act.

•    This bill will expose residents to toxic industrial projects with zero protections for communities living alongside industrially zoned land.

•    Why was this bill negotiated behind closed doors with NO input from the public or even other legislators? … It is because this kind of bill only happens without the sunshine of public scrutiny.  And it only happens if you hold the budget hostage.

Take good care.  We lean in.

Rue

 

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