Last night, the California Legislature passed SB 158 to create structural changes at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
Read moreMonth: June 2021
Assembly, Senate Budget Falls Short on Key Environmental Justice Priorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June “Placeholder Budget” Requires Deeper Investments in Low-Income, Communities of Color Sacramento, CA — On June 14th, the California State Legislature narrowly passed a placeholder budget before the June 15 budget deadline with substantially different allocations than those proposed in Governor Newsom’s May Revision. Negotiations on the June budget are anticipated to continue into July. This week, the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) continues to urge lawmakers to pass an equitable 2021–2022 Budget through a letter to the Governor and Senate and Assembly Leadership. In the letter, CEJA requested that State leaders incorporate key environmental justice priorities into the final budget. In response to the passing of a June placeholder budget, CEJA Policy Manager Raquel Mason issued the following statement: As California residents brace for yet another year of severe drought and record-setting wildfires, CEJA calls upon Governor Newsom and the Legislature to eliminate funding for costly and dangerous false solutions that derail our state’s efforts for a just recovery; and, instead, invest deeply in programs that strengthen community well-being and address environmental and climate-related crises. With a record budget surplus, now is the time to prioritize life-sustaining programs and infrastructure such as community resilience centers, and make
Read moreHistoric Surplus Should Invest in Low Income Environmental Justice Communities
Read and download CEJA’s budget priorities here. Last month, the Governor announced a historic budget surplus along with a proposal for the 2021 state budget. The Governor’s budget included some good starting points: $2 billion for energy and water utility debt $5.2 billion for housing debt relief $420 million for the Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC) But as drought conditions worsen, fires start to burn through Southern California and state regulators resolve to keep polluting gas power plants online, we know our communities will face blackouts and continued heatwaves this summer. Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry has spent $4.3 million in Sacramento to oppose life-saving bills – and it’s only June. That’s why we’re fighting to add these environmental justice priorities to the budget: $3 billion for energy and water debt relief $1 billion for community resilience hubs $2 billion for climate remediation high roads job program at DTSC and CalGEM to address orphaned wells, brown fields, refineries and climate resilience $420 million for Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC) $500 million for Transportation Equity projects Eliminate funding for dairy digesters that contaminate groundwater and increase air pollution in EJ communities We urge the Governor and legislature to support community resilience
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