Capping a day of intense activity in the capitol, Governor Brown and Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León stripped a key provision from SB350 that would have halved petroleum use in the state by 50%, conceding that they did not have the votes to pass the measure as it was. The move is seen as a big win for oil companies and a loss for Brown, who also saw hopes for a proposed gas tax flounder yesterday. Jessica Calefati and Tracy Seipel, San Jose Mercury News:
“Shortly after negotiations over a proposed tax hike on gasoline collapsed because of a lack of support from the GOP, Democrats surrendered to oil companies’ demands to amend a bill that seeks to combat climate change, easily marking the worst day of Brown’s fourth term.
“Speaking at a Capitol news conference late Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León announced amendments to Senate Bill 350 that delete a key goal to cut Californians’ use of petroleum in gasoline 50 percent by 2030, conceding that he had been unable to compete with the oil industry’s ‘bottomless war chest.’
“’I don’t think we’ve seen an amount of money spent like we have seen in the last four months — tens of millions of dollars spent to create this smoke screen’ of deception with high-priced, negative advertising, he said.”
The announcement about SB350 followed a lengthy and emotional debate on the Assembly floor over ABX2-15, the revived aid-in-dying bill, which ultimately passed, and now heads to the Senate. Melody Gutierrez, San Francisco Chronicle:
“Several Assembly members spoke through tears as they recounted the loss or near loss of their parents or child, saying those experiences drove them to their decisions about how to vote on the controversial legislation, which passed 43-34.
“’This is about respecting the choices of those we love the most,’ said Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, who choked up as he talked about his dad’s terminal illness and how it influenced his decision to co-author ABX2-15….
“Lawmakers who supported the bill embraced after the legislation passed. The bill now heads to the state Senate, where it is expected to win approval — a previous version already passed there.”
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