Lawmakers in the Democratic-dominated state Legislature return to work Monday for the second year of a two-year session. Their to-do list includes a
The borrowing proposal is one of dozens of holdover bills from last year that are still alive in 2020 but must pass at least one legislative chamber by the end of January to have a chance at becoming law. The logjam is complicated by an accelerated election cycle that puts many lawmakers on primary election ballots in March instead of June, making it less likely for politically risky proposals to advance.
“We have kind of a perfect storm," said veteran Democratic political consultant
Catastrophic wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes, generating billions of dollars in insurance claims and costing taxpayers billions more in cleanup costs. The bulk of the borrowing proposal, detailed in similar efforts authored by Democrat
The
“We've been really good about investing in suppression — in other words, firefighters and helicopters," said Democratic Sen.
Passing the Legislature would be the just first step for the climate bond because
“We cannot spend money until projects are ready,” state Treasurer
Plus, voters will be asked in March to borrow another
Supporters in the Legislature, including
“I think if members of the public know that this money is going to issues around climate change, they care about that,” Atkins said.
Some
Instead of borrowing more, Gallagher said the state should use some of the billions of dollars generated every year by its cap-and-trade system to reduce wildfire fuel by better managing forests. He also wants to temporarily block a state law that requires utilities to buy more expensive solar and wind power and upgrade their equipment to make it less likely to spark wildfires during windstorms.
Gallagher questioned whether borrowing is the best practice “considering the amount of debt we have right now."
"There are existing dollars in government that I think we could just better target,” he said.
Other proposals in legislative limbo include a controversial bill by Sen.
If it does, it could find a receptive audience in the Assembly.
“I don't like to comment on pending legislation, but I definitely think there is value in increasing housing density along certain corridors,” Assembly Speaker
Potentially overshadowing pending legislation is the fate of
Democratic Gov.
Atkins said she has concerns about doing anything that lets
“Then it just transfers the liability to the ratepayers and the taxpayers,” Atkins said. “Isn’t that what we are trying to avoid?”
Other topics generating interest include proposals addressing housing and homelessness, which Republican leaders in both houses say are key goals.
“We're looking at real solutions that are going to make a difference in Californians' lives,”
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