Clean-air and -water bills dies at hands of Republicans and business Democrats

Republicans and business Democrats in the California Assembly, faced with a choice of protecting our air and water or protecting the profits of big polluters, sided with the polluters at the end of the legislative session. Corporate lobbies and their legislative allies killed two bills that make so much sense their passage should have been noncontroversial: SB 44 (Kehoe), which would require local governments to incorporate air quality considerations into their planning processes, and SB 109 (Ortiz), which would remove a barrier to prosecution of air polluters. SB 646 (Kuehl), which would improve enforcement of water quality laws and provide the public better information about water quality, also fell victim to unreasonable industry opposition.

These public-health bills were targeted for defeat both by the entire Republican caucus and by a number of Democrats who frequently vote with corporate polluters. Public-opinion surveys consistently show overwhelming support for stronger safeguards for our air and water, but these popular causes are stymied in Sacramento by the power of big campaign contributors.

The legislature did succeed in passing a handful of bills to help protect the health of Californians from industrial poisons. These include SB 455 (Escutia) to strengthen enforcement of existing pesticide safety laws; AB 405 (MontaF1ez) to stop the use of experimental pesticides at schools; and SB 600 (Ortiz) to track environmental pollutants found in the bodies of state residents.

Other important bills languished in the Assembly without even receiving votes on the floor, including SB 1 (Murray), which would launch the biggest solar-home program in the nation, and SB 999 (Machado), which would inject much-needed expertise and a statewide perspective into the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

The disappointing output of environmental measures in the Assembly came despite the best efforts of the Democratic leadership and environmental champions John Laird, Fran Pavley, and Hector de la Torre, who worked tirelessly to pass measures to improve environmental health and environmental justice in California.

The Senate Democrats, under the leadership of president pro tem Don Perata and committee chairs Sheila Kuehl and Alan Lowenthal, continued their excellent record of standing up for California's air, water, and wild places. The Senate also carried out superbly its role in the confirmation process, rejecting a handful of Schwarzenegger's anti-environmental appointees, while confirming the appointees who will fulfill their agencies' missions of stewardship.

Bill Magavern, senior representative, Sierra Club California