The PCL Insider: News From The Capitol

THE ORCHESTRA TUNES UP: READY FOR THE OVERTURE?

Yesterday the new batch of California legislators convened at the State Capitol for a swearing-in ceremony, press conferences, and celebrations – including firecrackers and Chinese dragons. Governor Schwarzenegger was on hand to welcome his colleagues and set a tone of bipartisanship for the session that begins in full next month.

The start of a new legislative session always sounds a bit like an orchestra tuning up for the grand symphony. Let's listen through the clatter to see what sorts of songs we might hear this year.

The Governor has trumpeted his priorities for 2007, which include appropriation of the $42 billion in infrastructure bonds passed by voters last month, changes to the State's health care system, reduction of the State deficit, and redrawing of legislative districts.

We've heard that Mike Villines (R-Clovis), the new minority leader in the Assembly, is singing about his party's goals this year: damming our rivers, promoting construction in floodplains, and rolling back the California Environmental Quality Act.

Democrats in both the Senate and Assembly have not been as vocal about their plans, though Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez has signaled that environmental protection will remain a key issue, particularly to ensure successful implementation of AB 32 (Nuñez & Pavley), the statewide cap on greenhouse gases that the Governor signed in September.

With such an anti-environmental platform emanating from the Republican side of the aisle and Democrats freshly empowered by the November election, the Governor is likely to encounter discord in the halls of the Legislature instead of the bipartisan harmony he needs to accomplish his agenda.

Environmental advocates are preparing to make some music of their own. Yesterday our allies at the California League of Conservation Voters brought together representatives from many of the State's environmental and public health organizations for the second annual Environmental Collaboration Summit in preparation for the upcoming legislative session. Participants discussed strategies to build broader coalitions, communicate effectively with legislative leadership and the media, and hold legislators accountable for their environmental voting record.

Senator Lowenthal and Assemblymember Hector De la Torre both praised the assembled organizations for their effective coordination during the 2006 session and urged them to continue to educate legislative leaders about the environmental community's top priority bills so that leadership can "drum up" support when it really counts. They also emphasized the importance of establishing a chorus of in-district activists, ready to pressure indecisive legislators on their home turf.

We appreciate the advice, and will be working hard to make sure that the environmental community – both in Sacramento and around the state – communicates its priorities with coordination, focus and dynamism in the months ahead.

So, will the year sound like melodious Chopin or atonal Schoernberg? It depends on the players and the tunes they choose to play. (We're investing in earplugs just in case.)

FLOOD LEGISLATION RETURNS TO SACRAMENTO

In the wake of last year's disastrous eleventh-hour legislative deadlock, several California legislators have promised to resume the fight for flood policy reform during the 2007 session. Three flood bills were introduced on the first day of the session:
 
AB 5 (Wolk) would require a comprehensive flood control plan for the Central Valley, provide incentives to local agencies to adopt local flood plans, and prohibit development in high-risk flood prone areas under certain conditions.
 
SB 5 (Machado) would clarify the roles and responsibilities of the State, local flood management agencies, cities and counties, developers, and property owners in the creation of an integrated state flood plan, and integrate the $4 billion in flood-related funding in the newly passed infrastructure bonds with a new flood management program.

AB 70 (Jones) would require cities and counties to share liability with the State for property damage sustained in a flood if the local agency approves new development behind state-owned levees in areas likely to be deeply inundated in a flood.

We look forward to collaborating with Senator Machado, Assemblymember Wolk, and Assemblymember Jones during the coming year to improve public safety and protect California's environment.

Stay tuned as more bills come down the pike!