State Capitol Updates
Streetsblog California
Legislative Update: Climate Change, Cap and Trade, Fare Evasion
GREENHOUSE GAS TARGETS
August 23, 2016
California Senate Proposal for Cap-and-Trade Revenues Focuses on Equity
The Senate released a spending plan for the unallocated portion of cap-and-trade revenues today, in the form of Assembly Bill 1613. The plan, say Senate leaders and advocates, focuses on environmental equity while supporting projects that will reduce greenhouse gases.
August 17, 2016
CA Legislative Update: Student Transit Pass Bill Is Dead—For Now
A bill that would have created a statewide program to fund low-cost transit passes for students stalled out in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
August 15, 2016
Legislative Update: GHG Targets, Cap&Trade, Transportation Special Session
The California legislature returned from its summer break last week and now has one month to finish all the business it started in this session.
August 9, 2016
Legislative Update: Student Transit Passes, ATP, Equity in Climate Policies
This week in Sacramento, policy committees are rushing through a last-minute load of bills. The July recess is looming, and this week is the last opportunity to pass bills in the 2015-16 session. That has led to limited public discussion in some committees, with committee chairs admonishing attendees to keep remarks short. Meanwhile amendments are being proposed, revised, and refined behind the scenes.
June 29, 2016
CA Legislative Update: ATP, Bikes, and Budget
California budget negotiations have moved into high gear with the naming of Senate and Assembly members to the bicameral budget conference committee. Leaders of the two bodies named five members each—up from three in previous years—and the conference committee held its first hearing this morning. The committee's job is to find agreement among the three competing state budget proposals before June 15, when it must submit a final version to both houses to be voted on. The final budget agreement must be signed by the governor by the end of the month.
June 1, 2016
Governor’s Budget Revision: Nothing New for Transportation
Governor Brown issued his May revision of the state budget proposal, and in terms of transportation, it's pretty much the same story we told in January. That is, he proposes a variety of new revenues, including a “road improvement charge” and higher gas taxes, to fix California's transportation infrastructure.
May 13, 2016
Beall Proposal Tries To End California Transportation Funding Stalemate
Last year, Governor Brown called a “Special Session” to prod the California legislature to find solutions to what seemed an intractable problem: how to fund transportation needs in the state. Some bills were introduced, some hearings were held, but the biggest result of all the ballyhoo is a confirmation that the problem is, indeed, intractable.
April 28, 2016
California Legislative Update: Bikes, Transit, Environmental Justice, More
Today is the deadline to pass any policy bills that have a fiscal impact out of all California legislative committees, so the last two weeks have seen a flurry of long hearings. Here's a quick recap of pertinent bills.
April 22, 2016
Transportation Equity Bills Defeated in Assembly Transpo Committee
Two bills that had the potential to increase equity in transportation planning died yesterday for lack of support.
April 19, 2016