GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU ALL
FOR COMING TODAY. WELCOME TO THE
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES. BACK TO BACK TWO DAYS
IN A ROW. LUCKY YOU AND LUCKY
CALIFORNIA. TODAY, IN KEEPING
WITH OUR COMMITMENT TO ROBUST
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND
PARTICIPATION, WE'RE HOLDING
THIS INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON SB
867. THE SAFE DRINKING WATER
WILDFIRE PREVENTION, DROUGHT
PREPAREDNESS, AND CLEAN AIR BOND
ACT OF 2024. THIS IS AN
INFORMATIONAL HEARING. WE WILL
NOT BE VOTING ON THE BILL TODAY,
ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HAVE AN I RECO
FROM THE CHAIR. THIS AFTERNOON,
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES ARE JOINED BY
MEMBERS OF THE CLIMATE BOND
WORKING GROUP. OUR HEARING WILL
BE CONDUCTED AS FOLLOWS. FIRST,
WE WILL HEAR FROM THREE OF THE
AUTHORS OF THE MEASURE AND FROM
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LÀ
OFFICE. THEN WE WILL HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION AND
QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS SHOULD
THEY ATTEND. AND THEN, MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WE WILL HEAR FROM
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THAT'S
THE REASON FOR THIS HEARING, IS
TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE
ACTIVE AND ENGAGED AND CARE OR
HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BOND
CAN BE HEARD. THIS BOND
REPRESENTS THE MOST IMPACTFUL
SINGLE INVESTMENT IN WATER
SAFETY. WHILE WILDFIRE
PREVENTION AND CLIMATE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN
THIS STATE'S HISTORY. WE DON'T
MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS OFTEN. WE
DON'T MAKE THEM LIGHTLY. IT'S
CRUCIAL THAT WE DON'T MISS THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS
ESSENTIAL SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN
DESIGNED TO MEET THE URGENT
NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS
CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING MANY
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
OVERLOOKED FOR FAR TOO LONG.
WITH THIS BOND, CALIFORNIA
VOTERS WOULD HAVE A CHOICE TO
MAKE A TRANSFORMATIVE, EQUITABLE
INVESTMENT THAT TOUCHES MANY
ASPECTS OF THE LIVES OF
CALIFORNIANS. IMPORTANTLY, THIS
BOND TAKES AN ENORMOUS STEP
TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THE PROMISE
OF THE JUSTICE JUSTICE40
INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY
PRESIDENT BIDEN HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. THIS BOND WILL
ALLOCATE 40% OF FUNDS DIRECTLY
TO PROJECTS THAT SERVE
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE NOT JUST
SUFFERED FROM DECADES OF
DISINVESTMENT, BUT ALSO BEAR
DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL
HARM. JOINING ME TODAY, TO
PRESENT OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS,
LORI WILSON AND SENATOR LIMÓN.
AND IF ASSEMBLY MEMBER GARCIA
ARRIVES, HE'S WELCOME TO JOIN US
AS WELL. AND I WILL TURN IT OVER
TO YOU BOTH. THANK YOU, CHAIR
AND COLLEAGUES. IT'S A PLEASURE
TO BE HERE WITH SOME MEMBER,
LORI WILSON AND EDDIE GARCIA.
THAT IS GOING TO FOLLOW. I'M
PLEASED TO PRESENT SENATE BILL
867, AUTHORED BY SENATOR ALLEN
AND JOINTLY AUTHORED BY ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS WILSON AND GARCIA, AND
MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES. THIS IS
A HISTORIC $10 BILLION CLIMATE
RESILIENCY GENERAL OBLIGATION
BOND FOR THE NOVEMBER 2024
BALLOT. SB 867 IS THE SINGLE
LARGEST INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC
FUNDING FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE
IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY, AND THE
LARGEST MADE BY ANY SINGLE
GOVERNMENT OTHER THAN THE
FEDERAL INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
IN A YEAR WHERE WE HAVE HAD
DIFFICULT BUDGET ACTIONS,
ESPECIALLY REGARDING CLIMATE
FUNDING, THIS MEASURE WILL
PROVIDE BILLIONS OF NEW REVENUE
FOR YEARS TO COME. SB 867
PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE AND MAJOR
NEW CLIMATE INVESTMENTS IN ALL
OF OUR REGIONS OF THE STATE,
FROM THE OREGON BORDER TO
MEXICO, FROM OUR COAST TO THE
SIERRA NEVADA'S, INCLUDING THE
CENTRAL VALLEY AND THE INLAND
EMPIRE. THE BOM PLACES
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN
WATER, DROUGHT, FLOOD, WILDFIRE
PREVENTION PARKS, COASTAL
RESILIENCE, BIODIVERSITY,
EXTREME HEAT, CLEAN ENERGY AND
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. IT
FULLY PRESERVES THE AUTHORITY OF
THE LEGISLATURE TO SHAPE
APPROPRIATIONS AND APPROVE FUNDS
AFTER THE BOND PASSES, SO
MEMBERS CAN HELP REFINE
ALLOCATIONS ONCE THE VOTERS
APPROVE IT. SB 867 INCLUDES A
FIRST OF ITS KIND LANDMARK
REQUIREMENT THAT AT LEAST 40% OF
THE BONDS THE BOND FUNDS, BE
INVESTED IN DISADVANTAGED AND
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT
SUFFER THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT,
MOST SERIOUS POLLUTION IMPACTS,
AND CHRONIC UNDERINVESTMENT.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS DIRECTLY
MODELED ON THE JUSTICE40
INITIATIVE ADOPTED BY THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT, AS HAS BEEN
REFERENCED BY THE CHAIR. SB 867
ALSO INCLUDES ANOTHER FIRST 850
MILLION FOR CLEAN ENERGY
INVESTMENTS TO HELP MEET OUR
ZERO CARBON ENERGY TARGETS
THROUGH PORT AND OFFSHORE WIND
INVESTMENT, CREATING THOUSANDS
OF NEW SKILLED, HIGH WAGE JOBS.
SB 867 IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
CALIFORNIA'S WORLD RENOWNED
LEADERSHIP ON CLIMATE POLICY,
AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE
PROUD OF MEMBERS. THIS BOND
TACKLES SERIOUS CHALLENGES
CALIFORNIA FACES FROM CLIMATE
CHANGE. JUST THIS WEEK, WE'RE
EXPERIENCING EXTREME HEAT AND WE
KNOW THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE
WILDFIRES BURNING ACROSS OUR
STATE. LAST WINTER, WE SAW
DEVASTATING FLOODING AND COASTAL
CLIFF COLLAPSES NOT TO MENTION
THE CONSTANTLY DECLINING
BIODIVERSITY ESSENTIAL TO OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING, ALL OF
WHICH ARE DIRECT IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS MEASURE
CREATES JOBS, INCREASES
INVESTMENTS, MAKES OUR
COMMUNITIES MORE PARK FRIENDLY,
LIVABLE AND ARMORS OUR STATE
FROM THE MOST SERIOUS, SERIOUS
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. SB
867 IS SUPPORTED BY OVER 180
ENVIRONMENTAL, NATURAL
RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ORGANIZATIONS, WATER AGENCIES
FROM WESTLANDS TO THE SONOMA
COUNTY PORTS, CLEAN ENERGY
COMPANIES AND MANY MORE. I HAVE
ALSO COLLEAGUES SPEAKING IN
SUPPORT HERE, AND WE'LL TELL YOU
MORE ABOUT THE BOND. THANK YOU.
SENATOR LIMÓN, GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. CHAIR. AND MEMBERS. OR I
SHOULD SAY, MEMBER, I APPRECIATE
YOU HOLDING THIS HEARING TODAY
ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. I
WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES IN
THE ASSEMBLY, ESPECIALLY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER GARCIA, FOR HIS
HARD WORK AND DILIGENCE,
CARRYING THE ASSEMBLY VEHICLE
FROM ITS MOMENT OF INTRODUCTION
IN 2023. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK
THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY
CLIMATE BOND WORKING GROUP, OUR
COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE AND AS
WELL AS THE INCREDIBLE STAFF WHO
PUT SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT INTO
ENSURING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PUT
THE BEST POSSIBLE CLIMATE BOND
BEFORE YOU. I'M PLEASED TO SPEAK
ABOUT SENATE BILL 867, THE 10
BILLION CLIMATE RESILIENCE BOND
THAT, IF PASSED BY THE
LEGISLATURE AND SIGNED BY THE
GOVERNOR, WILL APPEAR ON THE
NOVEMBER 2024 BALLOT. THERE IS
PERHAPS NO GREATER RISK TO THE
FUTURE OF OUR STATE, OUR NATION
AND THE WORLD THAN THE CLIMATE
CRISIS. MAYBE NOT TODAY OR
TOMORROW, OR EVEN NEXT YEAR, BUT
IT IS A CRISIS THAT IS
UNDENIABLY AND UNAVOIDABLY UPON
US THAT WE MUST FACE HEAD ON TO
PROTECT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
HISTORICALLY, DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES HAVE FACED THE
GREATEST RISK AND BORNE THE
BRUNT OF THE MOST NEGATIVE
IMPACTS OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS. I
AM PROUD THAT THIS BOND MEASURE
GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ENSURE
THAT THE BENEFITS OF THESE
INVESTMENTS WILL BE FELT MOST BY
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THIS
MEASURE STEPS UP TO COMMIT TO
MAKE NECESSARY INVESTMENTS TO
SOLVE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS
RESULTING FROM THE CLIMATE
CRISIS. THERE ARE THOSE IN THE
LEGISLATURE WHO I IMAGINE WILL
RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LONG
TERM COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEBT
SERVICE, DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS
RELATED TO THIS BOND MEASURE.
BUT WE KNOW IF WE DO NOT MAKE
THE INVESTMENT NOW, WE WILL PAY
FOR IT LATER AND THE BILL WOULD
BE MUCH HIGHER AND THE PROBLEMS
FAR GREATER IF WE DO NOT ACT,
MANY OF THE PROBLEMS WILL BE
EXACERBATED AND SOME WE MAY NOT
BE ABLE TO ADDRESS BEFORE IT'S
TOO LATE. AND THE HARDEST HIT
COMMUNITIES WILL FEEL IT. THEY
WILL BE UNABLE TO RECOVER. THIS
MEASURE IS THE RESULT OF
COUNTLESS MEETINGS AND LONG
NEGOTIATIONS THAT OFTEN RAN LATE
INTO THE EVENING. OR SHOULD I
REALLY SAY MORNING, AND FILLED
MANY OF OUR WEEKENDS OVER THE
PAST FEW WEEKS. THERE ARE FOUR
CHAPTERS OF THE EIGHT CHAPTERS
THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.
MY COLLEAGUE, ASSEMBLYMEMBER
GARCIA WILL HIGHLIGHT THE REST.
THERE'S THE WILDFIRES, WILDFIRE,
AND FOREST RESILIENCE CHAPTER,
WHICH WAS LED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CONNOLLY. THIS MEASURE COMMITS
OVER $1 BILLION FOR LOCAL AND
REGIONAL SCALE PROJECTS THAT
WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES MOST
VULNERABLE TO FIRE RESILIENCE,
MOST VULNERABLE TO FIRE
RESILIENT. THIS CHAPTER
PRIORITIZES ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
WHILE DOING FULL FUELS REDUCTION
AND FOREST MANAGEMENT WORK,
PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE
HARDENING OF HOMES AND COMMUNITY
STRUCTURES, AND INVEST IN
UNDERSERVED YOUTH WORK FORCE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPECIALIZE IN
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK, AS
WELL AS OTHER CLIMATE AND
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS.
THERE IS THE SEA LEVEL RISE AND
COASTAL RESILIENCE CHAPTER,
WHICH WAS CO-LED BY ASSEMBLY
MEMBER PAPIN AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER
ARDIS. IT CONTAINS MEANINGFUL
INVESTMENTS IN PROTECTION
AGAINST COASTAL FLOODING AND SEA
LEVEL RISE, THE RESTORATION OF
MARINE WILDLIFE AND OCEAN AND
COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS, AND
PROTECTION OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA
FISH. OUR PROTECT BIODIVERSITY
AND ACCELERATING NATURE BASED
SOLUTIONS. CHAPTER WAS CO-LED BY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER COLONY, COLONY
AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER, HOT HEART.
THESE INVESTMENTS CONSERVE,
RESTORE AND PROTECT NATURAL
LANDS IN THE STATE, INCLUDING
PROGRAMS AT THE WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION BOARD AND REGIONAL
CONSERVANCIES. THESE INVESTMENTS
WILL HELP US ACHIEVE THE 30 BY
30 GOAL, AS WELL AS OUR CLIMATE
GOALS FOR OUR CONSERVED LAND.
THE FINAL CHAPTER THAT I WOULD
SPEAK TO IS ONE THAT'S NEAR AND
DEAR TO MY HEART, AND THAT'S THE
CLIMATE SMART, SUSTAINABLE AND
RESILIENT FARMS, RANCHES AND
WORKING LANDS, WHICH WAS LED BY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER SORIA. IT
CONTAINS RESOURCES TO ASSIST
CALIFORNIA'S AGRICULTURAL
CONFRONT, CONFRONT THE CURRENT
AND FUTURE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE BY INVESTING IN
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES, PROGRAMS FOR SOCIALLY
DISADVANTAGED FARMERS, RANCHERS,
TRIBAL PRODUCERS AND VETERANS,
AND PROGRAMS FOR OUR NEW FARMERS
FOOD ACCESS AND FARM WORKERS.
I'D LIKE TO NOW TURN IT OVER TO
MY COLLEAGUE, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
GARCIA, WHO WILL FURTHER SHARE
TESTIMONY AND HIGHLIGHT SOME OF
OUR CHAPTERS. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH TO MY COLLEAGUES. TO MY
LEFT, YOUR RIGHT, THIS IS A
PRODUCT THAT WE SHOULD ALL FEEL
VERY PROUD OF, GIVEN THE AMOUNT
OF TIME AND ENERGY THAT HAS GONE
INTO THIS DRAFT THAT IS BEFORE
US IN THIS INFORMATIONAL
HEARING. SO LET ME BEGIN BY
THANKING YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THE
COLLEAGUES OF THIS COMMITTEE WHO
ARE BEFORE US, AS MY COLLEAGUE
FROM THE ASSEMBLY, MISS LORI
WILSON, HAS JUST OUTLINED WHAT
THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS LOOKED
LIKE, I'D LIKE TO JUST REALLY
EMPHASIZE ON WHAT WERE SOME OF
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT LED
TO WHAT WAS OUR PROPOSAL AND
THAT SPILLED OVER TO THE
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FRIENDS
IN THE SENATE. AND THAT
ULTIMATELY LED TO THIS,
PARTICULAR PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU.
WE WERE LOOKING AT FOUR, DRIVING
PILLARS, THE FIRST IS, YOU KNOW
WHAT? WHAT IS OUR GOAL AND
OBJECTIVE HERE? AND IT'S CLEARLY
TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OF OUR
LIFETIME AND THE ISSUE OF
CLIMATE, AND SO WHAT ARE THE
PROGRAMS THAT THIS STATE OF
CALIFORNIA HAS ADOPTED THAT WE
KNOW ARE WORKING, THAT ALIGN
WITH, FIRST PILLAR OF THE ISSUE
OF BUILDING RESILIENT
INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT ARE THE
PROGRAMS THAT ALSO HELP US
TRANSITION AND ADAPT TO THE
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE IN FRONT
OF US? AND SO THE, IDEA OF
PROGRAMS ALIGNING WITH
ADAPTATION AND INVESTMENTS
MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION WERE
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS A GUIDING
PRINCIPLE FOR OUR WORK GROUP,
THE THIRD WAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S
TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXISTING
SCOPING PLAN. AND THOSE ARE THE
TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, AS WE ALWAYS
SAY, THE TOOLBOX TO HELP US
ADDRESS OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
TO ACHIEVE CLIMATE AND EMISSION
REDUCTION GOALS HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. AND WE HAD TO ALSO
CONSIDER, RIGHT, KIND OF THE
FOURTH LEG TO THE TABLE. THE
STOOL, WHAT HAVE YOU IS THE,
VOTER APPETITE. WHAT ARE THEY
SAYING? IS IMPORTANT, TO
CALIFORNIANS AND WHAT ARE OUR
COLLEAGUES IN BOTH HOUSES,
SAYING AS IT PERTAINS TO WHAT
SHOULD BE IN THIS BOND. AND SO,
YOU KNOW, THE P WORD, THE
POLITICS OF, THIS PARTICULAR
DYNAMIC OF PUTTING A PROPOSAL
FORWARD, THAT'S HOW, THAT'S WHAT
GUIDED US TO PUT FORWARD A
PROPOSAL THAT LED TO THE
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR SENATE.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT IT WAS AN
HONOR WORKING WITH THE TWO,
INDIVIDUALS TO MY LEFT. WE
COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER,
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS PUTTING
CALIFORNIA'S CLIMATE PRIORITIES
FRONT AND CENTER. I'D LIKE TO
HIGHLIGHT THREE PARTICULAR
SECTIONS, TO REALLY ROUND OFF
WHAT THE CLIMATE BOND BEFORE US
ALL AND POTENTIALLY THE VOTERS
OF CALIFORNIA WILL BE SEEING THE
SAFE AND DRINKING WATER PROGRAM,
OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND
ALTHOUGH THE TITLE IS SAFE
DRINKING WATER DROUGHT, FLOOD
AND WATER RESILIENCE, IN THE
CHAPTER IT CONTAINS SUBSTANTIAL
INVESTMENTS TO PROVIDE SAFE,
CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR
COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT MOST.
FUNDING FOR GROUNDWATER STORAGE
AND WATER RECYCLING TO MITIGATE
IMPACTS ON OUR COMMUNITIES FROM
DROUGHT AND MEANINGFUL
INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT
CALIFORNIANS FROM FUTURE
FLOODING. ONE THING THAT I'M
EXTREMELY PROUD OF, AND IT WAS
WORK DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH
RETIRED SENATOR BILL MONNING, IS
THAT WE ALLOCATED ONE OF THE
LARGEST PORTIONS OF THIS CHAPTER
TO SAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORTS TO
ENSURE THAT NO CALIFORNIAN GOES
WITHOUT SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING
WATER UP AND DOWN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA IN RURAL, URBAN,
AREAS OF OUR STATE. AND WE HAVE
A LOT OF WORK TO DO STILL THERE.
AND THAT CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I KNOW TO
MANY, MANY, FOLKS ON THIS DAIS
AND FOLKS WHO WILL BE SPEAKING
LATER, I HOPE AND SUPPORT THE
OTHER SECTION IS THE EXTREME
HEAT MITIGATION AREA THAT WE'VE
HEARD QUITE A BIT FROM
ADVOCATES, AS IT PERTAINS TO
WHAT IMPORTANT ROLE THESE
INVESTMENTS WILL BE PLAYING. AND
I'D LIKE TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS AS I READ OFF WHAT THE
FOCUS OF THIS CHAPTER, CONTAINS,
IT FOCUSES ON FUNDING FOR
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTERS TO
SAFEGUARD COMMUNITIES DURING
EXTREME HEAT OR POOR AIR QUALITY
EVENTS, AS WELL AS INVESTMENTS
IN NATURAL SOLUTIONS LIKE TREES
AND GREENING TO KEEP OUR
COMMUNITIES SAFE FROM THIS
RETREAT, I WANT TO JUST ADD THAT
IN THIS CHAPTER, ALTHOUGH THERE
MAY BE SOME CONSTERNATION THAT
THERE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY GOING
TOWARDS THIS EFFORT, WE HAVE THE
GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND,
AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR
PLAN THAT IS IN FRONT OF US AND
ADOPTED, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE
THOSE INVESTMENTS, WE HAVE TO
ENSURE THAT THERE'S GREATER
ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THOSE FUNDS,
THESE FUNDS, AND THAT WE'RE
BEING INTENTIONAL IN TERMS OF
WHERE AND WE'RE MAKING THOSE
IMPACTS. AND SO IF THERE IS A
NEED FOR THIS LEGISLATURE TO
REVISIT HOW WE ARE GOING ABOUT
MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS, THEN
WE SHOULD, COMMIT TO MAKING
THOSE EFFORTS IN ORDER TO
MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE
IN FRONT OF US. THE OTHER POINT
I WANT TO MAKE ABOUT THAT IS
THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD,
WE GET TO SEE, MANY OF THE,
QUARTERLY AUCTIONS THAT TAKE
PLACE. AND, AND I GOT TO TELL
YOU, THERE HASN'T BEEN AN
AUCTION THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN
THAT HAS BEEN BIGGER THAN THE
PAST AUCTION EVERY SINGLE TIME.
AND SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE
AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE WHAT
THOSE FUNDS, LOOK LIKE ON A
REGULAR BASIS AND HOW IT IS THAT
WE ARE INVESTING IN THOSE
DOLLARS. MY HOPE IS THAT WE'RE
NOT SITTING ON THOSE DOLLARS,
AND THAT NOW MORE THAN EVER,
GIVEN THE BUDGETARY CIRCUMSTANCE
GIVEN THE CRISIS IN FRONT OF US,
WHETHER IT BE HERE IN
SACRAMENTO, THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
OR WHERE I COME FROM, WHERE IT
IS EXTREMELY HOT THAT WE ARE
MAKING THE BEST USE OF THESE
DOLLARS. AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE
OURSELVES TO WORK WITH THE
ADVOCATES WHO, WILL PROBABLY BE
SPEAKING ABOUT THIS SECTION TO
DO BETTER AND TO DO MORE. AND SO
I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT
I MADE THOSE COMMENTS UP FRONT,
BECAUSE THERE IS A COMMITMENT I
KNOW FROM THE INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE HERE SPEAKING TODAY, AND I
KNOW THAT THERE'S A LONGER LIST
OF MEMBERS THAT ALSO WANT TO SEE
THAT COME TO FRUITION. THE LAST
SECTION THAT I'LL SPEAK OF, THAT
YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I'M VERY
PASSIONATE. I KNOW MANY OF YOU
ARE, AS WELL. AND WE'VE SEEN
SOME GREAT RESULTS AS, PROP $68
HAVE PUT FORWARD PARKS AND POOR
PARK COMMUNITIES. UP AND DOWN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH I
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH. FORMER SENATOR ON,
THIS SECTION HAS A $700 MILLION
INVESTMENT THAT CONTAINS
INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE
ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES FOR
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE AND
PRIORITIZES ACCESS TO THE
OUTDOORS BY PROVIDING FUNDING
FOR TRAILS AND OUTDOOR
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. I THINK
WE HAVE COVERED, THE CHAPTERS IN
THE BOND THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO
HIGHLIGHT AT THIS TIME IS FOR
THE MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS,
FOR YOU ALL TO ALSO HEAR FROM
THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S
OFFICE, BUT ALSO TO HEAR FROM
OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN TERMS OF
WHAT THEY FEEL, THINK AND
ULTIMATELY, WHAT THEIR POSITION
IS, HOPEFULLY ON THIS BOND THAT
WILL BE FAVORABLE, TO GET OUT OF
BOTH HOUSES. AND BEFORE THE
VOTERS OF CALIFORNIA THIS
NOVEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO THE BEST
OF OUR ABILITY. THANK YOU, MR.
GARCIA. THEY GAVE ME A GAVEL.
I'M. I GUESS I'M USED TO THESE
BY NOW, AND THIS IS A THIS IS A
TIME FOR THE MEMBERS TO ASK, ASK
QUESTIONS. SO I'M GOING TO OPEN
IT TO MY COLLEAGUES, TO MY LEFT.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE
TO ASK OF THE PANEL, MR. CHAIR,
IS IT OKAY IF WE HAVE? OH, I'M
SORRY, I WAS OUR WITNESS
TESTIMONY BEFOREHAND WAS. MY
APOLOGIES. HEY, I JUST WAS
HANDED THIS THING, AND I. I
MEAN, SO, SO. YES APPARENTLY WE
HAVE ADDITIONAL WITNESS
TESTIMONY, SO LET'S LET'S
PROCEED WITH THAT BEFORE WE GO
TO MEMBER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
THIS ON GREAT. I'M GLAD TO HEAR
THAT I AM IN THE RIGHT PLACE
NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON MEMBERS. MY
NAME IS BONNIE BUNUEL WITH THE
CLIMATE CENTER. IT IS 106
DEGREES OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, AND
THERE'S NO SIGN OF RELIEF FROM
THIS TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES
FOR THIS NEXT WEEK. THERE'S NO
RELIEF FOR FAMILIES WITHOUT
ACCESS TO AIR CONDITIONING AND
CLEAN DRINKING WATER. THERE'S NO
RELIEF FOR FARM WORKERS THAT ARE
FORCED TO WORK IN THESE GRUELING
CONDITIONS TO GROW OUR FOOD. THE
VERY SAD AND ALARMING REALITY IS
THAT THIS TYPE OF EXTREME HEAT
THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IS
BY FAR THE DEADLIEST WEATHER
EVENT IN CALIFORNIA. SB 867
ADDRESSES THIS HEAD ON BY
ALLOCATING $450 MILLION TO
EXTREME HEAT MITIGATION TO
PROVIDE THE MUCH NEEDED RELIEF
TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.
THIS BOND MEASURE ALSO PROVIDES
CRITICAL FUNDING TO PROTECT OUR
WATER SUPPLY, FORESTS, FARM
COASTS, ENERGY ASSETS AND MUCH
MORE. SB 867 ALSO IMPORTANTLY,
PRIORITIZES THE COMMUNITIES THAT
NEED IT THE MOST BY ALLOCATING
40% OF THE FUNDING TO
VULNERABLE, DISADVANTAGED AND
SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES. THERE'S A REASON
WHY OVER 180 ORGANIZATIONS ARE
STRONGLY SUPPORTING THIS BOND.
THEY KNOW THAT THE CLIMATE
CRISIS DEMANDS HISTORIC AND
SUSTAINED LEVELS OF FUNDING,
ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF BUDGET
CUTS THAT CRITICAL CLIMATE
PROGRAMS HAVE FACED THIS YEAR.
AND WILL CONTINUE TO FACE IN THE
NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. IN FACT,
THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF STATE
PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN FORCED
TO SHUT DOWN THEIR GRANT
APPLICATIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE
OVERSUBSCRIBED AND DON'T HAVE
THE FUNDING NEEDED TO
ACCOMMODATE THE NEED THAT IS OUT
THERE. FOR EXAMPLE, ACCORDING TO
THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY,
THERE ARE $600 MILLION IN
IMMEDIATE, SHOVEL READY
SHORELINE PROJECTS IN THE BAY
AREA ALONE, FOR WHICH FUNDING
ISN'T CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IF WE
ACT NOW, WE CAN ALSO LEVERAGE
ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS WITH
THESE INVESTMENTS, AN
OPPORTUNITY THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE
FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR YEARS
TO COME. WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB
OF SETTING LAUDABLE TARGETS FOR
CLIMATE ACTION. THIS IS AN
IMPERATIVE FIRST STEP, BUT WHAT
REALLY MATTERS IS HOW WE
ACTUALIZE THESE GOALS. AS SOME
HAVE SAID BEFORE, WE ARE IN AN
IMPLEMENTATION CRISIS. WE NEED
TO NOW ADEQUATELY INVEST IN THE
PROGRAMS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO
ACHIEVE THE VITAL GOALS THAT THE
STATE HAS SET. WE OWE IT TO
CALIFORNIANS DEALING WITH THE
CLIMATE DISASTERS RIGHT NOW TO
GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO MAKE THEIR
VOICES HEARD IN NOVEMBER. FOR
THESE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY
URGE THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROVE
THIS BOND FOR THE NOVEMBER
BALLOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
AND NEXT WITNESS, PLEASE. FIRST
TEAM WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE. WE DON'T HAVE
ANY PREPARED REMARKS TODAY, BUT
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY
ON, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE
COVER FOR OUR OFFICE, OUR ROLE
IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THE
INITIATIVE AND PROPOSITION KIND
OF SPACE THAN IT IS IN MANY
INSTANCES WHEN WE TALK TO YOU,
WE SERVE INSTEAD OF SERVING
MAINLY AS YOUR ADVISORS, WE
WRITE, WRITE WHAT GOES ON THE,
VOTER GUIDE FOR, FOR THOSE WHO
ARE GOING TO BE VOTING. SO HAPPY
TO DISCUSS THAT. IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AND I'M
ASSUMING THAT OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. OKAY. I THINK WE'RE
GOING. TO. BEFORE WE GO TO
PUBLIC COMMENTS, I DO. ARE YOU A
WITNESS. WE HAD OH OKAY. WELL
MONNING I. IS THIS ARE YOU ARE
YOU FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR AN
ACTUAL WITNESS? IS I'M LOOKING
AT THE PANEL HERE. I THINK WE
HAD TWO WITNESSES IN SUPPORT AT
TWO MINUTES EACH. AND SO NOT NOT
INCLUDING THE LÀ. OH, OKAY.
THAT'S FINE. YEAH THAT'S FINE.
FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. YES.
YES. BUT WASN'T ABLE TO COME,
YOU KNOW TIMING WORKS CRAZY. SO
IF IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE
CHAIR WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE OUR
WITNESS SPEAK, PLEASE. THANK
YOU. I DON'T HAVE THE WITNESS.
THANK YOU, SORRY FOR THAT LITTLE
CONFUSION, RYAN OJAKIAN WITH THE
REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY, GOOD
AFTERNOON. THANKS FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I, AS I
SAID, I'M WITH THE REGIONAL
WATER AUTHORITY. RWA IS A JOINT
POWERS ASSOCIATION. THAT'S
COMPRISED OF 22 LOCAL PUBLIC
WATER AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE
DRINKING WATER TO 2.2 MILLION
PEOPLE IN THE GREATER SACRAMENTO
AREA, OUR MEMBERS ARE THE
STEWARDS OF SOURCE WATERSHEDS
THAT ARE THE SOURCE OF WATER FOR
YOU. WE DON'T MEASURE IT LIKE
THIS, BUT 7 MILLION
CALIFORNIANS, APPROXIMATELY, IT
SHOULDN'T COME AS ANY SURPRISE
BASED ON THE TESTIMONY THAT WE
HEARD HERE, THAT OUR SINGLE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO MEETING THE
DRINKING WATER NEEDS OF THOSE
2.2 MILLION PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE
DIRECTLY AND THE 7 MILLION
PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE INDIRECTLY,
IS CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, I WAS
GOING TO SAY THIS WHEN THE
CHAIR, MR. BRYAN, WAS HERE, BUT
I NEED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT
THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY
ARE FROM EMISSIONS THAT OCCURRED
BEFORE THE CHAIR WAS BORN. AND I
MEANT THAT AS A COMPLIMENT. BUT
I CAN DELIVER IT TO HIM. BUT
JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY
THAT THE EMISSIONS, THE 106
DEGREE DAYS THAT WE JUST HEARD
ABOUT HAPPENING TODAY ARE FROM
EMISSIONS FROM BEFORE, WHEN THE
CHAIR WAS BORN. THIS IS NOT A
PROBLEM THAT'S GOING AWAY
ANYTIME SOON. AND IT HAS AN
ESTIMATED PRICE TAG OF $100
BILLION A YEAR, $100 BILLION A
YEAR BY MID-CENTURY. MID-CENTURY
IS ALREADY HERE FOR WATER. IT
TAKES DECADES TO PLAN AND
CONSTRUCT PROJECTS. SO, I MEAN,
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.
NOW, I DO NOT WANT, US TO, NOT
TAKE THE CLIMATE CHANGE
DISASTERS THAT WE HEAR ABOUT ON
A WEEKLY BASIS GLOBALLY LIGHTLY.
I DO THINK THAT WE'VE BECOME
NUMB TO THE FACT THAT EVERY WEEK
WE HAVE A HEAT WAVE THAT KILLS A
HISTORIC HURRICANE, HISTORIC
DROUGHT, HISTORIC FLOODING,
HISTORIC WILDFIRES THAT BURN
SOILS THAT WERE FROZEN. I THINK
WE'VE BECOME KIND OF NUMB TO
THOSE. BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE A
STORY ABOUT A RECENT EXAMPLE
HERE, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO
HOME, NOT QUITE HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT IN NEW MEXICO,
LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, A TOWN OF
13,000 PEOPLE, IS RUNNING OUT OF
WATER BECAUSE IT'S FLOODING. I
WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN. IT'S
RUNNING OUT OF WATER BECAUSE
IT'S FLOODING. AND THE REASON
WHY IS BECAUSE IT HAD
EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC
WILDFIRES IN ITS UPPER
WATERSHED. WILDFIRES, PLURAL,
THAT THE RUNOFF IS CAUSING
DEBRIS AND TOXINS TO INUNDATE
THEIR WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THIS IS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM
THAT THIS BOND HELPS ADDRESS IN
A VARIETY OF WAYS. I CAN'T LIST
EVERYTHING THAT THAT THE MEMBERS
PRESENTED ON, BUT, YOU KNOW,
IT'S GOT FORCE, HEALTH, DAM
SAFETY, FLOOD CONTROL, RESILIENT
WATER SUPPLY, SAFE DRINKING
WATER, RECYCLED WATER,
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE. THE LIST
GOES ON. YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT.
THESE ARE INVESTMENTS THAT WE
CAN'T AFFORD TO DELAY. WE'RE
ALREADY LATE ON MAKING THESE
INVESTMENTS. I DO THINK, THOUGH,
THAT SOMETHING OF THE PUSHBACK
IS BECAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT
OF A NEW APPROACH. WE ALSO HEARD
ABOUT THIS. WE'RE TAKING NOT
JUST A SINGLE FOCUS, WE'RE
TAKING A MULTI FOCUS, AND WE'RE
FOCUSING NOT JUST ON LANDSCAPE
CHANGE, BUT ALSO HOW ARE WE
BENEFITING THOSE WHO NEED THE
HELP THE MOST. RIGHT THIS IS A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT
WE'VE DONE THINGS IN THE PAST.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD
APPROACH THAT IS DESERVING OF
THIS BODY'S SUPPORT. AND I WOULD
CLOSE WITH I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS THIS
BOND MEASURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I
THINK WE HAVE NO MORE WITNESSES
AT THIS POINT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S GREAT. SO I'M GOING TO
BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE
FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS? ASSEMBLY MEMBER
PAPIN WELL, I GOT HERE LATE, SO
I FEEL COMPELLED TO COMMENT. I
JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. IT'S BEEN A LOT OF
MEMBERS THAT HAVE WORKED VERY
HARD ON THIS. I THANK ASSEMBLY
MEMBER WILSON AND ASSEMBLY
MEMBER GARCIA, I CONCUR WITH THE
LAST WITNESS THAT THE TIME IS I
DON'T ACTUALLY. NOW, THE TIME
WAS YESTERDAY TO DO A LOT OF
THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
AND, THESE ARE EXPENSIVE
PROJECTS AND THEY'RE NOT EASY.
THE FINANCING OF THEM IS NOT
EASY. AND I THINK THAT THIS BOND
PRESENTS A, A VEHICLE THAT WE
CAN, LIVE WITH BUDGET WISE AND,
WE'RE IN A WORLD OF HURT,
ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO
WATER. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK
THE CHAIR WHO'S NOT HERE, FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN
INFORMATIONAL HEARING. WE'VE
BEEN ON A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME
HERE, WHICH IS NOT EASY FOR ANY
OF US, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS
INFORMATIONAL MEETING, EVEN IF
FOLKS AREN'T HERE, THEY'RE
LISTENING. AND THEY HEAR FIRST
HAND ABOUT, THE EXIGENT
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COMPEL, THIS
BILL, THIS BILL'S NEED OR THE
BONDS NEED. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
PAPAN. MR. HOOVER, THANK YOU.
JUST A QUESTION. WHOEVER WANTS
TO TAKE IT CAN TAKE IT, BUT, YOU
KNOW, I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE AND MY
CONCERN, I KNOW THE ANALYSIS
NOTES THE BUDGET CONDITION THAT
WE'RE IN, WE'RE SENDING A VERY
LARGE TALKING ABOUT SENDING A
VERY LARGE BOND TO VOTERS. WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE ON
INCREASED DEBT SERVICE BECAUSE
OF THAT. SO CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, CAN WE HANDLE THIS AS A
STATE GIVEN OUR CURRENT BUDGET
CONDITION? AND THEN
ADDITIONALLY, THE BONDS THAT
VOTERS HAVE PASSED IN THE LAST
COUPLE DECADES, I DON'T FEEL WE
HAVE SEEN ENOUGH HARD
INFRASTRUCTURE COMING, YOU KNOW,
ESSENTIALLY ENOUGH RESULTS
COMING OUT OF THOSE BOND
DOLLARS. SO, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN
VOTERS BE CONFIDENT THAT, YOU
KNOW, THIS WILL LEAD TO BETTER
RESULTS? WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT, ON OUR ABILITY
TO ASSESS WHETHER THIS IS THE
RIGHT THRESHOLD TO SEND TO
VOTERS WHEN ASKED BY STATE
AGENCIES. WHEN ASKED WHEN WE
ASKED STATE AGENCIES AND ALSO
LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHAT THEIR
NEEDS WERE FOR CLIMATE, IT WELL
AMOUNTED TO OVER TENS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND SO WE
UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEED FOR OUR
STATE AND FOR OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES IS SIGNIFICANTLY
GREATER. BUT THE REASON THAT
IT'S A $10 BILLION BOND HAS
EVERYTHING TO DO WITH OUR
ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE DURING THIS TIME,
GIVEN OUR STATE'S FINANCIAL
SITUATION, BUT ALSO OUR BONDING
CAPACITY. AND I THINK THAT WHAT
YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A
PRODUCT OF THAT EXACT SAME
ANALYSIS AND CONVERSATION. BUT
WE ALSO, I THINK, WEIGHED NOT
JUST THE NEEDS, THE FISCAL NEEDS
OF OUR STATE, BUT THE HUMAN,
GOVERNMENTAL, NATURAL RESOURCES
NEED AND NOT TAKING ACTION. NOW
DELAYS NEEDED ACTION, WHICH WILL
INCUR A GREATER DEBT FOR OUR,
YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES AND THE
DEBT. I SAY IN A DIFFERENT WAY,
THERE'S THE DEBT THAT WE INCUR
THROUGH A BOND, BUT THERE'S THE
DEBT WE INCUR FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES, WHEN WE DON'T TAKE
ACTION, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS A
MEMBER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, MY
COLLEAGUES HERE WHO HAS HAD SOME
OF THESE CLIMATE IMPACTED
NATURAL DISASTERS, WE GET TO
BILLIONS IN DAMAGES FOR ONE
COUNTY OR FOR TWO COUNTIES REAL
QUICK, REAL QUICK. SO THE FACT
THAT THIS IS 10 BILLION FOR THE
WHOLE STATE IS AN APPROACH.
AGAIN, THAT WAS MEASURED, BUT
ALSO WHEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SHARE
THAT WITH YOU. BUT I KNOW
ASSEMBLY MEMBER WILSON ALSO HAS
MORE TO SHARE. AND JUST
RECOGNIZING THE UNCERTAINTY
AROUND OUR OWN BUDGET THAT WE
KNOW FOR THE NEXT 2 OR 3 YEARS
HAS ISSUED, WE NEED ADDITIONAL
FUNDING SOURCES AND A BOND IS
APPROACHED TO BE ABLE TO DO
THAT. AND GIVING THAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VOTERS TO
WEIGH IN. IF THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED AS A
STATE, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY
FEEL LIKE WITHOUT ADDRESSING
THESE IMPORTANT CLIMATE IMPACTS,
THAT TO SENATOR LEMMON'S POINT,
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
WILL BE OUTGOING. I THINK OUR
WITNESS TESTIFIED THAT IT COST
US $100 BILLION A YEAR, TO NOT
ADDRESS CLIMATE IMPACT, BUT
RECOGNIZING THAT IF THE VOTERS
SHOULD PASS THIS, THE PROCESS
REALLY STARTS WITH DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE WITHIN THE TREASURER'S
OFFICE. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT
ISSUES THE BONDS. WE APPROPRIATE
THE FUNDS RELATED TO IT. SO
THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE
LEGISLATURE, BUT THERE IS NO NEW
DEBT UNTIL THE FUNDS ARE
APPROPRIATED AND THOSE BONDS ARE
SOLD, OVER A PERIOD OF 10 TO 20
YEARS AFTER WE AUTHORIZE THEM.
WE KNOW THAT THE MARKET DOESN'T
HAVE CAPACITY TO DO THEM ALL AT
ONCE. SO WE'RE NOT APPROPRIATING
A $10 BILLION BOND ALL NEXT
YEAR, BECAUSE WE CAN'T SELL 10
BILLION, YOU CAN'T SELL 10
BILLION WORTH OF JUST THIS ONE
BOND. WE HAVE ANOTHER BOND ON
THE BALLOT THAT WE'RE ASKING
VOTERS TO APPROVE. WE HAVE BONDS
THAT WE'VE ISSUED, AS YOU NOTED
ALREADY, THAT WE HAVEN'T YET
FULLY APPROPRIATED. SO THIS JUST
GIVES US ANOTHER TOOL IN THE
TOOL CHEST TO ADDRESS CLIMATE
CHANGE WITH RESOURCES THAT WE DO
NOT CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR
GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND I THINK
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE
OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
QUESTION THAT YOU ALSO RAISED. I
THINK, WE AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY,
WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO MORE OF
THAT. YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
AND, NOT ONLY FOR BONDS AND THE
PENDING DOLLARS AND PROJECTS
THAT PERHAPS HAVE NOT BEEN BUILT
OUT, BUT FOR ALL OF OUR
BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS ON AN
ANNUAL BASIS. RIGHT. WE DO THAT
WITH AGENCIES, I CAN'T THINK OF,
ONE AGENCY THAT WE LOVE TO BRING
IN QUITE FREQUENTLY AND OFTEN.
THE CPUC TO TALK ABOUT
TRANSMISSION AND OTHER TYPES OF
PROGRAMS. AND SO WE NEED TO DO
THAT ACROSS THE BOARD AND
SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
THESE TYPES OF PROPOSALS THAT
THE VOTERS ARE APPROVING AND,
THAT WE SPECIFICALLY SAID WE
WERE GOING TO BUILD OUT THESE
PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, ONE AREA
THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IS
A VERY IMPORTANT TO ME IN
SPECIAL IS THE PARKS COMPONENTS.
AND PROP 68, WE PUT FORWARD,
SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF 400
PLUS MILLION DOLLARS. IT WAS A
4.5, $4.6 BILLION PROPOSAL THAT
THE VOTERS SUPPORTED, THAT
PROGRAM WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED BY 5
TO 1. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE
MY WORD. YOU CAN ASK THE
DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND REC FOR
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND
THEY'LL TELL YOU HOW
SIGNIFICANTLY VALUABLE THE
RESOURCES THAT WE SENT TO THEM
IN PROP 68. AND THANKS TO THE
VOTERS, HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO
GET THOSE DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR
VERY QUICKLY AND ONE OF THE
THINGS IN THAT AREA THAT WE NEED
TO DO FOLLOW UP, AND THEY AGREE,
IS MAKING SURE THAT THOSE
COMMUNITIES THAT RECEIVE THOSE
GRANTS HAVE ACTUALLY DELIVERED
ON THE PROJECT, AND IN SOME
CASES, THEY HAVEN'T, BECAUSE
THINGS CHANGED. POST. THE BOND
BEING APPROVED, THOSE DOLLARS
BEING INVESTED, COVID HIT AND
MANY COMMUNITIES WERE UNABLE TO
FULLY DELIVER THE COST OF THESE
PROJECTS HAVE GONE UP. BUT FOR
THE MOST PART, THOSE PROJECTS
HAVE BEEN BUILT. AND TO YOUR
QUESTION, THOSE DOLLARS DID GO
OUT THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY. AND SO
FULL CIRCLE TO ANSWERING THE
QUESTION ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
AND OVERSIGHT. THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT I THINK REALLY BEHOOVES US
TO DO MORE OF, ESPECIALLY WHEN
WE'RE ASKING THE VOTERS TO
APPROVE THESE TYPES OF PROPOSALS
ON THE BALLOT. COMPLETELY AGREE
WITH YOU ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY
PIECE. AND, YOU KNOW, DON'T GET
ME WRONG. I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME
VERY GREAT THINGS IN THIS
PROPOSAL, I DO REMAIN CONCERNED
THAT THERE'S A BIT OF BOND
FATIGUE, AMONG THE ELECTORATE. I
THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME
BONDS FAIL IN RECENT YEARS. WE
SAW PROP ONE, OBVIOUSLY VERY
LAUDABLE GOALS IN PROP ONE
BARELY PASS. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO
BE TALKING ABOUT A SCHOOL BOND.
SO CERTAINLY A LITTLE CONCERNED
ABOUT ABOUT THAT, POTENTIAL FOR
BOND FATIGUE HERE. BUT,
APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS TO THE
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AND I DO
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, EVEN, YOU
KNOW, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE
THERE MIGHT BE BOND FATIGUE OR
VOTERS ARE FEELING, POTENTIALLY
THE PINCHES GIVING THEM THE
OPTION TO CHOOSE WHAT IS THE
PRIORITY AT THIS POINT. AND, AND
I THINK THAT'S OUR ROLE AS A
LEGISLATURE IS NOT MAKING THE
DECISION FOR THEM, BUT SAYING,
HERE'S HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITIES
BEFORE YOU LET US KNOW WHAT YOU
WOULD LIKE TO PRIORITIZE IN THE
SEASON WHERE WE'RE HAVING TIGHT
BUDGETS. BUT I WANT TO ELABORATE
ON THAT. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LET
THEM KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT SOME
PRETTY GLOOM AND DOOM.
BUDGETARY, CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE
US. AND THERE MAY NOT BE OTHER
RESOURCES, IN FRONT OF US TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS
THAT, ARE BASED ON COMMITMENTS
IN THE CLIMATE SPACE THAT WERE
MADE THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND WE
ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST
BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF MAKING THESE
INVESTMENTS AND THE ECONOMIC
STIMULUS THAT IT COULD
POTENTIALLY CAUSE IN CERTAIN
PARTS OF THE STATE, WHERE IT
COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY
BENEFICIAL. WE TALKED ABOUT
AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH
UNEMPLOYMENT CIRCUMSTANCES. WE
TALKED ABOUT AREAS THAT ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
CLIMATE, THERE ARE SOME WIN WIN
SITUATIONS THAT COME OUT OF
THIS, BY PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK
AND ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE
SITUATION, ON REAL TIME. THANK
YOU, MR. GARCIA. MISS PELLERIN,
THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO THANK
THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND SENATOR
WHO'S HERE TODAY. FOR CRAFTING
THIS PROPOSAL AND THE WORKING
GROUP THAT I KNOW YOU PUT MANY,
MANY HOURS INTO DOING THIS. I'M
PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE,
THE FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO GO
TO OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS,
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES,
SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES. I MEAN, THAT IS
REALLY AN ESSENTIAL PIECE OF
THIS PACKAGE. AND AS AN EX
OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE STATE PARK
AND RECREATION COMMISSION, I'M
REALLY GRATEFUL TO SEE SOME
MONEY IN HERE FOR OUR PARKS AS
WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF
UNMET NEEDS THERE, AND CERTAINLY
COMING FROM A DISTRICT THAT HAS
BEEN, THE PLACE WHERE WE'VE HAD
SEVERE DAMAGE DUE TO WILDFIRES
AND OUR COASTAL EROSION. AND SO
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SEEING
WHAT'S IN THIS PACKAGE. I'M, AND
I, I'M JUST WONDERING IS, IS IT
GOING TO BE ENOUGH? ARE WE GOING
TO MAKE ENOUGH OF A DIFFERENCE
WITH THIS? IS THIS GOING TO MAKE
A DENT? THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE
THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
QUESTIONS. IS IT GOING TO BE
ENOUGH AND IS THERE ENOUGH IN
HERE. THERE IS ENOUGH IN HERE.
IS IT ENOUGH. WE JUST TALKED
ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE
CHANGE BEING $100 BILLION A
YEAR. WE TALKED TO SENATOR
LIMÓN, TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
DIFFERENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. I MEAN, DIFFERENT,
CALAMITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE
WHERE THE IMPACT WAS BILLIONS
AND BILLIONS OF DAMAGE, SO, NO,
IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT THE TOTAL COST TO OUR
STATE, HOWEVER, WE HAVE
PRIORITIZED SOME KEY INVESTMENTS
. AS NOTED, WHEN IT COMES TO
SAFE DRINKING WATER, 650 OR 610
610 $610 MILLION FOR SAFE
DRINKING WATER. WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS
ACROSS THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO
ENSURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE, YOU
KNOW, TURN ON THE TAP THAT THEY
HAVE CLEAN WATER, THAT'S PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT. AND WE HAVE, THERE
WAS A RECENT ARTICLE THAT TALKED
ABOUT THE VARIOUS AREAS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THAT HAVE
ISSUES WITH SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING
WATER. WE LIKE TO LOOK AT OTHER
PLACES ACROSS OUR NATION AND
SAY, OH, LOOK AT THEM. BUT THERE
ARE PLACES IN CALIFORNIA THAT
NEED CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER.
AND THE $610 MILLION GOES A LONG
WAY. SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT THE TOTAL COST, THE
TOTAL BILL THAT IS DUE AS IT
RELATES TO THE IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NEEDS OF
OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, BUT
IT DEFINITELY MAKES A Kò
INVESTMENT AND A DOWN PAYMENT ON
THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO, AND
WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE AT IT.
THE SAFE DRINKING WATER PIECE IS
REALLY KEY. I GUESS THERE'S LIKE
A MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA WITHOUT SAFE DRINKING
WATER. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU
AGAIN FOR THIS WORK. AND I'M
HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU.
REBECCA BAUER-KAHAN. THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR. HI, AND I WANT TO
START BY THANKING THE CLIMATE
CHAMPIONS THAT ARE SITTING
BEFORE ME TODAY, I KNOW YOU HAVE
ALL BEEN AT THIS FOR A VERY LONG
TIME, AND SOME NEWER, BUT ALSO
BEEN CLIMATE CHAMPIONS SINCE
YOUR TIME HERE. AND, YOU KNOW,
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE
ME RUN FOR OFFICE IS MY KIDS
FUTURE. AND THERE IS A LOT OF
WORK THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO
MAKING SURE OUR STATE IS READY
FOR THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE
ALREADY FACING, AND OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE SEEING THAT AND
FEELING THAT. AND SO I THINK
YOUR DEDICATION TO MAKING SURE
THAT HAPPENS IS APPARENT AND
APPRECIATED BY ME, BUT I'M SURE
MORE THAN ME. AND SO AS I LOOK
AT THIS BOND, KNOWING THAT
FUNDAMENTALLY I THINK THIS IS A
REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO DO,
THE QUESTION I GUESS I'M POSING
TO MYSELF AS I FACE THE VOTE
THAT WE'LL BE TAKING TOMORROW, I
THINK, IS, DOES THIS IS THIS
RIGHT? DO WE GET IT RIGHT?
SHOULD WE PUT THIS BEFORE THE
VOTERS? RIGHT. SO IT'S NOT A
QUESTION OF SHOULD WE DO A
CLIMATE BOND OR SHOULDN'T WE?
RIGHT. I THINK THE ANSWER TO
THAT IS A CLEAR YES FOR ME, AND
SO I WANT TO DIG A LITTLE BIT
AND I APOLOGIZE. I WAS IN TWO
OTHER COMMITTEES, SO I MAY HAVE
MISSED SOME OF THESE ANSWERS. SO
I WANT TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE
IF YOU'RE REPEATING YOURSELVES.
SO I GUESS I WANT TO START, A
LITTLE FURTHER OUT, WHICH IS, AS
YOU ALL KNOW, I'VE SPENT A GOOD
PART OF MY TIME IN THE
LEGISLATURE STUDYING WATER. SO,
YOU KNOW, AS I LOOKED AT THIS, I
REALLY HONED IN ON WATER. AND
THE QUESTION THAT MY COLLEAGUE
FROM SANTA CRUZ ASKED, I THINK
IS THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY
STRUGGLING WITH, WHICH IS I
THINK WE NEED TO DO HUGE
INVESTMENTS IN WATER AND ENERGY
TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN
20 YEARS. SCIENTISTS ARE TELLING
US THERE WILL BE NO MORE SNOW IN
THE SIERRAS. THAT MEANS
CALIFORNIA'S WATER RIGHT NOW
WILL NOT MOVE IN THE SAME WAY
OUR LARGEST RESERVOIR IN THE
STATE IS OUR SNOW MELT. AND SO
WHEN WE NO LONGER HAVE OUR SNOW
MELTS, THE WAY WATER MOVES AND
IS USED IN CALIFORNIA TODAY WILL
NO LONGER BE OUR REALITY. SO
THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A HUGE
INVESTMENT. 20 YEARS ISN'T VERY
LONG. THESE PROJECTS CAN TAKE A
DECADE. SO WE GOT TO START NOW.
AND SO AS I LOOKED AT THIS, I
STARTED TO LOOK AT LESS THAN
$100 MILLION FOR WATER STORAGE,
YOU KNOW, DESALINATION, 60
MILLION WATER RECYCLING. I MEAN,
WHEN WE LOOK AT LEADERS IN THE
WORLD THAT ARE GETTING IT RIGHT,
AUSTRALIA, ISRAEL THAT HAVE LESS
WATER THAN US AND ARE DOING
GOOD, THEY'RE DOING WATER
RECYCLING, THEY'RE DOING
DESALINATION, THEY'RE FOCUSING
ON GROUNDWATER STORAGE. AND I
FEAR THAT THE MONEY IN THIS BOND
HAS BEEN SO SPLIT UP IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THAT WE'RE
NOT GOING TO SEE THE RESULTS WE
NEED TO SEE IN THOSE MAJOR
INVESTMENTS. THEY NEED TO HAPPEN
TO REALLY ENSURE THE FUTURE OF
CALIFORNIA'S WATER AND CLIMATE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO GIVE
YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS
THAT, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT I'M REALLY
STRUGGLING WITH. WELL, I'LL
START AND THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION. YOU KNOW, AND I AND
I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WOULD
LIKE TO CHIME IN IN THE TWO
THREE EXAMPLES THAT YOU GIVE ARE
AREAS WHERE, WE DON'T ALWAYS
FIND CONSENSUS ON THOSE ARE
AREAS WHERE THEY BECOME,
ALTHOUGH FOR SOME OF US BECOME
VERY LOGICAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE
SHOULD BE MAKING, IN SOME OF THE
SPACES THAT WE WORK IN, THEY ARE
VERY CONTROVERSIAL, AREAS OF
INVESTMENT AND SO WHEN THINKING
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DRIVING,
YOU KNOW, PRINCIPLES OF THIS,
CONVERSATION AND THE BUDGET
BEING ONE OF THEM AS WELL. AND
HOW DO WE BACKFILL, WHAT'S BEEN
PULLED BACK ON, WHAT RESOURCES
ARE THERE, WHAT OTHER RESOURCES
ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT LEVEL? WE ALSO TALKED
ABOUT THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF
OUR HOUSES, THE STATE VOTERS.
AND THE FACT IS, IS THAT
DESALINIZATION ISN'T SOMETHING
THAT EVERYONE IS EMBRACING, IN
OUR HOUSE AND SENATE HOUSE AND,
THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND MANY STAKEHOLDERS
THAT WILL PROBABLY BE SPEAKING,
BEFORE US, LATER TODAY IN TERMS
OF WHERE THEY STAND. AND YOU
MENTIONED, STORAGE AND THERE ARE
OTHER ITEMS, UNDERNEATH THE
WATER CHAPTER THAT WE HAVE A LOT
OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. SO IN
THE NEGOTIATION, IT WAS ABOUT
MAXIMIZING THE RESOURCES THAT WE
WERE ABLE TO AGREE ON FOR THIS
WATER CHAPTER, WHICH I WILL SAY
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM
SOME WATER AGENCIES THAT THEY
WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN
THIS BOND. AND WE HEARD THIS
POST, AN AGREEMENT BEING MADE
THAT THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOND
HAD JUST BEEN FOCUSED ON WATER.
AND IF YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS THE
CASE, WE WOULD BE TALKING TO YOU
OR THE WATER, YOU KNOW,
COMMITTEE TODAY AND, PRESENTING
THE WATER BOND AND NOT THE
CLIMATE BOND. RIGHT. AND SO
THERE WERE SOME VERY DIFFICULT
DECISIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE
. AND, YOUR POINTS ARE WELL
TAKEN, BUT WE ALSO HAD TO
CONSIDER THE DYNAMICS OF WHAT
VOTERS AND MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE
WOULD SUPPORT. AND THE TWO
THINGS THAT YOU POINTED OUT ARE
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BUT NOT TO
EVERYONE. AND WE HAVE PEOPLE, IN
THIS HOUSE, AND STAKEHOLDERS
THAT WOULD NOT SUPPORT MORE
MONEY GOING TOWARDS THAT SAFE,
CLEAN DRINKING WATER, I DON'T
THINK THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT
THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND
A IMPORTANT AREA FOR US TO
INVEST A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE
AMOUNT OF RESOURCES. OTHER AREAS
IN THE WATER CHAPTER THAT WE
AGREED ON, ARE EXACTLY WHAT IS
REFLECTED IN THIS DEAL. AND I
GUESS, I MEAN, I GAVE THE
EXAMPLES OF THE THINGS THAT I
THINK ARE GAME CHANGING PROJECTS
THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY BUILD,
AND I GUESS IT DOESN'T. WHETHER
MY PRIORITIES ARE THE SAME AS
OTHERS, I GUESS IT DOESN'T
REALLY TOUCH ON THE OVERARCHING
CONCERN, WHICH IS IT FEELS LIKE
THE MONEY IS SPLIT IN SO MANY
PLACES THAT NOBODY'S PRIORITIES
ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GET
FULFILLED, BECAUSE EVERYBODY
DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY
DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. SO I
GUESS YOU CAN SAY YOU DISAGREE
WITH MY PRIORITIES, BUT THE
BIGGER QUESTION IS LIKE, IS THIS
GOING TO ARE OUR VOTERS? ARE OUR
CONSTITUENTS GOING TO SEE THE
TRANSFORMATION THAT $10 BILLION
COULD ACHIEVE? THAT'S MY
QUESTION. JUST TO REFRAME IT,
SINCE I THINK MAYBE IT WASN'T
CLEAR. NO. LOOK, I THINK THAT
ONE OF THE PIECES THAT'S
IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IN THIS
CONVERSATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW,
AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER GARCIA
MENTIONED, IS THAT THE
PRIORITIES FOR 58 DIFFERENT
COUNTIES AND 480 CITIES WERE ALL
DIFFERENT? AND WHAT YOU SEE IN
THE BOND ARE PRIORITIES FOR THE
STATE. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE
DISCUSSED HEAVILY THAT AREN'T
DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT IN THE BOND.
AND WE ALL RECOGNIZE TIME AND
TIME AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT EACH
OTHER AND SAID, THIS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. HOW DO WE MAKE AN
IMPACT? BUT ALSO REALIZING WE
HAD A CAPACITY OF WHAT WE WERE
ABLE TO DO. SO FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, THE NUMBERS THAT
YOU SEE THERE ARE NOT A
REFLECTION OF THEM NOT BEING A
THEY ARE A PRIORITY. THE
QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THERE ARE
ENOUGH, WE ACTUALLY STARTED BY
SAYING THAT THE ENTIRE BOND IS
NOT ENOUGH. IF I RECALL
CORRECTLY, WHEN WE ASKED JUST
OUR STATE AGENCIES HOW MUCH THEY
WOULD NEED AS STATE AGENCIES TO
BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE
IMPACTS FROM THEIR LENS TODAY,
NOT TOMORROW. IT WAS WELL OVER
$52 BILLION. YEAH. AND SO FOR
US, THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO
SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE IS
BRACKISH WATER DESALINATION IN
THERE, THERE IS GROUNDWATER
STORAGE, THERE ARE RECYCLING
PROGRAMS IN THERE. IT'S AN
INVESTMENT AND IT HAS TO BE PUT
IN THE CONTEXT OF NOT JUST
WHAT'S IN THE BOND, BUT WHAT IS,
WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT IN THE
BUDGET THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR.
AND SO FOR US, I THINK WE FEEL
REALLY CONFIDENT THAT YOU HAVE
TO PUT IT IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE
HAD TO CUT AND WHERE WE ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN THE NEXT
YEARS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL, I
THINK, A LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE
THAT WE THINK IT DOES MEET THE
RIGHT BALANCE. IT IS THE RIGHT
APPROACH. SO OUR ASK IS FOR THIS
TO GO FORWARD, TO PUT IT TO THE
VOTERS. AND AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER
WILSON SAID, LET THE VOTERS
DECIDE WHERE WE PLACE THAT
EMPHASIS. BUT WE FELT IT WAS SO
IMPORTANT TO TRY AND TO BE ABLE
TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST
LEAVING THIS ALONE. AND THAT
WE'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS ON
WATER RECYCLING, ON STORAGE, ON,
YOU KNOW, DESALINATION AND OTHER
PIECES. ABSENT THIS, THERE'S NO
MOVEMENT. SO FOR FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, SOME MOVEMENT IS
GREATER BENEFIT TO ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES THAN NO MOVEMENT AT
ALL. AND TO ECHO ECHO TO THAT
PIECE, JUST ONE, ONE ECHOING
THAT LAST STATEMENT, AND REALLY
BOTH STATEMENTS. BUT JUST TO
NOTE, WE DID TAKE TIME AS A WORK
GROUP IN BOTH HOUSES, THINKING
THROUGH CAPACITY ISSUES AS IT
RELATES TO THE TOTAL BOND. AND
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE
HIGH PRIORITIES, BUT BECAUSE
THEY COULDN'T, THAT EVEN THOUGH
IT WAS A HIGH PRIORITY, GIVING
IT A SMALL AMOUNT WOULDN'T DO
ANYTHING FOR IT. YOU NEEDED THE
FULL DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT DIDN'T
MAKE IT INTO THE BOND FOR THAT
VERY REASON. AND SO WE HAD TO BE
MINDFUL OF CAPACITY ISSUES.
APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S
INTERESTING, THE TWO PROJECTS
THAT REALLY COME TO MIND IN THE
WATER SPACE THAT I THINK WILL BE
TRANSFORMATIVE FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. NEITHER OF THEM ARE
EVEN IN MY AREA. YOU KNOW, I
THINK METS RECYCLING PROJECT,
WHICH SERVES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
BUT MET, IS IN DIRE NEED OF
ACCESS TO WATER. AND THE IDEA
THAT THEY COULD GET TO 100%
RECYCLED WATER IS SUCH AN
EXCITING THING FOR ALL OF THE
HALF OF THE CALIFORNIANS THAT
MATT SERVES. BUT REALLY, THE
WHOLE STATE, BECAUSE WATER IS A
SHARED GOOD. AND THEN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD EXPANSION
PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE GAME
CHANGING FOR UNDERGROUND WATER
STORAGE. IT'S EXPENSIVE. IT IS
LISTENING TO OUR NATIVE PEOPLE
RETURNING THE LAND TO WHAT IT
WAS. FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL
PERSPECTIVE. THERE'S NOTHING
MORE EXCITING WHERE WE'VE DONE
IT, WHICH IS THE NEW STATE PARK.
KUDOS TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT
HAS REALLY LED ON THAT PROJECT.
WE ARE SEEING, WILDLIFE RETURN.
WE'RE SEEING THE GROUNDWATER
RECHARGE, AND IT'S JUST SUCH
INCREDIBLY EXCITING BUT
EXPENSIVE WORK. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, I JUST HOPE THAT AS WE
LOOK AT THESE TRANSFORMATIVE
PROJECTS THAT WILL SET US UP FOR
THE FUTURE, THAT WE REALLY MAKE
SURE WE'RE ACHIEVING THEM. I
THINK THAT'S SO CRITICAL TO
THIS. BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR
ANSWERS, AND THEN I HAD SOME YOU
KNOW, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I
DIDN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY BAY
AREA FOLKS. AND FOCUS A LITTLE
BIT ON THIS DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITY PIECE, BECAUSE I THINK
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I
THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE MOVED
INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S BEEN A
REALLY CRITICAL THING THAT WE AS
A LEGISLATURE ENSURE THAT ALL
COMMUNITIES BUT THOSE THAT HAVE
NOT BENEFITED HISTORICALLY HAVE.
AND SO I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ON
THAT. THE FIRST ONE IS SO THE
LANGUAGE AROUND DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES SAYS THAT AT LEAST
40% OF THE FUNDS AVAILABLE SHALL
BE ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS THAT
PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AND DIRECT
BENEFITS TO THOSE VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS OR DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES. AND I KNOW AND I
APOLOGIZE AGAIN, YOU CAN TELL ME
IF THIS IS ASKED AND ANSWERED
BECAUSE I WAS, RUNNING BETWEEN
COMMITTEES, BUT THAT SEEMS VAGUE
TO ME. LIKE WHO IS GOING TO
DECIDE IF IT'S MEANINGFUL AND
DIRECT? HOW WILL WE MAKE SURE
THAT IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO
COMMUNITIES? I HAVE SERIOUS
CONCERN AROUND THAT DEFINITION
AS IT RELATES TO ENSURING ACCESS
TO THOSE FUNDS. YEAH, JUST TO,
EXPAND, JUST TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE
WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT
THE DATA. NO, NO, NO, I JUST
WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY
UNDERSTOOD THE DEFINITIONS THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. AND SO,
YOU KNOW, OUR THIS BOND SAYS
THAT 40, SHOULD BE RELATED TO
DISADVANTAGED, SEVERELY
DISADVANTAGED AND VULNERABLE
POPULATION ARE DISADVANTAGED.
COMMUNITY IS 80% OF THE AREA
AVERAGE OR LESS THAN 80% OF THE
STATEWIDE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD
INCOME, SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED,
WHICH MAKES UP 10% OF THAT, OR
10% OF THE WHOLE, IS 60% OF THE
AREA AVERAGE, OR LESS THAN 60%
OF THE STATEWIDE MEDIAN, AND
VULNERABLE POPULATION, WHICH I
THINK IS WHAT YOU WERE ALLUDING
TO, IS THE MORE VAGUE. WELL,
ACTUALLY, I WAS TALKING JUST TO
I WAS AT THIS POINT, I'M TALKING
ABOUT JUST THE 40% WRIT LARGE
GOING WHERE THERE'S MEANINGFUL
AND DIRECT BENEFITS. WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN? AND SO, SO IT IT
MEANS, IT MEANS JUST THAT, I
MEAN, THAT'S IT. I WAS GOING TO
REPEAT IT, BUT MY HUSBAND ALWAYS
HE'S LIKE, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW,
TELL A DEFINITION WITH THE SAME
WORDS THAT I USED. BUT ANYWAY,
HERE'S HERE'S THE DEAL. SO IT'S
THROUGH TWO WAYS, RIGHT? THAT
THAT THIS IS THAT WE'RE HOLDING
ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS 40, IS
THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST,
A LOT OF THE BOND DOLLARS GO TO
EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE
GRANTS AND OR BENEFITS TO OUR
COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS THEN US
AS A LEGISLATOR APPROPRIATING
DOLLARS. AND TO, TO PROVIDE FOR
DIFFERENT PROJECTS ACROSS OUR
STATE. SO THE ACCOUNTABILITY
COMES IN BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENTS
AS WELL AS THE LEGISLATURE. AND
WE HAVE IN ON THE ASSEMBLY SIDE,
AT LEAST, WE HAVE A NEW BUDGET
SUB, FOR THAT IS DEFINITELY
ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT.
WHO COULD TAKE AT ANY POINT,
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BOND OUTSIDE
OF THE AUDIT THAT IS ALREADY
REQUIRED BY THE BOND LANGUAGE
THROUGH THE BOND LANGUAGE TO
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. ARE WE
MEETING THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS
40% TO OUR DISADVANTAGE,
SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED, AND OUR
VULNERABLE POPULATION OF
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS? I'D LIKE
TO JUST REALLY ADD TO WHAT THE
INTENT HERE AND THERE HAVE BEEN
OTHER COMMENTS THAT THERE'S A
NEED TO BE MORE CLEAR WITH THAT
LANGUAGE. AND I'LL TELL YOU, WE
SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH OUR
PARTNERS IN THE SENATE. AND THE
WORK GROUP THAT REPRESENTS A
PRETTY DIVERSE REGION OF THE
STATE WHO HAVE EXPRESSED OVER
THE COURSE EVEN OF SOME YEARS,
THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITIONS THAT
HAVE BEEN USED AND THE
APPLICATION OF A SPECIFIC
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES,
DEFINITION THAT'S IN STATUTE,
LIKE THE CAL ENVIRO SCREEN, THAT
DEFINITELY WILL HAVE LEFT OUT
MANY COMMUNITIES UP AND DOWN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. BUT BUT I
THINK WE NEED TO LIKE, JUST HAVE
REAL TALK. THE WE HAVE DISTRICTS
UP AND DOWN THE STATE THAT ARE
EXTREMELY AFFLUENT, AND WE HAVE
SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE VERY
POOR. YOU HAVE SOME OF THESE
AFFLUENT DISTRICTS THAT MIGHT
HAVE POCKETS OF SOME POVERTY
THAT WE DON'T WANT TO EXCLUDE
WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING THESE
DOLLARS. AND WE HAD MEMBERS AND
I LOOK TO MISS DIANNE PAPIN, WHO
WAS THERE, MAKING SURE THAT
THESE DEFINITIONS DID NOT
EXCLUDE THOSE POOR PEOPLE IN HER
COMMUNITY AND OTHERS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE, LIKE MISTER WOODS,
THAT, BY USING A VERY SPECIFIC
DEFINITION, WOULD AUTOMATICALLY
EXCLUDE THEM BECAUSE OF THE
HIGHER INCOME CENSUS TRACKS. AND
AGAIN, WE ALL REPRESENT DIVERSE
PARTS OF THE STATE, SOME MUCH
MORE WEALTHIER THAN OTHERS. AND
I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS
CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK IN
ORDER TO PAINT THE PICTURE MORE,
TRULY HERE AND IS WE HAVE
COMMUNITIES IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY AND PERHAPS SOME IN THE
NORTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE AS
WELL, WHERE THE CITY MANAGER IS
THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, THE
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, THE
GRANTS WRITER, THE DIRECTOR OF
CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND THE LIST
GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON
AND, AND IT'S IN THOSE TYPES OF
COMMUNITIES AND CIRCUMSTANCES
WHERE WE WANT TO BE FAR MORE
INTENTIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO
THESE DEFINITIONS, SO THAT THESE
COMMUNITIES SEE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO GET THESE RESOURCES TO HELP
THEM ADDRESS THEIR CLIMATE
CHALLENGES. AND WE AGAIN, I WILL
REITERATE, WE SPEND A LOT OF
TIME TRYING TO THREAD THE NEEDLE
HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT BY BEING
INTENTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE, THAT
WE WEREN'T BEING, EXCLUDING OF
ANY COMMUNITY TO ACCESS THESE
DOLLARS, LET'S BE MINDFUL 60% OF
THE REST OF THE BOND REMAINS
AVAILABLE THROUGH A COMPETITIVE
PROCESS. AND IF YOU'RE FROM A
COMMUNITY LIKE IMPERIAL COUNTY,
CENTRAL VALLEY, THE ARGUMENT IS,
YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS FROM THE
BAY AREA KICK OUR BUTT ALL THE
TIME WHEN WE COMPETE FOR THESE
DOLLARS. AND, OTHER BIGGER, MORE
URBANIZED AREAS THAT HAVE THE
CAPACITY AND SOPHISTICATION AND
THE NØ TO GO AFTER THESE
DOLLARS, WE TRIED OUR BEST TO
MAKE SURE WE HAD A BALANCE WITH
THESE DEFINITIONS. AND YOU HAD,
SOME GOOD MEMBERS, OF THE WORK
GROUP THAT THEN CARRIED OVER TO
THE NEGOTIATIONS TO HAVE, THE
DEFINITION THAT'S BEFORE US. I
HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION,
BUT IF THERE IS SOME MORE
CLARITY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND,
EVEN SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE GROUPS THAT PUSHED THIS
PARTICULAR AREA WANT TO SEE SO
THAT THERE IS NO AMBIGUITY BY
AGENCIES, THEN THEN WE SHOULD
MOVE FORWARD AND TRY TO ADDRESS
THAT, ACCORDINGLY. AND THERE IS
CAPACITY WITHIN. SO THIS IS
GOING BEFORE THE VOTERS AND
THERE'S THE LANGUAGE, LIKE YOU
SAID, MEANINGFUL AND DIRECT.
THERE IS AN ABILITY FOR THE
LEGISLATURE TO DEFINE MEANINGFUL
AND DIRECT. THAT DOESN'T CHANGE
OUR ABILITY BY THE VOTERS VOTING
ON IT. IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR
ABILITY TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION,
BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PUTTING
TO THE VOTERS THAT IT SHOULD BE
MEANINGFUL, DIRECT. THAT'S OUR
INTENTION, AND THEN WE AS A
LEGISLATIVE BODY CAN DETERMINE
THE ACTUAL SPECIFICS TO THAT
PARTICULAR PHRASING. YEAH. AND
TO BE HONEST, MR. GARCIA, MY
CONCERN IS ACTUALLY THOSE
COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE
GREAT ACCESS TO THE STAFF THAT
COMMUNITIES IN THE BAY HAVE AS
IT RELATES TO THIS MEANINGFUL,
DIRECT LANGUAGE. AND AS SOMEONE
WHO HAD TO CHAIR A HEARING ON
THE PREVIOUS WATER BOND, WHERE
PEOPLE ARE VERY UPSET THAT THAT
MONEY HAS NOT ALL GONE OUT, I
THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE REALLY
CAREFUL HERE TO MAKE SURE WE
DON'T HAVE MONEY CAUGHT UP,
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING OVER
WHETHER IT HAS A MEANINGFUL AND
DIRECT BENEFIT, BECAUSE NOBODY
UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT MEANS. AND
THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH VAGUE
DEFINITIONS. SO IT ISN'T THAT I
THINK IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE
WRONG COMMUNITY. IT'S ACTUALLY
THAT IT WON'T GO OUT, THEN IT GO
TO NOBODY. SO I THINK WE NEED TO
BE REALLY CAREFUL IN HAVING
VAGUE DEFINITIONS THAT WE'RE
FIGHTING OVER TO GET THIS MONEY
OUT WHEN IT NEEDS TO GO OUT TO
THE POINT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER
ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO MOVE THESE
PROJECTS FORWARD. AS MISS LIMÓN
SAID. AND OTHERS SAID, AND THEN
I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON THE
VULNERABLE POPULATION
DEFINITION, WHICH I THINK IS WHY
MISS WILSON THOUGHT I WAS ASKING
ABOUT THE FIRST TIME, AND THAT
ONE IS CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE
IT SAYS SO. AS YOU SAID,
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY CAN BE
THOSE INCOME BRACKETS OR A
VULNERABLE POPULATION. RIGHT.
AND THEN A VULNERABLE POPULATION
IS DEFINED AS A SUBGROUP OF
POPULATION WITHIN A REGION OR
COMMUNITY THAT FACES A
DISPROPORTIONATELY HEIGHTENED
RISK OR INCREASED SENSITIVITY TO
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH
I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE NOT ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE FACING THIS IN
THE SAME WAY, AND WE WANT THESE
DOLLARS TO GO. I THINK, WHERE
THEY'RE DESPERATELY NEEDED. AND
THEN THE NEXT PART OF THAT
DEFINITION SAYS, AND THAT LACKS
ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO COPE WITH,
ADAPT TO, OR RECOVER FROM SUCH
IMPACTS. AND I GUESS THAT IS,
YOU KNOW, I THINK TO THE BAY
AREA WHERE WE HAVE AND I THINK
IT'S MISS CHAPMAN'S DISTRICT,
BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG. WE HAVE
AREAS ALONG THE BAY SHORE THAT
WILL BE UNDERWATER, AND IN MISS
BONTA'S DISTRICT AND OTHERS THAT
WILL BE UNDERWATER, POTENTIALLY
WITH SEA LEVEL RISE. AND COULD
THEY TAX THEMSELVES? PERHAPS.
AND SO THEN ARE THEY NOT EVER
CONSIDERED A VULNERABLE
POPULATION, EVEN THOUGH THE
CLIMATE IMPACTS TO THOSE
COMMUNITIES? AND LET ME BE CLEAR
WRIT LARGE, THE ECONOMY OF THE
BAY AREA IS DEPENDENT ON US
SOLVING THAT SEA LEVEL RISE
PROBLEM. AND THAT ECONOMY IS
CRITICAL NOT JUST TO THE AREA
WHERE THAT SEA LEVEL RISE IS
HAPPENING, BUT TO THE GREATER
BAY AREA COMMUNITY, WHERE ALL OF
THOSE FOLKS ARE EMPLOYED AND
TELL YOU, TAX YOURSELF. YOU
DON'T HAVE RESOURCES, YOU CAN'T
PLAN ON A POTENTIAL FUTURE TAX.
JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING THIS
PARTICULAR BOND. UNTIL THE
VOTERS VOTE ON IT, IT IS NOT A
RESOURCE TO THE STATE. RIGHT.
AND SO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UNTIL
YOU VOTE ON A TAX THAT IS NOT A
RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO YOU. SO
THIS SPEAKS TO ADEQUATE
RESOURCES. MEANING WHAT IS
AVAILABLE TO YOU AT THAT
PARTICULAR MOMENT. JUST BECAUSE
YOU CAN TAX FOR IT, OR THE
POTENTIAL TO TAX FOR IT, THAT'S
TAX. TAX THAT'S NOT VOTED ON IS
NOT A RESOURCE. IT IS ONLY
BECOMES A RESOURCE UNTIL YOU
VOTE ON IT. SO ADEQUATE
RESOURCES ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE AT
YOUR DISPOSAL. WE FOUND WITH
PROP 68 IN PARTICULAR GREAT
PROGRAM OVER PRESCRIBED. HOWEVER
THERE WERE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD
SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO BUILD A
PARK ON THEIR OWN. THEY WERE
WEALTHIER. I MEAN WEALTHIER
CITIES WHO HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO
HAVE GRANT WRITERS ON STAFF.
RIGHT? HAD HAD GENERAL FUND
MONIES, HAD ARPA MONIES, THINGS
OF THAT NATURE, AND CHOSE TO GO
AFTER A PROP 68 GRANT FOR PARK
POOR AREAS INSTEAD OF USING
THEIR OWN RESOURCES THAT THEY
HAD AT THEIR DISPOSAL THAT
EXISTED THAT DAY. SO YES, IF
THERE IS A COMMUNITY THAT'S
AFFLUENT BUT HAPPENS TO HAVE A
DISPROPORTIONATE, HEIGHTENED
RISK OR INCREASED SENSITIVITY AS
IT STATES TO IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE AND HAS $10 MILLION IN
THEIR COFFERS TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS WHATEVER ISSUE IS GOING,
THEN NO, THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T
APPLY FOR $10 MILLION FOR THAT
PARTICULAR PROJECT. BUT IF THEY
HAD 5 MILLION, THEN THEY COULD
APPLY FOR 5 MILLION FOR THAT
PROJECT BECAUSE THEY HAD 5
MILLION AVAILABLE. SO WE WOULD
BE THIS BOND WOULD BE ABLE TO
FILL IN THE GAP. BUT, YOU KNOW,
THE THOUGHT OF THE ABILITY TO
TAX YOURSELF IS NOT THE SAME AS
HAVING TAXED YOURSELF AND HAVING
AVAILABLE RESOURCES. I THINK
SENATOR LIMÓN WANTED TO SPEAK
BEFORE YOU. OKAY. PLEASE. SORRY.
AND JUST TO ADD TO HAVING THREE
AUTHORS, OKAY. IT'S FUN. SO THE
OTHER THING THAT I WILL ADD TO
ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILSON'S POINT IS
THAT, THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING
THAT FLUCTUATES VERY REGULARLY.
THERE IS NOT A STATIC NEED OR
STATIC RESOURCES. AND SO, WHEN I
LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
AREAS THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED
THERE, WHILE MY COMMUNITIES AND
THE DISTRICTS I REPRESENT ARE
NOT IDENTICAL, THERE ARE
SIMILARITIES. AND WHAT YOU WILL
KNOW IS FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THE
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO TACKLE
CLIMATE CHANGE DIFFER, RIGHT
AFTER A YEAR OF A WILDFIRE OR A
DEBRIS FLOW OR KING TIDES, OR
PART OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
FALLING OFF A CLIFF, THOSE
NUMBERS CHANGE. SO I THINK IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALSO
RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT IS TRUE
TODAY MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT IN
TERMS OF THE RESOURCES AND THE
NEEDS FOR A COMMUNITY TOMORROW.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT ROLL OUT
IN A VERY REAL WAY. AND I THINK
THAT, IT'S ALSO PART OF THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD
JUST RECOGNIZING AT THAT MOMENT
IN TIME, WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO A COMMUNITY? BUT
THEY COULD CHANGE AND THEY
LIKELY WILL CHANGE BECAUSE OF
CLIMATE CHANGE, SO THAT WILL
ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE
ULTIMATE OUTCOME. AND THE
FORMULA THAT IS USED,
RECOGNIZING THAT THESE ARE NOT
STATIC NUMBERS OR STATIC
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR
COMMUNITIES. I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I ACTUALLY, I APPRECIATE
WHAT BOTH OF YOU SAID, BUT MISS
WILSON'S CLARITY ON THIS, I JUST
WORRY THAT THE LANGUAGE ITSELF
ISN'T AS CLEAR AS YOU ARE.
RIGHT? AND SO I GUESS THAT'S MY
CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE
ENSURE THAT THESE THAT THESE
AREAS THAT REALLY NEED IT, YOU
KNOW, ARE ABLE TO GET IT AND,
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MY COMMUNITY
PASSED A WILDFIRE BOND BECAUSE
WE ARE AT INCREDIBLE RISK. AND
WE ACTUALLY WERE WILLING TO PAY
AS A COMMUNITY. IT PASSED WITH
FLYING COLORS, TO DO THE
MITIGATION THAT WE NEEDED TO
KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. AND SO
NOW WE HAVE THOSE RESOURCES. BUT
TO YOUR POINT, THEY'RE LIMITED
IN TIME. SO BY THE TIME THIS
PASSES, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE
GONE, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF
WORK TO BE DONE VERY QUICKLY, OR
THERE MAY BE A GAP IN THERE. SO
OR THERE MAY BE A GAP, BUT I
JUST I MEAN, I GUESS I, I HAVE A
FUNDAMENTAL CONCERN AROUND THIS
LANGUAGE THAT JUST FEELS NOT
CLEAR TO ME WHO'S GOING TO GET
THESE RESOURCES. AND SO AS A
RESULT, I GUESS I'M CONCERNED
NOT ONLY WILL, YOU KNOW, PLACES
LIKE MY COMMUNITY NOT BENEFIT
FROM THIS BOND THAT THEY'RE
PAYING FOR, BUT ALSO THAT WE
WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH, A
LOGJAM. AND I REALLY JUST WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE
DOLLARS OUT AND WE ARE NOT IN A
PLACE, AGAIN, WHERE THE VOTERS
ARE LOOKING AT US AND SAYING, WE
PASSED THIS MONEY. YOU HAD THE
BONDING AUTHORITY. WHY AM I NOT
SEEING THESE PROJECTS BEING
BUILT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT
REALLY RISKS OUR ABILITY TO DO
BIG PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU. I'LL JUST SAY, 5.3
BILLION THAT WORK. I THINK IN A
VERY SYNERGISTIC MANNER BETWEEN
THE WIRE WATER AND FIRE, LOOKING
AT THE RECHARGE AND STORAGE,
IT'S CLOSE TO 400 MILLION THAT
IS SET UP IN COMPETITIVE FORM. I
AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT YOUR
REGION IS GOING TO DO VERY WELL
IN THAT PROCESS. I APPRECIATE
ALL THE QUESTIONS. AND, WE
DEFINITELY CAN PROVIDE GREATER
CLARITY. AND I'LL LOOK TO LÀ Þ
IN TERMS OF I KNOW YOU, YOU
NORMALLY DON'T. THIS IS MORE
ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE VOTER
BALLOT, BUT IN TERMS OF YOUR
EXPERTISE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE CAN DO,
POST LANGUAGE, BEING IN A
PARTICULAR BOND, IS THERE
SOMETHING YOU CAN SPEAK TO
RELATED TO THAT? SO THIS ISN'T
MY AREA OF DEEP EXPERTISE, BUT
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE
LEGISLATURE CAN PROVIDE SOME
ADDITIONAL CLARITY. AND BOTH,
YOU KNOW, STATUTORILY, BUT ALSO
AS YOU'RE APPROPRIATING THESE
FUNDS, THAT GIVES YOU A REALLY
GOOD OPPORTUNITY, POTENTIALLY TO
PROVIDE CLARITY IN AREAS WHERE
IT MAY NOT BE THERE. SO, YOU
KNOW, SOME BONDS FOR EXAMPLE,
HAVE CONTINUOUS APPROPRIATIONS
IN THAT CASE, THE LEGISLATURE
DOESN'T HAVE THAT ROLE. BUT IN
THIS BOND, BECAUSE THE
LEGISLATURE WOULD BE
APPROPRIATING THOSE FUNDS, THAT
THAT PROVIDES A CHANCE TO ADD,
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ADD LANGUAGE
TO THE BUDGET BILL, FOR EXAMPLE,
THAT MIGHT PROVIDE SOME
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE IF
ADDITIONAL CLARITY WERE NEEDED
ON SOME PROVISION, THANK YOU.
MR. WOOD, THANK YOU. MR. CHAIR,
AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE
FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED INCREDIBLY
HARD ON THIS. SO I'M GOING TO
TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A COUNTER
TO MISS BAUER-KAHAN. I KIND OF
LIKE THE FACT THAT SOME THINGS
AREN'T AS CLEAR, BECAUSE I
THINK, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE
DON'T KNOW. SOMETIMES THERE MAY
BE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MEET IF
WE ARE SO PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT
WHAT THE LANGUAGE IS, WE
POTENTIALLY LOCK THINGS UP SO
TIGHTLY. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT
TO GET TO. I THINK THE LAST
WATER BOND WAS 2014, AND THERE'S
STILL NOT COMPLETELY SPENT. I
THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT
THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHY THAT MONEY HASN'T BEEN
SPENT. WAS IT THE WAY IT WAS
CONSTRUCTED? ARE THERE ARE THE
CONTROLS TOO TIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT
ARE WE DOING HERE? BUT THE FACT
THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS THE
ABILITY TO, APPROPRIATE THESE
FUNDS, I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY
IMPORTANT. AND I APPRECIATE
THAT. THERE'S A LOT IN HERE AND
I, YOU KNOW, IT IS IT ALMOST
LOOKS LIKE. IT LOOKS LIKE
CHRISTMAS FOR CLIMATE GEEKS. A
LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S
A GOOD THING. THAT'S A GOOD
THING. I WISH THERE I WISH THERE
WAS I WISH THERE WAS MORE, WITH
REGARDS TO THE, THE 40% FOR
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. LOOK
I REPRESENT THE LARGEST DISTRICT
OF ANY DEMOCRAT IN THE STATE.
AND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT MEDIAN
INCOME IN MY, IN MY DISTRICT,
FOUR OF THE FIVE COUNTIES I
REPRESENT COME IN, THEY ARE IN
THE TOP 12 OR THE BOTTOM 12 AS
FAR AS MEDIAN INCOME IN THE
STATE. AND WE SUFFER THE
CHALLENGES WITH THE ABILITY TO
HAVE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE.
OFTENTIMES, AS MR. GARCIA WAS
TALKING ABOUT, THE CITY MANAGERS
DO EVERYTHING AND THEY DO THE
BEST THEY CAN, BUT THAT MEANS
THAT THERE'S PROBABLY THINGS
THAT THEY THEY DON'T HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO, AND THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT PASS THEM BY.
WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T STOP
TO CONSIDER IS THAT A LOT OF OUR
RURAL COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY
ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH AND
OTHER AREAS AS WELL, WE ARE
RESOURCE DONORS, ESPECIALLY IN
THE WATER SPACE, TRINITY COUNTY
THAT I REPRESENT HAS A VERY
LARGE LAKE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF
WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THAT
LAKE THAT GOES DOWN TO THE
CENTRAL VALLEY AND BEYOND. AND
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT THAT'S
SIGNIFICANT. AND SO IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT YOU DON'T IGNORE
THAT AS YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD
WITH THESE, WITH THESE KINDS OF
INVESTMENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, I
HAVE BEEN HYPER CRITICAL OF THE
ENVIRO SCAN AT TIMES BECAUSE FOR
SOME OF THE DISTRICTS THAT I
REPRESENT, BECAUSE WE DON'T TICK
ALL THE 14 BOXES OR WHATEVER IT
IS, BECAUSE WE HAVE CLEAN AIR,
BECAUSE WE IN GENERAL HAVE CLEAN
WATER, WE CAN'T ACCESS THOSE
RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT OTHERS
CAN. AND THAT IS THAT IS A
CHALLENGE WHEN YOU ARE THEN
REQUIRING, CERTAIN AIR QUALITY
MANAGEMENT, PROCEDURES AND
THINGS ON, ON THE, ON THESE
REALLY POOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
REALLY GOING TO STRUGGLE TO DO
THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY THAT A
FARMER MAY USE A TRUCK THAT'S
FOR 500 MILES A YEAR OR LESS,
BUT IS NOW GOING TO HAVE TO
CONVERT TO ANOTHER TRUCK THAT
MIGHT COST $100,000 IN A
COMMUNITY THAT'S REALLY, REALLY
POOR, IS THAT THE WAY WE SHOULD
BE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS? I,
YOU KNOW, IT'S THESE THESE THESE
ARE CHALLENGING. SO I, I DO LIKE
THE FLEXIBILITY A LITTLE BIT
THERE, BECAUSE I THINK AS WE GO
FORWARD, THEY'RE GOING TO BE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MIGHT NOT
KNOW EXIST, I'M LEAVING AT THE
END OF THIS YEAR. I'M LEAVING MY
JOB HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE, BUT
I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M MY
PASSION IS AROUND A VARIETY OF
THINGS. THE ENVIRONMENT IS
CERTAINLY ONE. ENERGY IS ANOTHER
, AND WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES
HERE, I THINK, TO MAXIMIZE THESE
DOLLARS. WE CAN MANAGE OUR WATER
SUPPLIES BETTER, YOU KNOW, I,
I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT'S.
IT'S DONE. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE
IN THE FINAL STAGES. BUT THE
REALITY IS, WHEN WE GET INTO A
DROUGHT SITUATION AND WE WILL
GET INTO ANOTHER DROUGHT,
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
THAT'S THE HISTORY OF THIS
STATE. WE REACT. WE DON'T HAVE
PRE-PLANNED STRATEGIES TO DEAL
WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY IN OUR
SENSITIVE WATERSHEDS. AND WE
WASTE WATER. WE WASTE WATER AND
WE AND WE AND WE IN SOME CASES
ACTUALLY END UP DECIMATING
WATERSHEDS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T
PRE-PLANNED. SO WHEN I THINK
ABOUT A CLIMATE RESILIENCE, I
THINK ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN BETTER
SHAPE, TO MANAGE THE RESOURCES
WE HAVE. AND THAT'S NOT THAT'S
NOT A BIG, BRIGHT, SHINING BALL.
THAT'S JUST GOOD SOUND
GOVERNANCE. AND WE NEED TO DO
MORE OF THAT, IN MARCH OF LAST
YEAR, 23, GOVERNOR USED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CAPTURE FLOOD
WATER FOR, FOR, FOR RECHARGE IN
THE CENTRAL VALLEY. WE NEED TO
FIGURE OUT A POLICY LONG TERM TO
DO THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS EVERY
SINGLE YEAR, BECAUSE THERE IS
FLOOD WATER EVERY SINGLE YEAR,
AND WE ARE WASTING THAT RESOURCE
THAT CAN GO INTO THE GROUNDWATER
, THAT CAN RECHARGE SOME OF
THESE WELLS IN COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE STRUGGLING WITH DRINKING
WATER AND THOSE THOSE ARE NOT
EXPENSIVE THINGS TO DO. THEY ARE
REALLY NOT. THOSE ARE POLICY
DECISIONS WE CAN MAKE HERE, BUT
WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO DO THEM.
THERE ARE COSTS, YOU KNOW, YOU
KNOW, JUST PLANNING AND FOR
PROTECTING WATERSHEDS IN A
DROUGHT. WE'LL TAKE WE'LL TAKE
SOME PLANNING AND WE'LL TAKE
COST TO DO THAT. BUT IT'S SMALL
COMPARED TO THE BENEFIT IN THE
LONG RUN, YOU KNOW, I, I, THE
WITNESS FROM THE CLIMATE CENTER
TALKED ABOUT THE WEATHER TODAY.
IT'S PRETTY WARM. I THINK THE
NEXT TEN DAYS ARE EXPECTED TO
BE, YOU KNOW, 100 PLUS 110 IN
SOME CASES. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE
YOU ARE IN THE STATE. I HAVE A I
HAVE AN APP ON MY PHONE. SO
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A IN
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA IS A MIDDLE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRANSMISSION
EMERGENCY RIGHT NOW IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T
EVEN GOTTEN CLOSE TO WHAT OUR
PEAK CONSUMPTION IS GOING TO BE
LATER IN THE DAY. THAT'S GOING
TO COME WHEN EVERYBODY GETS HOME
AND THEY ALL FLIP ON THEIR AIR
CONDITIONERS AND DO THEIR
WASHERS AND DRYERS AND ALL THOSE
THINGS THAT, THAT THEY NEED TO
DO. AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO
SEE THAT THERE IS MONEY IN HERE
FOR TRANSMISSION, WHICH WE
DESPERATELY NEED IN THIS STATE,
WHICH IS A REALLY, REALLY SLOW
TO BUILD OUT. AND, AND ALSO THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENTS IN
ADDITIONAL GREEN ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE PORTS TO
HELP WITH, WITH EMERGING ENERGY
OPPORTUNITIES LIKE OFFSHORE WIND
AND ONSHORE WIND AND SO THESE
ARE THESE THESE ARE THESE ARE
THE THINGS THAT GET THAT GET ME
EXCITED. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH
POSITIVE HERE, BUT I BUT I
IMPLORE YOU ALL WHO WILL BE HERE
MUCH FAR BEYOND ME AS I LOOK IN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS OF MY
CAREER, THINK ABOUT THE PLANNING
PIECES OF IT AND USE THESE FUNDS
IN A WAY THAT A LITTLE BIT GOES
A LONG WAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU START THINKING ABOUT
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES LIKE
THE COMMUNITIES I REPRESENT, A
COUNTY OF 29,000, A COUNTY OF
16,000, 80,000. IN ANOTHER
COUNTY, SMALL COUNTIES. LITTLE
BIT GOES A LONG WAY AND YOU CAN
DO GREAT THINGS WITH THAT. AND
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE RESOURCES
THAT COME FROM SOME OF THESE
SMALL COUNTIES AND THE
OPPORTUNITIES THERE, A LITTLE
BIT CAN CAN BE LIFE CHANGING,
NOT JUST FOR THOSE COUNTIES, BUT
FOR THE REST OF CALIFORNIA AS
WELL. SO I'M GOING TO BE
SUPPORTING THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY,
I WISH THERE WAS A LOT MORE WE
COULD DO, BUT I WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR ALL
THE WORK YOU'VE DONE HERE. I
REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU,
MR. WARDEN. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
PAPPIN I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO
FOLLOW THAT TOUGH ACT. I KNOW, I
JUST WANT TO. I HAD ONE FOLLOW
UP, IN CONNECTION WITH THE
PREVIOUS LINE OF TESTIMONY. AND,
SENATOR LEMON, YOU DID, AND I
AGREE WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER WOOD
THAT PERHAPS WE SHOULDN'T BE SO
PRESCRIPTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO
DESCRIBING VULNERABLE AND
VULNERABLE CAN BE A FLUID
SITUATION. YOU MAY NOT HAVE
MONEY THAT DAY. AS ASSEMBLY
MEMBER WILSON POINTED OUT ON THE
DAY THAT THE FLOOD HITS AND YOU
HAVE NO WAY OF PROTECTING
AGAINST IT, AND THAT HAS NOTHING
TO DO WITH YOUR TAXING ABILITY.
ON THAT DAY OR OR GOING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GET HIT AND
THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. SO I
APPRECIATE THAT IT ISN'T QUITE
AS PRESCRIPTIVE AS ASSEMBLY
MEMBER WOOD HAD POINTED OUT. AND
THEN THE OTHER COMMENT THAT I
HAD WAS SOME OF THIS MONEY THAT
GOES OUT GOES TO ESTABLISH
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES THAT DO DO
A NEEDS ASSESSMENT ALONG THE WAY
BEFORE MONEY IS DISTRIBUTED,
WHAT COMES TO MIND IS A SAFE
DRINKING WATER PROGRAM. SO AS WE
TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND
KNOWING WHERE SOME OF THE MONEY
IS GOING, WE DO ALREADY HAVE
DEPARTMENTS IN PLACE THAT ARE
GOING TO BE DOING SOME OF THAT
NEEDS ASSESSMENT, BUT WE WILL
ALSO BE DOING IT CERTAINLY AT
THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, AS WE
DECIDE WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO
HAVE MONEY GO OUT ON ANY GIVEN
TIME. BUT I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD
ADD THAT TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT
HOW MONEY GETS DISTRIBUTED AND
THE, THE FACTORS THAT MAY COME
IN TO DETERMINING HOW THAT MONEY
GETS DISTRIBUTED AND HOW WE
ACCOUNT FOR IT IN THE END RUN,
BECAUSE THE VOTERS DESERVE THAT,
CERTAINLY. BUT I WANT TO CLOSE
BY SAYING SOME OF OUR WOOD, I
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ELOQUENT
REMARKS, AND YOU HAVE GOOD
EXPERIENCE. AND IT WAS NICE TO
HEAR ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT AND THE
ENVIRONMENTAL TENSIONS THAT YOU
MIGHT HAVE. AND I THANK YOU. ON
BEHALF OF THE CHAIR OF THE WATER
COMMITTEE, I THANK YOU FOR BEING
A WATER DONOR. I REALLY DO.
WELL, I KNOW MR. WOOD HAS
ANOTHER THOUGHT. I JUST WANTED
TO JUMP IN REAL QUICK. I'M ALSO
REALLY GRATEFUL, AS A MEMBER OF
THE LÀ DELEGATION, FOR MY
COLLEAGUES IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA, WE ARE ALL
INTERLINKED TOGETHER. A FEW
YEARS AGO, I WROTE A BILL AROUND
JUSTICE40 IN RELATION TO OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS, AND I
REMEMBER ASSEMBLY MEMBER WOOD
AND I HAVING MANY CONVERSATIONS.
THAT WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE
WORKING WITH HOW WE DEFINE
DISADVANTAGED AND RIGHT DOESN'T
MEAN POOR AIR QUALITY. DOES IT
MEAN POOR WATER QUALITY, THE
HIGHEST POVERTY RATE IN THE
STATE ASSEMBLY, MAKE NO MISTAKE
ABOUT IT, IS SOUTH CENTRAL LOS
ANGELES. YOU CAN LOOK IT UP ON
CALMATTERS. RIGHT NOW. I'M THE
MOST AFFLUENT DISTRICT IN
CALIFORNIA IS QUITE A BIT
FURTHER NORTH. YOU CAN LOOK THAT
UP ON CALMATTERS AS WELL. HOW DO
WE CAPTURE ALL THE NUANCE IN
BETWEEN THOSE? I THINK IS WHAT
THIS GROUP SPENT A LOT OF TIME
DOING. AND MR. WOOD, I DON'T
THINK WE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP
WITH THE KIND OF EXPANSIVE
DEFINITION THAT WE WOULD HAVE
HAD WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP
YOU'VE HAD FOR NOT JUST THIS
YEAR, BUT BUT MANY YEARS, AND I
ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS
BOND, IS BOTH AN EQUALITY BOND
IN THAT 60% IS FOR EVERYBODY.
CUT THE PIE UP EQUALLY. IT'S
COMPETITIVE. HAVE A CHANCE, GO
FIGHT FOR IT. AND AN EQUITY
BOND. AND I THINK THAT'S
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THAT PIECE
OF EQUITY ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE
CUT UP EVENLY ACROSS THE STATE.
IT IS SUPPOSED TO REMEDY SOME OF
THE HARM THAT WE KNOW IS COMING
IN CERTAIN PLACES. THAT OFTEN
COMES IN CERTAIN PLACES, OR HAS
BEEN COMING IN CERTAIN PLACES
FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME
WITHOUT THE RESOURCES OR ANSWERS
THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES DESERVE.
AND SO THAT'S THE THING WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THIS POT OF
MONEY AND I THINK THOSE WHO HAVE
SAID, YOU KNOW, IS IT ENOUGH? IT
IS NEVER ENOUGH. THESE ARE
INVESTMENTS WE HAVE TO MAKE. IN
FACT, WE'RE BARELY REPLACING IN
QUANTITY. THE TOTAL DOLLARS THAT
HAVE BEEN STRIPPED FROM THE
BUDGET. RIGHT. AND THIS DOESN'T
PUT, THIS DOESN'T PUT US IN A
POSITION WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT CLIMATE GOING
FORWARD. WE STILL HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT CLIMATE IN OUR BUDGET. WE
STILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE
KIND OF CLIMATE POLICY THAT
PROVIDES FOR THE THOUGHTFUL
PLANNING AND SAFEGUARDS THAT
MIGHT SAVE US. SOME OF THESE
RESOURCES, BECAUSE WE HAVE
PLANNED AND ADEQUATELY
REDESIGNED, CERTAIN AREAS TO
MITIGATE THESE HARMS. BUT I JUST
WANT TO, YOU KNOW, PASS IT BACK
TO YOU, MR. WOOD, FOR YOUR FINAL
THOUGHTS. BUT TO THANK YOU FOR,
YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY TRINITY
COUNTY SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY
PROUD OF YOUR REPRESENTATION
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE
TRINITY COUNTY WAS WHEN I GOT TO
THE LEGISLATURE AND IN AND
BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY, WHEN I
THINK OF DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE, I
NOW THINK OF TRINITY. THANK
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I
APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. ONE
OF THE AND THIS IS, I'LL GO BACK
TO JUST TO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO
THINGS. ONE IS I HOPE THAT, IN
THE FUTURE THAT YOU CAN SOMEBODY
CAN DO AN OVERSIGHT HEARING OR
AN INFORMATIONAL HEARING ABOUT
THE LAST BOND AND WHY THERE ARE
STILL RESOURCES THAT HAVEN'T
GONE OUT THE DOOR. I THINK
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS YOU
GO FORWARD, AS THIS BOND IS
SUCCESSFUL, THAT WE LEARN FROM
THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT
DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. IF THOSE
RESOURCES COULD HAVE GONE OUT,
WHAT PREVENTED IT FROM
HAPPENING? AND THAT AND THAT. MY
FINAL POINT IS THAT THAT WE AS A
STATE, OUR AGENCIES DO NOT DO
ALWAYS A REALLY GOOD JOB IN
GETTING THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR.
I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING RIGHT
NOW THAT THE MONEY HAS BEEN
ALLOCATED. THERE'S FEDERAL MONEY
AND STATE MONEY, AND IT WAS
ALLOCATED TWO YEARS AGO, AND
WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING
IT OUT THE DOOR. AND THAT IS A
PROBLEM. AND THAT'S THE KIND OF
THING WE HAVE WITH OUR OVERSIGHT
ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE
DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AND,
THAT'S WHY I LIKE THE IDEA THAT
THINGS MIGHT NOT BE OVERLY
PRESCRIPTIVE BECAUSE THAT
FLEXIBILITY MIGHT BE THE KEY TO
HELPING GET THAT MONEY OUT. THE
DOOR. AND SO, SO WITH THAT, I
WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO
THE CHAIR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP
HERE. AND, THESE AMAZING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WOOD.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BY
COMMITTEE MEMBERS? SEEING NONE.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS FOR, OUR
WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY TODAY? I
WILL CLOSE, BY JUST THANKING
EVERYBODY, AND I DO WANT TO ECHO
SOME OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT
ASSEMBLY MEMBER WITT. HE AND I
HAD VERY LARGE WILDFIRES AT THE
SAME TIME, NOT THAT THAT'S THOSE
HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONES, BUT,
YOU KNOW, IT'S A REFLECTION OF
THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES CAN CHANGE VERY
QUICKLY. WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN
ONE COUNTY AND ONE CITY IS
HURTING, IT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE
STATE. WHEN ONE OF OUR MAIN
CORRIDORS, TO GET PEOPLE TO AND
FROM ANY COMMUNITY OR FROM ONE
PORTION OF THE STATE TO THE
OTHER, IS IMPACTED, IT HAS AN
IMPACT ON EVERY OTHER COUNTY.
WHEN WE HAVE TO DIP INTO OUR
GENERAL FUNDS, YOU BETTER
BELIEVE THAT EVERY COUNTY AND
EVERY CITY IS IMPACTED BY THAT.
SO WHETHER THE FIRE, WHETHER THE
DROP IN A FREEWAY, WHETHER IT IS
A FLOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT HAS
AN IMPACT ON ALL OF US. AND SO
WHAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD, IS A
BOND THAT WILL ALSO JUST IN THE
SAME WAY THAT WE ALL HURT
TOGETHER. WE ALL ALSO CAN
BENEFIT TOGETHER. AND SO WHEN
ONE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, IT HAS
AN IMPACT ON THE STATE. WHEN ONE
COMMUNITY HURTS, IT HAS AN
IMPACT ON THE STATE. AND WHILE I
THINK THIS WAS A LONG AND A
DIFFICULT PROCESS, IT'S BECAUSE
EACH OF US CARED SO MUCH ABOUT
WHAT WE WERE PUTTING IN. WE WERE
NOT, AT A PLACE WHERE WE WERE
DISAGREEING ABOUT THE MERITS. WE
WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
PRIORITIZE THIS. AND I THINK
THAT THIS HEARING HAS BEEN A
REFLECTION OF HOW DIFFICULT IT
WAS TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE WE
AGREED ON A FINAL OUTCOME,
BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID
WAS REAL, AND BECAUSE EVERYTHING
THAT WAS SAID MATTERED, AND WE
UNDERSTOOD THAT. SO OUR HOPE IS
THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
NOT JUST ABOUT THE PROCESS AND
WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT
ALSO ABOUT THE BENEFITS THAT
THIS HAS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND
WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL GET THE
SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATURE AND
THAT THE VOTERS WILL SEE THE
VALUE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE
HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES IN A
TIME WHERE OUR BUDGET DOESN'T
ALWAYS ALLOW US TO MAKE THE
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED, NOT
JUST DESIRED FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. SENATOR,
CAN I TAKE THOSE COMMENTS TO BE
FOR THE WHOLE. YES. SO THE MAIN
REASON THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS
HEARING TODAY IS ACTUALLY NOT SO
WE CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER, WE'VE
BEEN DOING A LOT OF THAT, I
THINK SOMETIMES IT'S IMPORTANT
TO DO THAT OUT LOUD AND IN
PUBLIC SO YOU ALL CAN HEAR THE
KIND OF DISCUSSIONS AND
CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE
HAPPENING. BETWEEN THE PEOPLE'S
REPRESENTATIVES UP AND DOWN THE
STATE. BUT THE REASON WE'RE
HAVING THIS HEARING IS ACTUALLY
SO WE CAN ALL HEAR FROM YOU ALL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS LIKE A
GOOD OLD FASHIONED BUDGET
HEARING, WHICH MEANS INSTEAD OF
NAME ORGANIZATION AND POSITION
ON THE BILL, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE
TO HEAR 30S OF WHY THIS IS
IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHY WE SHOULD
DO THIS, WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO
THIS, WHAT YOU'RE FEELING AND
WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, BASED ON
WHAT YOU SEE IN PRINT AND WHAT
YOU'VE HEARD UP HERE TODAY, AND
WITH THAT, WE'LL START WITH
MELISSA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THIS HEARING AND FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY. MELISSA ROMERO,
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS.
SO I DON'T HAVE TO TELL ALL OF
YOU, BUT THIS WEEK, A MAJORITY
OF CALIFORNIA IS GOING TO BE
OVER 110 DEGREES. AND THERE'S
OVER A DOZEN WILDFIRES BURNING
IN THE STATE. SO WE CANNOT WAIT.
WE NEED A CLIMATE BOND NOW. AND
THIS BOND REALLY IS AN
OPPORTUNITY AND A CHANCE TO BE
ONE OF THE MOST INTERSECTIONAL
APPROACHES TO TACKLING CLIMATE
CHANGE IN CALIFORNIA. WITH OVER
40% OF THE PROJECTS HAVING TO
BENEFIT DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES, AND ALSO BY
PRIORITIZING ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE PROGRAMS, DRINKING
WATER, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE,
PUBLIC HEALTH, SUSTAINABLE AG
ALONGSIDE INVESTING IN MAJOR
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE TRANSMISSION
AND CLEAN ENERGY. SO WE ARE VERY
SUPPORTIVE. THIS IS A TOP
PRIORITY FOR CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS, AND WE
URGE AN AYE VOTE ON THIS. THANK
YOU. MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS BRIAN
WHITE ON BEHALF OF OFFSHORE WIND
CALIFORNIA, WHERE A COALITION OF
TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS,
DEVELOPERS, PORTS
REPRESENTATIVES, WE FIRST WANT
TO THANK THE AUTHORS OF THE BILL
, SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
LEADERSHIP, AND EVEN THOSE
AUTHORS AND STAFF WHO AREN'T
HERE TODAY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE
EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE
BEEN DOING THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR
AND A HALF LONG WORTH OF EFFORT,
AND NOW IT'S FINALLY COMING TO
FRUITION. JUST FROM THE OFFSHORE
WIND PIECE. WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY
AGREE WITH SOME MEMBER WOOD
ABOUT THE OFFSHORE WIND PIECE.
WE APPRECIATE THE 475 MILLION
THAT'S IN THE CLIMATE BOND. IN
ORDER TO GET THESE PROJECTS
STARTED, WE HAVE TO HAVE PORTS
INFRASTRUCTURE TO GET THERE. AND
YOU CAN'T DO THAT JUST BY
ASSUMING THAT IT'S GOING TO GET
BUILT. THERE'S FEDERAL DOLLARS
OUT THERE THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE.
THERE'S PRIVATE DOLLARS OUT
THERE. WE CAN LEVERAGE. HUMBOLDT
HAS ALREADY GOTTEN SOME FUNDING,
BUT IT HAS TO HAVE A MATCH. SO
THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE WITH OTHER PORTS. IN
ORDER TO GET THESE PROJECTS
STARTED. WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW,
AND THAT'S WHY WE APPRECIATE THE
AUTHORS FOR INCLUDING THIS MONEY
IN THE BOND. IT'LL PROVIDE
FAMILY WAGE, JOBS, GRID
RELIABILITY AFTER TODAY, HELP US
MEET OUR CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK
YOU. PILAR QUINTANA HERE ON
BEHALF OF THE IRVINE RANCH WATER
DISTRICT AND YUBA WATER AGENCY,
WE'RE IN SUPPORT AND WE'RE
PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
FUNDING. $480 MILLION FOR DAM
SAFETY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE
PURPOSES. I DIDN'T PREPARE 30S,
BUT LET ME THROW A COUPLE OF FUN
FACTS AT YOU. DAMS IN
CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, BASED ON
THE MOST RECENT, ASSOCIATION OF
CIVIL AMERICAN CIVIL ENGINEERS
ASSOCIATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE
REPORT IN 2019 GAVE CALIFORNIA
DAMS A C MINUS, WHICH IS
HONESTLY GENEROUS, DAMS IN
CALIFORNIA ARE ON AVERAGE OVER
70 YEARS OLD, ALSO, ON AVERAGE,
ABOUT TEN YEARS OLDER THAN DAMS
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES,
AND IT'S NOT JUST AN ISSUE OF
SAFETY, IT'S AN ISSUE OF SUPPLY.
THE WATER THAT IS LOST IN TERMS
OF STORAGE CAPACITY DUE TO
SAFETY RESTRICTED DAMS IN
CALIFORNIA. IS ABOUT 330,000
ACRE FEET OF STORAGE CAPACITY,
WHICH WOULD SERVE ABOUT 3.6
MILLION PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THAT'S PER A RECENT CAL
MATTERS ARTICLE. IF YOU'D LIKE
TO KNOW MORE, THANKS. I DON'T
KNOW WHAT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC
LAND, WE WANT TO THANK THE
AUTHORS AND THE COMMITTEE AND
ALL THE STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK
THAT THEY'VE DONE TO GET US GET
US TO THIS PLACE, THE TRUST FOR
PUBLIC LAND BUILDS PROJECTS
ACROSS MANY OF THE DISTRICTS IN
EVERY SINGLE REGION OF THE
STATE, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW,
DOING PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND
CREATING OPEN, AREAS FOR PUBLIC
ACCESS FOR MANY OF THE
COMMUNITIES THAT CURRENTLY
DON'T, HAVE ANY ACCESS TO THEM.
SO WE KNOW THAT THIS BOND WILL
MAKE A DIFFERENCE ACROSS MANY
PEOPLE'S LIVES. WE'VE SEEN IT IN
OUR PROJECTS THAT WE THAT WE PUT
TOGETHER, ACROSS THE VARIOUS
AREAS OF THE STATE. WE KNOW THAT
THIS, CLIMATE BOND WILL DELIVER
FOR MANY CALIFORNIANS. AGAIN,
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND MEMBERS. MARTIN RADOSEVICH,
ON BEHALF OF SANTA CLARA VALLEY
WATER DISTRICT, SPEAKING IN
STRONG SUPPORT OF THE BOND,
PARTICULARLY LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT
THE $4,480 MILLION FOR DAM
SAFETY FUNDING. IT'S VERY
CRUCIAL TO OUR DISTRICT. WE HAVE
ANDERSON DAM IN OUR DISTRICT,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
SEISMIC RISKS, IN IN THE STATE.
AND THAT FUNDING WILL GO TOWARDS
THAT PROJECT. WE'RE ALSO GREAT
TO SEE THE FUNDING FOR FLOOD
SUBVENTIONS $150 MILLION, WHICH
WILL REALLY AID OUR DISTRICT AS
WELL, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING FOR
WATER RECYCLING AS WELL. SO WE
GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU,
EVERYONE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
MEMBERS, KAYLA ROBINSON, ON
BEHALF OF SAVE THE REDWOODS
LEAGUE, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE
ASSEMBLY AND SENATE FOR THEIR
LEADERSHIP ON THIS VERY
IMPORTANT ISSUE. I'LL KEEP IT
SHORT, BUT JUST PARTICULARLY
GRATEFUL FOR THE MONEY FOR WCB
AND COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND AS
WELL AS STATE PARKS. IT WILL GO
A LONG WAY FOR US. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. AFTERNOON. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, JULIE WIECKOWSKI, ON
BEHALF OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK
DISTRICT AND MIDPENINSULA
REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT,
REALLY WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
THANK THE AUTHORS AS WELL AS
SENATE ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP, FOR
THEIR GREAT WORK ON THIS
PROPOSAL, AND PARTICULARLY
EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF
CLIMATE RESILIENCE EXTENDING TO
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT AS WELL.
AND THE GREAT INVESTMENTS
INCLUDED IN THIS BOND REALLY DO
THAT VERY WELL. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS.
NICHOLAS MAZZOTTI, ON BEHALF OF
THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF
LOCAL CONSERVATION CORPS, WOULD
LIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORS AND
LEADERSHIP IN BOTH HOUSES FOR A
DEEP COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND
ALSO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, IN
PARTICULAR, A DIRECT CARVE OUT
FOR STATE CERTIFIED LOCAL
CONSERVATION CAUSE AS WELL AS
STATE CONSERVATION CAUSE. SO
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. REALLY
APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP ON
THIS ISSUE. IN RESPONSE TO THE
CONVERSATION EARLIER ABOUT IS
THIS ENOUGH? I THINK WE ALL
AGREE THIS IT'S NEVER ENOUGH,
BUT A SMALL STEP FORWARD IS MUCH
BETTER THAN THE COST OF
INACTION. SO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THIS GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS CHRISTINA VENGO DEL
CONDADO DE MADERA. MY NAME IS
CHRISTINA AND I COME FROM MADERA
COUNTY, ESTOY AQUI AGRADECIDO.
USTEDES ESTAN HACIENDO NUEVOS
CAMBIOS PARA EL MEDIO AMBIENTE.
I'M HERE TO THANK ALL OF YOU
THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS CHANGES
FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, SO,
TRABAJADORA DEL CAMPO, I AM A
FARM WORKER. Â ESTOY MIRANDO C¯
ESTAN HACIENDO VARIOS CAMBIOS
PARA NOSOTROS. I CAN COMBINE
COMO TRABAJADORES AND I'M SEEING
THAT SOME OF THE CHANGES YOU ARE
DOING ARE GOING TO HELP SOME OF
US FARM WORKERS. GRACIAS POR EL
APOYO DE LA PREOCUPACION EN
CUENTA PARA NOSOTROS LOS
AGRICULTORES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT
WHAT WE GO THROUGH AS FARM
WORKERS. GRACIAS THANK YOU. MY
NAME IS ROCIO MADRIGAL. I'M FROM
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NETWORK.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT, BEEN AROUND
FOR ONLY 24 YEARS. MISS WILSON,
YOU ARE FROM OUR AREA. AND, I
THANK THE COMMENTS AND THE
LUXURY OF MR. WOODS HAVING CLEAN
WATER AND CLEAN AIR IN HIS
DISTRICTS. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU, A GREAT MAJORITY
OF OUR WORKERS AND ALL OF OUR
TOWNS DO NOT HAVE PARKS, WE HAVE
A PARK THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
ARE INCORPORATED IN FRESNO, THEY
DO NOT HAVE WATER. THEY CANNOT
SUSTAIN GRASS IN A PARK. I HAVE
A COMMUNITY IN POPLAR THAT HAS
NO PARK. AND THIS IS VERY SAD,
OUR WORKERS NEED EVERYTHING.
THEY REALLY DO. AND I INVITE
YOU, AS I INVITED MISS WILSON TO
PLEASE INVEST MORE. AS YOU CAN
IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THEY ARE
SUFFERING OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS
THAT FED OUR NATION DURING
COVID, THAT HAD SUCH A
TREMENDOUSLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF
DEATH BECAUSE THEY WERE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND THEY DID
NOT STAY HOME. OUR SUFFERING,
THEY DO NOT HAVE CLEAN WATER AND
THEY SPEND MONEY. THEY DO NOT
HAVE ON BOTTLED WATER, WHETHER
THEY GO TO THE LOCAL MILL OR
THEY HAVE TO BUY WATER AT THE
LOCAL GROCERY STORE, THAT IS
SOMETIMES DOUBLE THE PRICE OF
WHAT YOU AND I PAY. THEY DO NOT
HAVE WATER AND IN FRESNO COUNTY,
TULARE COUNTY, AND KINGS COUNTY,
WE HAVE VERY BAD AIR. SO MUCH SO
THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD SOME
OF YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. I KNOW
MR. ARAMBULA HAS SAID MORE THAN
ONCE THEY LIVE IN OUR AREA AND
OUR ZIP CODE 10 TO 20 YEARS LESS
BECAUSE OF THE AIR THAT THEY
HAVE ONLY 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CLOVIS, WHERE I LIVE. AND THAT
IS NOT FAIR. THAT IS NOT EQUITY.
THEY ARE OUR FARM WORKERS. THEY
NEED WATER AND THEY NEED AIR,
AND THEY ARE THE LEAST
PROTECTED. AND THEY CAME HERE
TODAY. WE LEFT FRESNO ABOUT 530
IN THE MORNING TO SPEAK TO YOU
TODAY, AND I ASK YOU, THEY ARE
THE MOST VULNERABLE AND IT IS
VERY SAD THAT BEING IN
CALIFORNIA, BEING LABELED
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THEY DO NOT
HAVE WATER AND THEY SPEND MONEY.
THEY DO NOT HAVE ON WATER JUST
TO GET THROUGH THE DAY WITH THIS
HEAT. THIS HEAT THAT IS AWFUL,
THAT FARMWORKERS DIE EACH YEAR
FROM BECAUSE OF HEAT ILLNESS. I
COULD GO ON FOREVER, BUT PLEASE
DON'T MAKE IT A LUXURY FOR CLEAN
WATER AND CLEAN AIR. WE NEED IT.
WE NEED IT IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY. WE NEED IT IN MADERA
COUNTY AND KINGS COUNTY AND
TULARE COUNTY. PLEASE HELP US.
THANK YOU. MR. CHAIRMAN AND
MEMBERS, BOB GIROUX, ON BEHALF
OF THREE CLIENTS, I'LL TRY TO
SPLIT MY TIME WITH 10S EACH ON
BEHALF OF ASSEMBLY MEMBER
GARCIA'S HOME COUNTY, THE
RIVERSIDE COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS. WE'RE HERE IN
SUPPORT. WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE
WORKING GROUP AND THE MEMBERS
FOR ALL OF THE REVENUE THAT
WE'RE RECEIVING FOR THE SALTON
SEA RESTORATION, FLOOD, FLOOD
PREVENTION, FIRE PROTECTION, AND
FOR HEAT RESISTANCE ON BEHALF OF
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER
AUTHORITY AND ITS 26 MEMBER
AGENCIES, WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE
WORKING GROUP FOR THE PURE WATER
MONEY WE'RE GETTING IN THE
CLIMATE BOND, FOR THE MONEY FOR
THE TIJUANA NEW RIVER FIXES
THAT. WE'RE GETTING, AND FOR
OTHER THINGS. ON BEHALF OF THE
WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY, WE'D LIKE TO
THANK THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE
MONEY THAT HELPS THE FAMILY
FARMERS AND WATER AGENCIES WITH
THE STATE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
ACT COMPLIANCE FOR THE AG LAND
REPURPOSING MONEY AND FOR SOME
OTHER REVENUES FOR THE CENTRAL
VALLEY. FOR GROUNDWATER CLEANUP
AND FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN NEED.
AND FOR YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D
LIKE TO SAY THIS IS SOMEWHAT OF
A CONSOLATION PRIZE FOR YOUR ACA
THAT WAS SHELVED EARLIER THIS
YEAR. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE
MONEY YOU'RE GETTING FOR THE EJ
COMMUNITY AND YOUR COMMUNITIES
IN LOS ANGELES. THANK YOU, MR.
GIRAUD. THE FIGHT CONTINUES.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND
MEMBERS AND BOND AUTHORS AS
WELL. I ALSO AM HERE FOR THREE
ORGANIZATIONS TODAY, ONE ECHOING
MY COLLEAGUE FOR THE SAN DIEGO
COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY. IN
ADDITION TO THE PROJECTS HE
EMPHASIZED, WE'RE ALSO VERY
GRATEFUL FOR THE DAM SAFETY,
MONEY AND THAT WILL GO A LONG
WAY TO PROTECTING PEOPLE IN THE
SAN DIEGO REGION. ALSO, FOR
UNITED WATER CONSERVATION
DISTRICT AND VENTURA COUNTY.
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE DAM SAFETY
FUNDING. THEY HAVE A HIGH HAZARD
DAM PROJECT. THERE THE SANTA
FELICIA DAM, AND THEY ARE
GRATEFUL FOR THIS MONEY AND ALSO
THE OTHER WATER FUNDING BUCKETS.
AND THEN FINALLY IN DOCTOR WOODS
DISTRICT, THE YUROK TRIBE
REPRESENTS MUCH OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA. THEY ARE VERY, VERY
GRATEFUL TO THE BOND AUTHORS, TO
ALL OF THE LEGISLATURE, FOR THE
MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN
SPECIFICALLY SET ASIDE FOR
TRIBAL WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, IN
ADDITION TO THE TRIBAL NATURE
BASED SOLUTIONS. SO THANK YOU.
AND WE URGE SUPPORT ON BEHALF OF
ALL THREE OF THOSE ENTITIES.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MELISSA SPARKS
KRANZ WITH THE LEAGUE OF
CALIFORNIA CITIES, REPRESENTING
THOSE 482, NOW 83 CITIES ACROSS
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WE HAD
A SUPPORTIVE AMEND POSITION ON
SB 867, AND WE HAD A
COMPREHENSIVE SET OF PRIORITIES
ON THE BOND FOR CITIES, WE
WANTED TO JUST RECOGNIZE THE
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT
WENT INTO SHAPING THE BOND THAT
WE'RE SEEING TODAY, WHILE WE ARE
A BIT SADDENED TO SEE A LACK OF
FUNDING FOR ORGANIC WASTE
DIVERSION FROM LANDFILLS TO HELP
REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS AND THE
TRANSITION OF PUBLIC FLEET TO
CLEAN, CLEAN VEHICLES, WE ARE
EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF OTHER
CATEGORIES IN THE BOND,
INCLUSIVE OF STORMWATER FUNDING,
RECYCLED WATER FUNDING, WATER
CONSERVATION FUNDING, LOCAL
WILDFIRE RESILIENCE AND
PREVENTION GRANTS FOR CITIES AND
COUNTIES, AS WELL AS SEA LEVEL
RISE, EXTREME HEAT AND PARKS
FUNDING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK HERE.
AND WE'LL BE URGING AN AYE VOTE.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND MEMBERS, JAMIE C ON BEHALF
OF RESOURCES LEGACY FUND IN
SUPPORT OF THE MEASURE. REALLY
WANT TO THANK THE ASSEMBLY.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER GARCIA, SENATOR
LIMÓN, FOR THE LEADERSHIP AND
WORKING TO GET A DEAL TOGETHER
ON THIS, WITH THE CHALLENGING
BUDGET, WE FEEL THAT RESOURCES
BOND IS A CRITICAL WAY IN
ENSURING THAT THE STATE CAN
CONTINUE ITS PROGRESS TOWARDS
ITS AMBITIOUS CLIMATE,
BIODIVERSITY AND OUTDOOR ACCESS
GOALS. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT AND
LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING GET THIS
ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. MELISSA CORTEZ,
ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA WIND
ENERGY ASSOCIATION. FIRST, WANT
TO THANK THE AUTHOR, THE MEMBERS
OF THE WORKING GROUP AND ALL THE
STAFF WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME
PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, WE
SPECIFICALLY WANT TO OFFER OUR
SUPPORT FOR THE FUNDING FOR PORT
INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT'S
DESPERATELY NEEDED IF WE'RE
GOING TO DEVELOP OFFSHORE WIND.
WE ALSO WANT TO OFFER OUR
SUPPORT FOR THE FUNDING THAT'S
IN THE BOND FOR TRANSMISSION.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT
TRANSMISSION IN THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS. IF WE'RE GOING TO MEET
OUR ENERGY AND CLIMATE GOALS, WE
NEED TO UPGRADE AND IMPROVE OUR
TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BRIAN SHOBE
AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
FOOD AND FARM RESILIENCE
COALITION. WE ARE A COALITION OF
17 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING
AGRICULTURE, FARM WORKERS, THE
ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND
FOOD SECURITY. WE FORMED IN
2020, IN RESPONSE TO THE
DISRUPTIONS WE SAW TO OUR SUPPLY
CHAIN AND OUR FOOD SYSTEM. AND
SINCE THEN, I'VE WORKED WITH
SPEAKER RIVAS AND ASSEMBLY
MEMBER WILSON ON TWO BOND
MEASURES TO INVEST IN A MORE
RESILIENT FOOD AND FARM SYSTEM.
THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU TODAY
INCLUDES OVER $1 BILLION OF
PRIORITIES LAID OUT BY OUR
COALITION, AND WE
ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT THE
PROPOSAL. SO THANK YOU. MISTER
CHAIR MEMBERS DILLON ELLIOTT, ON
BEHALF OF THE DELTA COUNTIES
COALITION, FIRST, WANT TO ECHO
THE SAME THANKS FOR THE
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT
HAS GONE INTO THIS PROCESS
SPECIFIC TO THE DELTA COUNTIES.
THE DOLLARS FOR DELTA DELTA
LEVEE MAINTENANCE IS NOTHING
SHORT OF CRITICAL, BUT ALL OF
THE COMMENTS MADE URGE YOUR
SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR
MEMBERS MARK FENSTERMAKER HERE
ON BEHALF OF SONOMA WATER, YOU
KNOW, SONOMA COUNTY HAS
EXPERIENCED WHIPLASH IN TERMS OF
GOING FROM DROUGHT TO FLOOD
WILDFIRE. IT'S REALLY EMBLEMATIC
OF THE REGION ON THE NORTH COAST
AND ALSO THE REST OF THE STATE.
AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO SUPPORT
SB 67, IN PARTICULAR, THE
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE
MADE IN WATERSHED RESILIENCE,
GROUNDWATER, AND ALSO THE
REGIONAL APPROACH THAT'S BEING
PUT IN PLACE FOR WILDFIRE ALL
IMPACTS THE WATERSHED SYSTEM AND
IMPACTS HOW WE DO OUR BUSINESS
AND SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS. SO
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S
HARD WORK ON THIS AND URGE YOUR
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
AND BEFORE WE HEAR FROM OUR NEXT
SPEAKER, I JUST WANT TO THANK
YOU, DOLORES HUERTA, FOR JOINING
US TODAY, AND FOR YOU TO KNOW
THAT YOU ARE NOT BOUND BY THE
32ND TIME LIMIT. WHATEVER YOU
WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, WE
WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL.
THANK YOU, I AM DOLORES HUERTA,
WITH THE DOLORES HUERTA
FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY
EMPOWERMENT. BUT I JUST WANT TO
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THE
WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. AND AS
WAS SAID EARLIER, IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA, WE HAVE
MANY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
TOTALLY RUN OUT OF WATER THAT
THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY WATER. SO
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING
THIS BOND AND THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR DOING THIS, AND WE WILL
BE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. BACK TO
SECONDS. I WAS GOING TO SAY WHAT
SOMEBODY HAVE TO DO TO GET ONE
OF THESE WAIVERS OF THE 32ND
RULE. IT CAN'T BE THAT HARD IF
YOU CAN MATCH DOLORES HUERTA
LEGACY. I'M WORKING ON IT, PAUL
MASON WITH PACIFIC FOREST TRUST.
LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I REALLY
WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP IN
BOTH HOUSES FOR THE WORK ON THE
BOND. REALLY PARTICULARLY
APPRECIATE THE SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENTS IN OUR NATURAL WORLD
AND OUR FIRE AND WATER AND
BIODIVERSITY, THE VERY THINGS
THAT WE LIVE ON THAT WE SURVIVE
UPON. AND THERE WAS A SPIRITED
CONVERSATION UPSTAIRS IN THE
SENATE AROUND, JUST LIKE, YOU
KNOW, THE SIZE OF THE BOND. AND
THAT I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE
THAT TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN
WE'RE LOOKING BACKWARDS, WE WILL
WISH THAT THIS WAS TWICE THE
BOND. IT IS NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE
STILL JUST NOWHERE NEAR MAKING
THE SCALE OF INVESTMENTS THAT
ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED TO DEAL
WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE
COMING AT US. SO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. ENCOURAGE YOUR SUPPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M LEE O'KEEFE
WITH THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT
SOCIETY. ON BEHALF OF OUR 36
CHAPTERS ACROSS THE STATE AND I
JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU
FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS MEASURE.
WE BELIEVE THAT IT RECOGNIZES
AND SEES THAT THE HEALTH OF OUR
COMMUNITIES AND OUR ENVIRONMENT
ARE INTERTWINED, AND FROM
LOOKING AT THIS FROM A PLANT
PERSPECTIVE AND RELATED TO THAT
HEALTH, WE KNOW THAT CALIFORNIA
HAS THE MOST TYPES AND DIVERSITY
OF NATIVE PLANTS IN THE NATION,
BUT ALSO THE HIGHEST RISKS FOR
EXTINCTION. AND SO WE'RE
ESPECIALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE
INVESTMENTS IN CONSERVANCIES IN
WATERSHED RESILIENCE AND
WILDFIRE RESILIENCE THAT WILL
GIVE THESE SPECIES A FIGHTING
CHANCE. AND IN SO DOING, WE
HOPE, ENRICH OUR COMMUNITIES AS
WELL. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE
SUPPORT. HI, I'M APRIL BIRD ON
BEHALF OF A NUMBER OF
ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPPORT,
OUTWARD BOUND VENTURES, THE
CALIFORNIA INVASIVE PLANT
COUNCIL, CITY OF SACRAMENTO,
SACRAMENTO AREA SEWER DISTRICT,
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS
ANGELES COUNTY, PLACER COUNTY
WATER AGENCY, SAN DIEGO ZOO,
WILDLIFE ALLIANCE, AND THE
MOUNTAINS RECREATION,
CONSERVATION AUTHORITY, WHO'VE
BEEN WORKING WITH THE AUTHORS,
FOR A BOND SINCE 2019. WE THANK
THEM AND ALL THE MEMBERS AND
STAFF ON WORKING GROUP AND BOTH
HOUSES, FOR NOT GIVING UP ON
DOING A CLIMATE BOND THAT WILL
HELP WITH CRITICAL INVESTMENTS,
PARTICULARLY FOR WATER WILDFIRE,
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND
BIODIVERSITY. THANKS GOOD
AFTERNOON. MICHAEL GERARD, ON
BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
WITH FAMILY FARMERS, THE
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE FOR
BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE
RESOLVE, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS
BOND. ALL THE STATE, WORKING
GROUP MEMBERS WORKED REALLY HARD
IN THE LEGISLATURE, WE SUPPORT
IT AND WANT YOU TO PASS IT TO
THE VOTERS SO THEY CAN MAKE
THEIR DECISION ON IT. WE
PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE
INVESTMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE AG,
PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY AND
EXTREME HEAT. HØI COOPER, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA HABITAT
CONSERVATION PLANNING COALITION
AND THE LAND TRUST OF SANTA CRUZ
COUNTY AND STRONG SUPPORT OF
THIS BOND. THANK YOU. CHAIR
MEMBERS, STAFF, FOR ALL YOUR
HARD WORK ON THIS. MIKE LYONS
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY FOR
AUDUBON CALIFORNIA. WE'VE GOT
MEMBERS AND CHAPTERS ALL OVER
THE STATE. I WANT TO ECHO THE
THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S
BEEN DONE ON THIS, REALLY FOR
MANY YEARS. AND ALSO A LOT OF
THE COMMENTS AROUND THE
INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNITIES GOING
ACROSS THE BOARD FOR RENEWABLE
ENERGY, CLEAN WATER AND THE LIKE
. AUDUBON SUPPORTS ALL OF THAT.
IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE CLIMATE
CRISIS, WE'RE ALSO ON A
BIODIVERSITY CRISIS. AND THIS
BOND HAS VERY SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENTS FOR THE 30 BY 30
EFFORT, FOR WCB, FOR COASTAL
CONSERVANCY, FOR DOING
RESTORATION PROJECTS AND OTHER
THINGS ACROSS THE STATE THAT
WILL SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY AS
CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES IT HARDER
AND HARDER FOR US TO CONSERVE
OUR SPECIES, OUR NATURAL HISTORY
IN THE STATE. SO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH AND WE URGE A STRONG
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON CAITLIN
RODNER SUTTER, ON BEHALF OF
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND AND
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE
WORK THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO
THIS. THERE IS A LOT WE ARE
EXCITED ABOUT IN HERE,
SPECIFICALLY THE INVESTMENTS IN
SAFE AND AFFORDABLE DRINKING
WATER, GROUNDWATER, LAND
REPURPOSING, WATER DATA, FOREST
RESILIENCE. CHAPTER CLEAN AIR,
CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS.
THERE'S A LOT WE'RE EXCITED
ABOUT. AND THE REALITY IS WE
SIMPLY CANNOT CANNOT AFFORD NOT
TO TAKE ACTION AT THIS POINT. SO
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF
YOUR WORK, AND WE URGE YOUR
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS,
THIS IS MEGAN CLEVELAND WITH THE
NATURE CONSERVANCY IN STRONG
SUPPORT OF AB 867. WE THANK YOU
ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. I
KNOW IT WAS HOURS AND DAYS AND
MONTHS OF WORK, SO WE REALLY
APPRECIATE IT. SOME GREAT
INVESTMENTS IN THIS. IT WILL
HELP TO INCREASE THE CLIMATE
RESILIENCE OF CALIFORNIA AND
PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, OUR
MAJESTIC LANDSCAPES, SEASCAPES
AND ALL OF OUR BIODIVERSITY. SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE URGE
YOUR SUPPORT. HI, SAMANTHA
SAMUELSON, ON BEHALF OF THE
CONSERVATION FUND, JUST WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD
WORK AND URGE YOUR STRONG
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON. KIM
DELFINO, ON BEHALF OF DEFENDERS
OF WILDLIFE, THE SONOMA LAND
TRUST, MOJAVE DESERT LAND TRUST,
AIR FORCE LEGACY, SIERRA FUND,
SIERRA INSTITUTE, GOLDEN STATE
SALMON ASSOCIATION, PEW
CHARITABLE TRUSTS, OCEANA, OCEAN
CONSERVANCY, MONTEREY BAY
AQUARIUM, NRDC, AND THE POWER IN
NATURE COALITION, WHICH IS 300
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING AROUND THE
STATE TO PROMOTE THE 30 BY 30
GOAL. THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT
INVESTMENTS. I THINK YOU KNOW
WHY THESE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT
THEM. WE THANK THEM. THANK YOU
FOR THE VERY, VERY, VERY HARD
WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO SHAPING
THIS BOND. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
HAVING YOU PASS IT AND THEN
WORKING TO GET IT PASSED BY THE
VOTERS. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. MEAGAN MURRAY WITH THE
WHITMAN GROUP ON BEHALF OF R-WI
IN STRONG SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY
THE PORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE
TRANSMISSION. THANK YOU. THE
INVESTMENTS IN THOSE. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON,
JONATHAN CLAY, ON BEHALF OF THE
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AND THE PORT
OF SAN DIEGO, SUPPORTING FOR A
VARIETY OF REASONS, I'LL
SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT THE POT OF
MONEY FOR THE BORDER RIVERS,
WHICH WILL BE CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT IN HELPING US ADDRESS
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES ALONG
THE TIJUANA RIVER. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, TASHA NEWMAN, ON
BEHALF OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS,
INCLUDING BOLSA CHICA LAND
TRUST, BIG SUR LAND TRUST,
PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST, THE
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF LAND
TRUSTS, THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF RESOURCE
CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, AND THE
SANTA CLARA VALLEY OPEN SPACE
AUTHORITY. ALL OF THESE GROUPS
DO CONSERVATION WORK THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. THEY ARE SO EXCITED
ABOUT THIS BOND AND HAVE BEEN
WORKING WITH YOU GUYS TO TRY AND
GET THIS PASSED FOR MANY, MANY
YEARS. SO WE JUST, REALLY URGE
YOUR SUPPORT AND WE'RE THANKFUL
FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS AND
LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS
PASSED AND SIGNED BY THE
GOVERNOR. AND THEN PASSED BY THE
VOTERS OF CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. HI. I'M MEGAN
MICKELBERG HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
FOUNDATION AND SEMPERVIRENS
FUND. REALLY, REALLY
APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE WORK
THAT WENT INTO THIS, BUT
PARTICULARLY FOR THE PARKS. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISTER
CHAIR MEMBERS, DOUG SUBERS, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, WOULD
LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE, THE
AUTHORS AND ALL THE STAFF THAT'S
WORKED ON THIS REALLY HARD.
APPRECIATE THE INVESTMENTS IN
WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND THE
IMPORTANT TRANSPARENCY
PROVISIONS ON EXPENDITURES.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON,
JORDAN CURLEY, ON ON BEHALF OF
AMERICAN CLEAN POWER, AS WELL AS
THE PORT OF LONG BEACH FOR
TODAY. JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU
ALL FOR THE HARD WORK AND OF
COURSE, FOR THE INVESTMENTS IN
OFFSHORE WIND AND OUR PORTS AS
WELL AS TRANSMISSION. INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT, IN BUILDING THOSE
INDUSTRIES. AND WE COULDN'T DO
IT WITHOUT IT. SO THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. TATUM, ANGLER WITH
SAMPSON ADVISORS ON BEHALF OF
VINEYARD OFFSHORE, ONE OF THE
OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPERS WITH
THE LEASE AREA UP ON THE NORTH
COAST IN HUMBOLDT, HERE IN
STRONG SUPPORT TODAY OF SB 867.
PARTICULARLY THRILLED ABOUT THE
CLEAN AIR CHAPTER, THE
TRANSMISSION INVESTMENTS. BUT
ALSO THE INVESTMENTS FOR PORT
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OFFSHORE
WIND. AS YOU'VE HEARD MENTIONED
HERE BEFORE, THE PORT OF
HUMBOLDT, ALREADY HAS 426
MILLION IN FEDERAL DODD GRANTS,
AND THAT'S CONTINGENT ON
MATCHING FUNDS. SO THIS WILL GO
A LONG WAY IN HELPING CLOSE THAT
GAP. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND
STRONG SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON,
JAMIE MINER, ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA STORMWATER QUALITY
ASSOCIATION. VERY THANKFUL AND
GRATEFUL FOR THE INCLUSION OF
STORMWATER CAPTURE AS A LINE
ITEM IN THE BOND. THERE ARE FEW
PROJECT CATEGORIES THAT ARE AS
MULTI-BENEFIT AS STORMWATER
CAPTURE FROM A WATER QUALITY
PERSPECTIVE, FROM A WATER SUPPLY
PERSPECTIVE, URBAN GREENING, YOU
KNOW, EXTREME HEAT, THE LIST
GOES ON. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE
THAT INVESTMENT AND LOOK FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL. GOOD
AFTERNOON, THERESA COOK, ON
BEHALF OF EQUINOR, ONE OF THE
CENTRAL COAST OFFSHORE WIND
DEVELOPERS WANT TO GIVE OUR DEEP
THANKS FOR YOUR COMMITTED
SUPPORT FOR THE TECHNOLOGY BY
FUNDING BY WAY OF PORTS AND
TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. AARON
ON BEHALF OF THE ALMOND
ALLIANCE, I'VE ALSO BEEN ASKED
TO CONVEY THE SUPPORT OF WESTERN
UNITED DAIRIES. WANT TO THANK
YOU BOTH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN
THIS SPACE AND THE WORK OF THE
RESPECTIVE WORKING GROUPS, WE
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE FUNDING
FOR WATER PROJECTS, NAMELY THE
GROUNDWATER PROJECTS IN AND THE
BOND, ALMOND ALLIANCE AND
WESTERN UNITED DAIRIES HAVE
PARTNERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
WATER RESOURCES ON AN INNOVATIVE
PROGRAM CALLED LAND FLEX, WHICH
CAN BE USED IN TIMES OF DROUGHT
AND FLOOD FOR GROUNDWATER
STORAGE. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE
PROGRAMS THAT ASSEMBLYMEMBER
WOOD REFERENCED IN HIS COMMENTS.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE DEPARTMENT
WILL PRIORITIZE FUNDING FOR THIS
PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. TAYLOR
OCEAN ON BEHALF OF WESTERN FAIRS
ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA FAIRS
ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT WITH A
PRESENCE IN YOUR DISTRICTS.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. JOSH
GAGER ON BEHALF OF THE VENTURA
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
THE URBAN COUNTIES OF
CALIFORNIA, WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF
THE DIVERSE INVESTMENTS THAT
BENEFIT A RANGE OF GEOGRAPHICAL
NEEDS AND CHALLENGES. THIS BOND
AND SUBSEQUENT PROJECTS WILL
TAKE CONSIDERABLE STEPS TOWARD
ADDRESSING REAL CLIMATE THREATS.
WE'VE SEEN IN THE WAY OF EXTREME
WEATHER EVENTS AND NATURAL
DISASTERS. JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S WORK ON
THIS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON
AZUL. I'M IN STRONG SUPPORT.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE
INVESTMENTS IN COASTAL
RESILIENCE AS WELL AS THINKING
OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M
KEN BEZEK, REPRESENTING
CALIFORNIA TROUT, AND WE ARE AN
ORGANIZATION THAT INVESTS IN
FRESHWATER RESTORATION ACROSS A
VERY DIVERSE STATE AND DEPEND ON
INVESTMENTS LIKE THIS IN ORDER
TO HELP RESTORE FRESHWATER
SPECIES, SPECIFICALLY SALMON AND
STEELHEAD TROUT, TO THEIR TO
THEIR NATIVE RANGES AND TO GREAT
POPULATION GROWTH, I'M ALSO HERE
ON BEHALF OF TROUT UNLIMITED,
AND WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL
FOR YOUR WORK ON THE BOND AND
SAY THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT AND
SPECIFICALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE
DAM SAFETY FUNDING. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON.
CYNTHIA CORTEZ WITH RESTORE THE
DELTA. I WANT TO SHARE OUR
SUPPORT FOR THE CLIMATE BOND.
PARTICULARLY APPRECIATION
TOWARDS THE FLOOD FUNDS. TOWARDS
IMPROVING EXISTING LEVEES IN THE
SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA AND
FUNDS TOWARDS THE FLOOD CONTROL
SUBVENTION PROGRAM, BUT ALSO
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE FUNDS
THAT WILL BE GOING TOWARDS THE
TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE
COMMUNITIES TO WHICH STOCKTON,
RECEIVED. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HI. I'M JAY KUSHNER WITH
COMMUNITY WATER CENTER. I WANT
TO START YOU ALL FOR I WANT TO
START OFF BY THANKING YOU ALL
FOR YOUR WORK ON THE BOND, AND
ESPECIALLY THIS 610 MILLION
ALLOCATED FOR SAFE DRINKING
WATER, COMMUNITY WATER CENTER
AND OUR ALLIES SPENT THE LAST
SEVEN MONTHS WORKING WITH BOTH
AUTHORS OFFICES TO ENSURE THAT
THE BOND FUNDING DEFINITIONS ARE
EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE. THAT
FUNDING ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE
NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
STATE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND I
URGE YOUR SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON. ANGELA ILAS WITH
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE NETWORK. I JUST WANT TO,
HAVE MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO
ALL OF YOU, MONIQUE EDUARDO, TO
ALL OF THE OTHER ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS AND SENATORS THAT HAVE
BEEN WORKING TREMENDOUSLY HARD
IN GETTING THIS BOND TOGETHER. I
THINK THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY,
TREMENDOUSLY HISTORIC FOR OUR
STATE TO REALLY SEE THIS GO
THROUGH. AND WE HOPE THAT, ALL
OF THE ASSEMBLY CAN SUPPORT ON
THIS. WE ARE IN STRONG SUPPORT
IN SEEING THIS MOVE FORWARD,
ESPECIALLY FOR OUR FARMWORKER
COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT
HEAVILY IN THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE
THAT IN TERMS OF OUR LEADERSHIP,
IN OUR COUNTIES, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL
SEEING HEAVILY IN OUR COUNTIES,
THAT THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTING THE
SAFETY AND THE BOND AND THE AND
THE MONEY THAT NEEDS TO GO
TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE
ABLE TO SEE A RESILIENT FUTURE,
TO FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE,
TO FIGHT AGAINST OUR WILDFIRES
AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SO I
REALLY, REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT
YOU ALL WORK HEAVILY WITH OUR
LEADERS IN OUR COUNTIES TO
REALLY WORK THIS THROUGH AND TO
PROTECT OUR FUTURES, ESPECIALLY
FOR ALL IN CALIFORNIA. SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
DAN JACOBSON WITH ENVIRONMENT
CALIFORNIA, OVER 20 YEARS AGO,
WE HELPED TO PASS THE FIRST
RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD. WE
PASSED THE SECOND ONE FOR 33,
THE THIRD ONE FOR 50, THE FOURTH
ONE FOR 100. THE FUNDING THAT
YOU HAVE IN THERE FOR OFFSHORE
WIND AND FOR TRANSMISSION IS THE
CRITICAL PIECE THAT WE NEED TO
HELP ENSURE THAT WE GET TO 100%
CLEAN ENERGY THAT HELPS REDUCE
OUR CLIMATE RISK, PROVIDE JOBS,
AND HELP STAVE OFF THE WORST
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE. THANK YOU
ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. CHAIR
AND MEMBERS, READ ADUS ON BEHALF
OF CALTRANS AND 75 OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS OR CLIMATE GEEKS
THAT ARE IN SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN
TOUGH. WE THINK YOU DID IT NOT
ONLY BECAUSE YOU DEVELOPED A
BOND THAT'S GOING TO WORK TO GET
OUT OF THE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE
IT'S INVESTING IN ALL OUR
COMMUNITIES. IT GETS THE
DEFINITIONS RIGHT, IT GETS THE
EQUITY RIGHT, AND IF THERE'S ANY
PROBLEMS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
SIDE, THE ORGANIZATIONS WE WORK
WITH WILL BE HERE TO WORK WITH
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE BUDGET
COMMITTEES EVERY YEAR TO MAKE
SURE THAT THINGS ARE FIXED. THE
OTHER REASON YOU'VE DONE IT
RIGHT IS THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED A
BOND THAT SPEAKS TO THE VOTERS.
VOTERS WANT INFRASTRUCTURE AND
CLEAN WATER. THEY WANT TO REDUCE
WILDFIRE RISK. THEY WANT TO
IMPROVE WILDFIRE. EXCUSE ME?
WILDLIFE. THEY WANT TO PROTECT
OUR RIVERS, STREAMS AND LAKES.
AND THEY WANT CLEAN AIR. YOU'VE
DONE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE
PEOPLE WHO CAME TO BE HEARD
TODAY, AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO
THANK MY COLLEAGUES, SENATOR
MONIQUE LIMON, SOME MEMBER, LORI
WILSON, ASSEMBLYMEMBER EDUARDO
GARCIA, IN ADDITION TO COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, AND ESPECIALLY THE
MEMBER JIM WOOD, WHO STAYED HERE
FOR THE ENTIRE HEARING TO HEAR
FROM THE PEOPLE, THAT IS OUR
JOB, TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE.
THIS IS A $10 BILLION CLIMATE
BOND. IT ADDRESSES THE DIVERSITY
OF NEEDS ACROSS OUR STATE. IT
HAS A LENS ON ACCESSIBILITY,
INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY, IT
SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS,
AS WAS MENTIONED BY SOME OF THE
FOLKS WHO SPOKE ON THE
MICROPHONE. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS
OUR WILDFIRES. WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS SAFE AND AFFORDABLE
DRINKING WATER. WE HAVE TO
INVEST IN THE KIND OF
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO
BRING US CLOSER TO THE
SUSTAINABLE CALIFORNIA THAT WE
CAN ALL LIVE IN, RAISE OUR
FAMILIES IN, AND EXPECT TO BE
HERE IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT INVESTMENT FOR OUR
STATE. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE
WHO'S BEEN A PART OF THIS, AND
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT
CONVERSATIONS ON THE ASSEMBLY
FLOOR. WITH THAT, THE ASSEMBLY
NATURAL RESOURCES, INFORMATIONAL
HEARING ON THIS YEAR'S CLIMATE
BOND IS CONCLUDED.