The California Legislature has a handy website that allows users to find and track the thousands of bills that are introduced during its two-year sessions. If one enters “California Environmental Quality Act” into the website’s search function, 171 bills pop up for the session that ended a fortnight ago, implying the Legislature’s penchant for...
Producers Dairy Wants to Close H Street. Protests Planned.
A Fresno milk processor's $4 million plan to improve trucking efficiency and air quality would close a street leading toward downtown Fresno. Producers Dairy wants to close H Street between Palm and Belmont avenues — south of the Tower District — citing the need for truck parking. The proposal would...
Schwarzenegger, Brown Talk Solar and Robots in Clovis
Arnold Schwarzenegger's star still shines. The Hollywood celebrity, former California governor, and WWE Hall of Famer headlined a celebration of solar energy at the Buchanan High School's CTE amphitheater in Clovis. Listen to this article: "The Terminator" shared the stage with his successor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, in an event...
California Must Stop Relying on the Endangered Species Act to Manage the Environment
In California, state and federal endangered species acts play an important and often outsized role in regulating water and land management. These powerful laws are also often at the center of conflicts between environmental and economic uses of water. The state and federal acts have helped prevent the extinction of...
Borgeas Goes to White House. Talks About Trump Meeting.
State Sen. Andreas Borgeas of Fresno isn't quite sure how he received an invitation to the White House this week. On Wednesday, Borgeas stood behind President Donald Trump while the president signed two executive orders easing government regulations and increasing transparency. Listen to this article: "I don't have any independent confirmation...
Newsom Vetoes SB 1 Environmental Bill Criticized as "Job Killer"
Gov. Gavin Newsom angered some allies on Friday by vetoing a bill aimed at blunting federal rollbacks of clean air and endangered species regulations in the state. The governor's action comes two weeks after the passage of SB 1 in the final hours of the state's legislative session. The bill...
Behind Newsom's Break with Democrats on Environmental ‘Trump Insurance’ Bill
In a break with the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom sided with farmers and water agencies Saturday by rejecting legislation aimed at blocking the Trump administration from rolling back endangered species protections. Over Newsom’s objections, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins pushed forward with votes on what is the most...
Bill to Ban Most Paper Receipts in California Fails
SACRAMENTO — Those body-length receipts from retail stores are here to stay. A bill before the California Legislature would have banned paper receipts unless requested by a customer. But a legislative committee voted Friday not to send the legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. The move means the...
Many Kids Take a Passion for the Planet Back to School
For many kids, heading back to school means more than resuming classes and homework. It means getting back to clubs and student organizations focused on sustainability — everything from composting and recycling to reducing food waste and promoting cleaner oceans and waterways. "There's a lot of passion there, and a...
Brazil Accepts Planes From Chile to Fight Amazon Fires
PORTO VELHO, Brazil — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday said he has accepted four planes from Chile to help fight Amazon fires, and he accused the French president of portraying himself as "the one and only person" concerned about the environment. In criticizing French leader Emmanuel Macron, Bolsonaro extended...