Latest news with #AffordableInsuranceandClimateRecoveryAct
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Climate activists miss East Bay state senator with Easter Sunday protest
The Brief Protesters gathered outside State Senator Jesse Arreguín's office on Easter Sunday to urge him to vote yes on the Climate Superfund Bill. Arreguín's office was vacant for the weekend and the protesters' messages were washed away by custodial staff. The Climate Superfund Bill, which would hold polluters accountable for greenhouse gas emissions, is expected to be heard by legislators in the near future. OAKLAND, Calif. - Protesters marched to State Senator Jesse Arreguín's office on Sunday, demanding he vote yes on an environmentally-focused piece of legislation. Unfortunately, the senator and his staff did not receive the message. The protest was organized by the Bay Area chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a political action organization, who wanted Arreguín to vote yes on the Climate Superfund Bill (SB684), which would force fossil fuel polluters to pay for the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Attendees of the event carried signs, left chalk drawings, and hid plastic Easter eggs containing statements about holding polluters responsible for their actions around the premises. Arreguín's Oakland office is only staffed Monday through Friday. A staffer said they were unaware of the protest until KTVU called for comment, and added that the office's janitorial staff had reported picking up "litter" and washing away chalk drawings prior to Monday morning. The backstory The protesters were motivated by Arreguín abstaining from another climate-focused bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, earlier this month. That item, SB 222, only received five of the seven necessary votes at an April 8 hearing. Arreguín, who made climate action a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign for state senate, was one of five representatives who abstained from the vote. Even if Arreguín had been present for the Easter Sunday protest, the action may have been for naught — the April 22 hearing for the Climate Superfund Bill was canceled at the request of its author, Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando) on April 10. A spokesperson for Menjivar's office said the bill's hearing will be rescheduled, but a date has not yet been set. "I am committed to supporting clean, healthy communities and proud to continue the East Bay's strong tradition of protecting our environment, parks, and public health. I appreciate the advocates' passion and look forward to meaningful conversations once this bill is formally back before us," Arreguín said in a statement to KTVU. "As an advocate for environmental causes, I was proud to vote for multiple bills this week that advance our climate action goals. I respect the right to advocate and always encourage folks to reach out to my office directly — we welcome those conversations." Big picture view California is one of several states that have proposed or passed Climate Superfund legislation. New York and Vermont both passed their own versions in 2024, and four other states — Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon — have introduced similar bills. The bill, which was introduced in the state assembly by Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo), would require fossil fuel polluters to pay for their share of the damage caused by greenhouse gases released into the covered period, which the bill defines as between the 1990 and 2024 calendar years. That damage is defined as stemming from the extraction, production, refinement, sale or combustion of fossil fuels or petroleum products, to help relieve the state's current and future taxpayers of the burden. If passed, the bill would require the California Environmental Protection Agency to determine and publish, within 90 days, a list of responsible parties, which the bill defines as an entity with a major ownership interest in a business engaged in extracting or refining fossil fuels that operated in the state during the covered period. That entity would also have to be determined to be responsible for more than 1 billion metric tons of covered fossil fuel emissions. "The Central Coast has faced the devastating impacts of climate change, from floods and wildfires to coastal erosion. This year's fires in Los Angeles serve as a stark reminder that collective inaction has catastrophic consequences for all Californians," Addis said in a press release. "We can't deny that climate change is real, and we must take action now to prepare and rebuild after these devastating events."
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem bill blames LA wildfire damage on fossil fuel emissions, holds oil and gas industry liable
California Democrats are attempting to make state oil and gas companies pay for damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming that fossil fuel emissions are to blame for the deadly disaster. A new Democrat-introduced bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, if passed, would allow for "victims of climate disasters," such as the L.A. fires, and insurance groups to sue oil and gas companies for damages under the claim that their emissions fueled the raging fires. Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill this week, said that fossil fuel companies should pay for fire damage, because they are "driving the climate crisis." "Californians shouldn't be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters. From last year's floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters," state Sen. Scott Wiener wrote in a post on X announcing the legislation. Trump Meets With California Residents, Fire And Law Enforcement Officials To See La Wildfire Damage First Hand The bill, which received the backing of several state lawmakers, comes as Democrats have attempted to blame the recent fires on climate change rather than state and city policies, which have faced heightened criticism in the weeks following the deadly blaze. Read On The Fox News App Just months before the wildfire, the city of Los Angeles slashed the fire department funding by over $17 million. The L.A. fire chief said that there are "not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude." Newsom Thanks Trump For Coming To California To Tour Fire Damage In Tarmac Face-off "We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits," actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. "@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far-left policies have ruined our state. And also our party." Trump used the power of his pen this week to sign an executive order to override the state's environmental policies in order to create more water availability in the L.A. area. In the executive order issued on Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to override regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state's residents amid the article source: Dem bill blames LA wildfire damage on fossil fuel emissions, holds oil and gas industry liable
Fox News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem bill blames LA wildfire damage on fossil fuel emissions, holds oil and gas industry liable
California Democrats are attempting to make state oil and gas companies pay for damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming that fossil fuel emissions are to blame for the deadly disaster. A new Democrat-introduced bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, if passed, would allow for "victims of climate disasters," such as the L.A. fires, and insurance groups to sue oil and gas companies for damages under the claim that their emissions fueled the raging fires. Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill this week, said that fossil fuel companies should pay for fire damage, because they are "driving the climate crisis." "Californians shouldn't be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters. From last year's floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters," state Sen. Scott Wiener wrote in a post on X announcing the legislation. The bill, which received the backing of several state lawmakers, comes as Democrats have attempted to blame the recent fires on climate change rather than state and city policies, which have faced heightened criticism in the weeks following the deadly blaze. Just months before the wildfire, the city of Los Angeles slashed the fire department funding by over $17 million. The L.A. fire chief said that there are "not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude." "We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits," actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. "@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far-left policies have ruined our state. And also our party." Trump used the power of his pen this week to sign an executive order to override the state's environmental policies in order to create more water availability in the L.A. area. In the executive order issued on Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to override regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state's residents amid the wildfires.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California legislation would allow victims to sue oil and gas companies over disasters
Two California Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that could allow people and insurers to sue oil and gas companies for damages sparked by climate change-related disasters such as wildfires and mudslides. The Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, authored by state Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco and Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, accuses fossil fuel companies of misleading the public about the impact of their products on climate change. The bill comes during the very early recovery stages of the devastating wildfires in Southern California earlier this month which have killed at least 28 people and burned more than 35,000 acres. If the measure passes, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such legal action, Wiener told reporters at a news conference Monday in Sacramento. "We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change," said Wiener, flanked by consumer protection and environmental group advocates. "The fossil fuel industry has endless resources, its profits just continue to spiral and spiral into the stratosphere. And we are left holding the bag in terms of paying for these disasters." The source: 'Hotter, drier, and more flammable': Scientists say climate change fueled LA fires Due to the spike in climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies in California have paused or limited new business in the last year and a half, despite rate increases approved or pending with the state's insurance department. Under the proposed measure, people insurance businesses impacted by natural disasters may be able to recoup losses from fossil fuel corporations. Among the insurance companies would be those under California's FAIR Plan, the state insurance option for those who can't get private insurance and are considered by some as a last resort. Wiener said fossil fuel companies need to be a part of the solution for home and business owners who lose their properties. "By forcing the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis to pay their fair share, we can help stabilize our insurance market and make the victims of climate disasters whole," Wiener added in a statement announcing the bill. Pérez pointed to the devastating impact of the wildfires, including the Eaton Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres alone and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in her district. "The reality is that climate change is here, and the fossil fuel industry has known this for decades," Pérez said in a statement. "Now, communities like mine are paying the price, and it's time for Big Oil to take responsibility." Amid the tragedy: 'What America should look like:' loss in the Altadena fires, and a hard road to recovery The suit already has its detractors. The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents oil and gas companies in five states, said it will oppose it. In a statement, president and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the wildfires to "scapegoat" the industry. The state's economy heavily depends on oil and gas, even as California looks to reduce its carbon footprint, she said. "We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics,' Reheis-Boyd said. "Voters are tired of this approach." California State Sen. Roger Niello, R-Roseville, the vice chair of the Senate's Insurance Committee, told reporters at Monday's news conference that he takes exception to the bill. "This furthers the false narrative that this is all about climate change. It is of course much more complicated than that," said Niello, noting he believes the state's Democratic leaders underfund forest management projects statewide and Los Angeles leaders cut funds from the fire department's budget. "Do those issues have anything to do with the conflagration that we've seen in Southern California? I think so," Niello said. "So will Senator Wiener and Perez include in their bill the ability to sue those entities for their role in this, too?" Niello asked. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Calif. lawmakers want oil, gas companies to pay for natural disasters
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
California legislation would allow victims to sue oil and gas companies over disasters
California legislation would allow victims to sue oil and gas companies over disasters Show Caption Hide Caption Trump greeted by Newsom in Los Angeles ahead of wildfires tour President Donald Trump was greeted by Gov. Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles to tour areas hit by the deadly wildfires. Two California Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that could allow people and insurers to sue oil and gas companies for damages sparked by climate change-related disasters such as wildfires and mudslides. The Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, authored by state Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco and Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, accuses fossil fuel companies of misleading the public about the impact of their products on climate change. The bill comes during the very early recovery stages of the devastating wildfires in Southern California earlier this month which have killed at least 28 people and burned more than 35,000 acres. If the measure passes, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such legal action, Wiener told reporters at a news conference Monday in Sacramento. "We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change," said Wiener, flanked by consumer protection and environmental group advocates. "The fossil fuel industry has endless resources, its profits just continue to spiral and spiral into the stratosphere. And we are left holding the bag in terms of paying for these disasters." The source: 'Hotter, drier, and more flammable': Scientists say climate change fueled LA fires Lawmakers: 'Time for Big Oil to take responsibility' Due to the spike in climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies in California have paused or limited new business in the last year and a half, despite rate increases approved or pending with the state's insurance department. Under the proposed measure, people insurance businesses impacted by natural disasters may be able to recoup losses from fossil fuel corporations. Among the insurance companies would be those under California's FAIR Plan, the state insurance option for those who can't get private insurance and are considered by some as a last resort. Wiener said fossil fuel companies need to be a part of the solution for home and business owners who lose their properties. "By forcing the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis to pay their fair share, we can help stabilize our insurance market and make the victims of climate disasters whole," Wiener added in a statement announcing the bill. Pérez pointed to the devastating impact of the wildfires, including the Eaton Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres alone and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in her district. "The reality is that climate change is here, and the fossil fuel industry has known this for decades," Pérez said in a statement. "Now, communities like mine are paying the price, and it's time for Big Oil to take responsibility." Amid the tragedy: 'What America should look like:' loss in the Altadena fires, and a hard road to recovery Opponent says real solutions are needed, not theatrics The suit already has its detractors. The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents oil and gas companies in five states, said it will oppose it. In a statement, president and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the wildfires to "scapegoat" the industry. The state's economy heavily depends on oil and gas, even as California looks to reduce its carbon footprint, she said. "We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics,' Reheis-Boyd said. "Voters are tired of this approach." California State Sen. Roger Niello, R-Roseville, the vice chair of the Senate's Insurance Committee, told reporters at Monday's news conference that he takes exception to the bill. "This furthers the false narrative that this is all about climate change. It is of course much more complicated than that," said Niello, noting he believes the state's Democratic leaders underfund forest management projects statewide and Los Angeles leaders cut funds from the fire department's budget. "Do those issues have anything to do with the conflagration that we've seen in Southern California? I think so," Niello said. "So will Senator Wiener and Perez include in their bill the ability to sue those entities for their role in this, too?" Niello asked.
