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Governor Gavin Newsom announced a historic agreement that strengthens California’s partnership with Mexico and advances key border projects and initiatives. In Mexico City, state representatives and a delegation of regional leaders joined the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to sign the new Toll Revenue Sharing Agreement with Mexico which supports the construction of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry at the San Diego-Tijuana border. The new state-of-the-art border crossing facility will reduce wait times, curb greenhouse gas emissions, power economic growth and bolster binational trade along the busiest border region in the Western Hemisphere.

“Mexico is one of California’s most important international partners and we share a deep bond that stretches back generations,” said Governor Newsom. “Our state is a national leader when it comes to international cooperation and smart, clean infrastructure investments that are critical to the U.S. supply chain. At a time when states are using the border as a wedge issue to divide people, California and Mexico are showing how cross-border agreements can strengthen our communities while growing our economy and bringing a host of shared benefits.”

Congressmember Scott Peters, California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Assemblymembers David Alvarez and Chris Ward witnessed the signing of the Toll Revenue Sharing Agreement, which comes on the heels of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Project receiving a $150 million INFRA grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the largest award nationally, which will go toward the construction of the new border crossing facility and related transportation infrastructure. The new port of entry is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.

“This new agreement, which I signed as a witness, will bring economic prosperity to our cross-border region,” said Lt. Governor Kounalakis. “The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is a vital link in our nation’s supply chain and in creating thousands of jobs. This historic revenue sharing agreement solidifies the joint commitment of California and the Government of Mexico to boosting trade and creating jobs.”

U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar noted the significance of the signing on “California Day” with a local reception to recognize Caltrans, SANDAG, and local partners who have built the necessary supporting transportation infrastructure and have planned and developed the Otay Mesa East priority project over the last several decades.

“California and Mexico share just 140 of the 2,000 miles of our border, but Cali-Baja punches far above its weight in terms of its contributions to our binational economy and family,” said Ambassador Salazar. “The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is proof of the dynamism and creativity of our relationship and a symbol of the 21st-century border we want to create.”

The State Route 11 Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project is a joint venture between SANDAG and Caltrans in collaboration with state and federal partners in the U.S. and Mexico to create a 21st-century border crossing for the San Diego-Baja California megaregion that will enhance regional mobility and fuel economic growth and binational trade.

The proposed border improvements will provide fast, predictable, and secure border crossings by constructing a four-lane, tolled road connecting directly to a state-of-the-art Customs and Border Protection Land Port of Entry and a California Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility.

Governor Newsom’s approach to border policy recognizes the vibrancy of the border region and that safe cross-border movement of people and goods are essential for California, regional economies and the many residents who cross the border daily for school, family and business. The administration prioritizes safety, strengthening our economic ties, as the agreement does, and supporting humanitarian efforts that protect the health and well-being of arriving migrants and our border communities. California recently invested $477 million to support the state’s model COVID-19 response and humanitarian efforts at the southern border.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Top officials from California and New Zealand signed a pledge Friday agreeing to help fight climate change by sharing ideas and best practices, including how to put millions more electric vehicles on the road.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about the agreement at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The agreement doesn’t commit either government to specific policies but outlines broad areas for cooperation.

“We have a natural connection and I’m so pleased we’ve put pen to paper today to confirm that and continue our cooperation on one of the great challenges from our generation,” Ardern said.

Cars, trucks and other parts of the transportation sector are California’s biggest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, and New Zealand’s second largest behind agriculture, Ardern said. California is moving to ban sales of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035. New Zealand wants 30% of all car sales to be electric by that year.

Newsom said he expects competition to grow in the electric vehicle market, which Tesla currently dominates, likening it to when Netflix started facing competition from other streaming services. Ardern said her government will talk with California officials about programs that offer incentives for people to get rid of older, gas-guzzling cars.

New Zealand is home to 5 million people compared to California’s population of 39 million and has a much smaller economy. Both are experiencing the effects of climate change. California just recorded its driest winter on record as a drought grips the state. New Zealand’s most recent winter, which takes place from June to August, was the hottest on record.

New Zealand is heavily focused on reducing emissions from its vital agriculture industry. Beef and dairy dominate the nation’s farming sector and milk products are its largest export. Worldwide, cattle are a major source of emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

California is also home to a major farming industry that produces many of the world’s fruits and vegetables. The agreement says the two governments may engage in joint projects to expand farming practices that build soil health, reduce methane emissions and boost water efficiency.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed by Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and Jeremy Clarke-Watson, New Zealand’s consul-general in Los Angeles.

California already has climate-focused agreements with many other nations, including China, Canada, and Mexico.

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, also a Democrat, helped launch a coalition of 270 subnational governments, aimed at keeping an increase in emissions to below 2 degrees Celsius.

At last year’s global climate change conference in Scotland, California signed a brief joint declaration with New Zealand and the Canadian province of Quebec to share information on climate policies including carbon markets.

Because of Ardern’s high-profile role in the wake of the 2019 massacre of 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, the issue of gun control was also expected to come up.

Newsom is pressuring the state Legislature to send him a package of gun reform bills in the wake of this week’s killing of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.

Less than a month after the Christchurch shootings, New Zealand’s parliament voted to outlaw most automatic and semi-automatic weapons.

Newsom and Ardern did not publicly discuss gun control, though Ardern addressed her country’s actions on the issue in response to a question about the “shared values” between California and New Zealand.

“It was clear that the New Zealand public expected its politicians to find solutions and quickly,” Ardern said. “Now are they the answer to all of our issues as they relate to weapons in New Zealand? No, but they were practical steps that we believe were necessary, and that would make a difference. And so we made them.”

Investigators say an 18-year-old gunman who shot and killed 10 shoppers at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, targeting Black people, had researched the racist Christchurch shooting and also livestreamed the attack as the Christchurch shooter did.

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