The compromise, contained in Assembly Bill/Senate Bill 113, passed the state Senate on a 29-4 vote and cleared the Assembly 60-11 on Tuesday, capping months of tension between Newsom and Senate Democrats over how to divide shrinking revenue from California’s cap-and-trade program.

The dispute traces back to changes state air regulators approved in May, which handed fossil fuel companies as much as $2 billion in free pollution permits after heavy lobbying from the oil industry. That decision came on the heels of last fall’s reauthorization of California’s carbon market — the 13-year-old system that charges polluting companies and funnels the proceeds into the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which pays for a range of climate-related projects.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office warned that the May changes could slash the fund’s roughly $4 billion in annual revenue by half, jeopardizing programs that had counted on that money. Senate Democrats pushed back hard, accusing the governor of undermining climate priorities and threatening to hold up other budget items until a fix was found.

Earlier this summer, Newsom and legislative leaders agreed to direct the bulk of available funds — $1.25 billion — toward shoring up the state fire department’s budget, along with $115 million for electric vehicle incentives. But a broader resolution on climate spending was delayed until now.

Tuesday’s deal fills in some of that gap. It sends $230 million to public transit agencies across the state, $70 million toward wildfire prevention, $50 million for land conservation and $40 million for safe drinking water programs. Another $20 million will go to clean air monitoring efforts, $20 million to the University of California’s Climate Institute, $10 million to reduce emissions from farm equipment, and $10 million toward geothermal energy development through the Natural Resources Agency.

More than half of the $450 million comes from money left unallocated in the greenhouse gas fund. Lawmakers also tapped $100 million in interest earnings and borrowed another $100 million from the fire department’s budget, with plans to repay it next year.

The agreement offers a one-time boost to several programs layered on top of their regular funding, which typically fluctuates with carbon auction revenue. Taylor Valmores, senior legislative manager for the Community Water Center, said the state’s safe drinking water program will receive $171 million total this year, including $71 million from the greenhouse gas fund.

“What today’s proposal means is we get to have another year of working towards … serving Californians who are still waiting for that clean water,” Valmores said.

Still, not everyone believes the deal goes far enough. Michael Pimentel, executive director of the California Transit Association, said the $230 million earmarked for regional transit is welcome, but it does nothing to shore up other transit programs supporting bus and rail operations that could see steep funding cuts under the new carbon market rules.

“The bottom has fallen out from the market,” Pimentel said. “We have never faced a year where there has been this type of sudden, shocking decline in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund revenues.”

Other priorities, including affordable housing, received no new money under the agreement. Jordan Grimes, legislative director at the Greenbelt Alliance, which advocates for streamlining housing development, called the omission disheartening.

“It’s pretty deeply disappointing at a time when California needs to be doubling down on our affordable housing goals,” Grimes said.

Original source: CalMatters

The post State Democrats Strip $450 Million in Climate Funding Amid Clash With Newsom appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) is once again rolling out a special 25-cent fare for youths who ride the bus between December 21 and January 12. That means anyone 18 or younger can ride for a quarter to the movies, the mall, a friend’s house, Disneyland — anywhere RTA buses goes, anytime they operate.

Plus, with comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi service and USB charging ports, there’s never been a better time to ride the bus. Show up in style, not in Mom’s minivan.

Parents, rest assured that we’ll get your kids where they need to go safely. With trained drivers and a clean environment, customer safety is our number-one priority.

Planning your trip is easy. Click on the link below to view maps and schedules or contact our Customer Information Center at (951) 565-5002. We’re open until 10 p.m. every day.
https://www.riversidetransit.com/…/riding-th…/maps-schedules

Getting to and from the bus stop may require a short walk, skateboard or bike ride. And yes, you can take your bike or skateboard on the bus. While a school ID is the preferred method of getting a 25-cent ride, bus drivers also accept RTA Youth ID cards, or California driver’s licenses or state IDs showing the rider is under 19 years old.

#RTA #Transit #Winter #December

QUARTER RIDES AVAILABLE

The post QUARTER RIDES AVAILABLE DECEMBER 21, 2019 TO JANUARY 12, 2020 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.