'Sad Day In California': Lake Elsinore Lawmakers Critical Of Cap-And-Trade Extension

COACHELLA, CA — The bill by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, extending the state's cap and trade program was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown Tuesday, with a companion bill slated for signing Wednesday. AB 398 extends the state's cap and trade system to 2030 and requires facilities that emit greenhouse gases to purchase emission permits to do so. The program was originally slated to expire in 2020.

Garcia, Brown, and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hailed the signing as a landmark move to combat climate change at a ceremony held in San Francisco Tuesday.

"California has come together to act on climate, united across party lines with one clear vision of the future. I applaud the great vision of Governor Brown, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon," Garcia said.

"Together, through an unprecedented collaborative, bipartisan effort, AB 398 will establish a comprehensive mechanism to allow us to achieve our ambitious climate goals, retain industry jobs to sustain our ever growing, clean green economy, all while addressing vital public health and air quality issues.

As we work to reach our 2030 emission reduction goals, over time this system would reduce tax burden and prove significantly less costly to Californian households."

A companion measure, AB 617, would establish a program for reporting emissions and measuring air quality, while also increasing criminal and civil penalties against those who violate air pollution laws.

The bill is expected to be signed at a ceremony in Bell Gardens Wednesday, to be attended by Brown, Garcia and Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D- Bell Gardens.

"California is leading the world in dealing with a principal existential threat that humanity faces," Brown said. "We are a nation-state in a globalizing world and we're having an impact and you're here witnessing one of the key milestones in turning around this carbonized world into a decarbonized, sustainable future."

Sen. Jeff Stone, R-La Quinta, was among area Republican legislators who feel the bills will harm consumers in the long run by raising both taxes and gas prices.

"This package of bills is nothing more than a huge tax increase on California's working families who will now have to choose between gasoline and food while making the coastal elites who fly around the world in their private jets talking about global warming feel good about themselves," Stone said when the state Senate passed the extension of the cap and trade program last week.

"Today is a sad day in California because taxpayers, environmentalists, and consumers all lost," he added. "Even worse, today was a day when nobody really won because this package won’t accomplish anything but will cost much."

Stone also was among a number of Republicans who called for Assembly Minority Leader Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley to resign following his support of the cap and trade extension.

After AB 398 was approved by the Assembly and Senate last week, Stone said "Today is a sad day in California because taxpayers, environmentalists and consumers all lost. Even worse, today was a day when nobody really won because this package won't accomplish anything but will cost much."

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, who also voted against the bill and resigned as assistant leader of the Assembly's Republican Caucus last week in response to Mayes' support of cap and trade, also lamented what she felt would be higher costs passed onto consumers.

"For those struggling (to) make ends meet, your struggle just got harder," she tweeted shortly following the vote.

Tonight Cap and Trade was passed. For those struggling the make ends meet, your struggle just got harder. MM pic.twitter.com/m8ss6wr0cr
— Melissa Melendez (@asmMelendez) July 18, 2017

— By City News Service / Photo credit: Emily Hagopian via Office of the Governor