Friend,
Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed his new proposal for the next state budget, including an additional $4 billion in cuts and delays to climate programs.
This proposal represents a retreat from our commitment to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. California can’t claim to be serious about taking on the climate crisis by cutting green programs at the same time it hands out huge subsidies to Big Oil and other corporate polluters.
But these cuts aren’t set in stone yet. We have an opportunity to push back and demand a commitment to climate funding in the 2024-25 state budget before the final package is voted on, no later than June 15.
Let’s take a look at the potential cuts in this budget proposal:
Corporate Transparency and Climate Risk Disclosure
Last year, EnviroVoters members across the state helped us pass SB 253 and SB 261, the strongest set of corporate emissions transparency and climate risk disclosure rules in the country. Implementing SB 253, which is estimated to only cost 0.0003% of the state’s total budget in the first year, would make California a world leader in the fight to hold the biggest corporate polluters accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions. But this proposed budget is silent on funding for the implementation of these new laws, leaving them inactive and idle at a time they are more necessary than ever.
Cleaner Transportation
The proposal includes a more than two-year delay for California’s zero-emission vehicle programs. This means not only cuts this year but also reduced anticipated funding in future years, slowing down our transition to cleaner transportation. The most immediate impact? A $600 million cut from this year’s zero-emission vehicle programs, including Clean Cars 4 All, as well as initiatives for clean trucks and public transportation like buses.
Residential Solar Power and Storage
The science is clear: A massive expansion of residential solar power and energy storage is necessary to meet California’s climate goals and reduce building emissions, one of the largest emissions sources in the state. But the proposed budget does not spare residential solar programs either; instead it puts forward $200 million in cuts. At a time when we must ramp up investment in rooftop solar, this move is a step backwards for the Golden State.
Good News… Sort of
For the first time, the Governor has proposed ending some oil and gas subsidies, which would save California taxpayers as much as $22 million this year. While we’re happy to see an interest in cutting oil subsidies to unlock new funding, in a $58 billion budget these specific subsidies represent a drop in the bucket. We can and must do more. In fact, EnviroVoters has signed onto a letter calling on the Governor to end subsidies and tax benefits for the fossil fuel industry — which would save us $9 billion! — at a time when Big Oil and other corporate polluters report record profits year after year.
The silver lining? State legislators now have the opportunity to reshape this narrative as they work on their version of the budget. We need them to understand that reversing these cuts and prioritizing our climate is not just an option but an absolute necessity.
We urge you to join us in voicing your concerns. Let’s remind California leaders that when it comes to climate action, every decision, every dollar, and every day counts.
