California should be a place where democracy and fairness rule. But after another round of record spending on lobbying by oil companies this year, the oil and gas industry has sabotaged key bills designed to protect public health and the climate.
Big Oil lobbying expenditures for the first half of 2024 came in at a whopping $15.3 million, with Chevron as the top spender. Big Oil and their lobbying groups, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA), are on pace to surpass the $27 million record they set just last year! And Aera Energy, Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum, California Resources Corporation (CRC), Synergy Oil & Gas, ExxonMobil, and BP are all top spenders, too.
Sadly, Big Oil’s lies and obstruction are having an impact. In California, the industry just killed several urgent climate bills. Here are three key bills that are now dead:
- SB 1497 (Menjivar) would have required fossil fuel polluters to pay their fair share of damages for their role in causing climate change-fueled disasters.
- SB 252 (Gonzalez) was co-sponsored by The Climate Center and called on state public pension funds to divest from fossil fuels.
- SB 674 (Gonzalez) would have established a statewide standard for air quality monitoring at refineries. It also would have ensured toxic pollutants were measured and best practices used to prevent and address dangerous incidents that have impacted fenceline communities for years.
These defeats are disappointing, but all is not lost. Two key bills that protect public health and the climate are still alive, though they have come under attack from Big Oil and its allies:
- AB 1866 (Hart) would require oil drillers to plug all idle wells statewide within a decade.
- AB 3233 (Addis) would affirm the rights of local governments to restrict and phase out toxic oil and gas facilities in their jurisdictions.
Please take a moment now to urge your legislators to vote yes on AB 1866 and AB 3233. Let Big Oil know that we won’t stand for their lies, their pollution, or their climate destruction anymore.
This blog first appeared in The Climate Center’s bi-weekly newsletter. To keep up with the latest climate news and ways to take action for a climate-safe future, subscribe today!
