Advocates and leaders rally to defend California’s climate budget

California’s budget should invest in clean air and eliminate wasteful fossil fuel subsidies

During Earth Week, Environment California and partners held a rally in Sacramento to call on Governor Newsom and the Legislature to restore funding for programs in the budget that deliver clean air, clean cars and healthy homes for Californians. Six state legislators spoke at the rally: Assemblymember Damon Connolly, Assemblymember Rick Zbur, Assemblymember Dawn Addis, Assemblymember Chris Ward, Assemblymember Laura Friedman and Senator Dave Min.

The rally followed a critical Assembly budget subcommittee hearing, where advocates gave public comments about why California must maintain funding for clean air and climate programs.

While state leaders are facing some tough decisions given a large budget deficit, we know that every dollar saved today by cutting climate investments will only cost us far more in the future. The state’s proposed budget includes $600 million in cuts for critical clean transportation programs like Clean Cars 4 All, and $283 million in cuts for the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program. These are just a few of the programs that help Californians breathe cleaner air and have healthier homes.

One way we can recover funds for vital, life-saving clean air programs is by eliminating all subsidies for polluting oil and gas companies that are worsening our air quality and fueling climate change. By eliminating the Water’s Edge tax dodge, which big oil and gas companies benefit from, we could potentially redirect billions toward clean air and climate programs. California should also divert funding away from unnecessary and harmful highway expansion projects.

Governor Newsom and state legislators must advance a state budget that protects critical climate investments and eliminates wasteful spending that runs counter to our clean air goals.