The bad news is that in the last three days of sessions, Governor Newsom has submitted six bills to pass with no vetting, no meetings, and no hearings. We don’t even know what’s in them and neither do most of our legislators. At least one, AB 3121, has gathered experts’ opinions that it won’t work as advertised, and if fact, will harm those it professes to help.
This is going to a vote today and Bennett won’t publicly commit! If he’s not yours, do you know how your assemblymember is voting on this important bill?
Minimal call or email script to Assemblymembers: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Assemblymember[____] to know that I want them to support to SB-1374 – Net Energy Metering, that allows schools, farms, apartment buildings and others to use the solar power they generate, instead of having to buy all their power at market rates from greedy investor-owned utility companies. (Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric).
State Assemblymember Steve Bennett: (CA-38): email, SAC (916) 319-2038, VTA (805) 485-4745
Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 23rd and a whole slew of appearances at a city council meeting near you!
Wednesday, July 17, 6:30 PM Moorpark City Hall
Monday, July 22, 6:30 PM Simi Valley City Hall
Tuesday, July 23, 8:30 AM Tuesday, County Board of Supervisors, County of Ventura Hall of Administration
Tuesday, July 23, 6:00 PM Ojai City Hall
Tuesday, July 30, 6:00 PM Oxnard City Hall
Wednesday, August 7, 6:30PM Santa Paula City Hall
“Election Denial poses an ongoing threat to U.S. democracy.”
Trump’s lies about his loss in 2020 has spawned a whole eco-system of right-wing election-deniers, from self-certified armchair “experts,” to county and state officials who are delaying or withholding certifications of election results. He’s apparently chosen his vice president based on his willingness to ignore the Constitution and overthrown a federal election if necessary.
The election-deniers are back at it – spreading false claims of voter fraud and causing unnecessary anxiety for those who believe them. It’s funny, though, how their solutions to imaginary problems always require real suppression of access to the vote!
JOIN THE COMMUNITY IN PROTECTING ACCESS TO THE BALLOT!
Tuesday, June 18th, 11:30 am, Agenda item #93 Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting. Ventura County Government Center – Hall of Administration 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura (It’s the building closest to the corner of Victoria and Telephone – 1st Floor.)
Why makes our California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) so great?
(Indivisible CA Green Team ) “We need to fight the Utility Tax all the way. Currently, it is uncapped, which means $24/month is just the start. Utilities have been clear that their intention is have the utility tax rise to $80 a month or more!” Related and just as bad – utility companies use our money to pay for lobbying to ensure that we never actually get affordable clean energy.
BECAUSE OF “FURIOUS CONSTITUENTS BLOWING UP THEIR PHONES”, a group of Democratic lawmakers, including Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, introduced AB 1999, which would cap their taxat $5 for low-income folks, and $10 for others. Then it was “quietly shelved in the Assembly without receiving a single vote,” thanks to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.
(Revised 05/10/24)BECAUSE OFYOUR CALLS, AB-1999 IS BACK! – with a compromise – it caps the Utility Tax at $24 a month, limits increases to inflation, and sunsets the tax after three years. Yes, it’s still twice the national utility tax average, BUT IT IS CAPPED! That means it can only rise with the cost of inflation and cannot jump to $70 or $100 a month without legislation (PG&E wanted to START with $92!), and puts the whole process in the public eye. Even with this compromise – a “YES” vote is not an easy lift and the results will be felt by low and medium users first. (Check out the chart below under “Deeper Dive!”) Tell your legislators that you are tired at the endless price-gouging of investor-owned-utilities (IOU) like PG&E!
VOTING IS WEDNESDAY 5/15! Make your calls on Monday and Tuesday!!!
Part #1: “BLOW UP THE PHONES” of Assemblymember Speaker Rivas, who derailed AB-1999
The oligarchs behind Project 2025 are not just interested in the demise of democracy on a federal level. We must remain vigilant to their profiteering incursions at state and local levels as well.
(What the heck is Project 2025? Quick primer here.)
(Indivisible CA Green Team ) Our calls have immense power! But it’s a process and we can’t let up.
Now, we need calls to rescue Irwin’s bill from legislative limbo. Assembly Speaker Rivas has “parked” it the Rules Committee,’ where it can be conveniently forgotten. Make sure he know we are watching by CALLING HIM OUT EVERY DAY!
(From Indivisible CA Green Team) On April 17, Assembly Energy Chair Petrie-Norris allowed poison pill amendments to AB 2256 and AB 2619, gutting two great bills that would have required the CPUC to include all the benefits of rooftop solar in their NEM proposal. These amendments were so unacceptable that both authors had to pull their bills.
This coming Wednesday, April 24, we have another shot. AB 2256 is on the agenda, and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s bill – AB 1999, the repeal of the utility tax, needs to be heard, as well. We need everyone to call Asm Petrie-Norris to pass these 2 bills with no amendments and our own assemblymembers to have them apply pressure! The utilities are doing everything to kill these bills that harm their profits so that our rates can continue to go up with no end in sight. (First post on this issue here.) Note:
Everyone, even non-constituents, can call Ass. Petrie-Norris, as she is the chair of the committee.
We need your calls today and Monday! CA should be a leader in rooftop solar and it should be affordable for everyone!
After our utilities and our CA Public Utility Commission colluded to tank our solar industry and eliminate 17,000 good jobs, a group of state lawmakers are proposing to get rooftop solar growing again while also protecting our right to make solar energy without taxes or penalties. The hearings on this are next week, Tuesday and Wednesday. The utilities are pulling out all stops to kill our important bills, especially AB 1999, the repeal of the utility tax.
Call your state assemblymember and senator to tell them to pass these bills and get rooftop solar growing again.
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 