The California Climate Accountability Project has released its updated climate scorecard to reflect all of the 2023 legislative votes. The updated scorecard showcases California’s climate leaders and California’s climate laggards. Curious about how a legislator voted on climate issues? Wondering how much money their campaigns received from Oil & Gas? Take a look at the new scores on the California Climate Accountability Project’s interactive webtool.
As California faces the growing challenges of climate change, including wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat, residents are asking more from legislators on climate and clean energy. In fact, 70% say they want the electricity grid to run on 100% renewable energy by 2035. Thus, it is paramount that our elected officials uphold promises and act as responsible stewards of our environment, properly representing constituents.
2023 was another important year for climate legislation in California. Several key climate bills crossed the governor’s desk this year. The below bills have been added to the scorecard from the 2023 legislative session. These bills are critical to California’s clean energy future and residents should be able to easily understand how their legislators voted on these bills. The 2023 climate bills that have been added to the scorecard are:
- SB 253 Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act
- SB 261 Greenhouse gasses: climate-related financial risk
- AB 1167 Oil and gas: acquisition: bonding requirements
- AB 631 Oil and gas: enforcement: penalties
We know that California politics isn’t always black and white and not every legislator who accepts Oil & Gas money allows it to influence their vote. However, it is clear that the fossil fuel industry is constantly trying to buy power and influence. While perhaps some Californians would not be surprised that certain Republicans received Oil & Gas funding and then were aligned with the oil and gas industry in opposing climate legislation, several Democrats also failed to protect California’s climate. In total, seven Democrats both accepted financial contributions from oil and gas and failed to support any of the climate bills detailed above. They are:
- Marie Alvarado-Gil (Senator, District 4)
- Jasmeet Bains (Assemblymember, District 35)
- Mike Gipson (Assemblymember, District 65)
- Tim Grayson (Assemblymember, District 15)
- Blanca Rubio (Assemblymember, District 48)
- Esmeralda Soria (Assemblymember, District 27)
- Carlos Villapudua (Assemblymember, District 13)
2024 is a seminal year for climate and clean energy legislation in California and across the country because scientists say we must rapidly reduce emissions and limit warming to avoid the most devastating and irreversible impacts of climate change.. We’ll continue to ensure that the public knows when legislators take Oil & Gas money and subsequently do not support critical climate legislation. Stay tuned throughout the year for more updates and information on your legislator’s climate accountability.
The California Climate Accountability Project urges Californians to examine their legislators – explore our webtool to access comprehensive information about legislators’ voting records and financial ties to Oil & Gas interests.