SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are working by way of a whole bunch of payments earlier than the legislative session ends on Thursday.
If accepted, the payments go to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could have till Oct. 14 to resolve whether or not to signal them into regulation, veto them or allow them to grow to be regulation with out his signature.
The state Legislature nearly by no means overrides a veto from the governor, it doesn’t matter what political celebration is in cost.
CHEMICALS IN FOOD
Lawmakers on Tuesday voted to grow to be the primary state to ban 4 chemical compounds from processed meals and drinks bought in California by 2027.
The chemical compounds – purple dye no. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propyl paraben – are nonetheless utilized in in style merchandise like Peeps, the favored marshmallow chicks most related to Easter.
Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the creator of the invoice, stated these chemical compounds have already been banned by the European Union and different international locations due to scientific analysis linking them to well being issues, together with most cancers.
“It is unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety,” Gabriel stated. “This bill will not ban any foods or products – it simply will require food companies to make minor modifications to their recipes.”
An earlier model of the invoice would even have banned titanium dioxide, which is utilized in Skittles. But amendments within the state Senate eliminated that chemical from the ban.
DISCLOSING FINANCIAL RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The state Assembly accepted a invoice requiring corporations making greater than $500 million yearly to reveal what monetary dangers local weather change poses to their companies and the way they plan to handle these dangers.
State Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat from Los Angeles who launched the laws, stated the knowledge can be helpful for people and lawmakers when making private and non-private funding selections. The invoice was modified lately to require corporations to start reporting the knowledge in 2026, as an alternative of 2024, and mandate that they report each different yr, as an alternative of yearly.
The modifications would assist make it extra possible for companies to observe by way of with reporting necessities, stated Anne DiGrazia, a spokesperson for Stern.
The invoice was among the many largest local weather proposals within the state Legislature this yr, gathering help from main corporations together with IKEA and Microsoft, in addition to former California Air Resources Board Chair Mary D. Nichols.
Opponents of the invoice say it will be too burdensome for corporations and is untimely. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may approve guidelines requiring public corporations to reveal their direct and oblique emissions, in addition to how local weather danger impacts their enterprise.
The proposed California mandate would apply to greater than 10,000 corporations, in accordance with Ceres, a coverage group supporting it. The vote comes after the state Legislature despatched one other invoice to Newsom that may require corporations making greater than $1 billion yearly to report their direct and oblique greenhouse gasoline emissions.
CLIMATE CHANGE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
The Senate handed a invoice that may require colleges to show college students, from first grade by way of highschool, in regards to the causes and results of local weather change. The invoice additionally would mandate classes on how one can mitigate and adapt to the results of the altering local weather.
Proponents of the invoice say classes about local weather change are already part of faculty curricula in different international locations together with Italy and New Zealand. Oregon additionally launched laws this yr to mandate local weather change classes, however the invoice didn’t advance.
It would nonetheless want closing approval within the Assembly earlier than ending up on Newsom’s desk.
CANNABIS CAFES
The Legislature despatched a invoice to Newsom’s desk that would create extra so-called “cannabis cafes,” impressed by institutions in Amsterdam the place clients can socialize and buy hashish, espresso and different merchandise.
The invoice would enable native governments to present licenses to hashish dispensaries to promote non-cannabis meals, drinks and tickets to stay music occasions.
Democratic Assemblymember Matt Haney of San Francisco, who launched the invoice, stated it will toughen small hashish companies. He stated many individuals need to have the ability to socialize and take heed to stay music whereas consuming hashish.
“There’s absolutely no good reason from an economic, health or safety standpoint that the state should make that illegal,” Haney stated in an announcement.
• Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
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