Agriculture
AB 541, Huffman. Provides that a seed patent holder that suspects the unauthorized presence of seed on a farmer's land must first notify the farmer, or his or her agent, in writing, of an alleged breach of contract or patent infringement, submit a written request to enter the property, and obtain the written permission of the farmer prior to entering the property to take a crop sample.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Air Quality
CEQA
Coastal
SB 1295, Ducheny. Would make more difficult the Coastal Commission's ability to appeal local development permits.
Caucus Position: Recommend Oppose
AB 1950, Lieu. Allows boaters to voluntarily turn-in their dilapidated vessels to local governments for proper disposal rather then abandoning them in marinas or state waterways.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Electronic Waste
Eminent Domain
SCA 1, McClintock. Further limits the use of eminent domain and provides for greater compensation.
Caucus Position: Recommend Oppose
Energy
AB 94, Levine. Changes the law so that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources is increased to an amount that equals at least 33% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2020.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
AB 1776, DeVore. Overturns California's nuclear safety laws.
Caucus Position: Recommend Oppose
AB 2030, Lieu. Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to adopt new standards phasing in the construction of "zero net energy buildings."
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Forestry
Global Warming
AB 6, Houston. Existing law requires the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, as specified, and requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions. This bill would instead require the state board to adopt market-based compliance mechanisms.
Caucus Position: Recommend Oppose
Parks & Recreation
AB 31, De Leon. As relates to the Urban Park Act of 2006, expands the definition of "heavily urbanized county" eligible for grants to include counties with a population of 350,000 (instead of 500,000) or more people and a density of at least 900 (instead of 1,100) persons per square mile.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Public Health
SB 4, Oropeza. Makes it an infraction for a person to smoke a pipe, cigar, or cigarette on a state coastal beach or in a unit of the state park system.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Sustainability
AB 35, Ruskin. Enacts the Sustainable Building Act of 2007 and would require the California Integrated Waste Management Board, by July 1, 2009, to adopt regulations for sustainable building standards for the construction or renovation of state buildings.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Toxics
AB 48, Saldana. Phases out the use of specified hazardous materials in consumer electronics, consistent with European Union ROHS Directive.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Transportation
Waste Reduction & Recycling
Water
SB 27, Simitian. Enacts the Clean Drinking Water, Water Supply Security, and Environmental Improvement Bond Act of 2007 which, if approved by the voters would authorize, for purposes of financing a water conveyance and environmental improvement program, the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,000,000,000.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
AB 2046, Jones. Excludes contaminated groundwater from water supply estimates in city/county development determinations and urban water management plans.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support
Wilderness
Wildlife
AJR 41, Lieu. Memorializes the federal government to adopt a final rule to extend the federal Endangered Species Act protections to the polar bear, and to advance several penguin species to the next stage in the federal Endangered Species Act listing process, with a formal proposal to list them as threatened or endangered.
Caucus Position: Recommend Support