Assembly Bill to curtail Caltrans' pesticides use considered by Senate Appropriations committee on August 15th, 2024.
Call to Action: Email the Senate Appropriations Committee, tell them why AB99 is important to you and your community (scroll down for instructions.)
Introduced in 2023, Assembly Bill 99 (Assembly Member Damon Connolly) was stalled in the Senate Appropriations committee last August after speeding through all previous Assembly and Senate subcommittees like lightening. The source of force for AB99 was clear in that it garnered huge public and organizational support. AB99 was championed by a broad coalition of over 80 California public interest organizations including the Sierra Club and the Environmental Working Group, 26 farming and ranching organizations, 30 individual elected officials, and hundreds of individual citizens who showed up consistently to state hearings to make sure the voice of their communities was heard. It is also supported unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in Sonoma, Napa, Marin, and Humboldt Counties.
In fact, saying "no" to AB99 was so difficult for Assembly and Senate committees that that only thing that could stop it was its price tag. However, after a year of negotiations and budget reevaluations the bill is back and co-authored with Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Mike McGuire and Assembly Members Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Corey Jackson, Ash Karla, Philip Ting, Akilah Weber, and Lori Wilson.
The price tag of AB99 has been revised to a modest $10 million, which though small change for Caltrans still has the bill under intense scruteny. Caltrans' budget will be $17.5 billion next year. It is important to remember that most of AB99 can be considered deferred maintenance or "deferred compliance" as the requirements in AB99 mirror the intentions put forth in Caltrans' 1992 EIR. AB99 would help Caltrans and the State come into compliance to actualize work that it had already planned for decades ago.
The need for AB99 is strong: data analysis of Caltrans' pesticide use over the last 30 years clearly points at an extreme overuse of pesticides like RoundUpTM on public land paid for with taxpayer's funds. In other words, AB99 would essentially help the state avoid a lawsuit.
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Call to Action Instructions - Email Senate Appropriations members THIS WEEK in support of an "aye" vote on AB99.
SUGGESTED TEXT:
Dear Senator,
Thank you for considering AB99 (Connolly) for Appropriations Committee vote. AB99 would help Caltrans improve its Integrated Pest Management program to avoid unnecessary pesticide use. This bill has been crafted to offer Caltrans flexibility in implementing these important changes that will keep communities and workers safe and healthy.
Caltrans already manages roadsides in several jurisdictions, including Humboldt County, without chemicals for routine maintenance. This bill would allow for the cross pollination of non-chemical methods for vegetation management in other areas throughout the state, where appropriate and feasible.
Much of what is contained in AB99 could be viewed as deferred compliance. Caltrans has stated goals of pesticide use reduction in the past, but has deferred the implementation of these goals. In some cases, this has lead to an overuse of toxic chemicals, like RoundUp/glyphosate on public lands.
AB99 is not only supported by my family but also a broad coalition of over 80 California public interest organizations including the Sierra Club and the Environmental Working Group, 26 farming and ranching organizations, 30 individual elected officials, and hundreds of individual citizens who showed up consistently to state hearings to make sure the voice of their communities was heard. It is also supported unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in Sonoma, Napa, Marin, and Humboldt Counties.
AB99 is personally important in my community because....
Thank you again for considering this important bill. I respectfully request an "aye" vote on August 15.
Best regards,
XXX
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Senate Appropriations Committee Emails:
**Address email to both senator and Chief of Staff
Senator Anna Caballero
Chief of Staff Luis A. Quinonez
Capitol Office:(916) 651-4014
Senator Angelique Ashby
Chief of Staff Cassidy Denny
Phone — (916) 651-4008
Senator Josh Becker
Chief of Staff Bryan King
Phone: (916) 651-4013
Senator Steven Bradford
Chief of Staff Carolyn McIntyre
Phone: (916) 651-4035
Senator Aisha Wahab
Chief of Staff Nurges Gheyszada
Phone: (916) 651-4410
Please also call or emailing Senator Mike McGuire's office to thank him for co-sponsoring AB99 and to tell him why it's important for you that he prioritize pushing AB99 through this important hurdle.
Santa Rosa 707-576-2771
San Rafael 415-479-6612
Sacramento 916-651-4002
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