As we approach the end of the year, we are reflecting on our major victories in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. In just one year, with the help of our 100,000+ CLCV members across California, we’ve made a difference in building democracy, electing environmental champions, and protecting our future.
We helped passed dozens of bills during this year’s legislative cycle, and we remain committed to working with the Newsom administration, the Legislature, and others to advance policy changes and practical solutions to combat our climate crisis, adapt to a changing world, and better protect our communities for the future.
Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us fight for bold climate action. Our team is ready for the fight ahead and are ready for a big year.
Here are some highlights from this year:
January
We launched our accountability campaigns to stop the appointment of former dirty fossil fuel lobbyists Andrew Wheeler to head the Environmental Protection Agency and David Bernhardt to lead the Interior Department.
February
We launched the 2019 California Environmental Scorecard and commemorated Black History Month by highlighting the work of our friends at Black Women for Wellness and their work to fight for environmental action and reproduction justice.
March
We launched our campaign to support House Resolution 1, also known as the For the People Act, which aims to transform our political system and overhaul campaign financing in our elections system.
The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act was signed into law under bipartisan approval, permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our best option at protecting our parks and outdoors spaces.
April
We joined our partner Clean Tech Party for a victory fundraiser in support of the 2020 re-election campaigns of the seven clean energy and environmental champions elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. We’ve officially endorsed their 2020 campaigns, and hope you will join our efforts to keep them in office next year.
May
We launched new initiatives in the Central Valley and Inland Empire to scale our presence in the region, including our “In Our Backyard” program to educate and inform our newly-elected members of the Legislature to become successful environmental champions!
June
We helped elect former Long Beach City Councilwoman and now Senator Lena Gonzalez in a special election for Senate District 33, previously held by newly-elected Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Lena’s election is critical to helping build a pro-environment majority in our state senate, and since her election, she’s been a strong partner to CLCV in the Legislature.
July
Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 200, establishing the $130 million Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. CLCV advocated for this fund, which helped fix California’s broken water systems and build the necessary infrastructure to grant water access to 1.1 million Californians living without access to clean drinking water, for nearly a decade. While our work is not yet done to ensure water is a human right for all Californians, this was a huge victory for us and would not have been possible without the advocacy of our members!
August
We hosted a press conference & rally in support of ACA 8 (the first bill we’ve sponsored in over a decade!) that aims to lower the voting age in CA to 17.
Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 307, which ensures environmental review of the Cadiz, Inc. water mining project, and we celebrated this huge victory with our friends at the National Parks Conservation Association. This was a two-year campaign, and we’re proud that we successfully halted the unregulated actions of Cadiz, Inc.
September
In yet another attempt to attack California’s environmental progress, President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced plans to end a long-time waive that allows California to set our state’s vehicle emission standards. CLCV launched a defense campaign to protect California and fight back against these dangerous and reckless attacks.
October
California’s wildfires impact hundreds of thousands of residents across the state. CLCV launched our campaign to support survivors of wildfiresand to hold PG&E accountable for their wrongdoings.
Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1057, a priority bill for CLCV which protects California taxpayers from Big Oil’s cleanup costs and revitalizing CalGEM (the agency tasked with protecting of CA’s natural resources)
CLCV-sponsored legislation Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 8, which lowers the voting age in California to 17, is passed by the Assembly—the farthest this bill has ever gone in the history of California.
November
CLCV hosted our first-ever Badass Women in Green Awards, honoring the contributions of phenomenal women making climate action possible today: This is Zero Hour Founder and youth climate activist Jamie Margolin, The 22 Fund Founder Tracy Gray, race car driver and environmental activist Leilani Münter, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Nicole Taylor.
Thank you to everyone who attended this first-ever event – it was a night to remember!
December
We launched our end-of-the-year giving campaign for the CLCV Education Fund to support our efforts to build democracy, grow our regional power, and protect our future. Members, like you, help us. Your tax-deductible donation today helps us scale our efforts to make bold action on climate change possible and is an investment in this fight.
We’re proud of what we were able to accomplish just this year, but one thing is clear: CLCV and CLCV Education Fund’s work is only possible with the support of friends, like you. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to invest in helping us fighting for our environment.
Thank you for standing strong with us.
Cheers!
