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A coalition of grassroots Indivisible groups using civic engagement to advance progressive values in the California state government

Newsletter

August 2, 2018

               

In This Issue:

Indivisibles in Action!

Indivisible 34
Left to right: Daryl Gale, Abigail Phoenix, Liseth Zardeneta (staff), Jennifer Tanner, Rafael Chago, Carolyn Caswell, Patrice Aaires

On July 23, the newly minted Indivisible 34 met with Assemblymember Santiago’s staff to thank him for reversing his position and agreeing to reinstate SB 822 (net neutrality) as it was before it was gutted, and then went on to talk about opposing AB 813 (which would create a regional energy grid operator to replace local state control of our energy system). They created a new Indivisible group and a StateStrong liaison for AD 34, and all those present will be continuing a monthly visit to Santiago’s office to share what is important to the constituents and to collaborate with their legislator about their community. Congratulations to Indivisible 34 for their proactive efforts! You can read more about these bills in our “Important Legislative Votes in August” section.
 

Lobby Day August 21

Calling on all California Indivisible groups to lobby their state Senators on Tuesday, August 21 on behalf of AB 3131 – the police militarization bill we are co-sponsoring (see next section) – as well as other bills designed to improve policing in California.

If you can join ACLU and us in Sacramento on 8/21, please RSVP here: http://bit.ly/SacAdvocacy2018

If you can’t come to Sacramento, please plan an in-district drop-in visit to your Senator’s district office. Stay tuned in Slack for information and educational items to take with you to your Senators office.
 

Important Legislative Votes in August

Following its recess during the month of July, the state legislature reconvenes in August, and will be passing bills through the Appropriation Committees and then, if they’ve passed the committee, having a final floor vote. Some bills will be going directly to a floor vote. We’ve highlighted several important bills with upcoming votes that we hope you’ll contact your representatives about (if they are not an author or sponsor of the bill). For a more comprehensive look at our priority bills that you may wish to take action on, visit our blog.

In general, if a bill originated in the Assembly (any bill beginning with “AB”), it is now in the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on Monday, August 6. Bills originating in the Senate (beginning with “SB”) are generally now in the Assembly.
 

Local Accountability for Police Use of Military Equipment – Yes on AB 3131


Next vote: Senate Floor, no vote scheduled

Please contact your state Senator to urge their support for the floor vote.

AB 3131, which provides local oversight for law enforcement acquisition of military surplus equipment, will be heard this month on the Senate floor. AB 3131 will require local law enforcement agencies to hold public hearings if they plan to acquire military-grade equipment. Our communities have a right to know and be heard when our police want military gear.

For a call script for AB 3131, as well as a list and description of other bills designed to improve policing in California, visit our website on police reform.

Bill sponsors: Indivisible CA: StateStrong, the ACLU of California Center for Advocacy & Policy, the Friends Committee on Legislation of California, and Anti Police-Terror Project.


Lobby Day for AB 3131 – Tuesday, August 21st

See our section above on Lobby Day August 21 for details about joining the effort to pass this important bill.
 

Save Our Energy Grid! – No on AB 813


Next vote: Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 13

AB 813 is an anti-environmental bill that goes under the mild title of "grid regionalization." It sounds fine at first glance: it would set up a grid operator among a number of western states to distribute electricity amongst them. However, California would be ceding control to a group of energy industry insiders from fossil fuel-powered states, which includes five states who have sued the EPA over the clean power plan.

Instead of this resulting in exporting renewables, as those with rose-colored glasses (and corporate environmental groups) are promising, it’s very clear this would likely result in California exporting green jobs, importing coal, and then being forced to pay for the infrastructure to do it. California would be backtracking on its previous commitment to 100% green energy within a few decades and on our sustainability goals.

Points of Opposition (see also our “Further Reading” section below):

1. AB 813 Removes California’s Control Over Its Grid Operator.

In 2004, California won a lawsuit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to have our own state’s rights and set up our own California Independent System Operator (CAISO). Consequently, California appoints 100% of its oversight board. If a regional grid operator is formed, all of the protections and powers that California won in its lawsuit will be eliminated, leaving us vulnerable to energy industry insiders from fossil fuel states and federal regulators. Four of the five FERC commissioners are now Trump appointees.

2. Regional Grid Operation is Less Safe.

Regional Transmission Operators (the type of organization that would run a regional grid) invite Enron-like market manipulation, cyber security risk, and expand physical vulnerabilities. Longer transmission lines increase fire hazard potential along with increased potential for hacking. Smaller is better. Even the military is shifting to microgrids.

3. California Will Lose Jobs.

Organized labor is against the bill because we are assured the loss of at least 23,000 good paying middle-class union solar- and wind-energy jobs. The Sierra Club estimates that we will lose 110,000 jobs.

4. Environmental, Labor, and Industry Groups Oppose AB 813.

Part of the problem is the Environmental Defense Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council are for this bill, and historically we know that these groups are more corporate-friendly than we would hope. Sierra Club, Indivisible, and the 350 environmental groups strongly oppose it. Additionally, in its analysis of the bill, the California Senate Judiciary Committee lists those in opposition to AB 813 as including The Utility Reform Network, the State Building and Construction Trades Council and other labor organizations, the California Municipal Utilities Association, and California Environmental Justice Alliance.

5. Claims of Cost Savings Are Based on a Flawed Study.

Advocates for AB 813 regularly reference a CAISO study that claims over a billion dollars in savings to California ratepayers. Fact check: The study uses pricing for California solar that is double today’s market prices. We are already seeing battery prices today that are lower than what the study assumed would be available in 2030. Based on those two items alone, California should at the very least demand an up to date study before undertaking such a major endeavor with flawed assumptions that could prove the gain is illusory.

6. The Claim of a Need for Renewable Energy Curtailment is False.

Advocates for AB 813 say that a larger grid operator is needed to integrate renewable energy into our system. However, the facts prove otherwise. “Energy curtailment” refers to the process whereby renewable electricity power plants need to be shut down or the power turned into waste heat during some hours of the year because the excess capacity cannot be used locally. However, even with all the renewable energy capacity that has been built, this is hardly a problem because the curtailed renewable electricity has amounted at maximum to only 0.2% of the overall electricity generated for California during that time (or approximately 1/600th of the overall capacity).

If your state Senator is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, please urge them to vote “No!” AB 813.

Further Reading:

 

Rape Kit Testing – Yes on SB 1449 and AB 3118


Next vote: SB 1449 – Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, August 8


AB 3118 – Senate Appropriations on Monday, August 6

The ongoing failure of California law enforcement agencies to completely account for and test all rape kits in their possession continues to hit the headlines. The arrest of the alleged Golden State Killer, thought responsible for a crime spree that includes at least 12 murders and 45 rapes over a ten-year period in the 1970s and 1980s, hinged on use of DNA collected over 30 years ago but never tested. More recently, two men were convicted and sentenced for the assault and rape of a woman who lived in fear for 14 years before adequate rape kit testing of the backlog in San Francisco led to the arrest of her attackers.

If there is any good news to come from these horrific stories of justice both delayed and denied, it is that two critically important bills are moving forward in the state legislature.

  • Senator Leyva’s SB 1449 would ensure that rape kits are submitted to crime labs and tested within specified times. This bill passed the Senate (38:0:1) in May and the Assembly Public Safety Committee (7:0:0) in June. It is now awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  • Assemblymember Chiu’s AB 3118 will require law enforcement agencies to complete an audit and status of untested rape kits by July 2019 (The exact number of untested rape kits in California is unknown - but it is over 13,000). Chiu’s bill passed the Assembly (77:0:1) in May and the Senate Public Safety Committee in June. It is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 6, 2018.

Finally, the 2018-2019 state budget includes $7.5M to inventory and test the backlog.
 

Net Neutrality – Yes on SB 822


Next vote: Assembly Appropriations Committee, no date set

SB 822 – Wiener, Scott D. (D, SD 11) Net Neutrality: Prohibits internet service providers from blocking, throttling, and prioritizing paid tiers of traffic if they use state-provided funding or infrastructure, like utility poles. Unlike a different net neutrality bill authored by Senator Kevin de León, SB 822 was prepared over months with attorneys to make sure it could withstand court challenge from the FCC, etc. In June, the FCC killed net neutrality nationally courtesy of Ajit Pai, Trump’s FCC Chairman.

SB 822 passed the Senate, and Wiener and de León agreed to join efforts rather than push competing bills. They agreed to amend the bills to strengthen de León's and to link both bills together; both would need to pass in order for either to become law. Before those amendments took place, Asm. Miguel Santiago, Chair of the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee, unexpectedly gutted SB 822 and took all the teeth out of it. And he got 8 Assembly Democrats to go along with him.

The backlash from Californians was enormous. The telecoms make huge campaign contributions and have for many years, but this backlash was unexpected from all of us—Fight for the Future, Electronic Frontier Foundation, California Indivisible groups, and many others said that business as usual is no longer okay. There was even a completely funded billboard prepared for Santiago's district to shame the Assemblymember and publicize his misdeed.

And a miracle happened. Santiago reversed his position and joined de León and Wiener to create the “strongest net neutrality bill in the nation.” This is testimony to the power of cohesive, organized, massive outrage. Now the job is to make sure it passes the Assembly Appropriations Committee and then the Assembly floor vote. Without net neutrality, our ability to be activists will be slowed down, throttled, and blocked. California shows the country what is possible and gives hope. If we lose this, it will be devastating to California and the nation.

If you know anyone who lives in the districts below, please ask them to call and say, “Vote yes for SB 822.” These members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to pass the gutted bill or abstained – we don’t know where they stand on this version yet.

  • Rob Bonta, AD 18, (916) 319-2018
  • Eduardo Garcia, AD 56, (916) 319-2056
 

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Indivisibly yours,
The Indivisible CA: StateStrong Team

                    
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