Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León was promoting his new climate bill in a TV interview Monday when he was asked why lawmakers should grant authority to the California Air Resources Board – an unelected body – to decide how to implement provisions of the legislation, including reducing petroleum use in California.
“Well, it was a board that started with Ronald Reagan back in the ’60s – they had the authority,” de León said on KCRA-TV in Sacramento. “My legislation would require them to come back and present the plan to the Legislature. So ultimately, the Legislature – those elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans – will be the ones ultimately responsible for voting the plan up or down.”
Analysis: De León has the history of the California Air Resources Board right – but not his own bill.
In a sweeping effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Senate Bill 350 would require the state to increase to 50 percent from one-third the amount of energy derived from renewable sources, while reducing petroleum use in motor vehicles by 50 percent by 2030.
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