FRESNO (KMJ) – A state bill that includes keeping federal environmental laws in place, even if the federal government changes those laws, is raising concerns.
The assembly Judiciary Committee approved SB-1 on Tuesday.
It’s a bill authored by Senator Toni Atkins of San Diego, who spoke about it earlier this year.
“SB-1 is California’s insurance policy against the exploitation of of our people, our environment, and our endangered species,” Atkins said.
The bill would keep a number of federal environmental and labor laws in place before President Trump took office, if the government changes those laws.
William Bordeaux, chairman of the California Water Alliance thinks, however, the bill supports bad science.
He’s worried SB-1 would freeze the biological opinions that govern how federal water is used in the Central Valley.
“Those biological opinions have not worked well for anybody, for the environment, for our farmers, for our local communities,” Bordeaux said.
He thinks changes to the biological opinions that govern the use of federal water flowing into the Central Valley – could create a legal headache.
“Passage of the law would put California farmers at risk of criminal penalty for following federal law,” Bordeaux said.
SB-1 now advances to the assembly Appropriations Committee.
Don York KMJ News.
