Voters reject Prop. 23, keeping California’s global warming law intact

In 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill aimed at rolling back the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. That bill, AB 32, has become the cornerstone of Schwarzenegger’s legacy as he travels the world talking about the importance of environmental protection and reducing harmful pollution.

This year, a coalition of business groups funded largely by money from out-of-state oil companies, spent millions trying to roll back the law. But the efforts were opposed by Schwarzenegger, environmental groups and California voters, who overwhelmingly rejected the ballot measure Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Proponents of Prop. 23 were asking voters to all but repeal that law. The measure would have suspended AB 32 until the state’s unemployment rate dipped to 5.5% for four consecutive quarters. The state’s unemployment rate is currently at 12.4%.