August Essential Politics news feed: California Legislature’s session ends in the wee hours

(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Lawmakers early Thursday morning wrapped up their work for the two-year session of the California Legislature, heaping praise on their many accomplishments.

Even so, at least one major item on the to-do list was never resolved. And some of the battles during this session could leave political scars that last much longer.

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Soil taken from a yard in Commerce near the now-shuttered Exide battery plant is tested in February by a team from the L.A. County Health Department.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Californians who purchase lead-acid batteries like those used to start cars and trucks would pay a new $1 fee under legislation sent to Gov. Jerry Brown early Thursday morning, with the funds earmarked for cleaning up contaminated sites such as the former Exide battery plant in Los Angeles County.

The fee charged to battery buyers would rise to $2 in 2022. Lawmakers would direct the revenues — estimated to be as much as $40 million a year — to deal with contamination sites as needed.

”For four decades, our community has been waiting for something,” said Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), the author of AB 2153.

The bill was the final piece of legislation taken up before the Legislature adjourned, and it received a quick bipartisan vote in both houses within a span of only a few minutes. Garcia said there were late negotiations with the Brown administration on the final details.

AB 2153, if signed into law, would not take effect until April 1, 2017. Battery manufacturers and consumers would each pay $1 fees on each new battery for the first five years of the proposal; after that, the full $2 fee would be shouldered by consumers.

Some Republican legislators said that setup is a mistake.

“This tax is regressive,” Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) said during the midnight debate. “It’s paid by the people who make the least amount of money.”

The Vernon site of the former Exide battery plant was closed under a deal with federal prosecutors last March. Lead contamination in the soil of homes around the plant was discovered two years ago. The battery fee would likely go first to Exide cleanup efforts, which are already underway. Brown estimated in February that the price tag could reach $176.6 million.

After 10 bills over eight years failed to legalize Internet poker in California, the latest plan also died Wednesday in the Legislature amid continued squabbling by competing factions of the gambling industry.

A bill that would have allowed Californians to legally play poker online lacked support from two-thirds of Assembly members and was not brought up for a vote on the last day of the legislative session.

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Outgoing Democratic state Sens. Isadore Hall III of Compton, left, and Mark Leno of San Francisco share a moment on the last day of the two-year legislative session.

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Lawmakers cried, sang, recited limericks and confessed crushes on departing colleagues this week in their farewell speeches for California legislators whose terms are up.

For 14 Assembly members and six state senators, Wednesday likely marked their last day arguing on the floors of their respective chambers. In an end-of-session tradition, lawmakers said goodbye to their termed-out colleagues between voting on bills.

Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) revealed he might have a legislative crush on outgoing Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose).

“I will not miss anyone more than I will miss you,” Dababneh told Campos, who is running for state Senate this fall. “Often as a single guy, I get asked ... when are you going to find the perfect girl, and I say, ‘If I find anyone half as amazing as Nora Campos, I would be married the next day.’”

Campos, like the other members whose terms are up, served six years in the Assembly. Termed-out state senators have served eight years. Although new 12-year term limits were passed in 2012, lawmakers elected in 2010, including Campos, are still subject to the old term limits.

Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino) sang “Katcho, Katcho Man” to the tune of “Macho Man” by the Village People while saying goodbye to Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo).

Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) recited a limerick he wrote for departing Assemblyman Roger Hernández (D-West Covina) that drew chuckles for the line, “As a doctor, I’m happy your blood pressure is lower.”

Hernandez was running for U.S. Congress before allegations of domestic violence involving his ex-wife “crippled” his ability to campaign, he told reporters earlier this month. After a judge issued a domestic violence restraining order against him, he took a nearly three-week leave of absence from the Legislature for high blood pressure.

The speeches featured many bipartisan compliments for departing lawmakers.

Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) described Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) as his liberal complement in the Senate.

“This is a sad day for me. You see, Mark completes me,” Anderson said. “I’m sorry I have two more years and I won’t be spending them here with you.”

Assemblyman Richard Gordon (D-Menlo Park) wiped away tears as fellow Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) thanked him.

“If I have been able to have any effect across the aisle, it’s because of your grace and your compassion,” Jones said. “If I had the opportunity to give back my six years so you could have six more, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

State lawmakers defeated a measure late Wednesday that would have given retail and grocery store employees who work on Thanksgiving double pay.

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), the bill’s author, said it was needed as more and more retailers were extending Black Friday sales into Thanksgiving Day.

“I narrowed and narrowed and narrowed this bill so it only affects the things that concern us the most: the larger retailers who continue to open up on Thanksgiving rather than allowing people to stay home with their families,” Gonzalez said.

No opponents to the measure spoke on the Assembly floor, but numerous business groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce, were against it. They argued the bill unfairly hurts big-box retailers that are competing with online outlets for sales. The measure fell 10 votes short of passage, with both Republicans and Democrats in opposition.

A similar bill from Gonzalez failed last year.

In the last few hours before the end of session, lawmakers passed a measure to advance the California bullet train project.

Voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds for the high-speed rail project in 2008, but it has since stalled. The bill passed Wednesday would clarify wording in the 2008 measure and allow some of the money for the project to upgrade existing rail lines.

“It’s a critical investment in our infrastructure,” the bill’s author, Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco), said.

But opponents say the bill passed Wednesday alters the voter-approved measure too much.

“This is a revision of what the voters intended,” Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said.

The bill, AB 1889, now heads to the governor for approval.

In potentially a major change to California’s taxi business, state lawmakers passed legislation late Wednesday to centralize control over the industry, an effort supporters said would allow cabs to better compete with Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services.

The bill, AB 650, would prohibit local governments from setting taxi rates or limit the number of taxis on the road as well as allowing cabs to pick up and drop off passengers outside specific local jurisdictions. Ride-hailing companies have looser regulations in those areas and have made significant inroads into the taxi business.

“The laws and regulations governing the provisions of transportation services are many decades old and have evolved slowly,” said the bill’s author, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell). “As with many new technologies, the rapid growth of [ride-hailing] companies has created a disruption in taxis’ archaic model of transportation.”

Under the bill, the taxi industry would be regulated by state departments that handle transportation. The measure exempts San Francisco, which backers of the measure described as having a unique taxi medallion system. AB 650 would take effect as soon as next year, once Gov. Jerry Brown finishes a reorganization of transportation departments.

The bill has caused significant consternation among local governments and within the taxi industry. Last week, the city of Los Angeles voted to oppose the measure unless it was also exempted. Since that vote, Low changed the legislation to accommodate some of the largest objections. Cities will still be allowed to force taxis to pick up in every neighborhood to prevent discrimination and require taxis to accommodate people with disabilities.

Some lawmakers opposed to the bill argued on the Assembly floor that it was rushed.

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) also contended that the measure lowered worker protections for taxi drivers in an effort to increase competition with ride-hailing companies.

“Those are such terrible jobs with such few regulations that protect workers that to say the answer to the [ride-hailing] problem, and there is a problem in the sharing economy, is to say, ‘Let’s just forget regulations?’” Gonzalez said. “That may be somebody’s answer, but that’s not mine.”

The bill now heads to Brown’s desk.

Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.

A $3 billion low-income housing bond is done for the year.

The measure, which would have put a ballot measure authorizing the bond before voters in 2018, was aimed at helping relieve the state’s huge housing supply deficit, especially for California’s poorest residents. The bill, authored by state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), didn’t come up for a vote in the Assembly. It faced long odds, needing a bipartisan vote there and then the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown, who had already expressed his opposition.

(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

A number of politicians wrapped their legislative careers on Wednesday as the Legislature adjourned for the year, but few face as much uncertainty in the months to come as Assemblyman Roger Hernández.

The West Covina Democrat spent much of the final day of the 2016 legislative session sitting quietly at his desk after returning to Sacramento last week in the wake of a domestic violence restraining order in July. Hernández was then excused on medical leave for the first few days of the August proceedings.

In a final farewell speech in the Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, the lawmaker briefly reflected on some 17 years in local and state public service.

“I leave this floor with great joy and some sadness because I love this job,” Hernández said. “This is my favorite job I’ve ever had.”

In the final legislative hours, Hernández also sought to explain his decision as a committee chairman this summer to kill a closely watched bill to expand the state’s parental leave law — only to then vote for the proposal once it was resurrected by its author, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). In a post on his Facebook page, he said the earlier action was because of the original bill’s impact on small businesses.

“I believe the impact on small businesses has been taken into greater consideration in today’s bill,” he wrote on Tuesday.

Hernández recently said that he no longer feels he can mount a campaign for Congress against Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk).

The lawmaker left his Assembly colleagues with some advice in his farewell speech.

“There are so many people that are depending on each and every one of us to fight ardently for them.” he said. “You are their champion. Don’t forget that please.”

It’s already illegal to record someone without their permission in California; under a bill that got final legislative approval on Wednesday, distributing such a recording could lead to even more legal trouble.

The bill by Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez (D-Echo Park) would make it illegal to distribute secret recordings involving a healthcare provider. The measure was inspired by the high-profile videos taken by anti-abortion activists that purported to show Planned Parenthood doctors and employees engaged in illegal sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood was not charged with any wrongdoing, and the organization argued the videos were doctored.

The bill, AB 1671, represents a compromise between Planned Parenthood and media organizations, which were wary that the proposed crime could ensnare journalists.

But approval from Gov. Jerry Brown is not a sure thing; the bill creates a new crime and the governor has rebuffed other efforts to add to the penal code.

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(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Three more measures intended to address climate change in poor and polluted communities were passed by state lawmakers Wednesday night.

They followed on the heels of major legislation approved last week to set a new target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to increase oversight of state regulators.

One of the bills, AB 1550 from Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez (D-Echo Park), would refine guidelines for spending revenues from the state’s auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits and would require more money be used to help low-income households.

Gomez said the bill would bring greater equity to the state’s programs.

“Our most polluted neighborhoods are disproportionately home to Latinos, African Americans and other communities of color,” he said.

AB 2722 from Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Marina del Rey) would ensure more state grants awarded through a housing program would go toward disadvantaged communities.

A third measure, SB 1383 from state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), would direct state regulators to crack down on “short-lived climate pollutants,” which include emissions that contribute to global warming and create health hazards.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s office has signaled that he supports all of the proposals.

On the last night of the legislative session, the state Senate is going “old school,” said the chief of staff for Senate leader Kevin de León.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

At several points Wednesday night, with only hours before the end of the legislative session, proposed laws were being quickly rewritten and placed in front of weary lawmakers for a fast vote.

It’s a familiar scene at the state Capitol. But one group hopes it’s also the last time it happens.

Proposition 54, which will be considered by California voters on Nov. 8, would require most bills be in print and online for public review for at least 72 hours before final legislative votes.

That would almost completely eliminate a number of bills debated and passed Wednesday, usually brought up “without reference to file.”

The idea behind Proposition 54, written by Republican donor Charles Munger Jr. and former legislator Sam Blakeslee, actually originated in the Legislature. The two men circulated their initiative after the Legislature failed for several years to move the idea forward.

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State lawmakers on Wednesday sent the governor a bill that would allow him to provide up to $250 million in financial guarantees in case the city of Los Angeles goes over budget in its proposal to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said the authorization is needed to allow the city of Los Angeles to compete to host the Games, which he said are not expected to show a deficit.

“Let’s get the Olympics back to California,” De Leon told his Senate colleagues before they voted to approve the bill. The guarantee is required by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee as a prerequisite before any city can be considered for hosting an Olympic Games.

“Hosting the Games in California is expected to generate billions of dollars for the state’s economy,” stated De Leon’s bill giving authorization to the governor. “The city of Los Angeles expects there will be net revenue exceeding expenses that can be devoted to legacy programs for youth and citizens of California.”

Lawmakers proposed new standards for manufacturing medical marijuana products in a bill sent to the governor.

(Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

The University of California would conduct a study of the effects of marijuana on motor skills, and new standards would be set for manufacturing medical cannabis products under legislation sent Wednesday by state lawmakers to the governor.

The measure was approved as California prepares to begin issuing licenses to marijuana growers and sellers in 2018 and as voters consider a November ballot measure that would legalize recreational use of pot.

The bill by Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) and others would exempt collectives and cooperatives that manufacture medical cannabis products from some criminal sanctions if they meet state requirements. The manufacturing must use processes without solvents or processes with nonflammable, nontoxic solvents.

“Recent raids and busts on the ground have highlighted the need for this bill,” said Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), a co-author of the bill.

Cooley said the new manufacturing standards can be enforced by the new Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation.

“As the bureau ramps up licensure programs and puts regulations in place, it is important that local governments have clarification about what types of manufacturing and extraction are allowed,” Cooley said.

The measure, which also provides for reporting of license denials, is supported by the California Cannabis Industry Assn., which said it will protect the health and safety of medical cannabis patients.

The study on pot’s effect on motor skills comes as groups opposing recreational use charge that legalization will lead to more automobile accidents in California.

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Every year at the end of the legislative session, lobbyists and staff members gather on the second floor of the Capitol rotunda and toss pennies off the balcony. If they land a coin in the crown of the statue below, it’s supposed to bring good luck.

Here’s a video of the ritual from 2014.

But some blamed the penny tossing for damage to the statue of Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus. And with another legislative session ending on Wednesday, officials took steps to cut off the ritual before it began.

Construction on John Gregorchuk’s secondary dwelling unit has been stalled because of a legal ruling against the city of Los Angeles.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

It might soon be easier for California homeowners to convert garages into new residences or build additional freestanding structures in their backyards, after lawmakers approved a measure to streamline restrictions on the units statewide.

This week, the Legislature approved two measures, SB 1069 from Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and AB 2299 from Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) aimed at forcing local governments to approve the secondary housing units, often known as “granny flats.”

“People are shocked and frustrated when they see the enormous fees and requirements that are preventing them from adding a small unit or converting a room in their house,” Wieckowski said in a statement. “SB 1069 will eliminate unnecessary fees and reduce requirements to give homeowners more control over their home.”

Under the two bills, local governments will no longer be able to require homeowners to add parking for new granny flats near transit stops or have a large uncovered pathway to the street, and will limit fees for connecting the additional unit to water and sewer lines.

State lawmakers who have tried to encourage building such units for more than a decade as a way to address California’s soaring housing costs have expressed frustration with local government inaction.

In Los Angeles, for example, all granny flat permitting is on hold after a Superior Court ruling earlier this year found a conflict between local rules and state law. City officials have tried to resolve the issue recently, but are facing opposition from homeowners who argue that the units would hurt the character of neighborhoods.

Gov. Jerry Brown endorsed both measures earlier this year, and is expected to sign them.

UPDATE

Aug. 31, 4:22 p.m. This post was updated after AB 2299 passed the Legislature.

This was originally posted on Aug. 30 at 7:04 p.m.

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It’s official.

The California Legislature has declared denim the state’s official fabric.

Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-Marin County) presented the wryly named AB 501, while his colleagues displayed jean jackets and joked whether Jordache jeans would be included.

“AB 501 tells both the story of California and global culture,” Levine said.

Levine easily overcame the opposition.

The bill passed 59-3. Gov. Jerry Brown hasn’t weighed in yet.

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Drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services could soon face stricter background checks under a measure that passed the California Legislature on Wednesday.

The bill would prohibit the companies from hiring drivers who are registered sex offenders, have been convicted of violent felonies or, within the last seven years, have a driving-under-the-influence conviction.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), said the measure “will help ensure the safety of passengers utilizing [ride-hailing] services.” He noted that prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Francisco last year found 25 people with lengthy criminal histories driving for Uber.

But Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) argued that the measure is too strict and hurts the ability of those with long-ago convictions to find jobs.

“The language in the bill doesn’t take into consideration individuals who committed crimes 10, 15 or 20 years ago, have paid their debt to society and are now model citizens,” Quirk said.

The bill also mandates a maximum $5,000 fine each time a ride-hailing company violates the background-check rules. The measure now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

Safety officials assist a man on downtown L.A.’s skid row last week.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Alarmed that dozens in Los Angeles have been sickened after ingesting a synthetic drug called “spice,” state lawmakers on Wednesday sent the governor a bill outlawing possession of the substance.

The urgency measure requested by the California Narcotics Officers Assn. would make a first offense of possession of specified synthetic cannabinoids or stimulants an infraction. A second or third offense could be a misdemeanor. It is already a crime to sell the drugs.

Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) cited the situation on Los Angeles’ skid row in which more than 50 people have been hospitalized in the last few weeks, many suspected of using the drug.

“These synthetic drugs are a uniquely dangerous threat to public safety,” Galgiani told her Senate colleagues before a unanimous vote to approve her bill, Senate Bill 139.

The measure’s supporters also included the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the California Police Chiefs Assn. and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

The measure is opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance.

Kim Turner holds her daughter, Adelaide, before a rally at San Francisco City Hall in support of paid family leave.

(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

California soon could expand its family leave law to 2.7 million residents across the state, the latest of legislative efforts this session that have sought to assist working parents.

SB 654, dubbed the New Parent Leave Act, is headed to the governor’s desk after it passed out of the state Senate on Wednesday with a 24-12 vote.

The bill would allow parents at smaller companies with 20 to 49 employees to take six weeks’ leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, without fear of losing their jobs. Current state law extends only such job protection to those at businesses with 50 or more employees.

The legislation also would allow parents to access the state’s Paid Family Leave Program, which provides up to six weeks of partial wages for some caregiving responsibilities.

Supporters of the bill said it closes a loophole in the state’s family leave law for many employees who already pay for the leave program through payroll deductions and are not eligible for its benefits. But the legislation has faced major opposition from the business community, which has labeled it a job killer, saying it would overwhelm small companies.

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta) said it would hurt small businesses already struggling to meet new minimum wage requirements signed into law this year.

Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) argued her bill would impact only 6.3% of California companies, while helping 16% of its workforce. She said she had done everything possible to address the concerns of small businesses through amendments that narrowed the scope of the legislation.

“But we live in a different world today, colleagues,” she said. “It is a world where both men and women are working. It is a world where both men and women want the opportunity to bond with their newborns, and frankly, no parent should be forced to choose between the well-being of their new child and their family’s financial security.”

The vote Wednesday comes as momentum continues to grow for stronger family leave laws nationwide, and as some tech giants in California have rushed to amend their policies.

The state became the first in the country to guarantee workers paid leave to care for a new child or ailing family member more than 15 years ago. But two main challenges have kept many parents from taking advantage of the law: Some could not afford to take time off because of the limited partial wages offered, while others feared they would lose their jobs if they did.

Gov. Jerry Brown sought to address the first obstacle when he signed legislation earlier this year to help low-income families. That allows people earning close to minimum wage to be paid 70% of their salary while on leave, while workers with higher pay, up to $108,000 annually, will get 60% of their salary during leave. The change takes effect in 2018.

Jackson’s bill seeks to tackle the latter challenge and is a priority of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, which the senator co-chairs. It faced trouble earlier this year when it was surprisingly killed in an Assembly committee, following friction between Jackson and Assemblyman Roger Hernández (D-West Covina). He was stripped of his committee chairmanship earlier this year after a judge granted his ex-wife a domestic violence restraining order against him

Legislative leaders in both houses have supported the measure’s revival.

The California state Capitol in Sacramento.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The California Legislature wraps up its two-year session Wednesday. As lawmakers debate and vote on hundreds of bills in the final few days, lobbyists and residents have swarmed the Capitol to advocate on issues ranging from energy policy to farmworker overtime pay.

Here are some images showing what it’s like in Sacramento at the close of session. Click the link to see the full gallery.

State Sen. Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) on the Senate floor at the Capitol in Sacramento.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Assn., works in the rotunda at the Capitol.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the United Farm Workers union hold a rally outside the Capitol in Sacramento after California lawmakers passed legislation that would expand overtime pay for more than 825,000 laborers.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

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Ana Matosantos and Gov. Jerry Brown

(Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press)

Ana Matosantos, who served two governors as budget director, was appointed Wednesday by President Obama as one of seven members of a financial oversight board to assist cash-strapped Puerto Rico.

Matosantos’ role on the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, created through a new federal effort to help the U.S. territory through its fiscal crisis, will be to help create a new dialogue between the island’s government and its creditors.

Puerto Rico defaulted on a $422-million bond in May, and faces significant problems in providing basic government services.

Matosantos, 40, left Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration in 2013 and has been in private consulting roles ever since. She also served in the Arnold Schwarzenegger administration.

“With a broad range of skills and experiences, these officials have the breadth and depth of knowledge that is needed to tackle this complex challenge and put the future of the Puerto Rican people first,” Obama said in a written statement.

Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon pictured in Sacramento in March.

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

In the closing hours of the legislative year, lawmakers approved a last-minute deal Wednesday to free up hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s cap-and-trade program to fund green projects across the state. Under the agreement, which broke a two-year impasse, the state will spend $900 million on programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — nearly two-thirds of $1.4 billion that has been raised but was tied up unspent in a political stalemate. The money will go toward subsidies for electric cars, new park space and pedestrian-friendly affordable housing. California’s 4-year old cap-and-trade program raises money from businesses that purchase permits to pollute.

The deal was announced on the Legislature’s final day, and was hailed by the governor and legislative leaders. It comes not long after they inked an ambitious plan to combat climate change by extending and expanding California’s targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“California’s combating climate change on all fronts and this plan gets us the most bang for the buck,” Brown said in a statement. “It directs hundreds of millions where it’s needed most – to help disadvantaged communities, curb dangerous super pollutants and cut petroleum use – while saving some for the future.”

The deal is expected to land on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk as early as Thursday morning.

The spending proposal is tilted toward urban areas and low-income communities, marking a win for lawmakers who argued their poorer constituents were being left out of the largesse generated by the cap-and-trade program. The final deal included money for energy efficiency upgrades for aging buildings and urban parks, but no money for conservation projects such as wetlands restorations.

Such spending priorities are typically haggled over during the budget process, but for two years, the funds were trapped in political limbo, being held as leverage while politically fraught climate bills were being debated in the Legislature. Another 60% of the auction revenues are not subject to the annual budget process; instead, they are automatically directed each year toward certain projects, including the bullet train and affordable housing.

This new agreement would allocate $135 million for transit projects such as intercity and commuter rail systems.

It would spend $133 million for the state’s main subsidy program for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and another $80 million for a second subsidy for low-income Californians living in poorer parts of Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.

Thousands of consumers were pushed to wait lists while the cap-and-trade funds were held in limbo. Once the budget is finalized, rebates will go out to those already on the waiting list, with priority going to low-income buyers.

It includes $80 million for urban parks and other green spaces. Such projects will be chosen by state and local agencies during a grant process over the next several years.

“The reality is we have many communities…especially in Los Angeles, that are urban asphalt and concrete wastelands,” said Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles). He said urban greenery—which can be as small as an alleyway or pocket park — help combat high temperatures caused by vast stretches of asphalt and concrete, leading to lower cooling costs.

The plan allocates $140 million to assist disadvantaged communities to develop their own local efforts to combat climate change, such as city planning that includes affordable housing and pedestrian walkways.

Multiple bills expected to pass in the Legislature late Wednesday add new restrictions on how the money is spent. About half of those who had received subsidies to purchase low- or zero-emission vehicles were earning more than $200,000 a year, according to a state survey. A new bill would limit the subsidy to those making less than $150,000.

Similarly, the spending package includes $50 million to reduce methane emissions from dairy and livestock dependent on a separate bill that would require sharp cuts in these emissions by 2030.

And a third bill creates a new program that encourages disadvantaged communities to develop their own local efforts to combat climate change, such as such as city planning that includes affordable housing and pedestrian walkways. The legislation includes $140 million to fund this effort statewide.

The spending plan is not as expansive as the one proposed by De León earlier this month, which sought to spend $1.2 billion.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) had expressed reservations about using nearly all of the available cash in light of dwindling proceeds from recent cap-and-trade auctions.

Facing legal uncertainty due to a pending lawsuit, cap-and-trade auction revenue has sharply declined. The most recent auction, held in August, generated around $8 million. Lawmakers said they hoped the recent extension of the state’s emissions targets — which demonstrated a political will to shore up the program — would restore faith from the markets.

“With this agreement, we take an aggressive approach to investing cap-and-trade funds that provides tangible results for cleaner air and helps lower income Californians benefit from emission reduction programs,” Rendon said in a statement. “At the same time, we are also maintaining a responsible reserve to provide for the future.”

Brown, who has championed setting aside money in the case of economic downturn, appeared even less inclined to dip into cap-and-trade dollars. Asked last week if he backed spending those funds, the governor said he was “committed to spending a little of that money,” placing emphasis on the word “little.”

This post was updated at 12:25 p.m. to include comments from the governor and legislative leaders and again at 11 p.m. to provide more details and context. It was originally published at 11:45 a.m.

The White House on Wednesday announced a series of new funding and environmental programs to address the deteriorating health of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding forests caused in part by the increasing temperatures brought about by climate change.

The announcement came just hours before President Obama was scheduled to address the Lake Tahoe Summit, an annual environmental conference that California and Nevada leaders began two decades ago because of concerns about the declining water clarity in the once crystal-clear Sierra lake.

Tahoe’s surface water temperature in 2015 was the highest ever recorded, while annual snowfall levels have been on the decline. The increasing air temperatures in the Lake Tahoe region also have stressed the surrounding forests, causing an alarming increase in tree mortality and fire danger, according to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

In response, the Obama administration announced the following assistance:

• The Department of the Interior will provide $29.5 million to reduce dead trees and other hazardous fuels to improve forest health and decrease the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
• The Environmental Protection Agency will provide $230,000 to manage and reduce storm water runoff in the Tahoe region.
• The National Forest Foundation, working with the U.S. Forest Service and local communities, announced it has raised over $4 million for creek restoration projects, for sustainable recreation and to improve forest health throughout the nearby Truckee River watershed.

Along with assistance for the Lake Tahoe region, the White House also announced a new partnership between California and the Department of the Interior to assess the future of the Salton Sea.

A lawmaker has dropped a bill that would have allowed landlords to bar tenants from smoking medical marijuana in apartments.

(Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

A state lawmaker has dropped a proposal that would have allowed landlords renting apartments in California to bar their tenants from smoking medical marijuana in their residences.

Assemblyman Jim Wood (D- Healdsburg) could not work out an agreement with the chairwoman of a key committee on how to meet the needs of people relying on medical cannabis, an aide said.

Wood had said AB 2300 is needed because secondhand smoke can easily travel through windows, doors and shared ventilation system in multiunit apartments and condos.

“This is about protecting families that live in close proximity to others,” Wood said in a recent statement, adding that there are cannabis products that can be ingested without smoking them.

However, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, thought the bill was too limiting on medical cannabis patients.

“They had a difference of opinion regarding the effectiveness of cannabis delivery mechanisms other than smoking,” said Liz Snow, a spokeswoman for Wood, who said the assemblyman agreed to drop the bill in lieu of Jackson’s continuing concerns.

Artist and actor Lili Bernard, who has accused comedian Bill Cosby of raping her in the 1990s, speaks at a rally at the site of Cosby’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

California lawmakers on Tuesday sent the governor a bill to end the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.

If the governor signs the bill, crimes including rape and child sexual abuse could be prosecuted at any time.

Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) introduced the bill in the wake of news that dozens of women have said comedian Bill Cosby raped them. Most of their cases cannot be prosecuted because the statutes of limitations for those crimes have expired.

“It’s called the Justice for Victims Act for one clear and specific reason: Victims should always have the opportunity to seek justice in a court of law after such a violent act,” Leyva said.

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(John Myers / Los Angeles Times)

California election officials would have until 2019 to repair or replace the state’s antiquated campaign finance database under a bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 1349 would require the changes to Cal-Access, the online campaign contribution and lobbying database first created in the late 1990s.

“The last time the Cal-Access program was redone, your mobile phone weighed 10 pounds,” said state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), the author of SB 1349.

The bill does not, however, provide funding for the system overhaul. That cost is estimated at $11.6 million for the actual project, with ongoing costs of about $2.8 million a year to maintain a new system.

Lawmakers on Tuesday narrowly rejected an effort to create new disclosure rules for California political mailers and money gathered from several donors into a single contribution.

Assembly Bill 700 failed by a single vote in the state Senate, needing a supermajority of 27 senators to pass.

The complex campaign finance bill became ensnared in a disagreement this month over whether it represented more or less donor disclosure. The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission voted to oppose late amendments to AB 700 regarding the disclosure rules for “earmarked” contributions.

The bill sought to address instances in which a political contribution is cash collected from a series of donors who ask the identified donor to then “earmark” the money for a particular campaign.

Jodi Remke, the FPPC chairwoman, wrote in a letter last week that the changes to AB 700 would create a “loophole” for some organizations to bypass the contribution limits.

Supporter of the bill disagreed with the FPPC’s interpretation, but the disagreement may have proved a distraction in the bill’s final days.