by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
Partisan politics took precedence over public safety
With several wildfires still blazing in Los Angeles, the Globe has been reflecting on how and why this is happening, especially with the state’s recent history of devastating and deadly wildfires.
We harkened back to former Gov. Jerry Brown, who signed many bad bills into law which undermine California’s wildfire management, sane energy policies, energy independence. He even vetoed a bipartisan wildfire management bill in 2016, despite unanimous passage by the Legislature, 75-0 in the Assembly and 39-0 in the Senate.
I reported in 2018:
“As California residents were burned out of their towns, homes, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and businesses, Gov. Jerry Brown was jetting around the world spouting climate change propaganda, and calling the fires California’s ‘new normal.’ Gov. Brown had many chances to sincerely and realistically address California’s increasing wildfires since his election in 2011, but instead chose to play politics, placing his new friends at the United Nations over the people of California.”
“SB 1463 by Senator John Moorlach would have given local governments more say in fire-prevention efforts through the Public Utilities Commission proceeding making maps of fire hazard areas around utility lines. In a gross display of politics, this is especially pertinent given that Cal Fire and the state’s media are now blaming the largest utility in the state for the latest wildfires,” I reported in 2018.
While hindsight is always 20-20, California was on fire when this bill made its way through the Legislature and on to Jerry Brown’s desk.”
