Dozens of activists gathered outside the state Capitol in the scorching Sacramento sun Monday to make a last push against the industry that\u2019s largely responsible for the climate crisis shattering one heat record after another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re here today to push back against Big Oil\u2019s influence in Sacramento,\u201d said Woody Little, a campaign lead at Last Chance Alliance, a coalition of more than 900 public health, environmental justice, climate and labor organizations. \u201cWe\u2019re here to show that the people have the power.\u201d
The alliance called on legislators to pass a package of climate bills before the legislative session adjourns at the end of the month. The bills, which passed the Assembly in May and are headed for a Senate floor vote, take different approaches to holding oil companies accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Assembly Bill 3233 reaffirms local governments\u2019 authority to regulate oil and gas production. A.B. 1866 safeguards communities from the hazards of pollution from idle oil and gas wells by requiring companies to decommission the wells on a faster schedule. A.B. 2716 penalizes companies $10,000 a month for operating low-producing wells in a Los Angeles County oilfield near the last large undeveloped open space in urban Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n