CONTACT: Erika Guzman Cornejo, 310-755-1615, erika@envirovoters.org

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement on Proposition 30’s defeat on Election Day. The ballot initiative would have mandated a 1.75% tax increase on those with a personal income of over $2 million — the top 0.2% of taxpayers. It would have funded a $100 billion investment over 20 years to fight and prevent extreme wildfires, provide clean vehicle charging infrastructure, and provide individuals subsidies to ensure clean vehicle affordability. Fifty percent of this investment would have been reserved exclusively for the state’s low-income communities. 

Statement from Mary Creasman, CEO, California Environmental Voters:

“Proposition 30’s defeat is a devastating loss for all Californians, especially those in low-income communities who are on the frontlines of pollution, extreme heat, catastrophic wildfires, and drought. It’s heartbreaking that our coalition of climate, clean air, worker’s rights, firefighters, and public health advocates was defeated by a record number of billionaires who donated to the opposition campaign deceiving and confusing voters. 

The Republican Party and over 30 billionaires raised a combined $33 million to defeat these lifesaving investments. The sad reality is that the California ballot initiative system is a policy tool of Billionaires, millionaires, corporations and special interest groups that prioritize profit and personal wealth over California’s climate future. 

Now, we have to all look to Governor Newsom and the Legislature for an aggressive vision and plan on how California will fund this necessary transition. We are woefully behind in meeting our state’s climate goals; significant resources are needed to catch up and transition our transportation and buildings, and make our communities and landscapes more resilient. This is the sustainable and at scale funding that Prop 30 would have provided to protect our public health and our future. The question is where will the money come from to do this work? We need massive and necessary climate investments through the state budget next year–and every year–to give us even a fighting chance. 

Huge gratitude goes to our partners and coalition members who worked for years to make this historic effort possible. Special thanks to mayors across the state, CalFire, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, American Lung Association, Move LA, Coalition for Clean Air, Lyft, Courage California, and the California Democratic Party, for coming together around a transformative vision for change. It was, and continues to be, the right fight.”

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California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.

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The month of March is Public Lands Month, and we’ve got some big goals. We’re pushing for 5 national monument designations while fighting for clean water, Indigenous land protection, ecosystem conservation, and increasing access to nature. 

But we need your help to make these campaigns a success →