Clean Air CA backing Clean Cars, Clean Air Act for 2022 Ballot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Deborah Camiel, deborah@50p1.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, environmental, labor, and business groups announced the formation of Clean Air California, a new coalition aimed at ensuring a blue sky future for the next generation of Californians: clean air, fewer extreme wildfires, and a healthy place to live, work, play, and breathe for all Californians.

“Californians are on the front lines of the climate crisis. Record-setting wildfires, drought, and extreme weather cost lives, destroy property, hurt our economy, damage the state’s iconic natural beauty, and imperil our collective future. Our air quality—at times among the worst in the world—is an untenable hazard to public health,” the coalition said in a statement. “We cannot afford to wait.”

To address this crisis, Clean Air California is backing a November 2022 ballot initiative to curb the state’s two biggest sources of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions: transportation and wildfires. The Clean Cars, Clean Air Act provides the major long-term investment needed to fight wildfires and accelerate California’s transition to clean transportation with funding to:

  • Increase wildfire prevention and suppression
  • Expand electric and zero-emission vehicle (EVs / ZEVs) charging / fueling infrastructure
  • Make EVs and ZEVs more affordable for low- and middle-income consumers

“The Clean Cars, Clean Air Act cuts right to the heart of the climate crisis in our state,” said Veda Banerjee, Communications Director for California Environmental Voters. “And so far, the biggest threats of this crisis have been shouldered by the most underserved populations. We heartily support this historic approach—one that embraces science and builds equity—and look forward to our partnership within this coalition.”

“Wildfires in California are changing the way we live for the worse,” President of Cal Fire Firefighters Tim Edwards commented. “The wildfires we are witnessing now have become a hazard to public health, are ruining our air and endangering our watershed, and destroying homes and businesses. Cal Fire Firefighters support this initiative because it provides an immediate, reliable and significant investment to prevent wildfires in our state so Californians will have clean air to breathe.”

To provide this critical investment to restore California’s clean air, the coalition is moving forward with the initiative that increases the state personal income tax rate by 1.75% on income over $2 million—a progressive revenue source that ensures that the costs will be borne only by those most able to afford it and not passed on to low- and middle-income California families, many of whom are struggling with the cost of living.

The coalition is confident it will have the resources needed to qualify and pass this important measure and anticipates funding from a broad, diverse group of environmental organizations, labor, businesses and individuals committed to making sure California’s future is one with clean air. The effort has already received early financial support from California Environmental Voters, the State Association of Electrical Workers – IBEW, Lyft, CAL FIRE Local 2881 and other climate leaders.

Clean Air California also plans to support other policies to address climate change and air quality, including Governor Newsom’s recent budget proposal providing major investment in ZEVs and wildfire prevention.

For more information about Clean Air California, write to info@cleanairca.org.

 

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Clean Air California is a growing coalition of environmental groups, firefighters, labor and businesses committed to achieving clean air in California. The group includes California Environmental Voters, the State Association of Electrical Workers – IBEW, Lyft, and CAL FIRE Local 2881.

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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