Governor Newsom’s veto of SB 1 leaves the state exposed to Trump rollbacks and jeopardizes protections for workers and endangered species.
Sacramento – California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1 (Atkins) late Friday, in a break with fellow Democrats and environmental and labor groups. SB 1, known as the “Trump Insurance Bill,” was passed by large majorities in both the California State Assembly and Senate this month and would have provided a backstop against federal rollbacks by enacting new standards under California law. Arnold Sowell Jr., Executive Director of NextGen California stated, “We are deeply disappointed by the Governor’s veto of SB 1. California has always been a national leader when it comes to worker safety, addressing climate change, and environmental stewardship – our communities and our people have always come first and they deserve every protection that our state can provide against a reckless and dangerous Trump Administration. SB 1 would have provided the statutory framework needed to preserve California’s authority to preserve its environmental standards and worker protections. Without it, we face dangerous consequences, not only for endangered species and critical ecosystems, but also for the health of our water supply, and the workers of our state.” NextGen remains unwavering in its determination to fight against the special interests that fail to grasp the enormity of the long-term environmental harm they are causing in pursuit of short-term economic gains. Although we see this veto as a real setback, we stand ready to join and work with the Governor, the Legislature, other environmental groups and labor leaders to do what is best for California.