MODESTO, Calif. — Governor Newsom said Saturday that he will not sign SB 1 by State Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, which would have adopted into California law the federal Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Fair Labor Standards Act and other regulations as they existed when President Obama left office. The Almond Alliance commends and thanks the Governor for recognizing that SB 1 in its current form posed significant challenges for agriculture, water districts, businesses and risked dismantling years of collaborative efforts to develop voluntary water agreements. The California almond industry is committed to ensuring that Californian’s have clean water, air and a healthy working environment. As written, SB 1 would surely have resulted in years of costly litigation specific to California’s water supply which is exactly why the Almond Alliance continues to support all parties working towards voluntary agreements.
The bill would have limited the state’s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment. “We look forward to being part of substantive stakeholder discussions on policies to bring continuous improvement to California’s clean drinking water, air and the environment. We’ll bring our industry’s on-going commitment to identifying ways to meet the state’s environmental goals, but also a strong voice to the real-world challenges new policies pose to the almond industry” said Almond Alliance President Elaine Trevino.
SB 1 sought to lock in place clean water, air and labor law that existed on January 19, 2017, the day before President Donald Trump took office. The bill was set to expire in January 2025, when Trump would be scheduled to leave office after a second term.
The Almond Alliance will continue to work collaboratively with Governor Newsom and his team and the California legislature on environmental, water and air issues.
About the Almond Alliance of California
The Almond Alliance of California (AAC) is a trusted non-profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of the California almond community. California almonds generate more than $21 billion in economic revenue and directly contribute more than $11 billion to the state’s total economy. California’s top agricultural export, almonds create approximately 104,000 jobs statewide, over 97,000 in the Central Valley, which suffers from chronic unemployment. The AAC is dedicated to educating state legislators, policy makers and regulatory officials about the California almond community. As a membership-based organization, our members include almond processors, hullers/shellers, growers and allied businesses. Through workshops, newsletters, conferences, social media and personal meetings, AAC works to raise awareness, knowledge and provide a better understanding about the scope, size, value and sustainability of the California almond community.
For more information on the Almond Alliance, visit https://almondalliance.org/ or check out the Almond Alliance on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
–Almond Alliance
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