It’s the last week of the legislative session, and as lawmakers rush to send bills to Governor Brown, one valley politician is at the center of the state's biggest political tug-of-war. At issue is the greenhouse gas reduction bill SB 350. It would cut the state's petroleum use in cars by half over the next 15 years. It would also set a 2050 deadline to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels.
Despite the fact that Democrats control both the Senate and the Assembly, the passage of SB 350 is far from certain. Oil and gas industry groups have launched a high profile lobbying campaign to stop the measure, and even some Democrats have raised questions about the cost of the bill for consumers, especially in low income communities.
Fresno Assemblymember Henry T. Perea is the informal leader of a faction of moderate Democrats who have yet to fully support the bill. Last week, Perea was the subject of a major feature in the LA Times by reporter Melanie Mason, which looked at his stance on the bill. Mason joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the bill and Perea's vote, which could be a key to SB 350's passage.