California Legislature Strengthens Infrastructure Trailer Bill Package to Protect Communities and the Environment

SACRAMENTO – California’s legislature has agreed to a significantly modified set of infrastructure trailer bills to accompany the 2023-2024 budget bills. 

Following is a statement from Victoria Rome, California director of government affairs at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“The Legislature significantly strengthened the proposed trailer bills in order to better protect communities and the environment. Despite being forced into the truncated budget process, legislative leadership upheld core environmental protections and included the public in the process of creating a pathway to accelerating our clean energy future.  

“The final package excludes the Delta tunnel project and many other environmentally destructive projects, while rejecting provisions that would have undermined agency transparency. The updates also maintain strong protections for California Condors, Sea Otters, Sandhill Cranes, and other Fully Protected species. 

"The updated trailer bills will ensure needed protections for communities and biodiversity, even as we build out the desperately needed clean energy infrastructure necessary to address the climate and biodiversity crisis.” 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.