Elias: California must do better to make Big Oil pay for climate change

"There's been deep irony in Sacramento this summer, as some normally environmentally oriented state senators deep-sixed what could have been the year's most important potential new environmental law. At issue was whether oil companies could be held liable for damage from future wildfires caused at least in part by climate change. The state Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the measure came just two days after a Louisiana jury held oil giant Chevron liable by for $744.6 million to restore damage to Louisiana's coastal wetlands."

"Keeping alive California's somewhat similar bill (SB222) to allow for assessing damages after California fires would have required seven votes in committee, but it only got five, from Democrats Scott Wiener, of San Francisco; Ben Allen, of Santa Monica; John Laird, of Santa Clara; Henry Stern, of Los Angeles; and Akilah Weber Pierson, of La Mesa. Several senators avoided going on the record directly against this bill by abstaining from voting on it, which was essentially as good as voting no."

California Senate Judiciary Committee members failed to advance SB222, a bill to allow assessing damages against oil companies for wildfires partly driven by climate change. The committee vote occurred two days after a Louisiana jury ordered Chevron to pay $744.6 million to restore coastal wetlands. SB222 needed seven committee votes but received five from Democrats Scott Wiener, Ben Allen, John Laird, Henry Stern and Akilah Weber Pierson, while several senators abstained, effectively blocking the bill. Business and labor groups strongly opposed the measure and presented a study projecting steep consumer cost increases, including gasoline at $7.38 per gallon and a 65% industrial electricity rate rise.

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