With marathon meetings and secret negotiations, state Legislature barrels toward end of session

"The stakes were high: Californians are shouldering heavy gas and electricity prices, oil refineries are planning to shutter and the Trump administration has targeted state climate policies. Newsom ultimately struck a six-part deal, announced Wednesday with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Mike McGuire. If approved this week, the package of bills would overhaul California's energy market, spur more oil drilling, help reduce home electricity bills and monitor pollution in low-income communities."

"Overall, this is the biggest year for California climate, ever, said Silicon Valley state Sen. Josh Becker, the Democratic chair of the Senate energy committee. But the plans were still far from the finish line as of Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers were behind schedule and had waived rules to allow themselves to keep meeting on Saturday; technically, Friday is the last day to pass bills."

"Other major bills were still being hotly debated. Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a Democrat representing the Central Coast, had co-introduced a divisive plan earlier this year to limit content taught about Israel and Palestine deemed antisemitic in high school ethnic studies courses. Amid opposition from teachers and Muslim civil rights advocates, as well as other diversity caucuses in the Legislature, Addis and supporters shelved the bill in May."

Gov. Gavin Newsom held a closed-door meeting with top Democrats to negotiate energy and climate legislation. He secured a six-part deal with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Mike McGuire that would overhaul California's energy market, encourage additional oil drilling, lower home electricity bills, and monitor pollution in low-income communities. The package extends a key climate policy directing $1 billion annually to California High Speed Rail for 20 years. Lawmakers remained behind schedule, waived rules to continue meeting on Saturday, and faced a Friday deadline to pass bills. Separate debates continued over a reintroduced bill limiting certain Israel-Palestine content in school curricula.

Read at www.mercurynews.com