Even after bombshell report exposing Newsom’s lies, Democrats kill wildfire budget amendment proposal
SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, Democrats in the California State Assembly voted down a proposal that would have funded critical wildfire prevention. A video can be found here.
Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) introduced the emergency budget amendment in the wake of a bombshell report exposing Gavin Newsom’s outright lies on wildfire prevention in California.
Gallagher, who represents the Town of Paradise and the area devastated by the deadly Camp Fire in 2018, commented on the situation.
“Every member of the California State Assembly is aware that Newsom was touting bogus accomplishments on wildfire prevention. Yet, the Democratic Super-Majority still rejected a modest funding request in advance of what could be another horrific fire season. It’s astonishing that even with a $76 billion budget surplus, preventing the devastation of wildfires still isn’t a priority in Sacramento,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher’s emergency budget amendment would have continuously appropriated $200 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for healthy forest and fire prevention projects.
The proposal was similar to Assembly Bill 297 (Gallagher) which Assembly Democrats prevented from even getting a committee hearing earlier this year.
Editors Note – full speech on the Assembly Floor
“I besiege this body this afternoon, I know its getting late in the hour, but this is a very important issue and I think its grievance oversight in this proposed budget that we are actually seeing a cut and a status quo budget when it comes to wildfire prevention.
Now we are going into what could be the world wildfire season. Dryer conditions, heat waves, we are going into what could be one of the worst wildfire seasons and that is a scary prospect considering what we have been through. What my community has been through, what your communities have been through. To then have a status quo budget, even a cut from the May revise in your wildfire prevention funds.
I want to be clear, we made a deal with SB 901 that we would put $200 million in Cap and Trade funds into wildfire prevention every year. This governor has said he wants to double down on that. We are going backwards. Last year, Cap and Trade didn’t even fund wildfire prevention’s, we paid that back in the early action funds.
In this budget, the Governor said he was going to have a $1 billion package for wildfire prevention, then in May when he released the revise, he said it was going to be a $2 billion package. And in the budget you are voting for today, its going to be $258 million. That is the fact.
Its not $1 billion, its not $2 billion, its $258 million. That is a status quo wildfire budget. Its not doubling down. Its not getting at the problem.
And now, NPR has broke the story that even the stuff we said we have been working on, we haven’t gotten the job done. The governor touted 90,000 acres treated, its 11,000.
When we need to be doing 500,000 all the experts are saying 500,000 acres need to be treated every year to get on top of the problem. The problem is fuel. We have an overgrowth of fuels on our wildlands. You don’t get at that without getting out there and doing the work. The thinning, the forest management, the prescribed burns. We have been talking real big like we are doing all these things and its not happening. We are not removing the barriers.
Tom Porter, CALFIRE Fire Captain has said we have not removed the bureaucratic CEQA, other barriers, that keep us from doing this work quickly and timely. The time is now. We have another wildfire season on the verge, and we are just going to pass a status quo budget.
If this is a priority, we have the chance to change it. Now that same article said continued sustained funding is what is needed. That is what this amendment does. For the next 5-years we are committed to continuous appropriation to putting that money in the budget, not some promise that oh maybe. Maybe we will get around to it. Then we have to beg and fight for wildfire prevention funds that we should have in there automatically every year. That is what this amendment does.
I am just asking you, because this is a bipartisan issue, its an issue that effects all of our Districts, whether you are cities that are threatened by catastrophic wildfire or smoke that is in the air afterwards.
Don’t let this just go by man and pass another status quo budget on wildfire prevention.
Don’t allow this governor to get away with saying hey I am doing more than ever on wildfire prevention, and it turns out no its not true. Hold people accountable and put your money where your mouth is and I ask you to support this amendment. Continuous appropriated funding to get at what is probably one of the most important issues in California right now when it comes to protecting our communities, combating climate change, stopping carbon emissions and keeping our communities safe, our air safe and clean.
Pass this amendment, don’t let this be a party line vote.
Thank you”
Assemblyman James Gallagher represents the 3rd Assembly District, which encompasses all of Glenn, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba counties as well as portions
