Environment

The state is the first in the world to require monitoring for tiny pieces of plastic, which contaminate people and wildlife globally.

During one of the driest years on record, California legislators didn't approve laws to protect depleted groundwater or boost water supplies.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported extending the nuclear power plant’s life for five more years, and the governor swiftly signed it into law. Supporters say it’s critical to keep the electricity on.

Five of the six climate and energy bills that Gov. Newsom pushed at the last minute were approved by the Legislature and signed into law.

As tens of thousands of low-income Californians struggle to pay their water bills, the Legislature approved a bill offering assistance. But the program has no funding.

A standoff over shutting down ranchers’ pumps signals a flareup of water wars as California is gripped by seemingly endless drought. “To hell with it. We’re starting the pumps,” one Siskiyou County rancher said.

California will revolutionize the car market by ending sales of new gas cars within 12 years, forcing car buyers to switch to electric cars.

Two other states – but not California – face cuts to Colorado River water in 2023 as the federal government escalates its drought response. But a deal remains out of reach.

Warning that the supply will shrink by 10% due to climate change, Newsom sets targets for recycled water and increased storage. But deadlines are distant, details are scant and there is no conservation mandate.

Newsom’s priorities — for the last three weeks of the session — include ramping up targets for greenhouse gas reductions and clean electricity, and creating safety zones around new oil wells.