On Monday, July 13 the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted to approve SB 209 (Pavley), a bill sponsored by The Sierra Fund to strengthen enforcement of SMARA. On a 7 – 1 bipartisan vote the bill was moved out of the committee and onto the Appropriations Committee, where it will be heard later in August.
SB 209 includes elements of the SMARA reform proposals that have been developed out of a Governor-convened stakeholder process that Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin of The Sierra Fund has been participating in since March. The bill is supported by a broad coalition of conservation, environmental justice and community organizations.
On Tuesday, July 14 the Senate Natural Resources Committee voted to approve AB 1142 (Gray), a bill sponsored by the mining industry to reform SMARA. The Sierra Fund testified as “opposed unless amended” to the Committee. The amendments supported by The Sierra Fund were agreed upon in concept by the Committee and the bill’s author Assemblyman Adam Gray. This bill also garnered bi-partisan support. This bill moves on to the Senate Appropriations Committee to be heard after the legislative summer recess is over.