Zócalo's Connecting California
Passing the baton on climate change in California
State lawmakers just passed a new generation of climate change laws, with an emphasis on making the legislation benefit the state’s poorest regions. Joe Mathews says a lot of the credit goes to a couple of Southern California lawmakers who happen to be at very different places in their legislative careers.
By Joe Mathews • • 4m ListenYou may not know Eduardo Garcia, but you will definitely come to know his work. The unassuming Assemblyman from the Coachella Valley is one of the main architects of California's new climate change legislation. Garcia is moving into a role that's been filled in recent years by State Senator Fran Pavley of Calabasas. Zócalo Public Square columnist Joe Mathews says the duo has forged an unlikely but effective partnership that is keeping California at the forefront of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions -- but with a new focus on the needs of lower-income communities.