In The Media

Bloomberg Law: Landmark California Plastics Law's Anniversary Brings Progress

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Lawmakers are considering additional bills to complement the legislation, according to SB 54 sponsor Sen. Ben Allen (D). These include extended producer responsibility for areas such as electric vehicle batteries, textiles, aerosol paint, and solar panels. Allen previously sponsored efforts regulating what kind of plastics can bear the recycling symbol. There are similar measures in the current legislative session to clarify how plastics are defined. “There’s a lot of work happening now,” Allen said. “I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made so far.”

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Sacramento News & Review: Rachel Machi Wagoner of CalRecycle discusses the benefits of a circular economy in California

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The second major piece of legislation is SB 54, the plastics bill, that requires by 2032 100% of packaging in the state to be recyclable or compostable, a 25% cut in plastic packaging, and 65% of all single-use plastic packaging be recycled. The legislation also shifts the plastic pollution burden from consumers to the plastics industry by raising $5 billion from industry members over 10 years.

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Associated Press: Car-dependent California seeks to follow New York’s lead and save public transit

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Backers of more money for California transit say its cities don’t need to be as reliant on the service as a place like New York to make it a worthy investment for a state that’s considering the environmental and economic benefits of reducing automobile traffic.

“This is culture. It takes a long time to change,” California state Sen. Ben Allen said. “One way to assure it doesn’t catch on is by letting the system fail.”

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San Francisco Chronicle: Rights to California’s most important resource are built on injustice. New legislation seeks to change that

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A third bill, SB389, would give the state water board greater authority to investigate the authenticity of senior water rights and strip the rights of those deemed illegitimate. The legislation, authored by Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, flips the burden of proof from the state to the water rights holder, which concerns critics. Water rights dating to 1914 and earlier can be tough to document, and some fear the state water board may be overzealous in its demands for evidence.

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Los Angeles Times: Improvised, spotty and belated’: Will California reform its oversight of water rights?

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Another measure approved by the Senate, SB 389, would give the State Water Board the authority to investigate and verify whether the claims of senior rights holders are valid and accurate. “They’ve got to have more tools at their disposal to better understand the rights system as it exists,” said Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), who introduced the proposal.

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Capitol & Main: How a California Dairy Methane Project Threatens Residents’ Air and Water

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Recent legislation introduced by state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Redondo Beach), SB 709, would limit the value of credits produced by dairy biogas under the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The program credits companies for producing vehicle fuel that replaces fossil fuels, and the bill would change the rules so less money is awarded for dairies that capture methane. “Unfortunately, it appears that a program intended to reward an industry for addressing its climate emissions is being exploited to do just the opposite and is threatening public health,” Allen said in a statement after introducing the

Beverly Press & Park Labrea News: Allen Honors Local Holocaust Survivor on Yom HaShoah

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“Holocaust Remembrance Day is one of the most solemn and important days recognized by Jews, friends, and allies throughout the world,” Allen said. “We must continue to remember and teach the history of the Holocaust, especially as we increasingly rely on history books and the descendants of survivors to learn about this atrocity. Yom HaShoah reminds us of the need to stand up for any community that faces discrimination and persecution. If it were not for courageous individuals who risked their lives to save Jews through the underground resistance movement, Eva would not be here today.”

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