In The Media

State Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat from Santa Monica who authored the law requiring oil companies to disclose more data, said he still has some questions about Newsom’s proposal for a penalty on excessive oil company profits. But he said it was “disappointing” that Chevron had not complied with the law he wrote. “The fact that all of the other industry players were able to do it and they weren’t, I just don’t know what’s going on with them,” Allen said. “We’re going to hold them accountable."

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SB 54 puts the responsibility for recycling on the producer of the product with some targets kicking in by 2032 (25% reduction in plastic packaging. 65% recycling of single-use packages and/or 100% of single-use package being either recyclable or compostable). SB1383 requires that “organics” going to the landfill be reduced to 5.7 million metric tons by 2025, 75% below the 2014 baseline.

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“It’s part of why I prefer this approach, which is ultimately about trying to give (local jurisdictions) more discretion,” Allen told CalMatters. “I think there’s real merit to providing parameters for how this ought to be done and then allowing local communities to do what’s best for them."

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The expanding fallout from the recordings has included calls for Los Angeles to adopt an independent redistricting panel. State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) said earlier this week he might run legislation to do so.

“We should have a non-partisan process in cities like LA to create fair districts independent of self-serving politicians, and I am exploring legislative options along those lines,” Allen said in a Tuesday tweet.

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California recently passed a sweeping single-use plastic law which requires that 30% of plastic bought and sold in California be recyclable by 2028 and mandates a system of corporate accountability, the first law of its kind in the U.S.

State Sen. Ben Allen, who wrote the law and chairs the state's Committee on Environmental Quality, told ABC News, "Our whole idea is that we give the responsibility to the producers, the people who have the most skin in the game, to create more sustainable packaging."

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California is banning the use of the recycling sign on products that are unrecyclable starting Jan. 1, 2022.

State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, authored Senate Bill 343, which was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom this past October.

Sen. Allen told “Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen he was inspired to create the bill after learning how the United States’ broken recycling system caused China to stop taking our refuse. He explained that there was such an excess of non-recyclable U.S. material that China was facing devastating climate consequences as more and more trash was being

With this month’s U.N. climate conference failing to achieve key agreements that will limit global heating to the crucial 1.5° C goal, it’s vital that California step up our climate leadership.

Recognizing that gas-burning vehicles are the largest source of statewide greenhouse gas emissions – and that the electric vehicle revolution is well underway – Gov. Gavin Newsom set a powerful vision last fall, declaring that all new cars sold in California after 2035 will be zero-emission.

But we won’t achieve this laudable target unless all residents have an affordable, reliable and convenient

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused devastating lockdowns and restrictions on businesses out of concern for the public health. But there has been another side to the pandemic — namely the (usually temporary) lifting of certain rules and regulations. That’s what allowed for the proliferation of outdoor dining opportunities, cocktails-to-go and direct-to-consumer shipping of distilled spirits. Senate Bill 620, introduced by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, would make the latter permanently legal. For the sake of consumer freedom and  distilleries, it merits support.

During the pandemic, Gov. Gavin

Calling all journalism ethicists! Should the government fund the free press?

That’s what Sens. Steve Glazer, Ben Allen and Josh Newman are proposing, with a bill intended to provide state grants to media individuals and organizations to cover issues of importance to their communities.

SB 911 would create a state board that includes at least one member from ethnic media, academia, non-profit news, and others who would administer a public fund to distribute grants to bona fide news organizations and reporters...

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“I authored SB 1194 to give local governments the option to enact common-sense ordinances that ensure accessibility and inclusivity as new buildings are constructed,” Allen said. “All people deserve safe, equitable access to public restrooms regardless of age, gender identity, or health condition.”

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