skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Supreme Court throws out a Trump-era ban on gun bump stocks; a look at how social media algorithms and Shakespearian villains have in common; and states receive federal funding to clean up legacy mine pollution.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Supreme Court for now protects access to abortion drug mifepristone, while Senate Republicans block a bill protecting access to in-vitro fertilization. Wisconsin's Supreme Court bans mobile voting sites, and colleges deal with funding cuts as legislatures target diversity programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

As summer nears, America's newest and largest international dark sky sanctuary beckons, rural job growth is up, but full recovery remains elusive, rural Americans living in prison towns support a transition, while birth control is more readily available in rural areas.

Coalition presses lawmakers to put climate bond on CA November ballot

play audio
Play

Thursday, May 23, 2024   

A huge coalition of 170 groups rallied in Sacramento on Wednesday, pressing lawmakers to put a climate bond measure on California's November ballot.

The bond measure would authorize the state to borrow $10 billion for projects to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Abraham Mendoza III, policy manager with the nonprofit Community Water Center in Sacramento, noted that California has suffered 46 extreme weather events - which each caused at least $1 billion in damage since 1980.

"We've had record wildfires in back-to-back years, followed by weather whiplash where we're seeing flooding in areas that previously had drought," said Mendoza. "And we know that this isn't an anomaly. This is, unfortunately, the new reality and the future we need to prepare for."

Opponents cite concerns about increasing the state's debt during a time of budget deficits. Backers say a bond measure is necessary to protect the funding during tough budget years.

The Legislature is already considering two similar bills that would put the bond measure on the ballot.

If passed, the bond would be the largest voter-approved climate investment in U.S. history, and would send at least 40% to the most vulnerable communities.

Rosa Carrillo lives in a flood-prone farmworker housing community in Salinas. She said low-income families need protection before big storms hit again.

"The past year when the rains came, the entrance for our little community was flooded," said Carrillo. "We had an elderly man that needed the ambulance, and the ambulance couldn't go in because the roads were closed."

The bond would fund projects to increase access to safe drinking water, promote renewable energy, restore wetlands, help farmers save water, and improve flood protection, increase wildfire resilience, and support air quality.

Lawmakers have until June 27 to pass a bill in order for the bond measure to qualify for the ballot.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
The wells providing water on Santee Tribal lands had manganese levels more than 50 times greater than what is considered safe for adults. Excessively high manganese can cause problems with memory, attention and motor skills. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Members of the Nebraska Santee Sioux Tribe hope a solution to their five-year water ordeal may be on the way. Their tap water has been unusable for …


play sound

Hurricane season is here, and conservationists are shining a light on the role salt marshes play in protecting coastal North Carolina communities…

Social Issues

play sound

This weekend, Father's Day will be tough for children with a dad in jail or prison. More than 200,000 kids in Michigan have had an incarcerated …


While Wisconsin's Supreme Court blocked the use of mobile voting sites for absentee ballots, observers say they're not widely used compared with other types of alternative sites. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Local election administrators have new guidance from Wisconsin's highest court on alternative early voting sites. A political expert says the timing …

Environment

play sound

When Minnesota farmers watch their crops grow this summer, some will monitor land that has better soil health. It's because of a fairly popular …

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated a total of $16 billion to address legacy pollution, including $11.3 billion in Abandoned Mind Land funding over 15 years. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

West Virginia will receive $140 million to clean up legacy pollution in regions decimated by decades of coal mining. The money is part of $725 …

Environment

play sound

Close to 200 events are planned now through Sunday at California state parks for the third annual State Parks Week. The events advance Gov. Gavin …

Environment

play sound

The Supreme Court is expected to rule any day now on two cases that could allow judges to more easily overrule federal agencies, which could have big …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021