Proposed Tax Would Raise $2B In 15 Years To Tackle Calif.’s Unsafe Drinking Water Problem
“My message is short and direct: We are not Flint, Michigan,” said the measure's co-author Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys).
The Mercury News:
California Drinking Water Could Soon Be Taxed
For the first time Californians would pay a tax on drinking water — 95 cents per month — under legislation aimed at fixing hundreds of public water systems with unsafe tap water. Senate Bill 623, backed by a strange-bedfellows coalition of the agricultural lobby and environmental groups but opposed by water districts, would generate $2 billion over the next 15 years to clean up contaminated groundwater and improve faulty water systems and wells. (Murphy, 8/23)
In other news from Sacramento —
San Francisco Chronicle:
State Sen. Wiener Urges Supes To Not Pass Pot Permit Moratorium
State Sen. Scott Wiener criticized a San Francisco Board of Supervisors proposal to temporarily halt permits of new cannabis dispensaries, saying it would “send a terrible message statewide.” Wiener, a former supervisor who is among the city’s most prominent moderate politicians, generally avoids taking stances on city issues. (Swan and Fracassa, 8/23)