Cleaning the Central Valley's Air: Over the Objections of Nicole Parra (& the Republicans)

Senate Bill 719 by Senator Mike Machado would add new members to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to represent the largest cities in the region, and add a doctor and air pollution expert to the Board. This area of the Central Valley has some of the worst air quality in the country - for example, one in six kids in Fresno has asthma.

The bill was brought up on the Assembly Floor this afternoon, and engendered a lively debate. Notably, the first two people to speak in favor of the bill - Assemblywoman Lois Wolk and Assemblyman Juan Arambula - both represent the Central Valley (as does the bill's author, Senator Machado). Predictably, a number of Republican Assembly Members spoke in opposition to the bill.

Perhaps most strikingly, Assemblywoman Nicole Parra (D - Hanford) absolutely railed against the bill, arguing the the air quality in the San Joaquin Valley is getting better, and there is no need for a more representative body with better technical and public health expertise. Given that the air in her district is making children sick at a very high rate, her opposition to this measure is . . . disappointing.

A large group of activists from the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition were doing last-minute lobbying in the Capitol today. Given that the bill passed off the Assembly Floor with 41 votes, our congratulations go out to them. And our thanks to all the Assembly members who voted for better representation of urbanites, public health and science on the San Joaquin Valley Air Board.

Will Parra Block Effort to Clean Up the Valley’s Air?

Assemblymember Nicole Parra represents people who breathe the filthiest air in the nation, and she seems determined to keep it that way. Once again, Parra is point person for Big Oil and Big Ag in opposing Senator Mike Machado’s legislation to reform the governing board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Sure, oil and ag are big industries in Kern County, but not all Kern electeds do whatever the polluters tell them – Senator Dean Florez, in fact, has joined Machado as joint author of the bill.

Senate Bill 719 would improve the Valley’s air board by adding representatives from 2 large cities, along with a doctor and an air pollution expert, which might make the board actually willing to crack down on big polluters for a change. Parra not only opposes the bill, she also is working her Assembly colleagues, asking them to join her in opposing this common-sense reform.

SB 719’s supporters, a clean-air coalition including Latino Issues Forum, Fresno Metro Ministries, Sierra Club California and the Union of Concerned Scientists, are urging the rest of the Assembly to do what Parra has never done – stand up for the breathers in the Valley.