Vote on Climate Superfund Bill Postponed in California Senate Judiciary Committee

SACRAMENTO – On April 29, Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) announced her decision to postpone the vote on the Climate Superfund Act in the Senate Judiciary Committee to “allow more time for meaningful conversations with stakeholders and will continue to push this policy forward.” 

The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act would require the largest fossil fuel corporations to pay for the climate devastation they have contributed to across California in proportion to their fossil fuel emissions from 1990 through 2024. Big Oil, the most powerful corporate lobby in Sacramento, was able to stop a previous version of the legislation from moving forward last year.

“The overwhelming outpouring of support from labor groups, environmental champions, business owners, doctors, nurses, and regular people in support of AB 1243 clearly shows just how important holding Big Oil accountable and addressing climate change is for California,” said Addis in a statement after a press conference.

“The climate crisis is an environmental, existential and financial crisis that must be addressed. Californians have sacrificed enough by subsidizing big oil. It is time for the polluters to pay,” she stated.

“We know given recent federal actions, the state budget may experience deficits. AB 1243 provides a material way to address these issues,” she concluded.  

In response to the bill being postponed, Goli Saba, Third Act Sacramento facilitator, said, “We support anything that will help get this bill passed, even if we have to repeatedly attend day-long Assembly and Senate hearings. This is a California taxpayer relief bill, not just a climate action bill. It’s only fair that the companies that caused the carbon pollution that has resulted in climate devastation should pay their fair share.”

Senator Caroline Menjivar (D- San Fernando Valley) and Assemblymember Addis introduced SB 684, the Senate version, and AB 1243, the Assembly version, on Feb. 21, 2025. This bill is an urgency measure that is not subject to the same deadlines as normal bills.

The Assembly version of the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act passed out of its first California Assembly Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, in a 9-4 vote on the day before Earth Day.

On April 2, the Senate version of the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, SB 684, passed out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in a 5-3 vote. 

The bill was set for the first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 22, but it too was cancelled at the request of the author.  

Vermont and New York have already enacted climate superfund laws, so California would be the third state to pass this type of legislation if the bill is able to get through the Legislature.

The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act will:
• Direct CalEPA to complete a climate cost study to quantify total damages to the state (through 2045), caused by past fossil fuel emissions.
• Direct CalEPA to identify responsible parties and assess compensatory fees on the largest fossil fuel polluters proportional to their fossil fuel emissions 1990 through 2024, to address damages quantified in the cost study.
• Fund California’s future. Fees collected will fund projects and programs to mitigate disaster related rate increases for Californians and remedy or prevent climate-related costs and harms. The bill prioritizes labor and job standards and dedicates at least 40% of the funds to benefit disadvantaged communities.

You can tell your legislators to pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/californians-make-polluters-pay  

Oil lobby spends record money to attack Climate Superfund Act, other climate bills

The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), the oil industry’s trade organization, and other corporate lobbying groups led a successful campaign last year to stop the previous version of the bill, SB 1497, from moving forward in the Legislature. 

WSPA and Big Oil are again opposing the passage of the legislation this year. 

In the first quarter of 2025, the oil and gas industry spent a total of $9,139,655 to lobby against the Climate Superfund Act and other bills. Chevron topped the list of oil spenders with $3,758,914 spent, while the Western States Petroleum Association came in second with $3,471,879 spent. 

In a post on X on April 2, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) wrote: “#SB684 strongly opposed by labor, local chambers of commerce and #CAWorkers.  Bill threatens jobs, affordability and future investment in California economy. #affordability#gasprices #costdriver #jobkiller”

“SB684 would increase costs on California consumers and businesses,” WSPA also claimed on X.    

The oil industry spent a total of $38 million in lobbying expenses in 2024, shattering by 31 percent the annual state lobbying record of $26.2 million set in 2017, according to an analysis by the Last Chance Alliance (LCA).

Spending by two organizations alone, the Western States Petroleum Association and Chevron, shattered the previous record, coming in at $31.6 million in 2024. WSPA and Chevron accounted for 83% of the industry’s expenditure.

The Western States Petroleum Association placed first in the Big Oil lobbying spending spree with $17.4 million, while Chevron came in second with $14.2 million.

CRC/Aera Energy took third place, spending $2.1 million in 2024. Marathon Petroleum placed fourth, spending $1.5 million, while Phillips 66 placed fifth, spending $876,563.

Big Oil crushed its two-year legislative session record as well, spending $65.8 million during the 2023-2024 legislative session. This far exceeds the $44.1 million spent during the 2017-2018 session, the LCA said.  

WSPA and the oil companies wield their power in 8 major ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) serving on and putting shills on regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups; (5) working in collaboration with media; (6) sponsoring awards ceremonies and dinners, including those for legislators and journalists; (7) contributing to non profit organizations; and (8) creating alliances with labor unions, mainly construction trades.  

Big Oil lobbyists and CEOs have often served on state advisory and regulatory panels and commissions.

For example, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the president and CEO of WSPA, served as the chair of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create “marine protected areas” in Southern California waters from 2009 to 2012 at the same she was lobbying for new offshore drilling off the California Coast. She also served on the task forces to create “marine protected areas” on the Central Coast, North Central Coast and North Coast from 2004 to 2012.

Even more insidious is the WSPA’s sponsorship of dinners and awards ceremonies for journalists. For example, WSPA was one of the “lede sponsors” of the Sacramento Press Club’s Annual Journalism Awards Reception on April 11, 2024: www.dailykos.com/…