Before finishing its regular session last month, the Legislature passed some clean air solutions that protect Californians’ public health and safety. However, we need your help one more time to convince Governor Newsom to sign these solutions into law! Please contact Governor Newsom today to let him know you support reducing lead pollution, building safe sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and replacing old polluting vehicles with clean cars.
Your action today will help California take key steps to reduce air pollution.
If SB 1193 (Menjivar) is signed, airports will eventually stop selling leaded aviation fuel and will switch to cleaner alternatives, reducing the rate of lead exposure in nearby communities. Children will have the opportunity to play outside without worrying that the fumes from small aircraft might cause irreversible cognitive and developmental issues.
If SB 960 (Weiner) is signed, state agencies will begin to install safe sidewalks and bike lanes anytime they do road maintenance work. People will be able to reach their destinations safely without having to drive, reducing the amount of air and climate pollution released into the atmosphere.
If AB 2401 (Ting) is signed, state programs will more effectively help the neediest Californians purchase zero-emission vehicles by targeting incentives toward our most polluting cars and our most vulnerable communities. Low-income households will be able to afford clean cars to replace old, dirty and unreliable gas guzzlers.
If you would like to see these solutions become a reality, please contact the Governor and let him know that you support these three key bills. Together, we can create a brighter, cleaner, and safer future for our state!
HOW TO CONTACT THE GOVERNOR
Click here to go to the Governor’s contact page.
Fill out the contact form (Select An Active Bill as the Topic and then select AB 2401, SB 960, SB 1193 from the list of bills. You may need to submit the form multiple times, once for each bill. Make sure to select Pro as your stance on the topic). Feel free to use the template letters below as the email message. We encourage you to personalize the letter by using one of our prompts highlighted below.
Alternatively, you can submit your comments to leg.unit@gov.ca.gov.
AB 2401 Template Letter:
Dear Governor Newsom,
I am contacting you today to urge you to sign AB 2401 by Assemblymember Ting into law. I am concerned about the effects air pollution has on my family, my community, and myself. Californians breathe the smoggiest air in the nation which results in our most vulnerable Californians living shorter and sicker lives. AB 2401 would rectify this situation by guiding the California Air Resources Board to update the Clean Cars 4 All Program to ensure its continued effectiveness in removing the most polluted vehicles off our roads.
Since its enactment nine years ago, the Clean Cars 4 All Program has continued to be a source of hope for Californians such as myself by giving over 13,000 households access to a clean electric vehicle that they would not be able to afford otherwise. At the same time, the program has been successful at scrapping polluting cars and removing air pollution from our communities, allowing Californians a chance to breathe clean air and not worry about seeing themselves or family members being hospitalized due to complications from asthma or other cardiovascular diseases. However, with the recent budget cuts our state is facing, it is more important than ever to ensure programs are achieving their goals as efficiently as possible. As such, AB 2401 proposes for CARB to update the Clean Cars 4 All guidelines to ensure the program is being implemented all across the state and that the incentives reach our most vulnerable communities to encourage them to switch out their most polluting cars.
Feel free to add a personalized message here. Examples include:
- I am concerned about the health of my family which will be exacerbated by poor air quality
- I would be interested in purchasing an electric vehicle but I cannot afford one
- My kids were forced to stay indoors/outdoor practices were canceled due to the bad air quality days we’ve experienced.
- The increasing heat waves worry me about the future of the planet my children and grandchildren will inherit.
If enacted, AB 2401 would help save thousands of lives from the often fatal health effects of air pollution. I urge you to sign this bill into law to protect our air and create a better future for my community and all of California.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
SB 960 Template Letter:
Dear Governor Newsom,
I am contacting you today to urge you to sign SB 960 by Senator Wiener into law. I am concerned about the effects air pollution has on my family, my community, and myself. Californians breathe the smoggiest air in the nation which results in our most vulnerable Californians living shorter and sicker lives. SB 960 would help clean California’s air by guiding Caltrans to ensure that complete street elements are included in projects funded by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP).
Despite our state’s leadership on climate action, Californians are still choosing to drive to their destinations. Car exhaust not only releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but also contributes to poor air quality, causing cardiovascular diseases and especially affecting the elderly, pregnant women, and children. California can significantly reduce GHG and air pollution emissions by encouraging Californians to walk or bike to their destinations instead. However, the lack of accessible sidewalks and bike lanes makes traveling by any means other than a car unsafe. Over one thousand pedestrians die in car crashes each year and this number continues to grow.
Feel free to add a personalized message here. Examples include:
- I am concerned about the health of my family which will be exacerbated by poor air quality
- My kids were forced to stay indoors due to a lack of safe sidewalks and bike lanes in their area
- I wish I could walk/bike to the grocery store, work, nearby park, etc. but I feel unsafe doing so.
- The increasing heat waves worry me about the future of the planet my children and grandchildren will inherit.
SB 960 will address these safety issues by encouraging Caltrans to consider adding walking and biking infrastructure when they are conducting road maintenance work. By encouraging Caltrans to install safe sidewalks while they are paving over potholes, we can protect Californians from fatal collisions and protect our environment and air quality at the same time. People deserve the ability to get to their destinations safely without having to resort to driving and I urge you to sign this bill to protect the lives of bicyclists and pedestrians like me.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
SB 1193 Template Letter:
Dear Governor Newsom,
I am contacting you today to urge you to sign SB 1193 by Senator Menjivar into law. I am concerned about the effects air pollution has on my family, my community, and myself. Californians breathe the smoggiest air in the nation which results in our most vulnerable Californians living shorter and sicker lives. SB 1193 would rectify this situation by prohibiting airport operators from using lead aviation fuel starting in 2031.
Lead pollution continues to plague hundreds of thousands of Californians like me, leading to reproductive problems, high blood pressure, kidney disease, digestive problems, nerve disorders, and memory and concentration problems. This pollutant is especially harmful to our children, causing significant developmental, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Children living in near-airport communities are more susceptible to this type of pollution as a recent study found that children who lived less than a mile away from an airport had 21% higher lead levels in their blood compared to children who lived further away.
Feel free to add a personalized message here. Examples include:
- I am concerned about the health of my family which will be exacerbated by poor air quality
- I live near an airport and am concerned about the impact nearby air pollution is having me, my family, and my community
- I am a parent/grandparent and wish to see a bright future for my children/grandchildren that involves protecting them from the harms of lead pollution
- My kids were forced to stay indoors/outdoor practices were canceled due to the bad air quality days we’ve experienced.
Thankfully, SB 1193 holds the solution to protecting the children of California from the harmful effects of lead pollution. By banning the use of leaded aviation fuel, we can reduce the amount of lead exposure facing our most vulnerable communities and ensure that children grow up safely and happily. We have already succeeded in transitioning away from using leaded gasoline and it makes sense to extend the same community protections to aviation fuel as well. I urge you to sign this bill into law to protect our air and create a better future for my community and all of California.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
