Behind Newsom’s climate order + Advocating for student borrowers + Christmas tree lighting

Happy Monday morning to you, California! Have you recovered from the calorie overload of Thanksgiving? I attempted a from-scratch apple pie that turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself!

UNTANGLING NEWSOM’S CLIMATE ORDER

Via Adam Ashton

On his way to an international climate forum two months ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom handed down an executive order meant to sharpen the state’s focus – and its spending – on global warming.

Government agencies have been struggling to explain it ever since.

Newsom’s order directs the state’s Transportation Agency, pension funds and the department that manages government contracts to reconsider how they spend the public’s money with an eye toward investing in projects that could help Californians prepare for climate change.

It touts the states “$700 billion investment portfolio,” and instructs the government to use it to “advance California’s climate leadership.”

“This is the governor saying I am prioritizing this in a mainstream way across the government. The state as a major investor and asset owner needs to take climate change really seriously,” said Kate Gordon, director of the governor’s Office of Planning and Research.

The order references funds that taxpayers typically think of as restricted, such as money earmarked for road improvements and for pension systems that have a financial obligation to earn as much as cash as possible to provide retirement security for millions government employees.

Newsom’s order happened to follow Caltrans’ release of a report describing decisions to adjust funding for highway projects that had been pledged to the Central Valley. The timing created an impression that the Newsom administration was tinkering with taxpayer-approved transportation plans.

In an interview with The Fresno Bee editorial board earlier this month, Newsom acknowledged the confusion the executive order created and said he was working to resolve questions about the documents.

The change in highway plans “was a staff level draft and it was ambiguous in how it coincided with an executive order — one from my office, one from Caltrans,” he said. “We have provided clarity. ... I think we have facts to calm the nerves.”

The departments affected by Newsom’s order are in the early stages of planning.

Here’s what they know about it:

• Newsom’s executive order won’t change the restrictions lawmakers placed in the 2017 law that levied new taxes and fees on fuel and vehicle registrations to pay for road repairs, according to the state transportation agency. That law is projected to raise about $5 billion a year for roadwork.

• California’s three state public pension systems are among the biggest in the world, and each has investment strategies that account for climate change. Newsom’s executive order directs the pension plans to work with his Finance Department to develop a new investment framework “that reflects the increased risks to the economy and physical environment due to climate change.”

• The most tangible change to California government from Newsom’s climate change order so far was an announcement that state government would stop purchasing gas-powered cars immediately.

DEBT-RIDDEN

Student loan debt, what a struggle.

So much of a struggle that NextGen California, an advocacy coalition driven by “young people,” is hosting a “Free my Future: Student Loan Debt Week of Action” that starts today.

The group is coordinating the week-long event to raise awareness for the “student debt crisis” that hangs over the heads of an estimated 3.7 million Californians riddled with a total $141 billion in debt. According to an August Business Insider report, the average borrower in California owes nearly $35,000.

The group is also advocating for Assembly Bill 376, which was held in Senate Appropriations this year. The legislation would have created a “Student Borrower Bill of Rights” and imposed additional restrictions on student loan servicing in California. Specifically the bill would have added a “private right of action” to allow the Department of Business Oversight and the attorney general to “enforce violations of federal law,” the bill analysis states, and establish a “student borrower advocate” to monitor and respond to consumer complaints.

“We have seen the federal government refuse to protect student borrowers, and California has led the charge to fulfill this role,” said Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, when he introduced the bill in March. “California will keep pushing increased consumer protections because we understand that student loans not only affect the lives of borrowers, but have radiating negative effects throughout the economy. Establishing clear servicing standards will ensure that California borrowers are treated fairly and have the best chance possible at paying off their debt.”

The week’s events include:

• A tele-town hall on Monday, offered as “a chance for student loan borrowers, parents, teachers, and supporters to tune in and learn more about student loan issues and repayment options.”
• An Assembly Select Committee on Student Debt hearing for Wednesday, which will focus on how the debt affects California’s cities and communities. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. at Pasadena City College. The same day, students can attend a workshop in Pasadena to learn about their federal repayment options and how to apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• On Saturday, a summit is scheduled in Los Angeles for 20 community partners to learn about “empowering and equipping” those with debt.

O CHRISTMAS TREE

Gather round, it’s time to light the Capitol Christmas tree.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will preside over the festivities on Thursday to kick off the December holiday season.

The Newsoms will be joined for the 88th annual lighting by Nayeli Lemus, a 10-year-old from Gilroy who “loves singing, dancing, music, and art” and spending time with her family. She was selected to represent the “more than 340,000 Californians who have intellectual and developmental disabilities” for the celebration.

The theme for this year’s lighting is one of “cultural diversity, native heritage and spirit of inclusion.”

“The holiday season is a very special time, and this year, we want to celebrate California’s rich history, people, cultures, backgrounds and religious beliefs, which give our state its unique and enviable identity,” Newsom said via a press release for the event. “We are honored to continue this tradition of bringing people together.”

Extra party details:

• The white fir towers above 66 feet and hails from the LaTour Demonstration State Forest in Shasta County
• A list of performers are expected to sing, dance and drum to celebrate the event.

• Approximately 10,000 “ultra-low wattage LED lights” and more than 300 traditional ornaments will decorate the tree. Another 500 ornaments decorated by children and adults with disabilities will also hang on the branches.

• The program is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on the west steps of the Capitol.

• You can watch the live stream here.

For your radar — Attorney General Xavier Becerra today is kick-starting a series of public hearings on the proposed regulations under the California Consumer Privacy Act. The legislation will go into effect with the new year and restricts how businesses can collect information from their consumers.

Specifically, the act will:

• Require businesses to disclose their data collection and sharing practices
• Allow consumers to request that their data be deleted and opt out of the sale of their information
• Prohibit businesses from selling the information of consumers who are under 16 unless there is “explicit consent.”

The Department of Justice is currently holding a public comment period on the regulations as well. This morning will be the first of this week’s public hearings, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the CalEPA building. Another three are scheduled in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Fresno.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You can’t run the country if you can’t run your campaign.”

- Gil Duran, opinion editor of The Bee and a former aide to presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, as told to the New York Times.

Best of The Bee:

• California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is asking lawmakers for a budget boost of $2.2 million to help it register voters ahead of the state’s March 3, 2020 primary by Bryan Anderson

• Sacramento County voters may get a chance next year to improve their commute and combat climate change on a local level. But it will cost them, by Tony Bizjak

• Newly released data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles show the state making a huge dent in the wait times customers are experiences across the state by Bryan Anderson