Assemblyman Mike Gatto unveiled a big idea -- blow up the CPUC before anything else in our shoddy utility infrastructure goes Boom. In a nutshell, he wants to put a constitutional amendment on the 2016 ballot to “reconstitute” the PUC, i.e. blow it to smithereens by repealing its mandate and authority.
Landmark bills protecting digital privacy, greening energy use in the state, reining in health insurance abuses and expanding voter registration were among the good proposals signed by Gov. Jerry Brown as the 2015 legislative year drew to a close. Yet, in a year Californians called for bold, progressive action on gas prices, toxics regulation and ratepayer protection against back room dealings with regulated utilities, centrist saddling and tepid reforms dull the shine of those wins for the public.
The crowded hallways outside of the Legislature's chambers may now be empty but that doesn't mean the fervent lobbying to kill pending legislation is over.
With more than 600 bills sitting at the governor's desk, we are keeping an eye on bills that protect privacy, healthcare, elections, consumer rights and the environment. Below are some of the bills we are watching: