California Democrats walk back climate policies
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, JUL 8 – California Democrats retreat from key climate regulations after 2024 election losses, citing economic pressures and shifting voter priorities, with some policies paused or diluted, Politico reports.
- In response to political challenges following the 2024 election, Governor Newsom and California Democrats are scaling back a number of the state’s environmental regulations in 2025.
- This retreat follows rising voter concerns over housing and gas prices, causing Democrats to pause or dilute policies like clean fuel rules and environmental reviews to avoid political backlash.
- In 2023 and 2024, Newsom signed housing bills exempting some construction from environmental review and faced advice to pause a cap on oil profits amid these pressures.
- Climate activists criticize these rollbacks as a disappointing retreat, while Newsom's office counters that he has done more than previous governors to address climate change.
- This shift signals a weakening of California's former national climate leadership, reflecting broader political challenges in balancing environmental goals with economic and electoral concerns.
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9 Articles
California Democrats walk back climate policies
The Democratic Party’s monopoly on power in California is, apparently, not as invincible as it seems. That is the only conclusion one can reach from the events in Sacramento over the past month, as Democrats have been forced to balance their ideological commitment to destructive climate policies and their desire to avoid the looming political landslide that those policies would bring.
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