The Brief

The California Legislature wrapped up its session last week and dozens of climate bills now await Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature — or veto. They range from corporate accountability to clean energy, transportation, water and more.

“The ball is definitely being advanced and I think, given the budget situation, we could have seen things be a lot worse than they turned out to be this year,” said Julia Stein, a climate policy researcher at UCLA.

This summer, lawmakers cut $6 billion in climate initiatives.

Still, Stein said this session showed “things are moving forward in meaningful ways.”

Here’s our roundup of some of the most significant bills, and what they mean for us here in the Southland.

Corporate accountability 

• SB 253: the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act: 

  • The law requires companies that do business in California and make $1 billion in annual revenue to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. Starting in 2026, big corporations will be required to tally up and send to the state the pollution from fossil fuels burned to make their products or run their operations, and the emissions associated with the product once it’s reached the consumer. It’ll affect more than 5,000 businesses, including some of the biggest brands most of us interact with regularly, including Google, Apple, and Chevron.
  • Governor Newsom has already said he’ll sign it, making it the first policy of its kind in the country. 

• SB 261: the Climate-related Financial Risk Act

  • This bill requires any company that does business in California and makes more than $500 million yearly to report to the state its climate-related financial risk, as well as how the company will reduce or adapt to that risk. It’ll affect an additional 2,000 or so businesses. It was authored by Sen. Henry Stern, who represents parts of Ventura and L.A. counties, including Simi Valley, Canoga Park and Woodland Hills.
  • Governor Newsom has said he’ll sign SB 261.

• AB 1167: the Orphaned Well Prevention Act 

  • This bill would prevent the sale of an oil well unless the new owner can prove they can pay to plug and clean it up. That would be significant, because L.A. has the largest urban oilfield in the country, and thousands of abandoned wells continue to pollute the air and climate despite not being in operation. Angelenos who live near drilling continue to experience health impacts. It was authored by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo who represents parts of L.A. including Echo Park, Highland Park and East L.A.
  • The bill is on the Governor’s desk

• SB 842: 

  • Earlier this year, Newsom signed a “gas price gouging” law to establish a new state department called the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight, an independent body that identifies price gouging by oil companies and allows the state to penalize companies for it. Some groups, such as Consumer Watchdog, worry a last-minute deal amending SB 842 could undermine the law by requiring the state to consult with “labor and industry stakeholders” and the Department of Industrial Relations before taking certain actions. 
  • On the Governor’s desk.

Clean energy 

• SB 49:

  • This bill directs state agencies to evaluate the potential for solar energy, battery storage and transmission infrastructure alongside highways. California estimates it needs to at least triple the amount of electricity it generates by 2045, and the bill will establish a process to build this renewable energy infrastructure within state-owned rights-of-way. The non-profit lobby group Environment California helped push the legislation, using an analysis that identified L.A. and Ventura counties as having some of the most suitable space for such an effort. 
  • On the Governor’s desk. 

• AB 1373:

  • Unlocks California’s offshore wind potential by making California a centralized buyer for all the clean energy produced once turbines start spinning. 
  • On the Governor’s desk.

• AB 3:

  • Helps California improve port infrastructure, including here in L.A. and Long Beach, to handle offshore wind development.
  • On the Governor’s desk

• SB 48: 

  • Creates a strategy for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in large commercial buildings. About 40% of the city of L.A.’s emissions, for example, come from buildings.  
  • On the Governor’s desk.

Infrastructure 

• AB 126: 

  • Reauthorizes up to $100 million a year in continued funding for California’s clean transportation programs, such as electric vehicle incentives and charging infrastructure. 
  • On the Governor’s desk. 

• SB 410:

  • Removes some hurdles to connecting EV charging infrastructure to the grid. The bill would help speed up efforts particularly for drayage trucks, the huge trucks which transfer shipping containers, to move from being primarily powered by diesel to electric. All new drayage trucks entering the ports are required to be zero emission by January 2024.
  • On the Governor's desk.

Water 

• AB 1572:

  • This bill permanently bans using drinkable water to irrigate purely decorative grass at commercial, industrial, city and institutional properties. It  starts in 2027 and would make permanent in phases a temporary drought measure adopted last year. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to 19 million of us here in the Southland, has itself advocated for this type of ban to help adapt to a hotter, drier future. It was introduced by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale).
  • On the Governor’s desk.

• SB 676:

  • This bill would allow cities and counties to ban or restrict artificial turf at residences. Artificial turf worsens urban heat and significantly contributes to microplastics in the ocean. It was introduced by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica).

Sea level rise

• SB 272:

  • This bill would make it mandatory for local governments to develop plans for sea level rise. It would prioritize state funding for jurisdictions that already have an approved sea level rise plan. That could help cities such as San Clemente get needed funding to deal with worsening coastal erosion. 
  • On the Governor’s desk. 

Schools

• SB 394: 

  • The bill would require state officials to create a plan to make schools more sustainable and resilient to climate change. It was introduced by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, who represents Long Beach and cities, including Bell, Maywood and Huntington Park in Southeast L.A. county,
  • On the Governor’s desk. 

Conservation

• SB 337:

  • Makes law Gov. Newsom’s “30x30”  executive order, committing the state to conserving at least 30% of its lands and coastal waters by 2030.  
  • On the Governor’s desk.

It’s taken over a decade and $1.3 billion, but Hollywood Burbank’s new terminal is finally ready for action. On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the first passengers will be taking off and arriving at the brand-new structure.

Visitors note: The new terminal entrance has moved from Thornton Avenue to the intersection of Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. There’s also a central security checkpoint and an indoor baggage claim.

The project stemmed from Burbank’s Measure B, passed in 2016.

LAist reporter Cato Hernandez got a sneak peek inside the building last week and reported on the scope and the thinking behind the decor.

William Contreras hit a tying homer in the fifth and singled home the go-ahead run an inning later as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 on Monday in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

Four relievers combined to retire the last 15 Dodgers batters in order as the Brewers took a 2-0 lead over the two-time defending World Series champions in this best-of-seven series, which heads to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Brewers are chasing their second pennant and first in the NL. They made their lone World Series appearance in 1982, when they were in the American League.

Los Angeles is trying to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series. The Dodgers last rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in 2020, when they beat the Atlanta Braves in a seven-game NLCS before going on to win the World Series.

The Dodgers will need more punch from their lineup to have a chance at getting back to the Fall Classic. They mustered just three hits Monday and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position to drop to 2 for 26 in those situations this postseason.

Los Angeles couldn’t even get a boost from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 career playoff appearances. Yamamoto lasted just 2 2/3 innings for his shortest postseason start.

The Dodgers took the lead on three occasions in the first five innings. Milwaukee responded each time, the last coming when Contreras tied the game with a 436-foot homer to center off Kris Bubic in the fifth.

That turned the game into a battle of the bullpens, where the Brewers again had the edge.

Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to shut down the Dodgers after Logan Henderson’s early exit.

The score was tied 4-all when Milwaukee’s David Hamilton was hit by a pitch from Brock Stewart to lead off the sixth. Stewart attempted a pickoff throw that went off the glove of first baseman Freddie Freeman and into foul territory for an error, advancing Hamilton to second.

After Jackson Chourio grounded out, the right-handed Stewart walked the left-handed-hitting Brice Turang to face the right-handed Contreras, who had homered in his previous plate appearance.

Contreras singled to left this time to bring home Hamilton with the go-ahead run.

Turang and Jake Bauers added RBI singles in the eighth to extend Milwaukee’s lead.

Neither starter lasts long

The anticipated pitchers’ duel between Yamamoto and Henderson didn’t work out according to plan.

In three previous playoff starts following Dodgers losses, Yamamoto had gone 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA. When he faced the Brewers in last year’s NLCS, he threw the first playoff complete game since Justin Verlander did it in 2017.

This time, Yamamoto couldn’t even make it out of the third inning before leaving with the Dodgers behind 3-2.

Henderson entered Monday having not allowed more than three runs in any of his 24 career starts (including the postseason). That streak ended when he allowed four runs over four innings.

Because Henderson committed two errors — matching his previous career total — only two of the runs were earned.

Milwaukee trailed 2-1 in the third when Bauers capped a 12-pitch plate appearance by taking a 3-2 offering in the dirt to load the bases with a walk. Christian Yelich followed by lining a single up the middle that brought home two runs and knocked Yamamoto out of the game.

Los Angeles bailed out Yamamoto by scoring twice in the fifth.

After Kyle Tucker hit a leadoff double, Tommy Edman sacrificed him to third. Henderson fielded the bunt and made a wild throw to first, enabling Tucker to score and moving Edman to second.

Edman advanced to third when Mookie Betts grounded out, and scored on Freeman’s sacrifice fly.

Henderson also had made a wild throw to first on a pickoff attempt in the third inning that allowed Edman to score from third.

Up next

Robert Gasser (5-5, 3.87 ERA) is expected to start for Milwaukee in Game 3. Gasser allowed one run over five innings when the Brewers won 3-1 at San Diego to clinch their NL Division Series.

The Dodgers hadn’t announced their Game 3 starting pitcher.

Actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte, who brought a lifetime of experience with cerebral palsy to fictional family struggles in an essential role on “Breaking Bad,” died Monday at age 34, authorities and his representatives said.

Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told The Associated Press she declared Mitte dead at about 1:30 p.m. at what she believed was his home in Brownsville, Texas. She said she was unable to provide a cause, but an autopsy will be performed.

Mitte played Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White on nearly every episode of the five seasons of the AMC show, which recently ranked as the best of the 21st century in a New York Times poll.

Diagnosed at age 3, Mitte told the AP in 2014 that his disability and the surrounding struggles with physical therapy, family problems and exorbitant medical bills — all key subjects on the show — made him better at his job.“You develop a different mentality and you develop a different look at how the world sees you and how you see the world,” he said. “You’re able to use that. And I think it’s an asset instead of something that would hinder.”

Mitte was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi.

He landed small guest roles on sitcoms after moving to Los Angeles to act in 2006. Like his character, he was in his mid-teens when he began his work on “Breaking Bad,” starting in 2007. The show ran from 2008 to 2013.

“Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion,” the actor’s representatives said in a statement announcing his death. The statement said he used “his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation.”

His later credits included the ABC Family series “Switched at Birth” and the superhero satire series “Guardians of Justice.”

He was also a producer of several independent films.

As an advocate, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He was also president of his own Mitte Foundation supporting philanthropic and community initiatives around disabilities.