Under pressure from rising costs and political headwinds, California Democrats are stepping back from the state’s hallmark climate policies, softening rules on everything from oil profits to clean fuel mandates in a pivot that’s got environmentalists fuming and pragmatists nodding.
For years, California stood as the poster child for aggressive environmental laws, with Gov. Gavin Newsom leading the charge by pushing sweeping reforms in 2022 despite pushback from oil giants and labor unions. Now, that legacy seems to be crumbling faster than a drought-stricken hillside and President Trump is laughing.
Politico reported that just in the past two weeks, state Democrats have dialed back environmental reviews for key projects like housing and high-speed rail, carved out exemptions that have green activists up in arms, and even softened tough fuel standards.
The head of the California Air Resources Board called one Senate push to weaken fuel rules downright “irresponsible.” That’s a polite way of saying it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Then there’s Newsom’s move earlier this year to order a rewrite of plastic waste rules to ease business costs, a decision that thrilled industry folks but left environmentalists and some lawmakers feeling betrayed. If you’re keeping score, that’s another point for affordability over ideology.
Even the state’s cap-and-trade program, once a bipartisan darling reauthorized in 2017, is now a point of contention as Newsom hesitates to support deeper emission cuts. Environmentalists are disappointed, businesses are relieved, and the rest of us are just wondering if anyone knows where the finish line is.
Newsom insists this isn’t a rollback but a “thoughtful” march forward, saying, “It’s not rolling back anything.” Forgive the skepticism, but when you’re carving out exemptions and softening mandates, it sure smells like a retreat to those of us who value straight talk over political spin.
Meanwhile, other states like New York and Maryland are following California’s lead, pulling back on their own carbon-trading and clean vehicle rules. It’s as if the progressive dominoes are falling one by one, and not in the direction climate hawks hoped.
Back in Sacramento, the governor is playing both sides—suing to block federal rollbacks of California’s clean car standards while also facing heat from 36 congressional Democrats, including two from his own state, who voted to overturn his plan to phase out new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. That’s a tough tightrope to walk without looking like you’ve lost your balance.
Affordability has become the buzzword du jour for California Democrats, especially after polls showed cost-of-living concerns topping voter priorities while climate issues lagged at the bottom. It’s no surprise, then, that elected officials are rethinking policies long criticized by conservatives as driving up expenses for everyday folks.
Oil producers haven’t helped the green cause, spending over $15 million in the last two years on campaigns pinning high prices on state climate rules, complete with mailers and gas station signs urging voters to pressure leaders. With two refineries announcing closures recently, fears of price spikes are real, and the California Energy Commission is scrambling to keep production steady.
Jamie Court of Consumer Watchdog lamented, “It’s one of the more disappointing turnabouts.” Disappointing, sure, but perhaps it’s a wake-up call that not every Californian can afford to subsidize a utopian vision while struggling to fill their tank.
Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones hit the nail on the head, noting that Californians “don’t love out-of-touch policies that destroy livelihoods in the name of climate change.”
His words sting because they ring true—loving clean air shouldn’t mean hating your bank account.
Even as Newsom vows to extend cap-and-trade beyond 2030 and challenges federal environmental rollbacks, the broader shift among Democrats suggests a hard pivot toward pragmatism over principle.
Maybe it’s time to ask if the state’s ambitious fossil fuel phase-out, which could kneecap a historically powerful oil industry, is a bridge too far when folks are already stretched thin.