Voting Matters - Make Your Voice Heard!
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Clean Water Action
2024 is a presidential election year, with a great deal at stake on the national stage. Sometimes, however, the most important elections are closer to home, such as our state Legislature which makes decisions every day that effect your life and your community.
Clean Water Action’s Vote Environment Committee (CWAVE) will be evaluating several key races throughout the year that impact large numbers of our members. We are asking candidates for their environmental and environmental justice priorities so that we can provide that information and our recommendations for public review. While this is a deliberative process, we have, in a few cases, already endorsed specific candidates. Below is a short, but important list of candidates that Clean Water Action has endorsed. We’ll continue to fill in with more endorsements as these races move forward.
Propositions
Proposition 4: Yes
Proposition 4 was designed to make investments to both reduce the state’s greenhouse gas footprint and address the climate impacts we’re already feeling. Proposition 4 doesn’t just invest in clean energy. It also invests funds to deal with our increasingly frequent droughts, mitigate wildfire hazards and address sea level rise.
Read more about our endorsement of Prop 4 HERE!
Proposition 5: Yes
Prop 5 would amend the state constitution by lowering the required vote threshold for local jurisdictions to borrow in order to fund affordable housing construction, down payment assistance programs, and help with public infrastructure projects (including water management projects) from the current 2/3 majority requirement to 55%. The two-thirds requirement has hampered the ability of local governments to fund needed infrastructure, including schools, water and fire investments, allowing a small minority of the population to stall needed investments. The initiative is also seen as a way to promote local control/input on such projects. For these reasons, Clean Water Action endorses this measure.
President/Vice President
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
Vice President Harris’ commitment to environmental and health protections and her track record of success are key factors in Clean Water Action’s endorsement. Vice President Harris has been a visible leader in the Biden-Harris Administration's successful work to address environmental injustice, tackle the climate crisis, hold polluters accountable, reduce water pollution, and ensure clean drinking water for all. Vice President Harris championed the groundbreaking Biden-Harris Lead Paint and Pipe Action Plan and launched the “Get the Lead Out Initiative” to accelerate lead service line replacement in drinking water systems. She has been a leader in securing historic investments in water infrastructure, clean energy, and climate change solutions. Overall, the Biden-Harris Administration has had an unprecedented record of accomplishments, exemplified by their bold commitments around climate change and environmental justice.
Download our Harris-Walz endorsement fact sheet HERE!
California Senate
State Senate District 29: Eloise Gómez Reyes
Eloise Gómez Reyes is a proven leader, having served as Majority Leader in the state Assembly. She has authored numerous environmental bills, especially focused on the vehicular air pollution that makes the Inland Empire’s air quality the worst in the state (due to the expansion of warehouses and trucking). As a result, Reyes sees the need to “achieve zero carbon energy by 2045” and has already worked to ensure that the state’s budget priorities and community investments will meet those goals. Having worked as a legal advocate for those living in disadvantaged communities, Reyes has a strong commitment to environmental justice and has supported Clean Water Action’s efforts to procure rate assistance for low-income communities to ensure we keep taps flowing. She understands the need to protect our water resources, especially groundwater serving this desert part of the state, and is committed to working to ensure that new oil and gas drilling and warehouses are set back from vulnerable neighborhoods to protect those who are most impacted by these polluting industries.
California Assembly
California Assembly District 13: Rhodesia Ransom
Assembly District 13 needs a leader that understands the environmental problems that have been affecting the health of its communities. That’s why Clean Water Action is pleased to endorse Rhodesia Ransom. Ransom understands that a polluting inland port, poor air quality and related high childhood asthma rates, and toxic algae blooms in water threaten the health and well-being of the hard-working communities she seeks to serve. She will support actions to transition towards a clean energy economy to create quality green jobs, and healthier neighborhoods. At the same time, she is making water infrastructure and access to clean drinking water one of the priorities of her campaign and will work to bring the resources needed for high-quality water infrastructure to the region, foster a policy that removes harmful chemicals and contaminants from residential water supplies, and support low-income rate assistance so everyone has access to clean water.
California Assembly District 19: David Lee
San Franciscans need to be aware that long time state budget chair and Clean Water Action champion Phil Ting is leaving the Assembly due to term limits. While we are sad to lose this powerful lawmaker, we are excited to endorse David Lee to become the next assembly member to represent the city and parts of San Mateo County. David Lee is a civil rights leader who has fought for racial and social justice and access to the democratic process throughout his career. His environmental priorities include addressing the impacts of PFAS and other toxic chemicals in the products we use, demonstrating an ability to carry on the great work of his predecessor on this key issue. He will also champion strong groundwater protections to ensure our water systems thrive and are sustainable.
Assembly District 28: Gail Pellerin
Clean Water Action is pleased to endorse Gail Pellerin once again for Assembly District 28. Assemblymember Pellerin understands that strong environmental policies are necessary to ensure a safe future for our children and grandchildren. She is strongly behind Clean Water Action’s work to provide water rate assistance to low-income households so that everyone has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water. Assemblymember Pellerin supports the phase out of toxic chemicals like PFAS that threaten our health environment, and that can be replaced with safer alternatives. Furthermore, she has publicly committed to promote renewable energy to lower greenhouse gas emissions, protect California’s precious coast and prepare for rising sea levels, and to procure necessary funding for forest management and addressing wildfires. Finally, Assemblymember Pellerin recognizes that protecting our communities means a healthy democracy, which is why she will continue her leadership to protect voting rights in our state.
EBMUD Board
Ward One: Joey Smith
Clean Water Action has endorsed Joey D. Smith for EBMUD Board serving Ward One. Ms. Smith has come up through the ranks in the water industry, having developed experience in plumbing, preventing water loss, water/energy conservation, and emergency response. Among her priorities are:
- strong community engagement to ensure that Ward One residents not only receive the services they require, but are empowered to weigh in on local water decisions and investments and involved in emergency preparedness in the face of climate change,
- protecting current water supplies, the upstream watersheds the region depends on, and secure supplemental supplies to meet growing customer demand in the years to come,
- looking for non-rate revenues when possible to keep customer rates down, while still investing in sustainable water infrastructure and water quality,
- bringing employment opportunities at EBMUD to the local community so that others can experience the same successes Ms. Smith has enjoyed in her career.
Joey Smith is the only candidate with both the water industry experience and commitment to ratepayers. She is running to serve you and we are proud to endorse her.
Ward Five: James H. Odie
Clean Water Action has endorsed James H. Odie for EBMUD Board serving Ward Five. Among his priorities are:
- keeping water rates fair and ensuring that there are no water shuts-offs when people struggle to pay their water bills,
- promoting water conservation,
- achieving the agency’s goal of recycling 20 million gallons of water per day by 2040,
- diversifying the agency’s water supply,
- and stopping any efforts to provide our limited water supply outside EBMUD’s current service boundaries.
Mr. Odie has six years of policy-making experience as an elected City Councilmember and ~6.5 years’ experience as the district director for Assemblymember Rob Bonta serving the constituents of this ward. These skills will be what is necessary to represent Ward 5.
Paid for and authorized by Clean Water Action. This advertisement was not authorized or paid for by a candidate for this office or a committee controlled by a candidate for this office. For more information, call 510.823.5974.
2024 California Election Dates
March 5th: Presidential/State Primary
March 20th: Special Primary, Congressional District 20
November 5th: General Election
Voting Questions or Problems
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