California’s Agency Reports: A Helpful Tool — With Big Gaps

Posted by CLR

Each year, California lawmakers pass hundreds of new laws, nearly 1,000 in 2024 alone. Many require agencies to report back on how well those laws are working. But most of those reports never make it to the public, or even to the Legislature.

The Agency Reports Portal, maintained by the Office of Legislative Counsel, has been around for more than a decade. It’s a valuable resource that lets anyone search for reports that state agencies are legally required to file, by agency, year, or topic. Despite its usefulness, few people know it exists.

It also could be much more powerful. The problem is what’s not there. According to CalMatters reporting, of 867 reports due between January 1 and December 9, 2024, 84% had not been filed. Even among those that were submitted, about half were late. Some agencies say they completed their reports but never properly filed them; others simply missed the deadline. In some cases, reports can sit in limbo awaiting approval before being sent on.

This lack of follow-through makes it harder for lawmakers, and the public, to see what’s working and what isn’t. If you care about how the state spends your tax dollars, check out agencyreports.ca.gov. Just keep in mind: if a report isn’t there, it might not mean it doesn’t exist. It might just not have been filed. Transparency depends on more than laws. It depends on implementation follow-through.

Follow through might be encouraged if the portal also posted in red the agencies that are delinquent and if agencies were ordered to review the Legislative Analysist’s website and to file missing reports in their possession within 6 months.

Climate Bills Sitting on the Governor’s Desk

Posted by CLR

As the 2025 legislative session wraps up, several climate-forward bills are sitting on the Governor’s desk waiting for his signature. These bills together would strengthen California’s commitment to clean energy, local resilience, and fair governance. Here’s why these five bills matter — and why they deserve his signature.

AB 1167 (Berman et al) & SB 24 (McNerney et al): Stop Utilities from Charging Ratepayers for Lobbying

Update: AB 1167 Signed by the Governor; SB 24 Vetoed

For years, investor-owned utilities have passed the cost of political lobbying and image-polishing campaigns onto ratepayers. AB 1167 and SB 24 would close that loophole. Together they ensure that shareholder-funded advocacy stays separate from customer bills, bring new transparency, and empower the Public Advocate’s Office to enforce fairness.

At a time when Californians are struggling with record-high utility costs, this reform is basic accountability. Customers shouldn’t have to bankroll the political influence of the companies that send them their bills.

SB 279 (McNerney): Expanding On-Farm and Community Composting

Update: Signed by the Governor

Composting is one of the simplest, most powerful climate solutions — and SB 279 removes barriers for the people already doing the work. The bill lets farms, schools, and community sites compost more organics on-site without facing expensive industrial-scale permits.

That means less waste trucked to landfills, fewer methane emissions, and richer soils across the state. It’s a straightforward way to cut climate pollution while empowering local growers and neighborhoods.

SB 30 (Cortese): Ending the Export of Dirty Diesel Locomotives

Update: Signed by the Governor

California shouldn’t be exporting its pollution. SB 30 prevents decommissioned diesel locomotives and other on-track equipment from being resold or donated for continued use elsewhere unless they meet modern emissions standards. The logic is simple: if engines are too dirty for California’s air, they’re too dirty for anyone’s air.

SB 63 (Wiener / Arreguín): Giving the Bay Area the Power to Fund Transit

Update: Signed by the Governor

Transit is climate infrastructure. SB 63 authorizes a Bay Area-wide vote on a modest regional sales tax dedicated to public transportation. It creates accountability, financial oversight, and regional coordination — the ingredients transit needs to survive and thrive. With ridership still recovering and service gaps widening, this bill gives voters a voice in shaping a sustainable transportation future.

Each of these bills tackles a different piece of the climate puzzle: accountability, waste reduction, clean technology, and sustainable mobility. Together they move California closer to its carbon-neutral goals while centering equity and community solutions.

Governor Newsom has until October 12 to act. Signing these measures into law would reaffirm California’s role as a global climate leader and show that bold environmental policy can also mean fairness, affordability, and empowerment.