The Sacramento Bee | The Sacramento Bee Letter Writers

Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom cited the state budget deficit in his decision to veto Senate Bill 366, which would have modernized the California Water Plan. The bipartisan legislation aimed to establish long-term water supply targets and give underserved voices, including tribes, labor, and environmental justice organizations, a seat at the policymaking table.

California Observer | Walter Contreras

California is celebrated for its diverse population, beautiful weather, and coastline—only five other states can boast a similarly varied demographic landscape. At 40%, Latinos are the largest ethnic group in California, and addressing health disparities is vital for supporting all communities within the state. Access to high-quality healthcare is essential for all Californians to live long, healthy lives. However, various challenges impact healthcare access and outcomes for Latinos, leading to an opportunity for targeted improvements in health services and community support.

PR Newswire

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Californians for Smarter Sustainability (CASS) announced Edwin Lombard as its new Executive Director. Lombard–a statewide policy leader and former head of two of the state's largest minority chambers of commerce–will lead the organization's efforts to advocate for policies that balance economic prosperity and quality of life alongside environmental protection. His appointment comes at a critical moment given how recent impractical, environmentally elite policies have failed to address – and in some cases even exacerbated – persistent health concerns for many low-income and minority communities in California.

LA Examiner | Chris Gallagher

Our City and State’s Most Vulnerable Communities and Small Businesses are Being Hurt by a Lack of Sensible, Balanced Regulations – Our Elected Leaders Need to Do More to Fix the Problem

Los Angeles Tribune | Pastor Stephen “Cue” Jn-Marie

Creating Justice LA's efforts to serve their community through the Skid Row People’s Market are hindered by burdensome state regulations that, while well-intentioned, often fail to support small businesses and the vulnerable populations they aim to help.

The Los Angeles Sentinel | Earl “Skip” Cooper

The Los Angeles City Council’s review of a proposal to ban water bottle retail sales at city agencies and large entertainment venues is the first step towards a city-wide bottle ban. For many Angelenos, a total ban on water bottles is a minor inconvenience.  

The Orange County Register | Patricia Wenskunas

The proposed ban on bottled water in Irvine has sparked a meaningful conversation about the delicate balance between environmental responsibility and community well-being in pursuit of a more sustainable future.

California Business Journal | M.C. Townsend

The Los Angeles City Council has a city-wide ban on plastic bottles in its sights as it pursues an impractical sustainability agenda. But before taking any definitive action, council members should keep community interests in mind, especially those of us who own or support small businesses in low-income and minority communities. Overly broad product bans could harm not only our business, but also our ability to support our community, who we value as much more than just customers.

The Los Angeles Times | Ian James

California water regulators are cracking down on a second farming area in the San Joaquin Valley for failing to take adequate steps to curb overpumping that is depleting groundwater, causing the land to sink and damaging a canal that transports water for 1 million acres of farmland and more than 250,000 people.

The Los Angeles Times | Ian James

In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown signed historic legislation establishing a framework for California to begin managing groundwater in an effort to curb widespread overpumping, which had sent aquifer levels into rapid decline, left hundreds of wells dry, and caused the ground to sink in parts of the Central Valley.

The Los Angeles Times | Tony Briscoe

On the heels of an environmental study that found lead-tainted water in public housing developments in Watts, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called on the city’s housing authority and largest water utility to conduct further testing for the potent neurotoxin.

LAist | Julia Barajas

Over the course of four months, volunteers with the Better Watts Initiative, the environmental justice branch of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, fanned out across the neighborhood and gathered more than 500 water samples. The volunteers included residents from the majority Black and Latino neighborhood, as well as students from UCLA and USC.

USA TODAY | Thao Nguyen

A Northern California school district is under fire after it disclosed Monday that nearly 200 drinking fountains and water faucets across multiple schools had elevated levels of lead that tested above the district's standards.

CBS News | Marissa Wenzke

Researchers have discovered toxic levels of lead in the tap water of Watts in South Los Angeles, leaving local residents to potentially face serious health risks due to a problem researchers say was caused by the neglect of city infrastructure.

Courthouse News Service | Natalie Hanson

A region as massive and diverse as the Golden State requires many hands and smart planning to manage its water system and prepare for climate change-driven disasters.

Engineering News-Record California | Aileen Cho

The effects of climate change and impending global sporting events are keeping California agencies busy with multiple major infrastructure projects. Officials are aiming to build “legacy” infrastructure in the state…

Capitol Weekly | Lance Hastings

Water use in California is typically thought of in three parts: water for the environment (50%), water for agriculture (40%), and water for communities (10%) per the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). As a result, “ag” is the sector of the economy that comes to mind first when we talk about the state’s water supply. But the rest of California’s economy also requires water.

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Spring Conference & Expo May 8-9 will draw local water agency leaders from throughout California to Sacramento for updates, analyses and perspectives on multiple issues affecting the state’s water community.

earth.com | Sanjana Gajbhiye

The record snows of 2023 dramatically transformed California‘s landscape, erasing a persistent megadrought in a matter of months. However, a new study emphasizes that this reprieve is fleeting – climate change models point towards a future where those snow-capped peaks become increasingly rare.

CalMatters | Rachel Becker

Almost 400 water systems serving nearly a million Californians don’t meet state requirements for safe and reliable drinking water supplies — and fixing them would cost billions of dollars. More than two-thirds of these failing water systems serve communities of color, and more than half are in places struggling with poverty and pollution, according to an annual assessment released today by the State Water Resources Control Board.