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☆ To Save San Francisco, a Democrat Wants to Scrap Environmental Reviews
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Heather Knight | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long ago, it would have sounded preposterous: A San Francisco Democrat asking to peel back California’s treasured environmental protections in the heart of the city. It would have been like painting the Golden Gate Bridge gray or cheering on the Los Angeles Dodgers. It just would not have flown. But as California grows more desperate for housing and San Francisco struggles to revive its city core, State Senator Scott Wiener says one thing must go: environmental review. Mr. Wiener on Friday will propose one of the broadest rollbacks of the once-vaunted California Environmental Quality Act by asking the state legislature to allow most projects in downtown San Francisco to bypass the law for the next decade.

Persons: Scott Wiener, Wiener Organizations: San Francisco Democrat, Los Angeles Dodgers Locations: California, San Francisco

Gavin Newsom last year vetoed legislation that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several plant-based hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms. Colorado and Oregon have already decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms and establish regulated systems for therapeutic use of the substances. In California, San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz have effectively decriminalized possession of psychedelic mushrooms, meaning a person cannot be arrested or prosecuted for possessing limited amounts of plant-based hallucinogens. California already has “a massive network" of underground therapists who provide psychedelic therapy, Wiener said. Touted as a mind-bending drug in the 1960s, psychedelic mushrooms have been used in religious or spiritual practices in some cultures for centuries and possibly thousands of years.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Democratic Sen, Scott Wiener, Newsom, Wiener, Republican Assemblymember Marie Waldron, ” Wiener, Waldron, Juliana Mercer, she's, we'll, ” Mercer, psychedelics, Susan Sagy Organizations: Democratic Gov, Democratic, Republican, Drug Administration, Heroic Hearts, Marine Corps, U.S ., California Coalition, Psychedelic Safety Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, Colorado, Oregon, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, criminalization

☆ California just legalized affordable housing in church parking lots and coastal cities — and it could help solve the state's crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Many housing advocates are also disappointed that Newsom vetoed a bill — AB 309 — to create "social housing" on government-owned land. Resnikoff, whose organization endorsed the effort, noted that the state's current fiscal conditions make it very hard to pass housing policy that requires funding. Advocates are quick to point out that California housing policy has impacts far beyond its borders. How effectively California deals with its housing affordability issues also directly impacts other states' housing markets. The migration of California residents to places from Texas to Oregon has put additional pressure on those states to provide even more housing.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, —, Ned Resnikoff, Chris Elmendorf, State Sen, Scott Wiener, Elmendorf, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Breed, that's, Resnikoff, Brittany Murray, Newsom, Alex Lee, Lee, Eric Adams Organizations: Service, California, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, State, San Francisco Mayor London, Bloomberg, UC Berkeley's Terner, Housing Innovation, Habitat, Getty, New York City Locations: California, Francisco, San Francisco, Washington, Long, Greater Los Angeles, Vienna, Austria, Singapore, Central, Southeast Asia, New, Texas, Oregon

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Large businesses in California will have to disclose a wide range of planet-warming emissions under a new law Gov. The law requires more than 5,300 companies that operate in California and make more than $1 billion in annual revenues to report both their direct and indirect emissions. This was Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener's third attempt to get the sweeping emissions disclosure rules passed in California. But the new California mandates will be go beyond that to make companies report a wide range of direct and indirect emissions. Under the California law, the state's Air Resources Board has to approve rules by 2025 to implement the legislation.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Democratic State Sen, Scott Wiener's, Wiener, ” Wiener, “, Christiana Figueres, Amanda Urquiza, ___ Sophie Austin, @sophieadanna Organizations: California Chamber of Commerce, Democratic State, Apple, United Nations, National Conference of State Legislatures, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, state's Air Resources Board, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, State, Patagonia, Christiana, Paris

☆ Newsom Vetoes Bill on Parental Support of Child’s Gender Identity in Custody Cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Anna Betts | More About Anna Betts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Gavin Newsom of California vetoed a bill on Friday that would instruct judges presiding over custody battles in the state to take into consideration a parent’s support for a child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions. Why It Matters: The veto signals a break from the governor’s stance in support of transgender rights. The governor added that under existing state law, the court is required to consider a child’s health, safety and welfare in these proceedings, which he said already includes the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity. Background: The child custody bill passed along party lines this month. A two-thirds vote in both chambers, where Democrats hold supermajorities, could override Mr. Newsom’s veto.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, ”, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, Newsom’s, Wilson, Scott Wiener, “, Mr, Wiener, Bill, Bill Essayli Organizations: California, Legislature, Democrat, Associated Press, Republicans Locations: California, L.G.B.T.Q

Gavin Newsom said Sunday that he plans to sign into law a pair of climate-focused bills intended to force major corporations to be more transparent about greenhouse gas emissions and the financial risks stemming from global warming. Newsom's announcement came during an out-of-state trip to New York’s Climate Week, where world leaders in business, politics and the arts are gathered to seek solutions for climate change. California lawmakers last week passed legislation requiring large businesses from oil and gas companies to retail giants to disclose their direct greenhouse gas emissions as well as those that come from activities like employee business travel. The goal is to increase transparency and nudge companies to evaluate how they can cut their carbon emissions. Newsom, a Democrat, said he wants California to lead the nation in addressing the climate crisis.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ”, Sen, Scott Wiener, ” Wiener, Newsom’s, Henry Stern, Newsom Organizations: —, Democrat, Court Locations: — California, New, California, “, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ California lawmakers send bill to governor that requires big businesses to provide a detailed account of their carbon emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

California lawmakers have sent a bill to Governor Newsom's desk that would require all large businesses in the state to provide a detailed accounting of their carbon emissions, including their Scope 3, or supply chain emissions. The bill, if adopted, would be the first of its kind in the nation to require carbon emissions reporting. Apple and Google , massive technology companies headquartered in California, support the move to require carbon accounting. Meanwhile, the California Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill, saying requiring emissions accounting will increase business operation costs for businesses and consumers. Also, Dickinson said that carbon accounting can be a helpful process for companies.

Persons: Newsom's, Bill, Gavin Newsom, SEC hasn't, Newsom, Al Gore, Gore, Google, Mike Foulkes, Scott Wiener, Apple, Foulkes, Paul Dickinson, Dickinson Organizations: California Senate, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, Apple, Google, California Chamber, Commerce, of Commerce, Bloomberg Locations: California

Lawmakers backing the bill say a large number of companies in the state already disclose some of their own emissions. California’s climate disclosure bill would be different because of all the indirect emissions companies would have to report. But the California bill would go beyond that, by mandating that both public and private companies report their direct and indirect emissions. Companies would have to report indirect emissions including those released by transporting products and disposing waste. Companies would have to begin publicly disclosing their direct emissions annually in 2026 and start annually reporting their indirect emissions starting in 2027.

Persons: Chris Ward, Christiana Figueres, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Sen, Scott Wiener, “, ”, Brady Van Engelen, Danny Cullenward, Cullenward, it’s, Mary Creasman, ___ Sophie Austin, Austin @sophieadanna Organizations: —, Democratic, Apple, United Nations, Democratic Gov, Lawmakers, administration’s Department of Finance, San, San Francisco Democrat, National Conference of State Legislatures, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Companies, California Chamber of Commerce, Western States Petroleum Association, California Hospital Association, University of Pennsylvania’s, Center for Energy Policy, California Environmental Voters, California Air Resources Board, Wiener, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, Patagonia, Christiana, Paris, San Francisco, Ceres, ”

☆ Apple endorses California bill to oblige companies to report carbon footprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. loadingWiener's bill would require public and private companies with annual revenue in excess of $1 billion who do business in traditionally climate-conscious California to disclose independently verified data on their planet-warming emissions. "Thank you, Apple, for making clear that this is doable (and) a critically important piece of climate action," Wiener wrote. A separate bill under discussion would require companies operating in California, with $500 million in revenue, to report on climate-related financial risks such as whether they have budgeted for increased compliance and insurance costs. In its letter to Wiener, Apple commends his bill's attempt to require companies to measure and report indirect emissions linked to their supply chains and end-users, known as Scope 3.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, we've, Michael Foulkes, Scott Wiener, Wiener, Apple, Isla Binnie, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, California Senate, Adobe, Ikea, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, California

☆ Apple voices support for California climate bill proposing strict emissions reporting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Apple "strongly believes" that companies' corporate climate emissions disclosures should include the emissions that come from their supply chain, or what's called Scope 3 emissions. "To ensure accuracy and transparency, we strongly believe that companies' carbon emissions disclosures should include their Scope 3 emissions," Foulkes wrote. In the letter, Apple acknowledges some amount of uncertainty in reporting Scope 3 emissions due to available data at this time. In the letter, Apple also backed third party oversight of the emissions reporting. Apple's support of Scope 3 emissions in California, where the company is headquartered, comes at a time when federal regulators are considering requiring some level of corporate climate disclosures.

Persons: Mike Foulkes, Scott Wiener, Bill, Foulkes, Apple, Wiener, SEC hasn't Organizations: Apple, Twitter, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: California

The legislation would rezone land owned by nonprofit colleges and religious institutions, such as churches, mosques, and synagogues, to allow for affordable housing. An affordable housing project in a San Jose church had to go through a rezoning process that took more than two years before it could break ground in 2021. It would only apply to affordable housing projects, and the law would sunset in 2036. Supporters of the bill said it could help add hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units to the state’s housing stock. Republican lawmakers and Democratic Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil voted against it.

Persons: Democratic Sen, Scott Wiener, Gavin Newsom, Democratic Assemblymember Sharon Quirk, Silva, ”, Newsom, Tony Thurmond, ” Thurmond, Harvey Milk, Susan Talamantes Eggman, Republican Sen, Rosilicie Ochoa, Marie Alvarado, Gil, Ochoa Bogh, Lena Gonzalez, ” Gonzalez, ___ Austin, Austin @sophieadanna Organizations: U.S, Democratic, Democratic Gov, University of California, Terner, Housing Innovation, Temecula Valley Unified, Gov, California Legislative, Caucus, Republican, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, ”, San Jose, Orange County, Berkeley, Southern California, Temecula Valley, San Francisco

The California bill would make gender affirmation one factor among many that courts already have to consider in custody proceedings, including whether a parent has been abusive and how much contact the child has with the parents. The bill would not require judges to prioritize whether a parent affirms their child's gender identity over other factors. The state Senate passed the resolution, and it now heads to the Assembly. State Sen. Shannon Grove, a Republican from Bakersfield, said she didn’t think other states would agree to that. The bipartisan California bill would not legalize the sale of the drugs.

Persons: Democratic Sen, Scott Wiener, they’ve, ” Wiener, ”, Sen, Kelly Seyarto, ” Seyarto, Gavin Newsom, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, Wilson, “, Alexis Sanchez, Sanchez, Newsom, Aisha Wahab, Wiener, State Sen, Shannon Grove, DECRIMINALIZING, it’s, Bill Essayli, Adam Beam, Nguyễn, ___ Sophie Austin, Austin @sophieadanna Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Democratic Gov, Sacramento LGBT Community Center, San Francisco, State, ., Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, San Francisco, Southern California, U.S, Bakersfield, DECRIMINALIZING PSYCHEDELICS California, . Oregon, Colorado

☆ Ending tipped wage system will hurt the people it's trying to help: Fifty/50 Group's Scott Wiener
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEnding tipped wage system will hurt the people it's trying to help: Fifty/50 Group's Scott WienerScott Weiner, The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group co-owner, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest fight in the war over tipping, after activists in Chicago want to end the city's 'tipped wage system', under which some restaurants are allowed to pay servers less than minimum wage as long as tips boost their earnings up to or above that level, the impact on the labor force, inflation, and the city's culinary experience.

Persons: Scott Wiener Scott Weiner Locations: Chicago

☆ California found a way to ignore NIMBYs and build more housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

California may have found an effective model to build affordable housing more quickly. The law applies to all regions of California that haven't met their housing construction targets, which is almost everywhere in the housing-scarce state. Between 2018 and 2021, 156 projects with more than 18,000 units have been approved or are under review under SB 35. SB 35 projects are also exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act, further speeding up the approval process. "It'll be catastrophic if it's not extended," Ramie Dare, director of real estate at the non-profit affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California, told the researchers.

Persons: —, Bill, haven't, it's, Caleb Roope, Scott Wiener Organizations: UC Berkeley, Service, Terner Center, Housing Innovation, Bay Area, Pacific Companies, Mercy Housing Locations: California, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Los Angeles County, Mercy Housing California

☆ Opinion | Democrats: Pay Attention to What’s Happening in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The state is home to staggering wealth, world-remaking tech companies, and some of the world’s boldest climate policy. The dysfunction of our national politics is often attributed to division and gridlock. And in many major cities — Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example — Republicans have little or no political power. If California has long been a bellwether for national liberal politics, Senator Scott Wiener has been something of a bellwether for California politics. Senator Wiener has represented San Francisco in the California Senate since 2016 and, before that, served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

☆ Fact Check-Digitally altered versions of Scott Wiener photo holding book shared online
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wiener, an openly gay legislator who has supported legal protections for children seeking gender-affirming health care, addressed the use of the term groomer in a series of tweets in Nov. 2022 (here). Erik Mebust, communications director for Wiener, told Reuters via email that the recently shared altered photo originates from a March 4 tweet by Wiener, which shows an identical background and apparel (here). In his original photo posted in March, Wiener is holding a book with a yellow cover titled, “Gender Pioneers” (here). The photo of Scott Wiener holding a book originates from his Mar. 5 tweet but it has been digitally altered with fabricated book titles.

☆ MTG and George Santos are co-sponsoring a bill that could ban LGBTQ books in classrooms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos are co-sponsoring a bill banning some books in schools. It aims to end "sexualization of children," echoing bills restricting access to LGBTQ material. Santos is the only openly gay Republican member of Congress. Ron DeSantis last year signed the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, restricting the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools. Santos is one 10 LGBTQ members of Congress and the only Republican LGBTQ member.

A gay California lawmaker revealed Tuesday that he received a bomb threat laced with homophobic tropes and rhetoric, amid a simmering culture war that has sparked widespread anti-LGBTQ threats and attacks nationwide. California state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said an unnamed individual threatened to bomb his home and shoot up his office. Within the last two weeks, Greene called Wiener a “communist groomer” on Twitter, and Kirk accused Wiener of releasing “pedophiles” from jail without further explanation. In response to NBC News’ request for comment, Greene’s communications director, Nick Dyer, called Wiener “ridiculous” without expanding further. The latest threat against Wiener comes amid widespread bigoted rhetoric, threats and attacks directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people across the country.

☆ In California, 10% of Legislature now identifies as LGBTQ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

People by and large are totally fine with LGBTQ people, they support us, they are accepting and willing to vote for LGBTQ candidates,” California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a member of the LGBTQ Caucus, said Monday. Meanwhile, the Legislature has not yet reached parity in gender or in race and ethnicity, according to statistics from the California State Library. New Hampshire and Vermont have each had more LGBTQ legislators, according to the institute, but their legislatures are bigger than California’s and so have not reached the 10% threshold. Alaska and South Dakota elected their first out LGBTQ legislators, and Montana and Minnesota elected their first transgender legislators, according to the Human Rights Campaign. By contrast, “as California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus has grown, the state has led the nation in passing groundbreaking legislation protecting LGBTQ+ civil rights,” said Equality California spokesperson Samuel Garrett-Pate.

☆ California governor signs bill offering legal refuge to transgender youths
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that aims to legally protect transgender youths and their parents if they flee conservative states that have restricted access to gender-affirming care. The bill seeks to “offer refuge” to trans minors and their families “if they’re being criminalized in their home states,” state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill, said on Twitter after Newsom signed it. Kay Ivey signed a bill that makes it a felony for medical professionals to provide gender-affirming medical care to people under 19. “We believe that no one should be prosecuted or persecuted for getting the care they need — including gender-affirming care,” Newsom said in a statement after signing the measure. It prohibits California health care providers from releasing medical information in relation to other states’ laws prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.

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