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2023
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SCORECARD

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California’s frontline communities remain under significant pressure, as the
climate crisis continues to disproportionately impact the health and livelihoods
of low-income and Black, Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander
residents. The weakness of the California Legislature’s response to this reality
is reflected in the recently released 2023 Environmental Justice Scorecard from
the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), which graded state
legislators on their 2023 votes on environmental justice-related legislation.

In this year’s scorecard, over 40% of California Assemblymembers and nearly 50%
of State Senators received a grade of “D” or "F" on their CEJA review. While
these numbers remain unacceptable, there was in fact some improvement, as nearly
three times as many legislators received an "A" grade compared to the 2022
scorecard and several important environmental justice bills were passed.
However, those successes did not outweigh the negative impact of legislators
voting against bills that would create transformative solutions to our climate
and economic crises.


DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

Deep, systemically racist health and economic injustices continue to plague
California’s communities. Pollution disproportionately endangers the health and
life expectancy of communities of color that already suffer from higher rates of
pre-existing medical conditions.

Unless equitable, environmentally just policies are enacted to correct historic
environmental racism—exacerbated by the ongoing climate crisis—inequities and
health disparities will only get worse for California’s communities of color.


HOPEFUL PROGRESS, BUT MAJOR CHALLENGES CONTINUE

In 2023, grassroots action from environmental justice advocates and engaged
communities of color saw 10 environmental justice bills pass the legislature
with six signed by the governor into law. The new legislation will increase
transparency and hold oil and gas companies accountable for price gouging amidst
their record profits at the expense of California families. Similarly in 2024, a
November ballot initiative to uphold the ban on the construction of new oil and
gas wells within 3,200 feet of our homes, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals
will protect California’s most vulnerable populations from the oil and gas
companies polluting in their neighborhoods.

While these measures will positively impact the health and livelihood of all
Californians, in last year’s legislative session it still proved difficult to
achieve commonplace health protections in the legislature without making
significant concessions to industries that could well undermine positive
outcomes.




READ THE SCORECARD

As our state faces extended drought, climate-amplified wildfire, and an ongoing
pollution and health crisis, California lawmakers must address long-standing
environmental racism with bold, equitable policies for low-income and
working-class families across the state who are living on the frontlines of
poverty and pollution.

Read CEJA's 2023 Scorecard and voice your disappointment about poor
environmental justice voting records and help drive our representatives to
recommit to the communities they represent and reverse the disproportionate
suffering faced by their residents. Contact your legislator now and let them
know that taking actions to improve our health and quality of life matters to
you. Urge them to prioritize and support environmental justice and remind them
that their failure to do so will not go unnoticed.


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