SACRAMENTO - California Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) issued the following statement on AB 1000, the California Desert Protection Act, and the Senate Appropriations Committee’s decision to hold the bill in the committee:
“I’m disappointed that AB 1000 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee today, but make no mistake, we’re not giving up the fight. California has led the way in protecting and preserving our natural resources. For months, we’ve stood up to the threats from the Trump Administration and made it clear that when the federal government rolls back protections, we’ll step in. Those efforts shouldn’t stop with our fragile desert ecosystems.
“I am hopeful that the Senate will reconsider and join Governor Brown, Lieutenant Governor Newsom, Senator Feinstein, and our broad coalition of advocates in supporting AB 1000 and protecting California’s resources from corporate greed seeking to drain the life from the desert.
"I want to thank the National Parks Conservation Association, Defenders of Wildlife, NextGen America, Mojave Desert Land Trust, California League of Conservation Voters, Native American Land Conservancy, and the Sierra Club for their support and steadfast dedication to doing what’s best for California.”