SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES AB 572 WITH A VOTE OF 12-2!
REQUIRES STATE CONTRACTORS NOT ENGAGE IN TROPICAL DEFORESTATION
AB 572 passage is critical to protecting vanishing species and forests
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2019 – SACRAMENTO
– The Senate Committee on Governmental Organization voted yesterday to require state contractors selling tropical forest-risk commodities, such as palm oil or rubber, to develop and abide by an anti-deforestation policy, known as a “No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation” (or an NDPE policy), that protects tropical rainforests around the world, part of this legislative session’s sweeping package of environmental and animal rights legislation.
“State contractors providing palm oil and other tropical forest-risk commodities have sustainable and unsustainable sources to choose from – but we as residents and taxpayers cannot leave that decision up to the lowest bidder,” said
Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation
, co-sponsor of the legislation and several other bills on animal rights, protection and welfare. “We need to stand up and say our rainforests matter, and Californians do not want to indirectly contribute to their destruction.”
Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose),
author of AB 572, said, “We can’t say we are a pro-environment state if we contribute to tropical forest destruction around the world. California must have no part in purchasing commodities and products that contribute to deforestation, and I want to thank my colleagues for standing with me to protect these fragile ecosystems along with the indigenous communities and wildlife that live in them."
“When a rainforest is gone, it is gone for good. Extinction means forever, and we need to do all that we can to protect and save our rainforests that house millions of species,”
Mancuso
added.
Social Compassion in Legislation is joined by Friends of the Earth and Peace4Animals as co-sponsors of the bill. Next, AB 572 heads to Senate Appropriations Committee.
Final Vote:
Ayes:
Dodd, Wilk, Allen, Archuleta, Bradford, Chang, Galgiani, Hill, Hueso, Portantino, Rubio, Wiener
Noes:
Jones, Nielsen
