Jul 24 - Legislature Adopts Measure to Abolish Waste Board

The legislature has adopted a measure abolishing the California Integrated Waste Management Board and sending its staff and functions to a new department in the Resources Agency effective January, 2010.

SB 63 was taken up in the Assembly just before 5 am without the actual language available for stakeholders, most of which had been working the issue around the clock. Despite impassioned statements by Assembly Member Wes Chesbro and Assembly Member Nancy Skinner, the measured passed with 47 votes (all Republicans and about a dozen Democrats).

Around 5:30 am, the bill was taken up on the floor of the Senate--again, with language unavailable to stakeholders--where Senators Joe Simitian and Fran Pavley spoke against. The measure passed the Senate with the bare minimum 21 votes (13 Republicans and 8 Democrats).

The bill now goes to the Governor who championed the issue and is expected to sign the measure. More details as they become available. The language in SB 63 remains unavailable, but we're told it is identical to the language in AB 181.