Acting Governor McGuire Signs Critical Bills to Invest in Schools, Safe Drinking Water and Wildfire Prevention
SACRAMENTO – Tonight, joined by leaders of the Senate and Assembly, Acting Governor Mike McGuire signed groundbreaking legislation headed for the November ballot. These include two bond measures that would provide critical investments for California public schools, and investments to connect communities with clean drinking water, and protect them from floods and the growing threat of wildfires.
The bond measures focus on modernizing classrooms and school campuses, which would benefit millions of California students, and investing in wildfire prevention and recovery, clean water, and better preparing the Golden State for the impacts of climate change.
“These historic bond measures passed by the Legislature are critical investments for our kids, they’ll make our communities more wildfire safe and connect tens of thousands of homes in every corner of the Golden State with clean drinking water,” Acting Governor McGuire said. “Even in the richest economy in America, tens of thousands of kids attend schools not up to 21st century standards. The education bond will ensure California’s students attend safe and modern schools free of lead paint, lead pipes, and free of leaky roofs. The safe drinking water and wildfire prevention bond will sustain and enhance quality of life in the Golden State by providing communities the resources they need to protect themselves from the growing threat of wildfires and floods, and help protect them from the impacts of extreme heat. We’re grateful to the legislative leaders who worked so incredibly hard to get these life-changing measures across the finish line.”
SB 867, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, would provide $10 billion to help communities avoid and recover from the impacts of wildfire, flood, drought, and other climate-related events. The strategic investments include funding for safe drinking water and drought, flood, and water resilience, as well as investments in wildfire and forest resilience, sea-level rise, extreme heat mitigation, clean air, and protecting biodiversity and promoting natural solutions. If approved by voters, the clean water and wildfire bond would be the single largest investment in public funding for climate resilience in California’s history.
AB 247, the Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools and Local Community College Public Education Facilities Modernization, Repair, and Safety Bond Act of 2024, would provide $10 billion in bond funding for education facilities modernization, repair and safety, and would be split between K-12 schools ($8.5 billion) and California Community Colleges ($1.5 billion). The funding would be designated for improvements that include new construction, modernization of schools, career technical education, heating and energy efficiency grants, and other needs.
Acting Governor McGuire also signed AB 440, an omnibus bill containing three provisions necessary to complete work on the 2024 General Election ballot, including moving ACA 13 to the 2026 General Election, ensuring the bond measures will be before voters in November, and assigning ballot numbers.
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Mike McGuire is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. He represents the North Coast of California, which stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, including Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Website of Senate Leader McGuire: https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/