Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

California governor turns to housing, rail after climate win

Jerry Brown

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

In this Wednesday, May 27, 2015, photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown addresses a conference in Sacramento.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Jerry Brown's aggressive plea for lawmakers to renew California's signature climate change law proved fruitful this week, bolstering his credibility as a world leader in the fight against global warming.

It also again showcased the Democrat's political skill in Sacramento, where just months earlier he helped convince lawmakers to raise gas prices to pay for road and bridge projects through a tax hike.

Next on Brown's list is a pledge to tackle the affordable housing crisis when lawmakers return in August.

The 79-year-old Brown is in his fourth and final term as governor. In his final 17 months, he will promote an ambitious slate of climate policies in the state and beyond and work to secure the future of his lofty efforts to build a bullet train and re-engineer the state's water system.