California governor plans to veto ‘Trump insurance’ bill

California Governor Gavin Newsom plans to veto a bill approved by the Democrat-controlled legislature that sought to preserve federal environmental and worker safety standards in the face of any Trump administration rollbacks.

Under SB 1, if federal officials weaken certain regulations in effect the day before Donald Trump took office, the state’s agencies would have to maintain the protections to be at least on par with the original standards. The bill, which lawmakers had passed early Saturday, also allows citizens to sue over rollbacks under certain circumstances.

The legislation called “Trump insurance” shows the deepening regulatory conflict between the administration and the state as they battle over everything from auto emissions to light bulbs. The California measure, approved over the objections of groups such as water districts that don’t want a lock on regulations, could be a template for other states, particularly those with similar politics.

Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, confirmed that the governor will veto the bill. The governor has until Oct. 13 to officially pass or reject the legislation.

“I fully support the principles behind Senate Bill 1: to defeat efforts by the President and Congress to undermine vital federal protections that protect clean air, clean water and endangered species,” Newsom said in an emailed statement on Saturday. The bill “does not, however, provide the state with any new authority to push back against the Trump Administration’s environmental policies and it limits the state’s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment.”