California Environmental Justice Alliance

Which California Lawmakers Showed Up for Frontline Communities?

With protections to our health and safety under attack at the federal level, California lawmakers faced critical choices in the last legislative session. The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and CEJA Action’s 2025 Environmental Justice Legislative Scorecard shows who used their power to stand with frontline communities and who failed to do so. It provides transparency on how legislators voted on priority legislation related to energy affordability, tenant protections, nonprofit safeguards, CEQA, and oil drilling, with additional recognition of lawmakers who engaged directly with impacted communities. 

This is the only scorecard in California that evaluates our representatives entirely on how they voted on key bills impacting communities most harmed by pollution, climate change, and economic inequality. This Scorecard is a tool for transparency, accountability, and organizing for a more just California.

Read the Full Scorecard CEJA EJ Scorecard 2025Download Top of the Class

CEJA proudly recognizes the legislators who earned 100 percent or higher on the 2025 Environmental Justice Scorecard for consistently voting in alignment with environmental justice priorities and showing strong partnership with frontline communities.

Assemblymembers

Dawn Addis
Assembly District 30
(Central Coast)

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Assembly District 16
(East Bay)

Tasha Boerner
Assembly District 77 
(San Diego)

Mia Bonta
Assembly District 18
(East Bay)

Damon Connolly
Assembly District 12 
(Marin)

State Senators

Catherine Blakespear
Senate District 38  
(San Diego)

John Laird
Senate District 17  
(Santa Cruz)

These leaders demonstrate what it looks like to put people, health, and community power first.

Honorable Mentions

CEJA also recognizes legislators who showed meaningful leadership by asking tough questions, pushing back on harmful proposals, or advancing critical environmental justice protections, even when the political terrain was difficult.

• Senator Caroline Menjivar (SD 20, Los Angeles)
  Sen. Menjivar consistently pushed back against Big Oil and advocated for investments in communities most impacted by pollution. She authored CEJA priority bill SB 684 and has been a strong voice for a holistic and just transition away from fossil fuels.
  
• Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (SD 25, Pasadena)
  In her first year in office, Sen. Pérez emerged as a strong environmental justice leader by raising concerns about rushed legislative deals and their impacts on vulnerable communities. As her district recovers from devastating wildfires, she has centered both immediate recovery and long-term climate solutions.
  
• Senator María Elena Durazo (SD 26, Los Angeles)
  As Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, Sen. Durazo played a critical role in pushing back on harmful CEQA attacks and fighting for amendments to protect frontline communities. She has also remained a consistent champion for affordable, clean drinking water.
  
• Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (SD 29, San Bernardino)
  Sen. Reyes continued her long-standing leadership on environmental justice by authoring key legislation to improve air quality in impacted communities. She has made clear her commitment to ensuring all Californians have access to clean, healthy air.

Their leadership mattered in key moments during the 2025 legislative session.

How the Scorecard Works

For the 2025 legislative session, CEJA scored lawmakers based on floor and committee votes on six priority bills from our environmental justice agenda. These bills reflect critical fights over energy affordability, housing safety, community oversight, and corporate accountability. Scores also include Community Points, which recognize engagement with environmental justice communities beyond formal votes, such as attending community tours and listening to resident testimonies.

Bills We Supported

• AB 1167 (Berman) – Prohibits investor-owned utilities from using ratepayer money for lobbying and promotional activities, helping rein in rising energy bills and utility influence.
  
• SB 24 (McNerney) – Blocks utilities from spending ratepayer funds on political influence and efforts to oppose public or municipal power options.
  
• AB 1318 (Bonta) – Protects nonprofit access to state funding by ensuring eligibility under California tax law, especially critical amid growing federal threats to nonprofit organizations.
  
• SB 655 (Stern) – Establishes the state’s responsibility to ensure homes can maintain safe indoor temperatures, addressing extreme heat risks faced by low-income tenants and frontline communities.

Bills We Opposed

• SB 237 (Grayson) – Shields oil companies expanding drilling in Kern County from environmental review and litigation, increasing health risks for frontline communities.
  
• SB 131 (Wiener) – Creates a sweeping CEQA exemption for so-called “advanced manufacturing,” allowing high-risk industrial projects to move forward without environmental review or community input.

Legislators’ scores reflect how consistently they voted in alignment with CEJA’s positions across these bills. To learn more about why we supported and opposed these bills, check out this previous article by CEJA Action.

Community Points

In addition to votes, the Alliance awards Community Points to recognize lawmakers who engage directly with environmental justice communities beyond the Capitol. These points acknowledge actions such as attending community tours, listening to resident testimony, and advocating for environmental justice principles during policy development. Community Points provide a percentage boost to a legislator’s final score, and representatives who received the most community points are highlighted as Honorable Mentions.

Calling all youth artists in California! Enter Here!

In celebration of the California Environmental Justice Alliance’s 25th Anniversary, we are excited to launch a youth art contest! Young creatives are invited to showcase their visions of an environmentally just future. All designs must be original and inspired by environmental justice values and our anniversary theme – Grounded in Community, Growing Through Action: 25 Years and Beyond. 

The winning artist will receive $250, and their artwork will be featured on CEJA merchandise, sold in our new online store to support our fundraising efforts. The contest is open to all California youth (25 years old and under). Youth from environmental justice communities are especially encouraged to submit their artwork. 

Submissions are due by end of day on March 6th, 2026. See below for contest guidelines and additional details on how to enter.

CEJA Youth Art Contest Guidelines

• The CEJA Youth Art Contest is open to all youth residing in California. Youth is defined as persons under the age of 26 years old on March 6th, 2026.
• Submissions must be original artworks not published elsewhere and submitted in a high-quality (300 DPI or 2000+ px) PNG format with a transparent background.
• Contest winner must provide W-9 information for tax purposes.
• Contest winner must consent to their design being used on CEJA’s merchandise to raise funds for the organization.
• By submitting a design, you consent to your artwork being featured (with credit) on CEJA’s social media and other communications platforms.
• One design submission is allowed per person.
• Deadline for submission is 11:59pm PST on March 6th, 2026.

Enter Here!

Or copy and paste this link into your browser: bit.ly/cejaartcontest