Assembly Member Isaac Bryan was elected to represent AD 55 in a special election in May 2021, at the age of 29. By then he had already founded the UCLA Black Policy Project and served as the first Director of Public Policy at UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center. In the Assembly he has served as Majority Leader and chair of the Natural Resources Committee. In the current session, Asm Bryan has introduced important climate legislation with a focus on environmental justice and the interests of the most vulnerable Californians. Two of his ambitious measures are ACA 16, a California Constitutional amendment declaring that people have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment; and AB 2716, requiring the identification and eventual plugging and abandonment of low production oil & gas wells located within 3200 feet of sensitive receptors.
The opposition to ACA 16 decried “unintended consequences” of the amendment during the Assembly Natural Resources Committee’s hearing on the bill in early April. Bryan replied, “I think there’s unintended consequences to everything we do. Enshrining the right to reproductive freedom in California was bold and brave and could have unintended consequences.…That’s why we lead in California—we know what it means to not push forward, to nibble around the edges and never make an actual, meaningful difference in the lives of anybody….Even if it does lead to litigation [because] the State [infringes] on your right to clean air, clean water, or a healthy environment, that’s the kind of accountability the people of California should have over their government.”
Climate Action California believes that Assemblymember Isaac Bryan is just getting started and we look forward to his contributions to California and combating the effects of climate change.
Website: https://isaacbryanforca.com