$4B Carbon Giveaway Threatens CA’s Climate Deal, Senate Blocks Newsom
California Senate Democrats are leveraging the budget to stop a $4 billion free permit program for oil refineries, warning it would break the 2025 cap-and-invest deal and gut funding for clean transit, safe water, and housing. The standoff also imperils Governor Newsom’s high-speed rail, wildfire, and EV tax credit initiatives, raising alarms for the integrity of the state’s carbon market.