For Immediate Release
October 6, 2021
Assemblymember Kalra Responds to Veto of AB 416 The California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act
If signed, California would have become the first state in the nation to require state procurement contracts to certify that operations and supply chains are not contributing to tropical deforestation
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), author of AB 416 The California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act, released the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s veto of the bill yesterday:
“While the lungs of the Earth whittle away due to wildfires, industrial logging, and plantation conversions, which harm and displace innumerable animal species, I am deeply disappointed that Governor Newsom has decided not to hold California’s state procurement policies accountable. We must ensure state purchasing dollars are spent in a way that aligns our commitment to mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and value Indigenous rights.
“Without leading the way to incentivize transparency and sustainable practices, California will sadly continue to be an inadvertent contributor to tropical deforestation and the global environmental destruction that accompanies it.”
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Assemblymember Ash Kalra was first elected to the California Legislature in 2016, representing the 27th District, which encompasses approximately half of San Jose and includes all of downtown. In 2020, he was re-elected to his third term. Assemblymember Kalra is the Chair of the State Assembly Labor and Employment Committee and also currently serves as a member on the Housing and Community Development, Judiciary, Transportation, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife committees.