Gov. Newsom vetoes Delta levee funding bill amid looming El Niño

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 872, legislation intended to set up a $300 million yearly fund for Delta levee repairs, arguing that the state budget already includes over $170 million for similar projects. The Delta’s 1,100-mile levee network, deemed substandard by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would require roughly $3.3 billion to bring it up to modern standards, according to the Delta Stewardship Council. Failure to act could expose $22 billion in assets and billions in annual economic activity to flood risk by 2085.

The bill, championed by State Senator Jerry McNerney, also sought to draw money from California’s carbon market and had unanimous legislative support. Critics, including the California Central Valley Flood Control Association, cautioned that the veto might disrupt existing reimbursement programs, while environmental groups argued the money should stay in the Delta rather than fund the separate $20 billion Delta Conveyance Project.