Lt. Governor, Sect. of State, Controller and Treasurer

While the Governor and Attorney General make news with their environmental decisions, these other state officers have under-the-radar opportunities to influence state policy.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ~~ John Garamendi (D)

The Lieutenant Governor sits on the States Lands Commission, the UC Board of Regents and the Coastal Commission (non-voting).

Insurance Commissioner Garamendi served in the Legislature where he authored laws on clean energy and toxic cleanup. As Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, he implemented the Central Valley Improvement Act water reforms and blocked the Ward Valley nuclear waste dump. As Lt. Governor, Garamendi promises to once again promote a Green agenda as he did at the state and federal levels for three decades.

SECRETARY OF STATE ~~ Debra Bowen (D)

Touch-screen voting machines? Hackers? Paper trails? The Secretary of State will decide the voting procedures for California as the state shifts to electronic voting and absentee voting increases.

As Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, Senator Bowen has led the fight to ensure that all votes will be accurately recorded and reported. Bowen explains that the Secretary of State controls "the infrastructure of our democracy.” She strongly supports Clean Money campaign finance reform, and is extremely well- informed about the role and responsibilities of the office. Bowen, an environmental leader in the Legislature, played a key role in removing polluter-linked appointees from environmental positions.

CONTROLLER ~~ John Chiang (D)

The Controller sits on the State Lands Commission, the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, and the state pension funds.

Chiang has been elected twice to represent the Los Angeles area on the Board of Equalization. He has consistently voted to rigorously enforce “polluter-pays” fees that fund programs for electronic waste recycling, hazardous waste cleanup, and childhood lead poisoning prevention. He also advocated ocean and desert protection as a staff member for former Controller Gray Davis.

TREASURER ~~ Bill Lockyer (D)

The Treasurer influences environmental policy through investment decisions of the pension funds, and as leader of the California Pollution Control Financing Authority.

For eight years, Lockyer has been the greenest Attorney General in California history. He will carry his environmental commitment to the Treasurer’s office where he promises to wield his influence to be the greenest Treasurer ever.

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