Gov Jerry Brown signs four climate change bills in downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Governor Jerry Brown came to Fresno Wednesday to sign landmark legislation aimed at easing the effects of climate change. The law puts nearly $1-billion towards the statewide effort.

The bill signing took place on top of a downtown parking garage, with a view of the Valley's air pollution problem. Something Governor Brown said the legislation will help ease.

"The air is bad, a lot of kids have asthma, a lot of old folks have bronchitis and other kind of respiratory diseases. And you put this poison into the air, you can actually take it out. That's what this bill is all about."

The four different pieces of legislation aim to use $900 million in cap and trade funds to pay for new clean energy projects, like public transportation, and the governor said put people to work.

"And those are good jobs. Whether it's the high speed rail which has 500 people working with solid jobs, with good benefits, or many of the programs I am signing into the law today. This is how you move people into the middle class," said Brown.

Along with money for electric cars, and walking trails funds will go to help agriculture be cleaner.

"The dairies and all that stuff you ever go by and look, those waste ponds and all that-- I won't say what the word is, but you know what it is. That could all be clean energy. And so can a lot of other things," said Brown.

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin praised the legislation. Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula, an emergency room doctor, was pleased that 25-percent of the funding will be guaranteed to help impoverished communities hardest hit by pollution and health problems.

"It was hard to work on patients and keep them alive when every time they turned around they breathed the air of our Valley and drinking our water. At some point I get concerned about the environmental factors we have in our community, and they, and I, believe the investments today will help us lead to a brighter future," said Arambula.

Brown is proud to say the landmark legislation signed in Fresno, and greenhouse gas legislation signed last week in Los Angeles, makes California the first state to embrace the fight against climate change.