NH #722: CA HB 305 Tricks Public Out of Comments on Nuclear Legislation – Public Watchdogs Charles Langley, Nina Babiarz

Pubic Watchdogs’ Nina Babiarz (l) and Charles Langley (r)

This Week’s Featured Interview:

• Since 1976, California law has banned the building of any new nuclear reactors until there is a solution to the problem of where to bury the deadly radioactive nuclear waste. But proposed new nuclear legislation, HB 305, has been called a “stealth attack” that subverts this 49-year old ban to allow for untold numbers of small modular nuclear reactors to be built around the state. As bad as the bill itself is the manipulation by highly paid lobbyists and political hacks to prevent the public from being able to comment on the nuclear legislation.Carefully following and challenging these machinations are the watchdogs at Public Watchdogs, Executive Director Charles Langley and Director of Development Nina Babiarz. Here they explain not ony whats wrong with HB 305, but the machinations and manipulations that have prevented the public from having input to the legislative process.

Public Watchdogs Petition on HB 305:

• PETITION: Demand a “No Vote” on AB 305 – STOP more New Nuclear plants in California!
• FILM SCREENING: SOS: San Onofre Syndrome, the award-winning documentary on the activist battle to close the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and have the radioactive waste responsibly handled, will receive a special showing on June 1, 5 pm, at the beautiful Lido theatre in Newport Beach. The screening is sponsored by Public Watchdogs, San Clemente Green, and the Samuel Lawrence Foundation. Discussion with the films directors and activist leaders will follow.

Numnutz of the Week (for Outstanding Nuclear Boneheadedness):

DANCES WITH OPPENHEIMER – A pro-nuclear rave with Oppenheimer’s grandson to brainwash Gen- Z-ers into loving nuclear energy. They see absolutely no irony in dancing to the Britany Spears’ song TOXIC.

The ICAN UPDATE with Alistair Burnett

ICAN’s Head of Media Alistair Burnett interviews Ithe group’s Advocacy Officer Florian Eblenkamp on the meetings on the NPT – Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Nuclear Resister with Jack Cohen-Joppa

• Missouri is the “Show Me!” state, and the Missouri Peace Planters did just that when they repeatedly occupied multiple nuclear missile silos in the summer of 1988, causing a furor that helped raise awareness of this hidden danger at the height of the Cold War. Here’s Jack-Cohen-Joppa with this month’s Nuclear Resister.

Activist Shoutout, Links:

• Congratulations to Nora Schroeder, junior at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, for her C-SPAN Classroom’s StudentCam award-winning documentary about the radioactive contamination of North St. Louis and Coldwater Creek:

• Lakenheath Alliance for Peace – Report on Peace Camp, April 14-26, 2025