By Carolyn Whetzel, Bloomberg BNA.

July 18 — California's Democratic leadership is rallying climate policy supporters to press lawmakers for legislation extending the state's carbon trading program beyond 2020.

At a recent event in Sacramento, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D) urged clean energy businesses and workers to help push for a bill that ensures the cap-and-trade program and other key climate policies become permanent.

“We're going to push, push and push to make sure we can make these policies permanent and codify them into law,” De Leon said at a recent event highlighting the employment benefits of California's renewable portfolio standard.