Standing Up for Science: Point Blue Joins the Push for SB 895

June 9, 2026

Since December of last year, Point Blue Conservation Science has been part of a growing coalition of scientists across California calling on state lawmakers to support funding for scientific research. That effort has led to the State Senate passage of SB 895, the California Science and Health Research Bond Act, which is now moving through the Assembly — and this afternoon will be heard in the Assembly Health Committee.

I made the case in this weekend’s Press Democrat for why protecting science isn’t an abstract political fight — it’s about safeguarding the communities, ecosystems, and public health systems that depend on rigorous, independent research.

SB 895 would place a $12 billion bond on the November 2026 ballot to fund human health research, including climate and environmental science that underpins critical conservation management decisions to support clean air, water, and other ecosystem services that all Californians rely upon. If voters approve it, California would establish the California Foundation for Science and Health Research, representing the largest state-level investment in scientific research in U.S. history.

Point Blue joined this coalition because the stakes are real. Federal research funding cuts are already disrupting critical work, and the science that informs our conservation programs — and the policies that protect California’s lands, waters, and communities — cannot afford to stall.

If you are a California resident and agree that California must stand behind science, consider acting: call your state Assembly Member and let them know you support SB 895. You can find your representative at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.