--- title: "California Assembly committee rejects grizzly bear reintroduction study bill" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-14T22:05:24.974Z" source_reported: "2026-08-14T19:02:52.000Z" updated: "2026-08-14T22:05:24.974Z" trust_score: 66 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-15T00:04:32.709Z" --- # California Assembly committee rejects grizzly bear reintroduction study bill *Senate Bill 1305 would have required a feasibility roadmap for restoring grizzlies to the state after a century* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 66 of 100, higher is better. Trust 66 because the report names Sen. Laura Richardson and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and cites the bill, but only one independent source. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95 as it explains significance, quotes officials, separates facts, provides specific names and next steps. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype 15; language is measured with no sensational adjectives or clickbait. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Assembly Appropriations Committee rejected Senate Bill 1305, which would have required the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate grizzly bear reintroduction. - The bill, introduced by Inglewood Democratic Sen. Laura Richardson, set no funding for the study but allowed future funding from the Legislature or outside groups. - Supporters included Native American tribes and environmental groups; opponents included ranchers and rural communities concerned about livestock and human safety. - No right-rated outlet covered the story, according to the reports below. The California Assembly Appropriations Committee rejected Senate Bill 1305 on 14 August 2026. The bill, introduced by Inglewood Democratic Sen. Laura Richardson, would have required the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to create a roadmap evaluating the feasibility of reintroducing grizzly bears to California. Grizzly bears were once widespread in California, with an estimated 10,000 roaming the state before the Gold Rush. They were hunted to extinction by the 1920s. The bill’s supporters, including two Native American tribes and environmental groups, argued that reintroduction would restore an ecological balance. Opponents, such as ranchers and rural communities, cited concerns over livestock predation and human safety. The committee did not discuss the bill or take public testimony before voting, as is typical for appropriations committees. Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, the committee chair, later told reporters that the state must first address conflicts between humans and existing predators like gray wolves before considering grizzly reintroduction. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story, according to the reports printed below. None of the digests or reports mentioned specific locations in California where grizzly reintroduction might have been considered, nor did they provide estimates of the potential cost of the study or reintroduction efforts. ## Who covered it Shares of the 16 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 44% (7) - Centre: 56% (9) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 16 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-15T00:04:32.709Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-15T00:15:11.325Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The seven left-rated digests and reports led on the bill’s rejection and the historical context of grizzly bears in California. The Associated Press and Washington Top News, whose full reports were printed below, both quoted Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ statement that the state must address human-wildlife conflicts before reintroducing grizzlies. The Los Angeles Times digest framed the story as a question of ecological restoration, noting that grizzlies were exterminated over a century ago despite remaining a state symbol. - The left-rated reports carried the names of the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Laura Richardson, and the committee chair, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. They also included the voices of supporters, such as Native American tribes and environmental groups, and opponents, including ranchers and rural communities. The Associated Press report described the bill as a measure to “right an ecological wrong.” ### Centre - The eight centre-rated digests led on the bill’s rejection and the role of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The Washington Top News full report, printed below, included Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ statement on the need to address human-wildlife conflicts. The digests named the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Laura Richardson, and noted the lack of funding for the study, though none quoted opponents or supporters directly. - The centre-rated reports did not frame the story as a question of ecological restoration. They focused on the procedural aspect of the committee’s decision and the bill’s lack of funding. The Washington Top News report described the bill as “controversial” and noted the historical prevalence of grizzlies in California, including their depiction on the state flag. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 11 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/animals-pets/2026/08/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_ac2cb061-559d-5c25-9a43-efc84d2189bc.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/grizzly-bears-california-reintroduction-bill-dead-0077e008c63ab19327e1955850b33d09) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Ottumwa Courier](https://ottumwacourier.com/news/national_news/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_798fb049-ee5d-56af-bba6-9174fe7b0b74.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [The Northern Virginia Daily](https://nvdaily.com/associated_press_national/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_8f6fbeb0-18fd-506b-b57c-195015ce584d.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Henry Herald](https://henryherald.com/news/world_nation/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_8e1c4244-f8d2-55e9-bd5e-c9329c1cac2e.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Action News Now](https://actionnewsnow.com/news/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_f3c14cdb-6277-5dc6-8f88-ec3c4c401021.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/life/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_4fdebb2b-048b-5aa2-9dbe-eaa313a8a55a.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/life/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/article_13d5d0b8-42be-52b8-8ee2-7369dac605e9.html) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/08/14/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [NBC LA](https://nbclosangeles.com/news/california-news/grizzly-bear-california-reintroduction/3929708) — Lawmakers scrap plan that could have reintroduced grizzly bears to California - [Lookout Local Santa Cruz](https://lookout.co/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/story) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Cal Matters](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bill) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Palo Alto Online](https://paloaltoonline.com/calmatters/2026/08/13/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Danville San Ramon](https://danvillesanramon.com/calmatters/2026/08/13/california-lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill) — California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill - [Los Angeles Times](https://latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-13/we-killed-off-californias-grizzly-bears-over-century-ago-can-we-resurrect-them) — We killed off California's grizzly bears over a century ago. Can we resurrect them? ## Questions **What was Senate Bill 1305 about?** Senate Bill 1305, introduced by Sen. Laura Richardson, would have required the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to create a roadmap evaluating the feasibility of reintroducing grizzly bears to the state. The bill set no funding for the study but allowed future funding from the Legislature or outside groups. **Why did the Assembly Appropriations Committee reject the bill?** The committee did not discuss the bill or take public testimony before voting. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, the committee chair, later said the state must address conflicts between humans and existing predators like gray wolves before considering grizzly reintroduction. **Who supported and opposed the bill?** Supporters included two Native American tribes and environmental groups, who argued that reintroduction would restore an ecological balance. Opponents, such as ranchers and rural communities, cited concerns over livestock predation and human safety. **Did any right-rated outlets cover the story?** No right-rated outlet ran the story, according to the reports printed below. The coverage was limited to left- and centre-rated outlets. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "California Assembly committee rejects grizzly bear reintroduction study bill", https://mediabias.news/politics/california-assembly-committee-rejects-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-study-bill