Byron Sher, influential California environmental legislator, dies at 98

Byron Sher, a prominent California legislator, attorney, and Stanford law professor known for his significant environmental advocacy, has died at the age of 98.

Sher’s legislative career in Sacramento left a lasting impact on environmental policy. He authored landmark legislation that provided incentives for recycling, regulated environmental claims by advertisers, and addressed air and water pollution. Notably, in 1988, he authored legislation requiring California to track greenhouse gas sources, marking one of the first instances where a state legislature embedded the term ‘global warming’ into law. He also played a key role in the 1999 effort to preserve the ancient redwoods in Headwaters Forest.

Before his time in state politics, Sher was a central figure in Palo Alto politics. He served on the Palo Alto City Council and held terms as mayor in 1975 and 1978. During his tenure in local government, he was a leader of the ‘residentialist’ faction, which advocated for slow-growth policies and the protection of open spaces and sustainability.