The Barbed Wire - January 05, 2018

RCRC’s 2018 Installation of Officers and Rural Leadership Awards Reception

RCRC’s 2018 Installation of Offices and Rural Leadership Awards Reception will be held Wednesday, January 17^th at 5:00 p.m. in Sacramento.  Read More...

California Legislature Reconvenes

On Wednesday, the California State Legislature reconvened for the 2018 Legislative Session.  RCRC’s Government Affairs staff will be reviewing hundreds of bills to assess their impact on RCRC member counties. 

RCRC member counties are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with staff.

RCRC Staff Participate in Regional Broadband Consortia Summit

This week, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) held its Regional Broadband Consortia Summit in Sacramento.  Representatives from RCRC, the California State Association of Counties, and the League of California Cities joined Supervisors from Trinity and Yolo Counties to participate on a panel to discuss how local leaders can better engage regional consortia. 

The panel also discussed the upcoming legislative session, and ways regional consortia members can be involved in affecting broadband policy at the state level.

The mission of CETF is to provide leadership statewide to close the "Digital Divide" by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband to unserved and underserved communities and populations.

Insurance Commissioner Issues Report to Address Coverage Issues in High Wildfire Risk Areas

On Thursday, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (Commissioner) issued recommendations and a legislative framework to address the growing problem of availability and affordability of insurance coverage for homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and other high wildfire risk areas of the State. 

The report, which provides a summary of the major issues and provides California Department of Insurance recommendations on how to address the insurance coverage issues in the WUI and other high-risk areas, is in direct response to work done by participants in the California Tree Mortality Task Force, including several RCRC member counties and RCRC staff, aimed at finding solutions to the growing number of cancellations and non-renewals of homeowners insurance policies in high-risk areas, as well as the relative unaffordable nature of those policies that are available.  

In the wake of the disastrous wildfires of October 2017, even more homeowners are now in danger of cancellations and non-renewals as they try to recover from the devastation from last year’s fires.  The report acknowledges the fact that the majority of complaints regarding renewal issues and premium increases since the Butte and Valley fires in 2015 have come from ZIP codes designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as high fire risk areas, despite the minority of the state’s population residing in these areas.  The report recommends that the legislature create a framework which will ultimately offer a greater variety of policy options and make available mitigation credits and other programs by which homeowners can reduce the costs of their insurance coverage.

The Commissioner’s report was released the same day as the introduction of Senate Bill 824 (Lara), a bill aimed at tackling some of the same problems addressed in the report.  In addition to leaving an opening for a framework to the one outlined in the Commissioner’s report, SB 824 also prevents insurers from non-renewing policies for homes destroyed as a result of a disaster such a as a wildfire, as well as requiring insurers to obtain the Commissioner’s approval before reducing the number of policies written within a certain geographic area.

The Commissioner’s press release can be accessed here.

National Political Outlook

In 2017, several lawmakers announced their intent to not seek re-election in 2018, which will prompt a restructuring of powerful committees in the House and Senate. 

In October 2017, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) announced he will not run for re-election, leaving his gavel up for grabs.  Committee Vice Chairman, Representative Patrick McHenry (R-North Carolina) is a top candidate to be Representative Hensarling’s successor, but McHenry may pass on the position to pursue a higher-ranking position within House leadership.  If McHenry pursues other options in the House, Representative Ed Royce (R-Orange), the third most senior Republican on the Committee, is considered a contender to assume the chair after Hensarling’s departure.  If this scenario were to unfold, there be would a vacancy in the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which Representative Royce currently holds.

Earlier this week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) announced that he will not seek re-election in 2018, and Representative Jeff Denham (R-Stanislaus) is on the shortlist of candidates to succeed Representative Shuster as Chairman or Ranking Member of the Committee.  Representative Denham is the current chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and is a close ally of Representative Shusters.

As of now, more than 40 members of Congress will not seek re-election in 2018.  This exodus will reshape the power structure of the federal legislative branch, allowing new members to play an influential role in the policymaking process.  In addition, the growing list of retiring Republican incumbents will leave the GOP’s majority vulnerable in an election cycle.  

Federal Disaster Relief

President Trump approved Governor Jerry Brown’s request for a major disaster declaration to provide financial assistance to individuals recovering from devastating wildfires.  President Trump gave the order after the Thomas Fire in Southern California burned more than 281,900 acres – now one of the largest fires in state’s history.  Governor Brown submitted the declaration request on December 20, 2017 for Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.

Funding will be allocated for debris removal, community rebuilding, and temporary shelter for victims of wildfire damage.  Among the specific Individual Assistance Programs highlighted in Governor Brown’s request for aid are the Individuals and Households Program, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Hazard Mitigation.

Under the President’s major disaster declaration the effected California counties will receive timely relief from the damage caused by wildfires while Congress continues to negotiate the latest disaster supplemental package.  The $81 billion disaster relief bill passed the House of Representatives before the holiday break, and negotiations are underway in the Senate according to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas).  The disaster supplemental will be a high priority legislative item in the coming weeks along with the ongoing budget negotiations.

Federal Budget

Back from the holidays, Congressional leaders met with the White House this week to reach a budget agreement before the latest Continuing Resolution expires on January 19, 2018.  At the center of negotiations are debates over spending levels for military and domestic programs, as well as immigration and border security.

Republicans and Democrats are arguing over a deal that would combine tougher immigration policies with a DACA deal.  Until the budget deal is negotiated, lawmakers do not know how much funding is available for Fiscal Year 2018 and are unable to finish an omnibus package that will cost over a trillion dollars.  Forestry advocates continue to urge lawmakers to include a wildfire funding fix in the omnibus bill.  This fix would end the budget practice known as “fire borrowing,” which forces the United States Forest Service to drain funds from important management projects to pay for wildfire suppression activities.  Several standalone proposals have been introduced in Congress in 2017 which would make wildfire funding eligible for FEMA’s major disaster relief along with hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.

Bulletin Board

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff. Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.

ACWA Hosts Webinar on New State Law Regarding School Lead Testing

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Safe Drinking Water Act Compliance Workshop

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CDFA Accepting Applications for Annual Cannabis Cultivation

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New Funding Opportunity: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

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CDFA Awards $260,000 to Support Agricultural Education

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