On August 13th, Larry Sweetser testified on behalf of RCRC at a joint Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee/Senate Environmental Quality Committee oversight hearing hazardous waste reforms. The Board of Environmental Safety Chair (Jeanne...
As part of his Sustainable Insurance Strategy, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has released the final draft of his modeling and ratemaking regulations for public review and comment. The proposal would allow insurers to use forward-looking catastrophe...
he House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a September hearing on the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1274). The Act provides funding for projects that support forest health, water for fire infrastructure, watershed restoration, water quality,...
A bipartisan bill, the Save Our Safety-Net Hospitals Act, has been introduced with the intent to prevent massive cuts to America’s hospitals’ Medicaid payments. Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding helps preserve access to care at hospitals and...
Groundbreaking for a Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) took place in Mendocino County, California on Aug. 21, 2024. The facility will provide 16 beds for acute mental health patient care and is due to be completed in the fall of 2025. This project, along with a Crisis...
RCRC is pleased to support Assembly Bill 2104 by Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno). This measure would direct the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish a pilot program to allow up to 10 community college districts to offer a Bachelor of...
Another legislative “milestone” was passed this week when the two Appropriations committees took up what is referred to as the “Suspense file”. The Assembly held about 32% of the Senate measures it reviewed, above the average of 25% . The Senate completed its review...
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is inviting public input as he begins the final phase of approving a “first of its kind” catastrophe modeling and ratemaking regulation aimed to help restore insurance options for Californians and prepare for climate...
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) announced an investment of $600 million in federal funding for California to upgrade 100 miles of transmission lines to improve the state’s grid reliability and deliver clean, affordable electricity faster. The funding comes through...
On August 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the ninth round of funding to enhance safety and efficiency at airports across America. This round of funding included 296 grants across 47 states. Seven...
In July, as part of ongoing advocacy efforts, RCRC submitted comments to the Board of Forestry on proposed modifications to the Public Agency and Utility Right of Way Exemption Regulation. RCRC also engaged at the Board’s July 23 Forest Management Committee at which...
On Monday, August 5th, the Legislature returned from summer recess to finish out the 2023-2024 session. As the session heads into the final weeks, there are still several items on the move. RCRC continues to engage on several key legislative measures. Those of...
In the last month, RCRC has joined two new proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). First, RCRC joined an energy proceeding dedicated to electrical safety, reliability and resiliency. RCRC continues to advocate for greater oversight of utility...
On July 31st, Governor Newsom announced the award of $94 million to 15 counties to support infill development projects. The grants are awarded through the state’s Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) Program and will support capital improvement projects in the following...
One of this legislative year’s distractions — involving negotiations that for quite some time had gone nowhere — included a package of retail-theft proposals. That all changed on Thursday, August 8th, when it was announced by Senate President Pro Tem Mike...
On July 30th, U.S. Representative Mike Carey (OH-15) and Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) introduced bipartisan legislation to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) -a federal program that helped low-income households afford access to high-speed internet. The Secure...
According to an official cost estimate released Friday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill would boost the federal budget deficit by $33 billion over 10 years. The funding gap could force House leaders to either...
On August 5, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced a nearly $105 million investment as part of the President’s Investing in America agenda for 67 water conservation and efficiency projects that will enhance drought resilience across the nation. The investment...
On August 1, 2024, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 (S. 4367). The legislation includes provisions to help address ongoing climate impacts in California. The bill authorizes $10 million for the...
In light of the upcoming Independence Day holiday and the recess of the State Legislature after July 3rd, RCRC’s Barbed Wire newsletter will be on hiatus through the month of July. We will return on August 9th with the latest legislative and regulatory news impacting...
RCRC, along with the California Cannabis Industry Association, is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 1064 authored by Senator John Laird. This measure aims to modernize the state licensing structure for cannabis. This measure represents a crucial step forward in achieving two...
Over the past week, the Legislature acted on several budget-related bills, including two “budget bills junior” and a handful of budget trailer bills. The measures introduced and acted upon, collectively reflect an agreement between Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate...
Registration is now open for RCRC’s 2024 Annual Meeting! The conference will be held September 18 –20, 2024 at the Double Tree by Hilton – Sonoma Wine Country in Rohnert Park (Sonoma County). This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of...
On June 26, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced more than 1,900 state and local governments around the country will receive a total of $621.2 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024. California received approximately $64.3 million in...
On June 21, 2024, U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced the introduction of their Health Equity Innovation Act of 2024, which intends to address racial disparities in health outcomes by expanding access to preventative health...
With the onset of AI, technology is advancing at an exponential rate, requiring organizations to change along with it or risk being left behind. However, for government organizations, particularly in rural areas, adapting to change at such a fast rate can be...
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Sarah Dukett
Senior Policy Advocate
Leigh Kammerich
Senior Policy Advocate
John Kennedy
Senior Policy Advocate
Staci Heaton
Senior Policy Advocate
Tracy Rhine
Senior Policy Advocate
Eric Will
Policy Advocate
Mary-Ann Warmerdam
Senior Vice President Governmental Affairs