Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Brian Barrett, of El Macero, has been appointed to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors. Barrett has been Manager of McKenzie Seed since 2016, Owner...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. California budget threatens funding for mental health crisis teams – Cal Matters California counties are...
RCRC, along with stakeholders from agriculture, public agencies, and the business community, opposes Assembly Bill 2447, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). This measure seeks to greatly increase reporting requirements and compliance costs on...
On Thursday, the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA), an affiliate entity of RCRC, broke ground on the Golden State Fiber network in Glenn County, launching construction on a major rural broadband project and the first deployment in a multi-county effort to expand...
On April 28, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act (H.R. 5366). This bill would provide tax relief for victims of federally declared disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires....
On April 30, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) in a vote of 224-200. This marks the first time a Farm Bill has advanced out of a congressional chamber since 2018. The bill would extend, through...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Satinder Sandhu, of Davis, has been reappointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy, where he has been serving since 2024. Sandhu has been Area Healthcare Supervisor...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. Big broadband projects are breaking ground in California, but not here. – Monterey County Now RCRC and...
Last week, California State Senate Leader Monique Limón and Budget Committee Chair John Laird released their “Foundation for the Future” Framework for the 2026-27 State Budget. The plan calls for building the state reserves, maintaining funding for existing programs,...
RCRC, together with the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors, is co-sponsoring Assembly Bill 2705 authored by Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach). This measure seeks to establish important consumer protections and simplifies the...
In a social media post on Tuesday, US Department of Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, said she had been in touch with a Southern California water agency that was interested in buying the Scott Dam in Lake County and Cape Horn Dam in Mendocino County and...
On Wednesday, The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB) announced that the final draft of the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough (YBCS) Master Plan is available. Access the full final Master Plan HERE. The purpose of...
On Wednesday, the Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), consisting of Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo Counties, were pleased that the California Supreme Court denied review of an appellate court decision rejecting the State’s attempt to finance the proposed...
On Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento District announced that it has finalized its Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Sites Reservoir Project, following completion of its National Environmental Policy Act review. The ROD documents...
On April 22, the U.S. House of Representatives canceled a scheduled floor vote on the ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897), after adopting a closed rule to provide for the bill’s consideration. The closed rule would have prevented changes to the bill on the...
On April 20, the House passed the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act (H.R. 1681), by a vote of 384-9. The bill, introduced by Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO), establishes an interagency “strike force” for the purpose of accelerating the...
Project and Expenditure reports for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) are due to the U.S. Department of the Treasury by April 30, 2026, for all recipients that have not yet completed close out. To support counties as they...
A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. GSNR Holds Board Meeting in Lassen County On Thursday, the Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) Board of Directors...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Michelle Radtke, of Alturas, has been appointed to the 34th District Agricultural Association – Modoc County Fair. Radtke had been a Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator at...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. California could make homes in fire-risk areas pay up to $150 – San Francisco Chronicle RCRC Senior...
RCRC strongly opposes Assembly Bill 2214, authored by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley). This measure seeks to authorize the use of local agency funds on deposit with the State Treasurer’s Pooled Money Investment Account (PMIA) for purposes that...
On April 15, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act (H.R. 1011), by a vote of 395-10. The measure, introduced by Representative Julia Letlow (R-LA), amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to expand access to...
On April 16, California Representative Kevin Kiley (CA-03) announced that he has been reinstated to his committee assignments in the 119th Congress. Representative Kiley had been removed from his assignments in March after leaving the Republican Party to register as...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Eran Marie Bermudez, of Imperial County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice in the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One. Bermudez has served as a...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. Newsom sets special election to replace Eric Swalwell in Congress – San Francisco Chronicle...
On Friday, April 3, the Bioenergy Association of California (BAC), in partnership with the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), commenced legal proceedings to address the premature termination of the Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program by...
RCRC opposes Senate Bill 1404, authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), which seeks to go back on agreements made in the 2017 Cap-and-Trade reauthorization by reinstating the State Responsibility Area (SRA) fee. Specifically, SB 1404 would remove the suspension...
This week, two important bills targeting illegal dumping advanced in the Legislature. RCRC strongly supports both measures. Senate Bill 1230 by Senator Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) increases penalties for repeated violations of the state’s illegal dumping...
On Wednesday, April 8, Governor Newsom announced additional grants to local partners from the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program, which is intended to get people experiencing homelessness off the street and into supportive services and interim...
The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) is seeking responses to two surveys, designed to provide additional insight into specific planning topics that will be folded into the General Plan Guidelines and other future planning guidance materials...
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