RCRC, along with CSAC and Cal Cities, opposes Senate Bill 222, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). This measure seeks to impose a permitting mandate on local governments. Specifically, SB 222 would require cities and counties to offer remote...
On Thursday June 11, CAL FIRE provided notice of an upcoming five-day public comment period from Thursday June 18 to Tuesday June 23 on their proposed CO2 emergency regulations. The rulemaking from the Office of the State Fire Marshall – Pipeline Safety Division...
On Friday June 26, the SB 54 Advisory Board will devote their meeting to reviewing the draft SB 54 Producer Responsibility Plan. The draft plan will be published by Circular Action Alliance on its website by June 15. This meeting will be an important opportunity for...
The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names (CACGN) is in the early stages of developing regulations to implement AB 2022 (Ramos, 2022), legislation that established a process for identifying and renaming geographic features and places with names determined...
On May 27, North State Public Radio podcast “Nancy’s Bookshelf” aired Episode #815: In the Line of Fire, which featured Butte County Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Katie Simmons in a conversation about her work in disaster recovery and emergency management for...
On June 10, James Gallagher (R-CA) was sworn in as the U.S. Representative for California’s First Congressional District. Speaker Mike Johnson administered the oath of office following Gallagher’s victory in the June 2 special election to fill the seat...
On June 8, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 12 to 11 along party lines to advance the nomination of Glen Smith to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Undersecretary for Rural Development. The nomination now moves to the full Senate for a...
On June 10, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and ten Senate colleagues sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requesting information on the use of National Park Service (NPS) recreation fee revenue to fund beautification projects in Washington, D.C. The letter...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Sarah Carrillo, of Tuolumne County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Tuolumne County Superior Court. Carrillo has served as Assistant General Counsel at the...
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. Manage existing predators before bringing back grizzlies – Sacramento Bee Sierra County Supervisor Lee...
The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus June 5th during RCRC’s Board of Directors Meeting taking place in the County of the Chair (Mariposa County). The Barbed Wire will return June 12,...
The Assembly and Senate faced deadlines this week to pass bills introduced in 2026, out of the house in which they were introduced (known as the “House of Origin”). Policy Committee hearings in the second house will commence next week and conclude at the end of the...
CalRecycle will host a webinar on how SB 1383 intersects with SB 54 on Wednesday, June 17, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The webinar will also cover Circular Action Alliance’s (CAA) Reimbursement Program; jurisdiction enforcement; jurisdictions assessing the SB 54...
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced $648 million in grant funding for firefighters and other first responders nationwide on May 18. The funding is available through Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG); Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency...
On May 20, Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), announced the recent introduction of the Public Lands Workforce Stability Act (H.R. 8523). This measure would prohibit Reductions in Force (RIFs) at the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the...
Prior to departing Washington for the Memorial Day Recess, Republican leaders in both chambers delayed action on the $72 billion budget reconciliation package focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) funding. Senate...
A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. GSFA Boosts Homebuyer Assistance for National Homeownership Month GSFA is offering a limited-time enhancement to its...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Sarah Mangum, of Woodland, has been appointed to the California Educational Facilities Authority. Mangum has been Associate Vice Chancellor of Budget and Institutional...
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. What the Colorado River Drought Means for California – KQED The Colorado River basin faces record-low...
RCRC, along with our local government partners, opposes AB 1294 unless amended. This measure, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would direct the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to adopt a standardized development...
On Thursday, Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order intended to mobilize state agencies, labor experts, economists, universities, and industry leaders to develop new policies, gather data, and identify early warning signs of workforce disruption. The order directs...
On Thursday, Governor Newsom announced a new feature to integrate California Communities Extreme Heat Scoring System (CalHeatScore) data into a wide range of applications to help Californians stay safe during extreme heat. CalHeatScore was released last year to...
On May 18, the U.S. Senate confirmed Stevan Pearce as director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of a larger package of nominees approved by Senate Republicans. Mr. Pearce, a former seven-term Republican congressman from New Mexico, takes over an agency...
The House Appropriations Committee released its fiscal year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill on May 20, 2026. The following day, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee met to consider the measure and approved it,...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Farfalla Borah, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Borah held multiple positions at University of California,...
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. Counties Call on State Leaders to “Protect Our Safety Net” Ahead of Deep Federal Cuts – California...
On Thursday, May 14, Governor Newson released his Administration’s May Revision of the 2026-27 state budget. This revision is the next step in the State’s budget negotiations with lawmakers, who must pass a budget by June 15 for the July 1 start of the 2026-2027...
In simultaneous hearings on May 14, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees acted on 978 bills from their respective suspense files. Measures with cost impacts over the committee-designated Suspense File threshold faced two possible outcomes: Passed off the...
California livestock producers and interested residents are being asked to weigh in on a survey examining compensation for wolf-related livestock losses. UC Berkeley and the UC Cooperative Extension are seeking participants for the survey, which researchers say will...
On Thursday, Governor Newsom announced the availability of up to $30 million through the new Regional Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Grant Program. These grants, from voter approved Climate Bond funds (Proposition 4) and supported by the Legislature, are intended...
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