On February 14, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved Emergency Regulations adopted by CalRecycle concerning illegal dumping and land application of solid and organic waste. CalRecycle’s regulations are intended to stop illegal and improper land...
In coming months, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold in-person and virtual public forums to receive customer input regarding its Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) Proceeding. The COLR proceeding will consider updates and changes to rules that...
RCRC is sponsoring Assembly Bill 632, authored by Assembly Member Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara). This measure would enhance local enforcement mechanisms for unlicensed cannabis activities, state housing law violations, and fire hazards by codifying existing caselaw...
RCRC-sponsored bill, AB 240 (Alanis) is heading to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education on March 18. RCRC is asking for support letters from our counties to help bolster our advocacy efforts. This bill would require the Little Hoover Commission to conduct a...
On February 6th, Assembly Bill 470 was introduced by Assemblymember McKinnor (D-Inglewood). This measure is intended to make changes to the Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules in California. AT&T, sponsor of the legislation, indicates that the bill will be amended...
This week, Congressmen Doug LaMalfa (R-Butte) and Mike Thompson (D-Lake) introduced the Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2025 to provide homeowners in disaster-prone regions with incentives to harden their properties against wildfires and other risks. This...
On February 11, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 13 others in urging senior Trump Administration officials to reverse the hiring and onboarding freeze of federal seasonal firefighters that threatens the safety of communities in...
On Thursday, February 13, the U.S. Senate confirmed Brooke Rollins to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture by a vote of 72-28. As Secretary, Ms. Rollins will oversee farm subsidy programs, the distribution of nutrition assistance to low-income individuals, and...
On January 31st, the Office of Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-25, which largely renews previous authorities from a prior executive order to allow local water agencies to more expeditiously recharge groundwater reservoirs during high precipitation events,...
The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for their new Building the Healthcare Workforce (BHW) grant program. With this program, the Governing Board seeks to address the chronic healthcare provider...
On Monday February 3rd, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts. The package includes the following: The Wildfire Emergency Act to support forest restoration, wildfire...
Last Friday, January 31, Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 55th Secretary of the Interior after being confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 79-18. On his first day in office, Secretary Burgum met with Department leadership, outlined his key priorities, took immediate...
In a joint statement, U.S. Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the following Agriculture subcommittee leadership. This leadership will play an important role in crafting the farm bill and will handle
On January 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced two key appointments by President Trump to support his administration’s focus on forest management, wildfire prevention, and natural resource conservation
Less than 48 hours after its initial release, a memo ordering the freeze of more than $1 trillion in federal grants, loans, and financial assistance was rescinded by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The memo, titled
On January 30, more than 25 members of the public made comments at the California Public Utilities Commission hearing requesting that the Commission approve funding for broadband projects in Monterey and Calaveras counties. Along with County Administrative Officers, Mayors, and community members, seven rural county Supervisors testified
On January 27, a bicameral bipartisan group of twenty-three California Legislators sent a letter Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, strongly urging them to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The letter
On Monday, January 27th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a Draft Resolution (ESRB-13) to enhance the safety and reliability of electric generation and energy storage facilities by updating CPUC General Order 167. The Draft Resolution incorporates two recently passed measures: Senate Bill 38 (Laird, 2023) which mandates Emergency Response and Action Plans for Energy Storage System (ESS) owners; and Senate Bill 1383 (Hueso, 2022) which requires the CPUC to
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is in the process of awarding critical grant funding for broadband deployment through the Federal Funding Account (FFA) Last Mile program. At this time, Monterey and Calaveras counties remain two of the six counties that have not yet been awarded funding and the last two in which Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) has applications. Elected Supervisors and staff members from many GSCA member counties, business and community leaders, and residents sent letters and videos…
On Tuesday, January 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced appointments for several senior staff positions. Those appointments
On January 17, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and six other Senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to immediately publish data and analysis about how natural disasters impact homeowners’ insurance
The Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471), passed the U.S. House of Representatives on January 23, 2025, with a bipartisan vote of 279-141. This legislation, sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA), will provide much needed pathways
In the wake of, and continuing battle with, the Los Angeles fires, several pieces of bipartisan legislation have been introduced, or reintroduced, in efforts to strengthen Wildfire Resilience and Recovery…
RCRC supports Assembly Bill 1, authored by Assembly Member Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael). The measure would require the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to identify and consider additional property-level and community-wide wildfire mitigation measures to be included in its Safer from Wildfire regulations…
A number of Supervisors from California counties made the trek to Washington, DC for the inauguration, including RCRC Chair, Supervisor Geri Byrne (Modoc County) and Second Vice-Chair, Bob Nelson (Santa Barbara County). Extending their stay to focus on RCRC county issues, the two Officers met with
This is the first installment of the RCRC Board Member Spotlight, a new recurring feature of the Barbed Wire! The Board Member Spotlight is intended to familiarize subscribers with RCRC Board members, providing insights from their background in public service to their...
Committee appointments are underway, and several Administration appointments are pending. Read the latest update here.
On January 16, House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) announced the reintroduction of the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening resiliency through active forest management.
On January 14, U.S. Representative Vince Fong (R-CA-20), along with Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), introduced the bipartisan ACERO Act. This legislation authorizes NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project to develop technology for drones to improve wildfire response operations, including in low-visibility conditions where manned aircraft cannot be used.
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is sponsoring Assembly Bill 240 (Alanis). This measure would require the Little Hoover Commission to conduct a study evaluating the educational needs and opportunities that exist for the five rural counties that are not included in a California Community College (CCC) district. In 2024, an earlier version of this legislation
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
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Mary-Ann Warmerdam
Senior Vice President Governmental Affairs