Barbed Wire – April 11, 2025

The weekly newsletter of RCRC and your source for legislative and regulatory news impacting California’s rural counties.

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Barbed Wire on Hiatus April 18

The RCRC Barbed Wire will be on hiatus next week, April 18th. The California State Legislature adjourned for Spring Recess…

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Legislative Action on “Budget Bill Jr.”

Before leaving for Spring Recess on Thursday, the State Legislature approved Assembly Bill 100. Commonly referred to as a “Budget Bill, Jr.” this measure amends a prior Budget Act and makes several program area adjustments

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Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 964 (Hadwick) – Commission on State Mandates

RCRC, in coalition with local government partners, supports Assembly Bill 964, authored by Assembly Member Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas). This measure would take an important first step to reform

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RCRC-Sponsored Bills Advance Through Policy Committees

Several RCRC-sponsored measures passed their first policy over the last two weeks while two others will be heard after the Legislature returns from Spring Break…

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PG&E Releases 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan

On Friday, April 4th, PG&E filed its comprehensive 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) with regulators

School bus stopped on road in wooded area

Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Update

RCRC continues to advocate for passage of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization bill, a top priority for rural counties in California and around the nation.  The last SRS reauthorization…

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U.S. Senate Advances Wildlife Service and EPA Water Office Nominees

On Wednesday, April 9, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to advance two nominees to the full Senate for consideration…

 

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Bipartisan Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate to Create New Disaster Resilience Tax Credit for Communities Impacted by Natural Disasters

On April 8, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the Facilitating Increased Resilience, Environmental Weatherization and Lowered Liability (FIREWALL) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at promoting community resilience…

 

geological formation closeup

RCRC to Host Webinar May 5: SMGB Mining Ordinance Update Project

Join RCRC and the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) on May 5th at 10:00 AM for an informative webinar on the statewide effort to update local mining ordinances…

 

Bulletin Board

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of rural county importance.

September 05, 2025 County of Monterey Seeks Budget Director

The County of Monterey invites your interest in the position of   COUNTY BUDGET DIRECTOR To view the brochure for this position, please click on the following link:  Click Here to View the Brochure for...

Weekly News Clips

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 EPS ban will be enforced – Recycling Today

CalRecycle has made it official “EPS producers are prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing EPS food service ware, like single-use takeout containers and cups, in or into California.”

California to review wolves’ endangered status amid cattle kills – The San Francisco Chronicle

In the past month, two Northern California counties have declared local emergencies, and a third has asked for state intervention, to confront the potential threat of wolves in their communities.

A Rural California District Is a National Model for Reducing Absenteeism – Governing

Devastated by fire, then shut down by COVID-19, the school district in Paradise, Calif., has emerged as a leader in keeping homeless students in classrooms.

‘Really unusual’: New study shows why salmon vanished in NorCal – SFGATE

Suzanne Rhoades and Cleo Woelfle-Hazard were monitoring salmon at two field sites hundreds of miles apart: the South Fork of the Eel River running through Humboldt and Mendocino counties and the Salmon Creek Watershed in western Sonoma County.

 

Legislative Update

Information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties. This report updates in real time.

For a full list of RCRC-tracked legislation, by issue area, use our Legislative Tracking Tool.