Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy Federal Committee Appointments and Confirmation UpdatesOn January 14, Representative Mike Thompson (D-Lake) was once again named Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy. This appointment was confirmed by a vote of the full committee. “It’s...
Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Fix Our Forests Act Reintroduced and Slated for Consideration on House FloorOn 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....
Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Congressmember Vince Fong Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Fight WildfiresOn 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...
Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy | Community and Economic Development Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 240 (Alanis) – Community Colleges StudyThe Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is sponsoring Assembly Bill 240, authored by Assembly Member Juan Alanis (R-Merced). This measure would require the Little Hoover Commission to conduct a study evaluating the educational needs...
Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship U.S. House Leadership is Urged to Reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) ProgramOn January 16th, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) sent a letter urging House Leadership to immediately prioritize a three-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The SRS program provides vital funding to address school...
Jan 17, 2025
Advocacy | Air Quality State Abandons Electric Fleet Rule, Implications for Local Governments UnclearEarlier this week, California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph announced that the agency is abandoning its quest for a federal Clean Air Act waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact...
Jan 10, 2025
Advocacy | Transportation U.S. Senator Padilla Announces Over $258 Million for California Transportation Infrastructure ProjectsOn January 7, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award 25 California projects a combined $258 million for transportation infrastructure upgrades. Several projects selected for funding are located...
Jan 10, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship TORCH Act Introduced to Promote Healthy Forest ManagementOn January 3, the first day of the 119th Congress, Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Butte) introduced the Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards (TORCH) Act, which aims to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. The...
Jan 10, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Bipartisan California Congressional Delegation Applauds President Biden’s Major Disaster Declaration for Los Angeles County FiresOn January 8, California’s U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in urging President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration...
Jan 10, 2025
Advocacy | CEQA/NEPA RCRC Shares Perspective on Opportunities for State Permit ReformOn December 23, RCRC submitted extensive comments to the Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform, including several suggestions to improve the California Environmental Quality Act. In the letter, RCRC noted that local governments act as...