Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   Bill of the Week Call to Action and Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1383 (McKinnor): Public Employee's Retirement Benefits

RCRC has joined with public agency partners to oppose Assembly Bill 1383, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Los Angeles). This measure would make several significant changes to public employees’ retirement benefits, ultimately leading to increased pension liability for state and local agencies.  Please call your legislators and ask them to oppose AB 1383.

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   Call to Action Call to Action: RCRC Seeks Veto on Demonstration State Forests Bill

RCRC is asking Governor Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would profoundly impact the management of California’s Demonstration State Forest (DSF) system. The bill, which recently passed the Legislature, conflicts with state forest resilience goals outlined in the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and would severely diminish research opportunities for the forest science community. RCRC requests that counties submit a letter to Governor Newsom urging him to veto this bill.

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire Governor Signs Local Government Sponsored Legislation: Senate Bill 922 (Laird) – Vehicles: Local Agency Charges: Use of Streets or Highways

On August 27, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 922 (Laird) into law. RCRC, in coalition with public agency partners, supported the measure, which reaffirms long-standing local authority related to the recovery of street maintenance and repair costs associated with providing essential public services. Specifically, SB 922 will

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   funding Governor Newsom Announces Latest Round of California Jobs First Grant Awards

On Wednesday, August 26, Governor Newsom announced the latest round of grant awards from the California Jobs First Regional Investment Initiative at a press conference in the RCRC-member county of Solano. The awards are expected to

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   funding Governor Announces Funding for Water Quality and Habitat Projects

On Friday, August 28, Governor Newsom announced $44 million for 15 projects across California to support tribal stewardship, desert protection, habitat recovery, and water quality. In the announcement

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire Members of California Congressional Delegation Press HHS, CMS to Release Medicaid Funding

Last week, the full California Democratic Congressional Delegation, along with Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, urging the agencies to work with California to resolve outstanding documentation concerns, and release $867.5 million in federal Medicaid payments that CMS deferred in July pending additional claims documentation.  

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues Bipartisan Measure Introduced to Establish National Flood Risk Reduction Program

Last week, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) and Congressman Don Beyer (VA-8) introduced the National Flood Impact Reduction and Resilience Act. This bipartisan measure would create a coordinated federal program, modeled on the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program, to improve

Aug 28, 2026

Annual Meeting   |   Barbed Wire SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Meet RCRC’s 2026 Technology Sponsor - COMCAST

From a small cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi to a global leader in connectivity and storytelling, Comcast’s journey is driven by innovation, investment, and impact. For more than 60 years, we’ve brought people together through...

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire RCRC Affiliate Updates - August 2026

A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. Rural Counties ESJPA Explores EPR Compliance Pathways At the August 20, 2026 Rural Counties Environmental...

Aug 28, 2026

Barbed Wire   |   Keeping Up Keeping Up - The Barbed Wire - August 28, 2026

Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Lindsey Berg-James, of Monterey County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Monterey County Superior Court. Berg-James has worked as a...