Feb 21, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy Announces Review of California High-Speed Rail ProjectOn February 20, at the direction of Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) initiated a review of the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)…
Feb 21, 2025
federal issues | SRS Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act Introduced in 119th CongressThe Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act (S. 356/H.R. 1383) has been introduced in the 119th Congress amid pressure to act swiftly to avoid significant budget cuts or tax hikes. Attempts to pass SRS legislation...
Feb 14, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues Congress Members LaMalfa and Thompson Introduce Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2025This 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...
Feb 14, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. Senators Urge Trump Administration to Exempt Seasonal Firefighters from Federal Hiring FreezeOn 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...
Feb 06, 2025
federal issues Padilla Introduces Bipartisan Bills to Improve Fire Mitigation and Resiliency EffortsOn 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...
Jan 31, 2025
federal issues U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders Announce Subcommittee LeadershipIn 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...
Jan 31, 2025
federal issues USDA Announces Key Appointments to Lead on Wildfire PreventionOn 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: Kristin Sleeper as Deputy Undersecretary...
Jan 31, 2025
federal issues Federal Funding Update: The Freeze, The Thaw, and What Comes NextLess 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)....
Jan 31, 2025
federal issues | Secure Rural Schools | SRS California Legislators Urge U.S. House Leadership to Reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) ProgramOn January 27, a bicameral bipartisan group of twenty-three California Legislators sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, strongly urging them to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination...
Jan 24, 2025
federal issues | homeowners insurance U.S. Senators Call on Treasury Department to Swiftly Publish Data on Impact of Natural Disasters on Homeowners InsuranceOn 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...