The Barbed Wire - September 11, 2015

September 11, 2015
RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting – SEE YOU THERE!!!
California’s Rural Counties Unite in Urging Congress to Fully Fund Federal PILT
No Transportation Deal, Legislative Leaders Announce Transportation Conference Committee
Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund Annual Report Due
Congress Returns and Faces Significant Challenges Ahead
House Likely to Move Highway Bill Forward This Month
BULLETIN BOARD
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting – SEE YOU THERE!!!

Held September 23-25 at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel in El Dorado County, RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties including:

  • Water in California - What the Future Holds;
  • The Hidden World of Human Trafficking in California's Rural Counties;
  • What on Earth? The Environmental Impacts of Marijuana Cultivation;
  • Bracing for the Upcoming Political Season;
  • The Future of Federal Land Payments; and,
  • From Vaccines to Vaping – How Public Health Impacts Our Daily Lives.

Registration and the current program can be accessed here.  Details on lodging can be accessed here.  Use group code RCRC.

We look forward to seeing you there!

California’s Rural Counties Unite in Urging Congress to Fully Fund Federal PILT

SACRAMENTO, CA – September 09, 2015 – The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) announced today that 30 California counties have adopted resolutions urging Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.  Mariposa County Supervisor Kevin Cann joins the National Association of Counties (NACo) in Washington, D.C. this week armed with these resolutions, urging Congress to fully fund Federal PILT.

RCRC’s full press release can be accessed here.

No Transportation Deal, Legislative Leaders Announce Transportation Conference Committee

The Legislature wraps up the end of the first year of the two-year Regular Legislative Session without agreement on new transportation revenues/reforms.  Governor Jerry Brown intervened last week by unveiling a framework to reach a deal on new transportation revenues; however, it became increasingly clear this week that no deal was in sight, and the Governor’s transportation package was ultimately not considered in the final days of the Regular Session. 

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin DeLeon and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins announced the formation of a Conference Committee on Transportation as supported and called for by the Fix Our Roads Coalition (of which RCRC is a member).  While details are still forthcoming, the Transportation Conference Committee will be comprised of representatives of both parties and from both houses of the Legislature, although the exact composition is unclear at this time.  The Transportation Conference Committee could meet anytime during the legislative recess, and/or the commencement of the 2016 Regular Session in January, in an attempt to reach an agreement over new transportation revenues and reforms to the system to ensure monies are better spent. 

There have been a number of legislative proposals introduced over the past several months, which have included a variety of tax and fee increases, reforms to the California Department of Transportation, and constitutional protections for various transportation revenues, among others.  We anticipate similar proposals will be considered during the Transportation Conference Committee.  RCRC will continue to be engaged in this process and will provide updates as additional information become available.

Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund Annual Report Due

Current law requires each county that administers grants from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF) to submit an annual report to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee; Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization; Chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization; and the California Gambling Control Commission. 

The report should include the following detailed information for 2014-15 expenditures: 

  • Grant funds received by the county;
  • Description of each project funded;
  • How each project mitigates the impact of tribal gaming;
  • Total expenditures for each project;
  • Administrative costs related to each project (excluding the county’s administrative fee;
  • Any funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year for each project;
  • How remaining funds will be allocated for each project, including estimated time for expenditure; and
  • A description of whether each project is funded on a one-time allocation or on-going.

Reports are due by October 1, 2015 for counties to be eligible to receive funding allocated in this fiscal year.  The reports must be submitted whether or not any money is distributed from the SDF, or it could make counties ineligible to receive funding in future years as well.  The mailing list can be accessed here.

Congress Returns and Faces Significant Challenges Ahead

Congress returned to work this week following a five-week summer recess.  The House and Senate are in session together for a mere ten legislative days this month.  First up for both chambers will be a vote on a measure of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal.  The Iran nuclear agreement votes are symbolic at this point since President Obama has secured the public support of enough Democratic Senators to overcome a veto. 

On the domestic front, the biggest item facing Congress in the near-term is passing a stopgap funding resolution by September 30, 2015 to keep the government from shutting down.  Enacting a clean temporary spending measure will not come easy as conservatives have indicated their interest in using that vehicle to block federal dollars for Planned Parenthood.  Also, Congress will be allocating time this month on high-profile visits by Pope Francis and the President of China.

Other big ticket legislative items Congress will have to tackle in the coming months include: enacting a new transportation reauthorization bill with revenue raisers to replenish the highway trust fund, increasing the debt ceiling, a potential omnibus FY16 appropriations measure, and the annual tax extender package.

New and untested political dynamics between the White House and GOP leaders, who are controlling both chambers for the first time in eight years, will ultimately determine whether Congress can work its way through the upcoming legislative minefield.  For now, the only certainty is that partisan politics, strict spending caps, and looming presidential primaries, are setting up lawmakers for an unpredictable four-month stretch between now and the end of the calendar year.

House Likely to Move Highway Bill Forward This Month

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is likely to hold a meeting later this month to consider a multi-year surface transportation authorization bill.  The Committee markup could be as earlier as Wednesday, September 16, 2015, but could be delayed to allow Committee Members to finalize the bill.  The current extension of highway and transit program funding expires on October 29, 2015. 

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) stated this week that the Highway Trust Fund now is likely to remain solvent until June 2016, rather than the end of calendar 2015, which might reduce the sense of urgency in Congress to pass a bill and make another extension more likely. 

BULLETIN BOARD

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Workshops

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources will hold a series of informational meetings to discuss implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and to answer questions from the public.

Click here

Energy Commission Workshops to Highlight Opportunities for Community-Scale Renewable Energy Development

Click here

NOFA: Installation of Water Laterals

Click here

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.  

AB 1390 (Alejo): Groundwater: Adjudication.  Assembly Bill 1390 would add a new Chapter to the Code of Civil Procedure that establishes methods and procedures for comprehensive groundwater adjudications.  AB 1390 would also require that groundwater adjudications are conducted consistent with existing laws, including the achievement of groundwater sustainability within the timeframes of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.  Status: AB 1390 gained passage in the Assembly.  RCRC Position: Removed opposition as amended

SB 226 (Pavley): Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: Groundwater Adjudication.  Senate Bill 226 would integrate and streamline the groundwater adjudication process for groundwater basins that are subject to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.  Status: SB 266 gained passage in the Assembly.  RCRC Position: Removed opposition as amended

REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of regulations impacting California’s rural counties.

Draft Resolution for the Discontinuation of Discussions Regarding a Statewide Approach to Addressing Water Quality Impacts from Livestock Grazing.  Halts the development of the Grazing Regulatory Action Project (GRAP).  Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Status: Draft published for public comment, comment period ends September 3, 2015.  Board consideration expected at the September 16, 2015 meeting.  Draft resolution and related documents can be accessed hereRCRC Comments: Click here RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org