The Barbed Wire - June 07, 2019

All Californians Deserve Safe Drinking Water

Matt Kingsley

RCRC Chair and Inyo County Supervisor

When you paid your electricity and gas bills this month, there was a small line item for a “public purpose surcharge.”  This surcharge was there last month, the month before that, and for every month you’ve ever turned on a light.  The primary purpose of this surcharge is to ensure that no Californian is forced to live in cold and darkness because their families make too little money to afford a fundamental necessity of life.  All Californians chip in a tiny bit to subsidize reduced utility bills for the least well-off among us.  But what about a resource even more vital and necessary than electricity and gas?  What about water?  There has never been such a surcharge for water, as it has historically been relatively inexpensive and universally available.  Read More…

Supervisor Kevin Cann Testifies on Important Role County Fairgrounds Play in Emergency Situations

On Wednesday, Supervisor Kevin Cann (Mariposa) testified before the Assembly Committee on Agricultural in support of county fairgrounds, and the critical role they play in emergency situations.  “In addition to their primary purpose, county fairgrounds are a critical asset in our ability to respond to emergencies,” stated Cann.  “Financial stability is a menacing cloud which hangs over our rural fairgrounds’ commitment to operate safely, and provide services to our communities.”  

In addition to the recent examples of instances when county fairgrounds have served as evacuation centers and staging areas for firefighting efforts, Supervisor Cann reflected on the 1997 Merced River Flood in the Yosemite Valley, in which the Mariposa County Fairground served as the sole helicopter landing and temporary housing option.

RCRC Outlines Budget Priorities for California’s Rural Counties

The California Legislature is set to pass the 2019-20 State Budget, and the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) has outlined its top priorities for California’s rural counties.  The current budget surplus provides the Legislature and the Newsom Administration with the resources needed to address many issues of importance to RCRC member counties.  Read More…

Disaster Aid Packaged Signed Into Law

On June 4, 2019, the House passed a $19.1 billion disaster relief package by a 354-48 vote.  The bill was signed into law a few days later by President Trump, freeing up billions of dollars in federal funds for communities recovering from devastating wildfires and other natural disasters.  

The House was expected to approve the relief package last week, but several conservative members thwarted the bipartisan attempt to move the bill through the floor during a recess week.  Among the funding provisions included in the disaster relief package are $720 million to the U.S. Forest Service to help finance wildfire suppression activities and $120 million to the National Park Service for public lands restoration projects.

Cannabis Banking Update

On June 4, 2019, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said in a tweet that Congress should decriminalize marijuana at the federal level before considering a legal safe harbor for the banking industry such as the SAFE Banking Act.  His tweet was a direct response to reports that House Democrat appropriators attached a provision to the House financial services and general government appropriations bill that would prevent financial regulators from using funds to crackdown on banks servicing the cannabis industry.  

Instead, Minority Leader Schumer prefers the approach set forth in a bill he introduced with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.  Minority Leader Schumer and Congressman Jeffries introduced the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act on May 9, 2019, to amend the Controlled Substance Act and remove marijuana form the controlled substance list.  Without backing from Minority Leader Schumer, it is unclear whether a legislative carve out for the banking industry would gather enough support in the Senate to lift Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo’s (R-Idaho) hold on the SAFE Banking Act.

Rural Broadband Update

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is under mounting pressure to re-evaluate the accuracy of the broadband mapping data used in the commission’s 2019 Broadband Deployment Report.  On June 2, 2019, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) became one of the loudest critics yet when he pointed to the disparities between the FCC’s report and a 3^rd party study conducted by Microsoft. 

In addition, Congressman Doug Collins (R-Georgia), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai requesting the commission consider a more accurate and reliable approach to mapping broadband coverage.  Unreliable broadband coverage data from the FCC paints an overly optimistic picture of broadband coverage in rural areas and undermines the ability of policymakers to prioritize funding for areas that are truly underserved.  More members are calling for improvements to broadband mapping data to better address the digital divide and improve broadband coverage in rural areas.

RCRC Leadership to Attend Annual Western Governors’ Association Meeting

Next week, RCRC Chair Matt Kingsley (Inyo) and RCRC Board Member and National Association of Counties (NACo) Western Interstate Region (WIR) President Kevin Cann (Mariposa County) will be attending the Western Governors’ Association’s (WGA) 2019 Annual Meeting in Colorado. 

The WGA 2019 Annual Meeting will feature a roundtable public discussions on the most significant issues facing the West, including broadband, water management, and the Western Governors' Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative.  Keynote speakers include pollster Frank Luntz, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, and best-selling author Craig Johnson.  In addition, a number of high-profile guests will speak and participate in public conversations. 

WGA was established in 1984 to represent the Governors of 19 Western States and 3 U.S. territories in the Pacific.  WGA is a tool of the Governors for bipartisan policy development, information exchange, and collective action on issues of critical importance to the Western United States.  The meeting will take place June 10-12, 2019. 

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1356 (Ting) – Inactive File

RCRC officially opposes Assembly Bill 1356 by Assembly Member Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).  AB 1356 requires a retail commercial cannabis facility in each city/county if more than 50 percent of the voters of a local jurisdiction voted in favor of Proposition 64.  The city/county must issue a minimum number of licenses authorizing retail cannabis activity within that jurisdiction.  

RCRC believes AB 1356 erodes local control as provided to county Boards of Supervisors under Proposition 64.  Essentially, AB 1356 proposes a land-use standard based on the results of a statewide ballot measure when the primary purpose was to sanction adult-use of cannabis.  In addition, many of the RCRC member counties that supported Proposition 64 (and are also working to sanction all forms of commercial cannabis activity) are troubled by the preference deferred to retail.  RCRC is also concerned that AB 1356 clearly favors storefront over mobile deliveries. 

While RCRC is pleased that AB 1356 was temporarily defeated by being placed on the Assembly Inactive File, AB 1356 (or a similar effort) is expected to resurface in the near future.  RCRC’s AB 1356 letter can be accessed here. 

For more information, Paul A. Smith, RCRC Governmental Affairs Vice President, can be reached at (916) 447-4806 or psmith@rcrcnet.org.

BULLETIN BOARD

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

Resilience Planning and Adaptation Training for Water and Wastewater Utilities

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.  

Assembly Bill 41 (Gallagher): Disaster Relief: Camp Fire. Assembly Bill 41 provides that the State share for disaster relief is born by the State as it relates to the Camp Fire that started in November 2018 in Butte County. Status: AB 41 awaits action in the Senate. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 134 (Bloom): Safe, Clean, Affordable, and Accessible Drinking Water. Assembly Bill 134 would require funding from a Safe Drinking Water Fund or Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund to be displayed in the Governor's annual budget and requires the board by a specified date of each year to review the assessment of funding need and to prioritize the public water systems. Status:  AB 134 awaits action in the Senate.  RCRC Position: Watch

Assembly Bill 217 (Garcia, E.): Safe and Affordable Drinking Water. Assembly Bill 217 establishes the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund in the State Treasury and provides that moneys in the fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the State Water Resources Control Board to provide a stable source of funding to secure access to safe drinking water for all Californians, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of drinking water service and infrastructure. Status:  AB 217 awaits action in the Assembly (Third Reading File).  RCRC Position: Oppose Unless Amended

Assembly Bill 247 (Dahle): Disaster Relief: Carr and Klamathon Fires. Assembly Bill 247 provides that the state share for disaster project allocations to local agencies is up to 100% of total state eligible costs connected with the Klamathon fire that started on July 5, 2018, in the County of Siskiyou, and the Carr Fire that started on July 23, 2018, in the County of Shasta. Status:  AB 247 awaits action in the Senate on Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 394 (Obernolte): California Environmental Quality Act: Exemption: Fire Safety. Assembly Bill 394 expedites fire safety improvements for subdivisions that are at significant fire risk and lack a secondary escape route. Status: AB 394 passed in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and awaits consideration in the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1080 (Gonzalez)/Senate Bill 54 (Allen): Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction. AB 1080/SB 54 requires manufacturers and retailers to reduce the waste associated with single use packaging and products 75 percent by 2030, requires the state to set standards for what is considered recyclable and compostable, and promotes the development of in-state manufacturing that uses recycled materials. Status: AB 1080/SB 54 both passed their respective houses and await further action in the Senate Environmental. Quality and Assembly Natural Resources Committees, respectively.   RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 1111 (Friedman): Office of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation. Assembly Bill 1111 would stablish the Office of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation in state government. Requires the office to undertake certain activities, including supporting the outdoor recreation economy of the state by engaging in specified activities. Requires the office to create an advisory committee to provide advice, expertise, support, and service to the office. Authorizes the office to receive the assistance and funds from public and private sources. Status: AB 1111 awaits action in the Senate (Third Reading). RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1144 (Friedman): Self-Generation Incentive Program. Assembly Bill 1144 requires the California Public Utilities Commission to establish pilot projects to install energy storage systems to back up critical infrastructure in high-fire threat districts.  Status: AB 1144 67 awaits consideration in the Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1486 (Ting): Local Agencies: Surplus Land. Assembly Bill 1486 adds more specificity to the types of agencies subject to the Surplus Land Act, by adding sewer, water, utility, and local and regional park districts, joint powers authorities, successor agencies to former redevelopment agencies, housing authorities, and other political subdivisions of this state to the list of agencies that are mandated to follow certain requirements before disposing of surplus land.  AB 1486 also redefines and substantially broadens the term “dispose of” to include the sale, transfer, or other conveyance of any interest in real property.  Status: AB 1486 awaits action in the Senate (Third Reading). RCRC Status: Oppose Unless Amended

Assembly Bill 1516 (Friedman): Fire Prevention: Defensible Space Fuel Reduction. Assembly Bill 1516 would make various changes to improve California’s fire prevention policies including its defensible space requirements. Status: AB 1516 awaits action in the Senate (Third Reading).  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 66 (Aguiar-Curry): Officer Natalie Corona Memorial Highway. ACR 66 would designate a portion of Interstate 5 in the County of Colusa as the “Officer Natalie Corona Memorial Highway.” Status: ACR 66 awaits consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 73 (Bigelow): California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month. ACR 73 would designate May 2019 as the California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month. Status: ACR 73 awaits action in the Senate (To Special Consent Calendar). RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 19 (Dodd): Water Resources: Stream Gages. Senate Bill 19 requires the California Department of Water Resources to develop a plan to deploy a network of stream gages that includes a determination of new needs as well as opportunities for reactivating existing gages. Status: SB 19 awaits action in the Assembly & Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 45 (Allen): Wildfire, Drought, and Flood Protection Bond Act 2020. Senate Bill 45 enacts the Wildfire, Drought, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020, which, if approved by voters, authorizes the issuance of bonds to finance projects to restore fire damaged areas, reduce wildfire risk, create healthy forests and watersheds, reduce climate impacts on urban areas and vulnerable populations, protect water supply and water quality, protect rivers, lakes and streams, reduce flood risk, protect fish and wildlife from climate impacts, and protect coastal lands and resources. Status: SB45 awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Senate Bill 62 (Dodd): Endangered Species: Accidental Take. Senate Bill 62 extends the sunset date on a provision allowing an “accidental take” of candidate, threatened, or endangered species resulting from acts that occur on a farm or a ranch in the course of otherwise lawful routine work. It also repeals the sunset on the California Endangered species Act’s Safe Harbor Agreement Program. Status: SB 62 awaits consideration in the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Senate Bill 67 (McGuire): Cannabis: Temporary and Provisional Licenses. Senate Bill 67 would extend the time-period for which a temporary license is valid when issued by state cannabis licensing entities and would ease the process for cannabis operators to obtain a provisional cannabis license as a step toward full licensure. Status: SB 67 recently secured passage in the Assembly Agriculture Committee and now awaits consideration in the Assembly Business & Professions Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 190 (Dodd): Fire Safety: Building Standards. Senate Bill 190 creates a model defensible space program for local governments and requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to provide training resources for local building officials, builders, and fire service personnel to improve building fire safety standards. Status: SB 190 awaits action in the Assembly Organization & Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 200 (Monning): Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. Senate Bill 200 establishes the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund in the State Treasury and provides that moneys in the fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the State Water Resources Control Board to provide a stable source of funding to secure access to safe drinking water for all Californians, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of drinking water service and infrastructure. Status: SB 200 awaits action in the Assembly (Third Reading). RCRC Status: Pending

Senate Bill 209 (Dodd): California Wildfire Warning Center: Weather Monitoring. Senate Bill 209 establishes the California Wildfire Warning Center, a statewide network of automated weather and environmental monitoring stations to conduct fire weather forecasting and threat assessment to aid in wildfire prevention and response.  Status: SB 209 awaits action in the Assembly Governmental Organization & Utilities & Energy Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 253 (Dodd): California Agricultural Conservation Program. Senate Bill 253 requires the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming under the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, to assist government agencies to incorporate the conservation of natural resources and ecosystem services practices into agricultural programs. Requires the Department of Food and Agriculture with advice from the panel, to establish and administer the California Agricultural Conservation Program subject to an appropriation by the Legislature. Status:  SB 253 awaits action in the Assembly Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 414 (Caballero): Small Systems Water Authority Act of 2019. Senate Bill 414 creates the Small System Water Authority Act of 2019 and states legislative findings and declarations relating to authorizing the creation of small system water authorities that will have powers to absorb, improve, and competently operate noncompliant public water systems. Status: SB 414 awaits action in the Assembly (Third Reading). RCRC Status: Support

Senate Bill 462 (Stern): Community Colleges: Forestland Restoration Workforce. Senate Bill 462 would require the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges, working in collaboration with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, to establish a model curriculum for a forestland restoration workforce program that could be offered at campuses of the California Community Colleges. Status: SB 462 awaits action in the Assembly Higher Education & Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support