Prioritizing Northern California Issues in Sacramento

Friends!

I wanted to take a moment and update you on what our team has been working on in Sacramento. From the LA wildfires, to the new federal administration, there has been no shortage of issues we have been actively engaging with.

All Assemblymembers are assigned to committees that align with the needs of their communities and their personal expertise, enabling them to effectively review their colleagues' proposed legislation. This year, I am serving on: Budget; Budget Subcommittee #4 (Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation); Utilities and Energy; Transportation, Water Parks and Wildlife; Communications and Conveyance (Broadband), and the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. I am also part of the Cap-and-Trade working group, which focuses on the impact of the state's Cap-and-Trade Program ahead of possible reauthorization.

In addition to our committee work, our team has introduced 17 pieces of legislation.

AB 263 — Scott and Shasta Rivers
Salmon need water to survive, that is a fact. For the last few years, emergency regulations on the Shasta and Scott Rivers have kept the minimum level of water flowing to allow salmon habitat to grow and spawn. This bill will extend current emergency regulations for the Scott and Shasta River watersheds until permanent requirements are established—a process currently underway by the State Water Resources Control Board. Extending the emergency regulations provides stability to the region and helps maintain water levels that allow salmon to thrive. This effort has been championed by the Yurok and Karuk tribes, as well as the California Coastkeeper Alliance and Trout Unlimited.

AB 330 — Telephony Extension
This legislation extends the sunset date of the Local Prepaid Mobile Telephony Services Collection Act to January 1, 2031. An extension of the Act's sunset date is essential for local governments that rely on local 911 charges, local 988 charges, and/or local Utility User Taxes collected on retail sales of prepaid wireless telephone service. Without this extension, our local governments - such as those in Arcata, Sebastopol, and Cloverdale - would face a loss of funds used to support essential public services, including emergency response systems.

AB 388 — Public Utilities Commission Intent Bill
AB 388 will help support innovation in the green hydrogen industry and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without impacting our electricity grid. The bill adjusts the "over-the-fence rule" to allow customers to purchase clean electricity directly from large-scale renewable generators and creates a workaround option for those renewable generators to avoid being regulated as a public utility holding company under federal law.

AB 439 — Coastal Commission 
The Coastal Commission plans and regulates the use of land and water in the coastal zone. This includes oversight and permitting of development activities (such as the construction of buildings), divisions of land, and activities that change the use of land or public access to coastal waters. This bill streamlines the Coastal Commission's procedures by eliminating the unnecessary 10-day waiting period for "de minimis" amendments to take effect which allows for immediate implementation and streamlines other internal procedures for greater efficiency.

AB 472 — Offshore Wind Port Infrastructure Plan
This bill requires the Governor to include offshore wind port infrastructure in the Governor's annual five-year infrastructure plan, including an assessment of funding needs. Offshore wind energy production has the potential to be a huge economic driver on the North Coast. This legislation supports the continued development of the industry to help us reach California's climate and infrastructure goals.

AB 531 — Accelerating Geothermal Power
Geothermal energy production is another important source of renewable energy which has the potential to bring more jobs and projects to our district. This bill expands the type of facilities eligible for certification as Environmental Leadership Development Projects by the Energy Commission to include geothermal projects. This legislation, introduced in partnership with Sonoma Clean Power, will expedite new geothermal projects in our region and California as a whole.

AB 573 — Tobacco Licensing
Getting flavored tobacco out of stores and away from kids is an important effort and, while we can pass laws making flavored tobacco illegal, we need to make sure retailers actually follow those laws. This bill ensures compliance with tobacco regulations by increasing the business licensing fee on tobacco retailers to fund proactive inspections by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

AB 612 — Highway Design Manual Update
We all know that wildfires can have devastating impacts on our communities and that local governments need to coordinate their infrastructure to better prevent fire destruction. This bill updates existing highway design regulations to advise local governments to consult with fire departments when undertaking major road designs.

AB 666 — Bigfoot: State Cryptid
The question of 'which mythical creature best represents California' is a hairy one—but we feel like it's time to 'squatch the beef. It's not Tahoe Tessie or El Chupacabra that generates buzz and interest from outdoor enthusiasts, it is Bigfoot. And while other countries like Russia, France, and Germany have added Bigfoot to the endangered species list, here in California we know that something more is afoot. The details of the bill are still a bit fuzzy, but we believe they will come into focus in the coming months.

AB 720 — Wine Storage
The wine industry has long been an important part of our district's culture and economy. People from across the world come to here to taste wines and enjoy our beautiful landscapes. This bill protects winemakers by letting them continue their longstanding traditional process of topping off barrels of wine to combat evaporation without fear of incurring administrative penalties.

AB 830 — Assisting Rural Infrastructure Projects
Some local issues require a statewide bill to find a solution. Many small public utilities districts lack the funds necessary to complete portions of Caltrans projects. This bill would enable Caltrans to work with those districts to cover costs. This is especially important in Hopland, where state law only allows Caltrans to cover a portion of the work they currently have underway.

AB 928 — Cockfighting Cruelty Act
Cockfighting is a barbaric and inexcusable criminal industry that profits from violent cruelty to animals. Modeled after existing California county ordinances, this bill will address cockfighting game fowl yards across the state and safeguard our communities from the cruelty, noise, avian disease, and criminal activities linked to cockfighting. This bill has exemptions for agricultural operations and folks who raise roosters for exhibition or to support egg production.

AB 1014 — Traffic Safety
State parks give our communities so much: respite, connection with nature, and the chance for adventure. Keeping visitors safe in our parks is critical to keeping their gates open to the public. This bill gives Caltrans more tools for managing the speed limits around our natural resources to keep visitors and workers safe.

AB 1139 — Roads to Trails
More trails means more opportunities to see wildlife and enjoy epic views while working up a sweat! This bill allows county park departments to convert former ranch roads and similar preexisting infrastructure into hiking trails faster. Happy trails!

AB 1235 — CSU Design-Build
This bill standardizes construction language by applying existing requirements for UC and Community College projects to the CSU system as well.

AB 1378 — Tribal Foster Care
Too many kids end up in the foster care system, especially from our tribal communities. In Humboldt County alone, over 200 indigenous kids are in the foster care system—that's almost 40% of the total foster kids in the county. This bill supports tribal access to agreements with the Department of Social Services in order to support fair access to social programs and to prevent tribal children from entering the foster system.

AB 1460 — Access to Affordable Prescriptions
The current federal 340B program allows health centers, specifically nonprofit hospitals and clinics who serve low-income and underserved communities, to purchase prescription medications at a 20-50% discount. The savings from the lower priced drugs is then reinvested into the health center or, if a patient is uninsured, the patient will directly receive the savings and gain access to medications they might not otherwise be able to access. Since mid-2020, pharmaceutical companies have tried to restrict access to this program by limiting clinic systems to having only one contract pharmacy location to distribute 340B medications. This policy has effectively blocked access for patients who live far away from the single contract pharmacy their provider is allowed to work with. AB 1460 simply clarifies that pharmaceutical companies cannot limit how many contract pharmacies providers can work with.

Where do these bill go next?
Bills need to go through at least one policy committee (sometimes two) and a fiscal committee (if the bill has a cost attached to it) before it can go to the floor for a vote by all Assemblymembers. Some of these bills have not even seen their first policy hearings and we know we have a long way to go.

In the District
Equally as important to our efforts in Sacramento is our district work, where our team has been busy making government more accessible for our constituents. Since January, we have resolved over 100 cases with state agencies. Almost half of these have been EDD cases with others relating to the DMV, Franchise Tax Board and assistance with enrolling in benefits like CalFresh and Medi-Cal. These cases have resulted in $112,825 going back into the pockets of our constituents.

I am so grateful for the chance to serve. Our team is working hard every day for our community so please don't be shy about reaching out if you have an idea or an issue we can be helpful with.

Warm Regards,

Chris Rogers
Assemblymember, District 2