2018 Legislative Conference

 

Ag Council Members Convene in Sacramento for Legislative Conference

Advocacy day focused on supporting the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund

Ag Council’s 2018 Legislative Conference brought together members with elected leaders and decision makers in Sacramento in mid-May. The outreach event features legislative and regulatory speakers providing briefings on vital issues at the forefront of state government. The conference helps Ag Council members strengthen relationships with legislative and regulatory officials and provides a forum to communicate members’ views on crucial policy issues.

The 2018 advocacy event continued the effort to build upon Ag Council’s work to lobby for passage of the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, currently under consideration in the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees as SB 623/budget trailer bill with support from Governor Jerry Brown. Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) is the author of SB 623.

Ag Council thanks all attendees for helping to make the event a success.

Legislative Conference – Morning Session

Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel)

Senator Monning, who is the Senate Majority Leader, opened the morning session with an update regarding the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund — SB 623/budget trailer bill. Senator Monning is the author of the bill, and Ag Council is working with a coalition to achieve passage of the measure, which requires a two-thirds vote.

SB 623/budget trailer bill comes out of a historic negotiation to create a drinking water fund through a modest fee structure to assist communities desperately in need of safe drinking water. It also provides a path for farmers to achieve regulatory compliance with the State Water Resources Control Board while in the short-term protecting farmers from certain nitrate-related enforcement actions.

Senator Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park)

Senator Stern was elected in 2016 after working for several years as a legislative consultant in the State Capitol, and he represents a legislative district comprising urban, suburban and rural areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. He took to the podium and said he has an open door policy for agriculture to connect with him. He talked about his family in the ranching business and discussed the challenges of protecting agriculture and ensuring sustainability in the long term. He said that Ag Council has a unique voice in the Capitol, and he looks forward to continuing to work with our association.

Joaquin Esquivel, State Water Resources Control Board Member

Joaquin Esquivel, appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board in 2017, addressed the role of the board as the entity tasked to protect water quality in the state and emphasized the importance of local control over our resources. He also highlighted the need for agriculture to not hold off until a decision is made to meet with board members and advised that it is best to connect with board members “early and often” on issues of importance.

Keynote Lunch Speaker

Dr. Jerry Meral, California Water Program director at the Natural Heritage Institute

During lunch, Dr. Jerry Meral with the Natural Heritage Institute discussed the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018. This November ballot measure is an $8.8 billion water bond supported by many Ag Council members and others in agriculture. Agricultural benefits in this bond include funds for: safe drinking water, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation, watershed restoration, fish and wildlife habitat conservation and infrastructure repairs.

2018 Influential Legislator of the Year Award Presented to Assemblyman Flora

Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) was recognized with Ag Council’s 2018 Influential Legislator Award during the Legislative Conference. We thank Assemblyman Flora for his commitment to agriculture and his work to positively influence policy outcomes as a member of the California State Legislature. Please see the detailed article below about Assemblyman Flora and the award.

Legislative Meetings in the State Capitol – Afternoon Session

During outreach with legislative offices in the State Capitol, Ag Council members worked to build support for passage of the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund — SB 623/budget trailer bill. The measure creates a fund through a modest fee structure to ensure clean drinking water to communities in need as well as a path for farmers to achieve regulatory compliance with the State Water Resources Control Board.

SB 623/budget trailer bill is a priority measure for Ag Council this year, and it was the primary focus of our lobbing efforts in legislative meetings. We thank our members for strongly advocating for passage of this measure, which requires a two-thirds vote.

During meetings in the Capitol, our members also communicated support for Governor Jerry Brown’s May budget revision allocating additional funds to build upon existing cap and trade investments for agriculture. Specifically, Ag Council members asked legislators to support the following one-time General Fund May budget augmentations: 1) an increase of $30 million to replace and upgrade existing agricultural diesel vehicles and equipment with the cleanest available technology and 2) a $30 million addition for the agricultural energy efficiency program to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the food-processing sector.

Legislative Reception

Ag Council concluded an impactful advocacy day with a legislative reception where members were joined by both regulators and legislators. Special thanks to the nearly 50 Ag Council members who attended the 2018 Legislative Conference to lobby on policy issues of critical importance.

Ag Council Recognizes Assemblyman Heath Flora with Influential Legislator Award

During its annual Legislative Conference, Ag Council recognized Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) with the Influential Legislator Award.

“Assemblyman Flora personifies what is good in a political leader,” said Emily Rooney, president of Ag Council. “He finds ways to collaborate on critical issues that have allowed him to help his constituents and implement good policy for the entire state.

Flora is a farmer, business owner and has been a volunteer firefighter. Elected in 2016, he serves as Vice Chair of the Labor and Employment Committee and also sits on the Agriculture Committee, Health Committee, and Natural Resources Committee in the Assembly.

“Among his efforts since he was elected, Assemblyman Flora was an incredibly helpful influence during the development of the cap and trade legislation last year. He worked to understand the issue, participated in negotiations, and once agriculture’s issues were addressed, he showed courage in casting a vote in favor of the final package despite political pressure.”

Ag Council Chairman Carl Hoff, who presented the award, said, “In the face of strong political headwinds from his own party, Assemblyman Flora stood strong and demonstrated leadership and a commitment to agriculture on a tough issue. Ag Council is grateful to him for not backing down, and we look forward to working with him on legislative issues for years to come.”

Rooney said, “This award was created to recognize legislators who sometimes go outside of traditional roles, whether they be Republican or Democrat, and do what is actually best for the state, its residents, and the future of agriculture. We have seen Assemblyman Flora demonstrate this on climate, energy and other issues important to our membership.”

The award is given on an annual basis to legislators who embody that same collaborative approach to finding positive outcomes for agriculture and all of California.