Group of conference attendees gathers on the steps of the State Capitol.
Ag Council members joined together to connect with legislators, policy staff, and regulatory officials during the 2024 Legislative Conference on May 7th in Sacramento.
Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) addressed attendees in the morning and discussed the efforts of the Problem Solvers Caucus, where he serves as a co-chair. The bipartisan caucus focuses on encouraging actions and legislative policies that place the public good above partisan ideology.
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Undersecretary Christine Birdsong spoke with attendees about the role of CDFA in advising sister regulatory agencies and how the Department works to help educate legislators on policy issues affecting agriculture.
Ag Council staff briefed attendees on pertinent policy issues, including water, crop protection tools and budget items that our members later discussed in legislative meetings.
Attendees met with nearly 30 legislative offices in the afternoon and connected with additional legislators and staff, as well as other state leaders including CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, at an evening reception across from the State Capitol.
During the conference, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) was awarded the association’s 2024 Influential Legislator Award by Ag Council President Emily Rooney. The Majority Leader is an ally on a variety of ag policy issues and has particularly worked to ensure funding for ag programs that help reduce emissions in alignment with California’s climate goals.
We appreciate all of those who joined us to advocate on the crucial issues impacting California agriculture and food processing.
Ag Council sends a special thank you to our sponsor, Wells Fargo, for supporting the event.