Make Your Water Heater Work for You, Plus a SNEW Project Highlight
May 18, 2023 No Comments
Learn about ways you can save energy and money through the WatterSaver program and how SNEW services are helping our community.
Government & Community Affairs Director
Our Government Affairs team has been closely monitoring how developments in Sacramento will impact the Sierra Nevada. We’ve also been representing SBC and the Sierra region at various events in Sacramento and beyond this spring. Read on to learn more.
State Budget
Earlier this month, Governor Newsom released his May revision to the January 2023 budget proposal. The budget shortfall that was estimated at $22.5 billion at the start of the year has grown to $31.5, as was projected by the Department of Finance’s predicted trends in revenue growth and collections. In responding to the growing revenue deficit, Governor Newsom’s plan looks at several ways to close the gap, including:
As for climate and resources-related investments, Governor Newsom generally kept to the January 2023 proposal which reduced General Fund spending in this space from $54 billion to $48 billion. This reduction did impact many programs that SBC supports and much of our advocacy efforts have been focused on preventing further cuts.
Governor Newsom reiterated his January pronouncement to work with the legislature on a climate/resources bond, and his revised budget calls for a $1.1 billion dollar shift from the General Fund to future bond expenditures.
The Governor’s “May Revise” is laced with a cautionary tone that underscores the fragile nature of the state and national economies and while a recession is not anticipated, recessionary trends may persist. The state budget scenario could worsen as the year goes on. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that the governor’s revenue projections are overly optimistic and puts income from the state’s three largest taxes at another $11 billion lower.
There are a few weeks before the constitutional deadline for the legislature to pass a balanced budget bill on June 15. The governor has already rejected a proposal from the state senate for a tax increase to boost revenue.
Two climate and natural resources bond proposal bills, AB 1567 and SB 867, are working their way through the legislative process. Both bills propose approximately $15 billion for a general obligation bond to fund wildfire and climate resilience, land, water and wildlife conservation, nature-based solutions/30×30 implementation, drought, flood and extreme heat response, park creation, outdoor access and recreation, and more. The Newsom administration has not released a framework for a climate bond proposal and is expected to work with the legislature to craft and pass legislation to place the bond on the ballot in 2024, most likely November.
Through Sierra Consortium lobbyist Doug Houston, and Californians for Water, Natural Resources and Parks, and other coalitions and connections, SBC has been deeply engaged in bond discussions and is assuring that adequate resources are included for the Sierra Nevada.
As was the case with the successful Prop 68 in 2018, SBC will lead efforts in the region to support passage of the statewide bond measure in 2024.
The legislative session started with significant turnover–approximately 30% of this session’s members are new legislators, including a new state senator for much of the Sierra, Marie Alvardo-Gil. Outreach and education are more important than ever this year, and SBC has engaged in a robust schedule of advocacy, awareness and relationship building. Steve and Stacy started the year off with a series of meetings in Sacramento to discuss the budget, bond proposals and generally to introduce SBC and our priorities to legislators and committee staff. Efforts continued monthly (and more), even in white-out conditions and circuitous routes to the state capitol.
SBC is closely monitoring legislation as many bills look to move beyond a major hurdle in their house of origin this week. Bill issues include prevailing wage in the forestry sector; biomass infrastructure; block grant funding for wildfire resilience; 30×30 goals; and trails funding.
Sacramento and Regional Events organized/attended by SBC
Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
SBC continues to actively support and engage in the work of the state’s wildfire task force. Steve is co-chairing the task force’s wood utilization work group and Stacy is assisting with the task force’s workforce development work group. Steve participated in a portion of the recent convening of the task force in Santa Cruz, along with some 400 state leaders and regional stakeholders. The Wood Utilization workgroup (which SBC co-chairs) recommendations are nearing completion. View details of the meeting at wildfiretaskforce.org.
In March, Stacy testified in support of the task force’s work at a Senate Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing on wildfire funding.
Sierra Nevada Conservancy and California Tahoe Conservancy
The GA team meets regularly with Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Tahoe Conservancy staff to exchange information, provide feedback on conservancy programs and to assure that SBC’s advocacy aligns with the conservancies’ goals. One major initiative of SNC that SBC actively supports is the Landscape Investment Strategy that aligns multiple state funding sources in one grant program.
Mountain Housing Council
SBC (Steve) continues to lead a state policy working group focused on advancing the goals of the Mountain Housing Council. This working group convenes a unique array of housing parties, including real estate, local governments, and community members.
SBC convenes monthly Policy Working Group meetings and presents updates at quarterly Mountain Housing Council meetings. Advocacy efforts to maintain the Governor’s historic 2021-2022 $10.3 housing commitment and secure a similar commitment for 2022-2023 were mostly successful.
SBC hosted a second MHC day in the capitol on March 16th with 2 teams of MHC members. Steve also testified in support of SB 440 (Skinner), a bill that would authorize creation of regional housing finance authorities, allowing local governments to create JPAs to fund community housing.
Resilient Forest Caucus
SBC continues to participate in this coalition of forest health and conservation stakeholders working on state and federal wildfire and forest health policy.
Learn about ways you can save energy and money through the WatterSaver program and how SNEW services are helping our community.
Please join Sierra Business Council at an upcoming workshop designed to collect important community feedback on broadband access and digital equity in the Sierra Nevada on May 12 from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
Make an impact in your community through the CivicSpark program! CivicSpark is an AmeriCorps program dedicated to building capacity for local governments in California, Washington, and Colorado to address emerging environmental and social equity resilience challenges such as climate change, water resource management, affordable housing, and mobility.