Office of Legislative Affairs - "The Friday Wrap-Up"

After returning from spring recess on April 21, the legislature is in full swing, moving bills with a fiscal impact through policy committees. The 2 weeks prior to the deadline are some of the busiest of the year, as the bulk of controversial measures have been delayed allowing time for negotiation. Additionally, there is a large number of advocacy trips with stakeholders traveling to Sacramento to meet with their lawmakers. This week the wait to get into the swing space where legislators are temporarily housed during capitol building remodeling has regularly reached 20 minutes. 

The Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee will hear the County’s sponsored bill, AB 571 (Quirk-Silva) on April 29. The measure exempts the proposed Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim, Orange County from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We anticipate that the bill will move forward next week without controversy, on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health: Hearing on Federal Funding Cuts

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health held a hearing on Monday focused on federal cuts to health and human services funding. The hearing was chaired by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo) and attended by Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache (D-Lakewood) and Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita). In her opening remarks, Chair Addis noted that Title X does not fund abortion services and emphasized that the hearing was being held in part to get information out into the public space in the face of confusion and misinformation from the federal government around the funding.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month canceled tens of billions of dollars in federal grants that state and local health departments were using to track infectious diseases, health disparities, vaccinations, mental health services and other health issues. HHS said the grants, totaling $11.4 billion, were primarily used for COVID-19 response, including testing, vaccination, and hiring community health workers. In an interview earlier this month with CBS News, HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. stated that cuts made were primarily related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which the president ordered.

The first panel covered federal cuts to Title X funding and included panelists:

• Nomsa Khalfani, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Essential Access Health
• Jodi Hicks, CEO & President, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.
• Kayla Wilburn, Clinic Director, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County
• Will Owens, Fiscal and Policy Analyst, Legislative Analyst’s Office

Panelists highlighted the devastating nature of the funding freeze of Title X funds made under the Trump administration's policy of cutting or defunding programs with any association to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The freeze on Title X grants is estimated to be $65.8 million, impacting grantees from 22 states including California. The Title X allocation for California is $13.2 million. California is 1 of 7 states whose funding has been completely frozen, while 15 others are experiencing reduced access to funds. No timeline or next steps have been indicated by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the future release of the funds. California's network of Title X funded providers include city and county health departments, federally qualified health centers, urban Indian health centers, university and hospital clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, standalone women’s health, and family planning providers.

Ms. Hicks emphasized that the funding freeze would impact Planned Parenthood’s core services including family planning, community outreach, and education programs. She thanked the legislature for its commitment to ensuring patient access to these services despite the challenges with the freeze.

Dr. Khalfani talked about how the immediate nature of the funding freeze was particularly challenging for programs with salaried staff. She also noted the potential consequences of the freeze including rationed care, delayed care, higher sexually transmitted infection rates, and unintended pregnancies.

The second panel included the following panelists:

• Dr Erica Pan, Director & State Public Health Officer, California Department of Public Health
• Susan Fanelli, Chief Deputy Director, Health Quality & Emergency Response, California
• Department of Public Health
• Michelle Gibbons, Executive Director, County Health Executives Association of California
• Olivia Kasirye, Public Health Officer, Sacramento County

Late last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced without advance notice that it was pulling back $11.4 billion in funding nationwide allocated to state and local public health agencies. Although this funding was originally awarded during COVID- 19, the scope of the federal grants was expanded with prior federal approval to support the broader public health infrastructure, including expanding respiratory virus and vaccine preventable disease monitoring, improving testing and response, supporting immunizations and vaccines for children, increasing qualified staffing, and addressing health disparities efforts. In addition, this funding supports maintenance and upgrades of a vast array of public health data systems, enabling continued response to not only COVID-19 but also other respiratory and vaccine preventable diseases.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) currently estimates that the termination of these federal grants would result in a loss of at least $840 million of federal funding allocated to California. Of this amount, more than $330 million of these funds supported public health efforts at the local level. Notably, there are also local health departments that are directly funded by the federal government that would increase this statewide total dollar amount at risk.

Different federal grants had varying expiration dates, originally scheduled to end between June 30, 2025, and as far out as June 30, 2027. Due to the abrupt pullback of the federal funding, CDPH and local health jurisdictions were not provided an opportunity to prepare or adjust a transition timeline of the public health activities tied to federal funding.

Panelists talked about the frontline workers that had previously been hired with the funds, and key technology upgrades that were made with them. The pullback of the funds would shut down clinics and reverse progress that was made to modernize information and tracking systems around diseases and outbreaks.

March/April Revenues

Revenue collections for April are surprisingly robust considering the tax extension provided to Los Angeles County in response to the January fires. The governor’s January budget estimates that the state will collect $17.37 billion in personal income taxes in April. Currently, the State Controller’s Office is posting daily personal income tax receipts and withholding totals net of refunds on its April 2025 Personal Income Tax Tracker webpage, and as of April 22, the state has collected $17.41 billion.

The Department of Finance (DOF) and State Controller released reports on March’s revenues as compared to the 2025-26 governor’s budget proposal.

Although the news is largely positive for the moment, revenues remain extremely uncertain based on the state’s reliance on large income earners who receive income through the stock market.

Upcoming Hearings

Agendas are typically posted on the committee websites in the Assembly and Senate a few days prior to the hearings. To view hearings after they take place, you may access them in the Assembly or Senate media archives where they are generally available within a few hours of committee adjournment.

Monday, April 28, 2025, 2:30 p.m.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health

Location: State Capitol, Room 127

Informational Hearing

All Departments - Open Issues

Monday, April 28, 2025, 2:30 p.m.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety

Location: State Capitol, Room 447

Item No. Description

0690 Office of Emergency Services

8940 Military Department

0250 Judicial Branch

0286 Office of Youth and Community Restoration

Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 9:30 a.m.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation

Location: State Capitol, Room 447

Informational Hearing: The History and the Future of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 1:30 p.m.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services

Location: State Capitol, Room 444

Item No. Description

0530 California Health and Human Services Agency

4700 Department of Community Services and Development

• Program Updates and Priority Issues of Interest
• Governor's Budget Proposals

Thursday, May 01, 2025, 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy

Location: 1021 O Street, Room 2200

Item Description

3900 California Air Resources Board

Thursday, May 01, 2025, 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services

Location: 1021 O Street, Room 1200

Item Description

4140 Department of Health Care Access and Information

4150 Department of Managed Health Care

4260 Department of Health Care Services

• Behavioral Health Services

4440 Department of State Hospitals

4800 California Health Benefit Exchange

• All Departments - Open Issues

Thursday, May 01, 2025, 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General Government

Location: State Capitol, Room 113

Item Description

1111 Department of Consumer Affairs

1701 Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

3100 Exposition Park

8260 California Arts Council

8620 Fair Political Practices Commission

8570 Department of Food and Agriculture

8820 Commission on Status of Women and Girls

Thursday, May 01, 2025, 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation

Location: State Capitol, Room 112

All Departments - Open Issues

Grant Opportunities

Below is a list of the latest grant opportunities released by the state. All opportunities for local jurisdictions may be found here.

Deadline: 6/23/25

Proposition 47 Grant Program: Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act Cohort 5

Open Date: Apr 15, 2025

State Agency / Department: Board of State and Community Corrections

Match Funding? No

Estimated Total Funding: $127,000,000

Funding Method: Reimbursement

Deadline: 5/23/25

Boating Access: Invasive Mussel Response

Open Date: 4/21/25

State Agency / Department: Department of Fish and Wildlife

Match Funding? No

Estimated Total Funding: $1,000,000

Funding Method: Reimbursement

Deadline: 8/29/25

F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP): Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration (Window 2)

Open Date: 4/16/25

State Agency / Department: Air Resources Board

Match Funding? No

Estimated Total Funding: $38,500,000

Funding Method: Reimbursement

Expected Award Announcement: 8/30/25

California National Archery in the Schools Program (CalNASP) Equipment Grant

Open Date: 4/15/25

State Agency / Department: Department of Fish and Wildlife

Match Funding? No

Estimated Total Funding: $3,300

Funding Method: Other

Governor’s Press Releases

Below is a list of the governor’s press releases beginning April 16.

April 23: 1,000 more clean school buses coming soon to California roads as state sees big demand for zero-emission buses and trucks

April 23: Governor Newsom announces SUN Bucks Program will provide food to California kids during summer break 2025

April 23: Governor Newsom’s investment to prevent and prosecute organized retail crime yields 14,133 prosecution case referrals

April 22: Governor Newsom announces appointments 4.22.25

• Claire Cullis, of Carmichael, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Business and Consumer Relations at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency
• Sophia Carrillo, of Santa Monica, has been appointed Assistant General Counsel of Enforcement at the California Environmental Protection Agency
• Iris “Marlene” De La O, of Berkeley, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Public Policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency
• Adam Ebrahim, of Carmichael, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
• Vanessa Ejike, of Cerritos, has been appointed to the State Board of Education
• Niki Woodard, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Communications and External Affairs at the California Energy Commission
• Lee Herrick, of Fresno, has been reappointed California’s Poet Laureate, where he has served since 2022

April 22: PHOTOS: Governor Newsom, First Partner Siebel Newsom celebrate Earth Day with next generation of agricultural stewards

April 22: Governor Newsom welcomes students, teachers and parents back as Palisades Charter High School is set to resume in person instruction

April 22: Governor Newsom launches first-of-its-kind tool for education and career planning

April 21: Governor Newsom proclaims John Muir Day 2025

April 21: TOMORROW: Governor Newsom, First Partner Siebel Newsom celebrate Earth Day with students focused on environmental solutions and responsibility

April 21: Governor Newsom makes CalRx® Naloxone available for all Californians at $24

April 21: Governor Newsom statement on the passing of Pope Francis

April 19: What they are saying: Governor Newsom’s lawsuit to end Trump tariffs good for consumers, businesses and families

April 19: Governor Newsom grants executive clemency in 25 cases, including posthumous pardon to Army veteran Sergeant Penry

April 18: Governor Newsom announces appointments 4.18.25

• Brian Kaplun, of San Francisco, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Policy and Strategic Planning at the Health and Human Services Agency
• Christine Allen, of Folsom, has been appointed Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Support at the Health and Human Services Agency
• Danté Allen, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Legislation and Communications at the Department of Rehabilitation
• Briannon Fraley, of Crescent City, has been appointed Tribal Advisor at the California Public Utility Commission
• Jevon Wilkes, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
• Brandon Fernandez, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
• Amy Fairweather, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
• Jay’Riah Thomas, of Wilton, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission

April 18: California breaks ground on critical flood protection project in the Central Valley

April 18: Governor Newsom announces $200,000 in rewards for unsolved crimes in Hillsborough, La Mesa, Lemoore, and Petaluma

April 17: Governor Newsom responds to DOGE’s dismantling of AmeriCorps: ‘Middle finger to volunteers. We will sue’

April 17: 100 days after the fires: California and Los Angeles rebuild, recover, and rise together

April 17: Governor Newsom proclaims Arab American Heritage Month

April 17: California launches streamlined online permitting process to fast-track critical wildfire safety projects

April 17: $4.4 million stolen goods recovered, 383 arrests made in three months

April 16: Governor Newsom files lawsuit to end President Trump’s tariffs

The House and Senate were in recess this week, they will return for votes on April 28. While on recess Members of Congress have been at home working in their districts while national media attention was split between the ongoing debate over the budget reconciliation process and Democrats’ trips to El Salvador to address the ongoing situation regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation. Meanwhile the White House’s focus has been drawn abroad and inward with Iran, Ukraine, tariff negotiations, and controversy over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal in official communications.

Planning continued in the House for a busy May which will feature action on budget reconciliation, the appropriations process, and a myriad of other funding issues coming.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH ACTIVITY 

House Schedules Budget Reconciliation Markups, Speaker Johnson Faces Legislative Challenges, and New X Date Prediction Expected

H.Con.Res.14, the Senate-proposed Compromise Budget Resolution meant to clear the first hurdle in the reconciliation process passed the House on April 10, overcoming a near failure at the hands of deficit hawks and the House Freedom Caucus. Each chamber received different budget instructions in the resolution and standing committees are now responsible for resolving those differences into a reconciliation package to become what some members have been calling the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The House instructions mandate $1.5 trillion in cuts, while the Senate instructions only direct $4 billion in deficit savings. The resolution also proposes raising the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion.

Since leaving Washington, DC for Easter recess from April 11 to 28, House Republicans have sought to work out some of the finer details before public-facing markups begin. Speaker Mike Johnson is managing opposition from both deficit hawks and moderates in his party. To overcome initial opposition from the deficit hawks, he effectively committed to $1.5 trillion in cuts as a floor. But an April 14 letter from moderates said they could not support a bill with the proposed $880 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and Inflation Reduction Act tax credits remain controversial in the Senate. To try and balance these issues, the idea of a tax increase on incomes more than $1 million was floated by some Congressional Republicans, but has been largely rejected by party leadership.

Congressional leaders had previously hoped to present a bill to the President before Memorial Day but have extended their timeline. As such, a House markup schedule has started to take shape:

• Armed Services: April 28
• Homeland Security (FEMA): April 28
• Education and Workforce: April 28 (tentative)
• Financial Services: April 30
• Oversight and Government Reform: April 30
• Judiciary: April 30
• Transportation and Infrastructure: April 30
• Agriculture: May 5 (week of)
• Energy and Commerce (Medicare/Medicaid): May 7
• Ways and Means (Taxes): Later in May, will likely be the last markup

With markups beginning April 28, the Treasury Department is expected to finalize their prediction for the X Date, when the US will hit the debt limit and begin to default on its financial obligations. The debt limit was suspended from 2023 to January 2, 2025, at which point it had been exceeded, and the Treasury began taking “extraordinary measures” to keep the US from default. The economic consequences of hitting the X Date would be severe, and as such it is a significant motivating factor for Republicans to push reconciliation forward quickly. The last estimate of the X Date, made by the Congressional Budget Office, placed it in late August or early September.

Budget Reconciliation is a procedural tool allowing expedited consideration of certain budget/spending related bills. Reconciliation can only be “unlocked” when one party controls the House, Senate, and White House. It works by bypassing cloture and limiting debate in the Senate, reducing the threshold for passage to 51 senators. It requires the House and Senate to pass identical budget resolutions with no extraneous policy riders.  

The Debt Limit (sometimes called the Debt Ceiling) is the maximum amount of money the U.S. government is authorized to borrow to meet its legal obligations, such as Social Security benefits, salaries, interest payments, etc. Hitting the Ceiling would lead to delayed payments for some government activities and/or a default on the government’s debt obligations. Congress must raise the Ceiling before the X Date, when the national debt reaches the limit.

House Set to Consider California Clean Air Act Disapprovals

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who controls the floor schedule, is anticipated to add a series of Congressional Review Act (CRA) disapproval resolutions related to California’s preemptive waivers under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the week of April 28. These waivers allow California to enforce higher emissions standards and adopt stricter regulations than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which other states can choose to follow. The waivers being challenged allow for California’s ban on the sale of gas-powered cars, an effort to force truck manufacturers to sell zero-emissions trucks, and its tighter standards on nitrogen oxide engine emissions.

This is controversial due to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) opinion deeming the waivers not subject to the CRA, which allows Congress to disapprove of and rescind agency regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin argued that submitting the waivers to Congress for review as if they were regulations qualified them for disapproval. If the CRA disapprovals pass in Congress and are signed by the President, California will likely sue to protect the waivers.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case earlier this year led by a group of states and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers that argued against the waivers on the basis they gave California special status.

GOP Hardliners Push the Expansion of an Anticipated Recissions Package

The White House is anticipated to send a recission package to Congress in the last week of April, formalizing the Administration’s cuts to foreign aid programs and cutting funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which in part funds NPR and PBS).

Some more conservative hardliners want to see the package expanded to formalize other policies like the closure of the Department of Education and a restructuring of the Department of State announced this week. GOP leaders are keenly aware of a failed recissions package attempt in 2018 and are unlikely to expand the scope.

Rescission Packages are requests by the President to cancel all or part of allocated budget authority, specifically targeting unobligated discretionary funds provided through the appropriations process (not budget reconciliation). Under the Impoundment Control Act, the President must transmit a special message to both the House and the Senate detailing and justifying the request. Congress then has 45 calendar days to approve or amend the package, during which time the funding is impounded. If Congress fails to approve the rescissions or does not act the funding must be released. This law applies to an estimated 27% of federal spending.

Senators Padilla and Schiff Write Letter Advocating for the Institute of Museum and Library Services

California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with 24 other lawmakers, have urged the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to eliminate funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In a letter addressed to the Administration, the Senators highlighted the impact that defunding IMLS would have on states, local communities, and Americans who rely on libraries and museums for educational opportunities, cultural preservation, civic engagement, and economic development.

The lawmakers emphasized that IMLS, established by a Republican-led Congress in 1996, is the only federal agency dedicated to supporting the nation's libraries and museums. They called for the immediate disbursement of all Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant funding to states, including California, and urged the administration to uphold federal law.

The members further argue libraries and museums serve as essential lifelines for families, students, and workers, providing literacy programs, access to technology, job training, and small business support. The letter was signed by a bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives.

Senator Padilla Reintroduced the Housing for All Act

Senator Alex Padilla announced the introduction of the Housing For All Act of 2025 on April 21, laying out his legislative priorities on national housing policy. The bill, near identical to prior years, provides a comprehensive list of policy changes meant to address California’s housing crisis. Specifically, the bill covers activities ranging from increasing the quantity and quality of supportive housing for the disabled and elderly to investments in safe parking, hotel, motel, and commercial acquisitions by local government agencies and increasing the number of social services available to the unhoused.

The bill has a House companion introduced by Rep. Ted Lieu but is partisan and does not have sufficient Republican support to progress.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH ACTIVITY 

Administration Targets US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Placing All Staff on Administrative Leave

The Department of Government Efficiency Service (DOGE) placed all US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) staff on leave. Originally targeted for elimination in a March 14 Executive Order, a reduction in force has now placed all but 2 employees on leave while the Administration works towards formally laying them off or they take the deferred resignation offer being afforded to other agencies.

USICH was responsible for coordinating the federal response to homelessness, including developing a federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness and file an annual report on the plan’s implementation. USICH also advocated for programs across the 12 appropriations bills and other budget legislation, helping to shape program requirements into useful spending for public agencies drawing on the funds.  

American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Final Reporting Deadline is April 30

The April 30 deadline for cities with a population below 250k residents and some others (annual reporters) to make their final report on Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) authorized by the American Rescue Plan is approaching quickly.

This follows a March 2025 notice from the Treasury Department advising that they would be taking a closer look at late spending before the end of 2024 deadline to obligate the funding. Recipients required to report by this date should have received notice from Treasury detailing the unobligated funding and how to report or repay if required. If a required organization fails to report, Treasury will begin referring debt to collections and any late spending will not be counted. The National League of Cities has created an FAQ page with additional information.  

This follows a pattern of the Administration seeking to cancel and recover funding from expiring COVID-Era programs. This is the last reporting deadline for SLFRF.

Department of Transportation Secretary Duffy Rescinds Highway Emissions Rule

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced the cutting of a 2017 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rule that would have required state transportation agencies to measure and establish declining emissions targets for federally supported highways.

Secretary Duffy argued the regulation was “impracticable, unnecessary, and/or contrary to the public interest” under the Administrative Procedure Act and that deregulation was warranted. The original rule was repealed during the first Trump Administration and was put back into effect by President Joe Biden. Secretary Duffy stated this was just the first of many regulations he was seeking to reverse in accordance with a January memo detailing the Administration’s priorities for the Department.

Family Planning Clinics Begin Closing As Administration Seeks an End to Title X Funding

Following multiple Executive Orders (EO) by the Trump Administration in March targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs, over $65 million in funding for family planning clinics was frozen on April 1. These clinics, funded under the Title X Family Planning Program, provide family planning and contraceptive services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.

Title X service providers in California are beginning to run out of funds as they wait for the Administration to make determinations on whether or not they discriminate in hiring or patient care. The Administration gave clinics a 10-day window to provide documentation they did not discriminate, but clinics who responded have not received a reply or had their funding released.

The Administration has separately been considering eliminating Title X funding and other family planning programs. If funding is not released and/or the program is eliminated Medi-Cal would likely have to fill the gap in services.

Orange County Delegation Press Releases

• Derek Tran - April 10, 2025: Rep. Derek Tran Shares Plans to Honor Vietnam Veterans & Vietnamese Community Ahead of the 50th Black April Commemoration | Representative Derek Tran
• Linda Sanchez – April 15, 2025: Democrats demand unredacted DHS-IRS agreement targeting taxpayer data | Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
• Alex Padilla – April 18, 2025: Padilla, Schiff Demand Answers on Trump DHS Attempt to Enter Los Angeles Elementary Schools - Senator Alex Padilla
• Mike Levin – April 21, 2025: Ahead of EPA Administrator Zeldin’s Visit to San Diego, Rep. Mike Levin & Mayor Paloma Aguirre Called on the Trump Administration to Use Funding to Address Cross-Border Sewage Pollution & Demand No Funding Cuts | U.S. Congressman Mike Levin
• Adam Schiff – April 21, 2025: NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Reed, Lawmakers Call on Trump Administration to Reverse Plans to Defund Libraries and Museums
• Alex Padilla – April 21, 2025: Padilla, Luján Lead Colleagues Warning Against Trump’s Plan to Privatize Postal Service That Would Undermine Vote by Mail - Senator Alex Padilla
• Adam Schiff – April 22, 2025: NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Reed, Rep. Titus Demand Trump Administration Undo Termination of Funding for National Endowment for the Humanities  
• Alex Padilla – April 22, 2025: Padilla, Booker, Reed Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling - Senator Alex Padilla

Bills Introduced by the Orange County Delegation

Friday 4/25/25

Biden let California get creative with Medicaid spending. Trump is signaling that may end -- California uses Medicaid to pay for a range of nontraditional health care services, including housing. The Trump administration wants to scale back those programs. Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 4/25/25

Gavin Newsom urges more federal investment as wildfire aid hangs in balance -- Gov. Gavin Newsom urged the federal government to pour more resources into helping fight ever-increasing numbers of wildfires while the Golden State awaits White House approval for $39 billion to cover the costs of January’s devastating infernos in Los Angeles. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/24/25

California Democrats take aim at renter late fees, energy bills with affordability package -- So far this legislative session, California Democrats in the state Senate have teased a package of bills that will supposedly cut down the expensive cost of living in the Golden State — the tip of the spear in their post-election focus on affordability. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/25/25

Thursday 4/24

California is now 4th largest economy in world, surpassing Japan -- The International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook data for 2024 found that California had a nominal gross domestic product of $4.1 trillion, behind only the United States, China and Germany when compared with nations worldwide. Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/24/25

Blue Shield of California shared 4.7M members’ private health data with Google -- If you were a Blue Shield of California member in the past few years, you may have been targeted by online ads based on your private health information. Jessica Roy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/24/25

Trump officials consider shrinking 6 national monuments in the West -- The list, they added, includes Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, Ironwood Forest, Chuckwalla, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — national monuments spread across Arizona, California, New Mexico and Utah. Jake Spring and Dino Grandoni in the Washington Post -- 4/24/25

Wednesday 4/23

Trump’s tariffs threaten Southern California’s $300-billion trade industry, report says -- President Trump’s tariffs, along with growing land-use and environmental regulations, could devastate Southern California’s nearly $300-billion trade and logistics industry in the coming years, according to a Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. report released Tuesday. Malia Mendez in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/23/25

A California environmental law makes it ‘too damn hard’ to build. But do Democrats have the will to reform it? -- Trade unions often use the threat of a CEQA lawsuit to extract concessions from developers. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/23/25

Tuesday 4/22

San Francisco Democrats want the state party to adopt an age limit for politicians -- The newly moderate-leaning San Francisco Democratic Party is trying to spread its centrist ethos statewide, including by pushing a new resolution urging the California Democratic Party to consider a mandatory retirement age for state and local officials. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/22/25

Education Department to resume seizing wages for student loan debt -- Beginning next month, the Education Department will resume withholding money from tax refunds and Social Security benefits to pay down the debt of people in default on their student loans, ending a five-year pause on involuntary collections. Wage garnishments will restart this summer. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel in the Washington Post -- 4/22/25

Monday 4/21

California halts medical parole, sends several critically ill patients back to prison -- The unilateral termination is drawing protests from attorneys representing prisoners and the author of the state’s medical parole legislation, who say it unnecessarily puts this vulnerable population at risk. The move is the latest wrinkle in a long-running drive to free those deemed so ill that they are no longer a danger to society. Don Thompson KFF Health News in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/25

San Jose Considers Arresting Homeless People Who Refuse Housing -- The mayor of the Silicon Valley city has proposed arresting people who don’t accept offers of shelter. It’s the latest sign of frustrations over tent encampments in California. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times -- 4/20/25

Weekend 4/20 – 4/19

Former L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León faces ethics fine for voting on issues in which he had a financial stake -- De León has admitted to four counts of “making or participating in a decision in which a financial interest is held” and one count of failing to disclose income, according to a report prepared by the enforcement arm of the L.A. City Ethics Commission. Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/20/25

Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order may violate law, labor board attorney says -- The top attorney for a California board that enforces labor rules said Thursday that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office may have violated state law over its handling of an order directing many public employees to work in person four days a week. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/19/25