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

CalAIM Extension

On July 23, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released its concept paper for extending California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiatives set to expire at the end of 2026. The document outlines efforts to transform Medi-Cal thus far, DHCS’s principles and goals for extending the initiatives, and preliminary plans for renewing the federal waivers (Section 1115 and 1915(b)) required to continue advancing certain elements of Medi-Cal transformation prioritized by DHCS under CalAIM. DHCS is not proposing new programs at this time. The concept paper was informed by in-person listening sessions, Medi-Cal Member Advisory Committee meetings, and standing forums attended by Medi-Cal members, community-based organizations, managed care plans, county behavioral health plans, public health agencies, sheriff’s departments, probation agencies, housing service providers, health care providers, and advocates.

DHCS is accepting feedback on the concept paper until August 1, 2025, at 1115Waiver@dhcs.ca.gov. It is important to note that these proposals will be impacted by changes to federal law and regulations.

Existing Efforts to Transform Medi-Cal

• CalAIM: CalAIM includes initiatives to advance whole person care and address social drivers of health.
• Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT): Key initiatives through BH-CONNECT include workforce investments; transitional rental assistance; activity funds; the Access, Reform, and Outcomes Incentive Program; community transition in-reach services, and federal funding for short-term mental health care provided in institutions for mental diseases. BH-CONNECT waivers do not expire until December 31, 2029.
• Behavioral Health Transformation: Proposition 1, passed by voters in 2024, included Behavioral Health Services Act reforms, including funding supports for people with substance use disorders and prioritizing services for people with significant behavioral health needs. Proposition 1 also included a $6.4 billion behavioral health bond with $4.4 billion dedicated to treatment sites and $2 billion for permanent supportive housing.

Continuing CalAIM Waivers - Principles and Goals

Principles. DHCS is committed to using guiding principles to shape goals for Medi-Cal transformation. Principles are designed to ensure that DHCS’ initiatives are effective, impactful, and sustainable, and include:

• Centering Medi-Cal Members Across Programs and Initiatives: Ensuring members’ needs and experiences drive policies, initiatives, and implementation to foster a more responsive and inclusive health care system, and improve access, outcomes, and member experience.
• Strengthening and Building on Current Initiatives and Accomplishments: Continue momentum and ensure continuity and stability in programs that are making a difference to Medi-Cal members.
• Doubling Down on Initiatives Backed by Data and Evidence: Enhances the effectiveness of programs, leading to more efficient resource allocation.
• Improving Program Efficiency: Streamlining processes and reducing administrative burdens, allowing more effective and efficient delivery of services. This will maximize the use of available resources, reduce costs, and improve performance.
• Investing in Initiatives that are Scalable: Ensuring that successful programs can be expanded and replicated to extend benefits to additional members and allow stakeholders to learn from each other, promoting equity and access to high-quality care.

Goals. The following goals will govern DHCS’s efforts to continue Medi-Cal’s transformation in 2027 and beyond:

• Centering Members Within the Delivery System: Ground policies and programs in member-centered design principles and create networks of community-embedded providers to deliver high-quality, culturally responsive, whole-person care.
• Improving Eligibility and Enrollment: Efficient, accurate, and respectful application and eligibility processes.
• Comprehensive Purchasing Strategy: Incentivize plans and providers to deliver timely care in the right place, at the right cost.
• Increasing Data Sharing: Improve data sharing among plans, providers, and partners to support stronger data-informed care, coordination, and member experiences.
• Strengthening Accountability: Improve member access, experience, quality, and outcomes.
• Preparing for the Future: Medi-Cal will need to meet the needs of California’s aging population.

Enhanced Care Management. Enhanced Care Management (ECM) was included in CalAIM, however both ECM and Community Supports are now authorized under managed care regulations and are not dependent on waivers. 12 Community Supports are covered as In Lieu of Services (ILOS) under managed care authority. An ILOS is a service or setting that is provided to an enrollee as a substitute for a covered service or setting under the state plan or when the ILOS can be expected to reduce or prevent the future need to utilize the covered service or setting under the state plan.

CalAIM Section 1115 Waiver Renewal Priorities

• Recuperative Care
• Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing
• Contingency Management: Evidence-based, cost-effective treatment for substance use disorders that combines motivational incentives with behavioral treatments.
• Reentry Services: Targeted Medi-Cal services for justice-involved individuals for up to 90 days prior to release.
• Traditional Health Care Practices: Culturally appropriate care at Indian Health Services, tribal, or Urban Indian Organization facilities.
• Dually Eligible Enrollees in Medi-Cal Managed Care: Aligns a beneficiary’s Medi-Cal plan with their Medicare Advantage Plan.
• Managed Care Authority to Limit Plan Choice: Enables the state to limit choice of managed care plans in metro, large metro, and urban counties operating under County Operated Health Systems and Single Plan models.
• DMC-ODS Waiver of Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) Exclusion for Substance Use Disorder Services: Federal reimbursement for Medi-Cal services provided to short-term residents of IMDs receiving substance use disorder services.
• Chiropractic Services from Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities
• Community-Based Adult Services: Services for older adults and adults with disabilities to restore or maintain their optimal capacity for self-care and delay/prevent institutionalization.
• Out-of-State Former Foster Care Youth: Medi-Cal for former foster care youth under age 26.
• Global Payment Program: Supports public health care systems that provide health care for uninsured Californians through a statewide funding pool.
• Modification of Asset Test for Deemed Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Populations: Modifications are made to the Pickle group (individuals who were previously eligible for SSI and/or State Supplementary Payments (SSP) but lost their eligibility due to increases in their Social Security benefits), disabled adult child group, disabled widow/widower group, by increasing the asset test.

Section 1915(b) CalAIM Renewal Priorities

• Medi-Cal Managed Care
• Dental Managed Care
• Specialty Mental Health Services: Provides coverage by county behavioral health plans. Functions in all 58 counties.
• Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS): Provides coverage for evidence-based substance use disorder treatment services for eligible members residing in participating counties and is optional for counties.

Timeline

July 2025: Release concept Paper

November 2025: Post Draft 1115 application, public notices, and high-level 1915(b ) renewal summary

January 2026: Submit 1115 application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

In between draft 1115 STCs

July 2026: Target 1115 waiver approval date; submit 1915(b) renewal request no later than July

December 2026: Current CalAIM waivers expire

January 2027: New waivers launch

Homeowners Insurance Update: Catastrophe Models and Litigation

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy continues to make progress in some areas and face new hurdles in others. The overall strategy is intended to stabilize California’s struggling homeowners’ insurance market and depopulate the state’s FAIR Plan which has seen policies grow by 139% since September 2021.

Catastrophe Model. Insurance Commissioner Lara announced last week his department had completed its review of the first forward-looking wildfire catastrophe model, as part of its Sustainable Insurance Strategy. Historically, California has mandated that insurers use historical data to set future rates, a practice that has contributed to higher premiums and spikes when wildfire disasters intensify, prompting insurers to retreat from wildfire-prone regions. Between 1991 and 2015, California experienced four fires that destroyed more than 1,000 buildings each; since 2015, there have been 15 major fires resulting in 174 fatalities and the destruction of 55,528 buildings, according to CAL FIRE – a key factor in rising insurance costs.

Following the announcement, the Department will begin accepting rate applications from insurers using the Verisk Wildfire Model, detailing their plans to write and maintain more homeowners and commercial insurance policies in the voluntary market. The Department requires insurers that utilize catastrophe modeling, or include reinsurance costs in their rate filings to write at least 85% of their statewide market share in wildfire-distressed areas, facilitating the transition of consumers off the FAIR Plan and expanding options in the voluntary market.

Litigation. We previously reported on an assessment issued by the FAIR Plan following the Southern California fires earlier this year. On February 11, 2025, the FAIR Plan requested and received approval to assess its member companies for $1 billion, allowing the FAIR Plan to meet their claims obligations. The FAIR Plan Modernization Plan, championed by Insurance Commission Lara, allows FAIR Plan member insurers to potentially recoup part of the $1 billion assessment from non-FAIR Plan policyholders. Recoupments would show as a temporary supplemental fee to policyholders and could be recouped over a 24-month period.

Following the assessment, Consumer Watchdog filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of whether FAIR Plan member companies can pass on a temporary supplemental fee to their policyholders.

A Los Angeles County judge issued a ruling on the suit last week. Commissioner Lara released a statement saying, “the judge’s ruling affirms my authority under Prop. 103 to protect consumers and stabilize market conditions through my Sustainable Insurance Strategy. Consumer Watchdog’s lawsuit fails to address the state’s insurance crisis and is merely another attempt to create chaos in an already complex situation. I’m pleased the judge saw through their charade, which only harms homeowners, small businesses, and non-profits that need better access to insurance options. Consumer Watchdog — which itself admits it has no members — has not offered any viable solutions to our state’s insurance crisis and continues to undermine my efforts to restore our insurance market. They also continue to profit under Prop. 103 in the millions through higher rates on policyholders when insurance companies seek justified rates from my Department. I will continue to expose their hypocrisy, and make the difficult decisions needed to stabilize our market and bring insurance options back to Californians.”

The same day, Consumer Watchdog issued a conflicting statement saying that Commissioner Lara misstated the result of the lawsuit.

"The elected Insurance Commissioner should not be misleading the public about the results of a case that challenges a half billion dollars in overcharges on their insurance bill," said William Pletcher, Director of Litigation for Consumer Watchdog. "It's inappropriate for the Commissioner to misstate the results of the hearing and lead people to believe the case—which is going to trial—is over."

The ruling, now final per the court's July 22 Minute Order, overruled Commissioner Lara's demurrer to the third cause of action, which alleged that the pass-through surcharges conflict with, and therefore violate, the FAIR Plan statutes. The court scheduled a trial setting conference for November.

The Consumer Watchdog group and the Consumer Federation of California Education Foundation filed an additional lawsuit this week challenging the Insurance Commissioner’s rejection of compensation requests submitted by both organizations after they acted as interveners and submitted criticism and comments about two 2024 proposals by Commissioner Lara addressing insurance rate transparency and the use of software to determine home insurance prices. Both groups allege they did not receive full compensation for their efforts. We will continue to follow the cases and provide updates.

June Revenues

The Department of Finance (DOF) released its report on June revenues as compared to the 2025 Budget Act and the State Controller released reports on June’s revenues as compared to the 2025 May Revision.

Grant Opportunities

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

Anticipated Open Date: July 2025
Title: Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant: Literacy Lead Agency
State Agency / Department: CA Department of Education
Match Funding?No
Estimated Total Funding: $36,100,000
Funding Method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)

Anticipated Open Date: October 6, 2025
Title: California Serves Grant Program 2025-26
State Agency / Department: CA Department of Education
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $5,000,000
Funding Method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)

Expected Announcement: January 2026
Title: Song Brown Family Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant (FNP & PA) 2025 Application
State Agency / Department: Department of Health Care Access and Information
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $3,931,000
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)

Expected Announcement: January 2026
Title: Song-Brown Certified Nurse Midwifery (CNM) Training Programs 2025 Application
State Agency / Department: Department of Health Care Access and Information
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding:
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)

Application Deadline: 9/3/25 13:00
Title: Caltrans FTA 5310 2025 Call for Projects
State Agency / Department: Department of Transportation
Match Funding? 15%
Estimated Total Funding: $51,400,000
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)

Application Deadline: 9/11/25 11:59
Title: Rubberized Pavement Grant Program
State Agency / Department: Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Match Funding? No
Estimated Total Funding: $6,571,315
Funding Method: Reimbursement(s)

Governor’s Press Releases

Below is a list of the governor’s press releases beginning July 23.

July 30: Governor Newsom issues executive order to support young men and boys, address suicide rates

July 29: Governor Newsom announces appointments 7.29.25

• Gerald Tolbert, of La Jolla, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California
• Trinidad Solis, of Fresno, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California
• Veling Tsai, of South Pasadena, has been reappointed to the Medical Board of California, where he has served since 2022
• Jackie Schaffer, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Travel and Tourism Commission
• Elvin Lai, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Travel and Tourism Commission
• Taylor Tedder, of Moorpark, has been appointed to the California State Board of Optometry
• Francis Albert David, of Alta Loma, has been appointed to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board
• Karin Eugenio, of Imperial, has been appointed to the 45th District Agricultural Association – Mid-Winter Fair and Fiesta Board

July 29: Governor Newsom signs legislation 7.29.25

July 29: California pre-deploys resources in Plumas, Nevada, and Sierra counties ahead of critical fire weather conditions

July 29: Governor Newsom issues emergency proclamation for storm-impacted counties

July 29: Governor Newsom responds to latest Trump sledgehammer to clean air protections

July 29: Promises kept — new data shows 22,000 arrests and $150 million in recovered stolen goods across California

July 28: Governor Newsom signs legislation 7.28.25

July 28: Governor Newsom statement on the passing of Wallis Annenberg

July 25: Governor Newsom announces appointments 7.25.25

• Paul Tupy, of Oroville, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
• Andrew Rakestraw, of Kensington, has been reappointed Chair of the Board of Environmental Safety, where he has served since 2025
• Jordan Traverso, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Department of Cannabis Control
• Laurence Michael Costa, of Oakland, has been appointed to the California Commission on Aging
• Kathleen Selenski, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Commission on Aging
• Michael Luna, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed to the State Independent Living Council
• Robert Twomey, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Gloria Martinez, of Santa Paula, has been appointed to the 31st District Agricultural Association – Ventura County Fair Board

July 25: Governor Newsom meets with Texas state leaders amid Republican efforts to gerrymander state to let Trump keep wielding power without restraint

July 25: New report shows Cap-and-Invest dollars are improving air quality in California’s most polluted communities

July 25: Governor Newsom celebrates four years of connecting education and workforce insights thanks to Cradle-to-Career

July 24: TOMORROW: Governor Newsom to respond to Texas’ redistricting plan and provide update on fight to preserve American democracy

July 24: California advances Bay-Delta Plan Update to restore ecosystem health and improve water supply reliability

July 24: Governor Newsom statement on the Ninth Circuit striking down one of California’s pivotal voter-approved gun safety laws

July 23: Governor Newsom announces local progress in reducing homelessness

July 23: California predeploys resources in Nevada, Plumas, and Sierra counties ahead of critical fire weather conditions

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH ACTIVITY

House on Recess, Senate Votes on Nominations and Tries to Move Appropriations Package

The House began August recess early last week after House Speaker Mike Johnson moved to block a vote on the release of Department of Justice documents related to the death of Jeffrey Epstein. The Senate will likely begin August Recess next week, though the President has indicated a preference the Senate remains in session to confirm nominees for a number of Administration positions.

The Senate also attempted to work through opposition to a minibus appropriations package, combining the Military Construction, VA; Agriculture, FDA; and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bills into one. The combination requires unanimous consent to proceed (all 100 Senators) and faced pushback from Democrats over the possibility of further partisan recissions packages from the Administration undermining any bipartisan agreement on government spending. Some Republicans also opposed the move, seeking a historic return to the passage of each of the 12 appropriations bills on their own merit in place of combinations, referred to as minibuses or omnibuses.

Overall, the House has passed two bills, and the Appropriations Committee has sent seven others to the floor. In the Senate, six of the bills are ready for floor votes. Given the differences between the House and Senate bills and the amount of time it takes committee staff to piece together bill text after an agreement is made between the House and Senate, it is highly unlikely Congress will complete the appropriations process before the September 30 deadline. This presents risk of a government shutdown on October 1, or another Continuing Resolution (CR), which would continue FY24 funding levels until Congress passed the FY26 appropriations bills and have historically excluded community projects funding and congressionally directed spending requests.

Senate Committee Unanimously Reports Substantive Housing Policy Legislation

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a markup of the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025 (the bill text and a section-by-section) and unanimously advanced the bill to the full Senate. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren, incorporates several previously introduced bills and would bolster affordable housing development and rental assistance programs.

The legislation would increase the Public Welfare Investment Cap, incentivize further affordable housing development with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, increase housing incentives in Opportunity Zones, streamline environmental reviews for affordable housing projects, amend Capital Investment Grants (CIG) scoring to give a bonus in areas that establish pro-housing policy near public transportation routes, change incentives for tenants using HUD rental assistance programs, and make Federal Housing Authority (FHA) loans and projects more accessible. The legislation also contains enhancements for services to veterans and mandates reviews of enhanced work requirements, homelessness programs, and mortgage fee limits. 

The legislation is the most significant housing policy proposal in the last few years with a substantial chance of passing in the Senate.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH ACTIVITY

President Signs Executive Order Focused on Involuntary Commitment for the Homeless

On July 24, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14321 titled Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets, affecting homelessness and social services. The order adopts a policy focus on civil (involuntary) commitment for mentally ill homeless individuals to reduce street homelessness. The White House also released a fact sheet summarizing the EO.

The order specifically directs the Attorney General and Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development to challenge previous court rulings affecting the ability of the government to civilly commit an individual, provide grants and technical assistance to state and local governments in civil commitment efforts, enforce prohibitions on urban squatting, camping, and open illicit drug use, and expand the use of federal funding for forensic (mental health/substance abuse) bed capacity at jails or hospitals.

In addition, the order specifically seeks to withhold funding and change federal standards related to housing first, harm reduction, and safe consumption policies. It also seeks to integrate HUD data with other services to track the health of affordable housing recipients. The EO also asks the Attorney General to prioritize funding for the expansion of drug and mental health courts (e.g. California CARE Act diversions).

The EO does not provide deadlines for implementation guidance, and as the FY26 appropriations process is still pending, the availability of funding to support the initiative remains unclear.

EPA Proposes Revoking the “Endangerment Finding,” Undoing Their Authority to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On July 29, the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) proposed the recission of the “Endangerment Finding,” the 2009 regulatory basis for the EPA to restrict greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA). The Endangerment Finding is the agency declaration that GHG emissions (specifically carbon dioxide) endanger public welfare and forms the legal basis for the agency to regulate motor vehicle, power plant, and other industrial emissions.

The finding was subsequent to a 2007 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA that pushed the EPA to regulate GHG’s by qualifying them as air pollutants. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act further codified GHG emissions as subject to regulation as pollutants by labelling them in statutory authorizations for certain funding programs. 

The combination of these bases for the finding will make it difficult to fully rescind without Congress. The EPA will likely have to open a public comment period and engage in litigation with climate groups seeking to uphold the finding. The Administration is arguing the regulations based on the finding are overly burdensome and inhibit energy infrastructure development.

If the recission is successful, it would mostly eliminate the EPA’s ability to regulate GHG’s under the Clean Air Act and could further affect California’s Clean Air Act Preemption Waivers. It would be one of the most significant environmental regulatory rollbacks since the agency’s inception.

DOJ Completes Agreement on Custodial Informant Reforms With Orange County Sheriff

On July 29, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published an Agreement on Custodial Informant Reforms between the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and DOJ. The agreement was signed on January 15 and came following a DOJ investigation into OCSD’s use of custodial informants from 2007 to 2016 and subsequent failure to disclose evidence in violation of the sixth and fourteenth amendments.

The agreement as published indicated OCSD was already in compliance with the requested reforms before signing the agreement, which will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and produce public reporting on current implementation until the agreement is terminated.

DOT Opens Low/No Grant Awards to Low Emissions Only Projects

The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced they are modifying the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low/No) to allow for recipients to modify “no” emissions projects to be only “low” emissions.

The funding primarily benefited local transit agencies and other service providers by allowing for the conversion of busses in areas with historically poor air quality. It primarily supported hydrogen fuel-cell buses, battery electric buses, and workforce development activities supporting an individual agency’s Zero-Emission Transition Plan along with the required infrastructure to maintain the new equipment.

The Administration stated the program was overly prescriptive and forced agencies to adopt clean vehicles even when not practical for their needs. Awardees and recipients looking to modify their projects can contact their FTA Regional Office proposing the change to their grant agreement and scope of work.

DOT Solicits Input on Next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

The Department of Transportation (DOT) opened a solicitation for public commentary on the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act as the development process for the new legislation continues. The current Surface Transportation Reauthorization is set to expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2026 on September 30, 2026.

Authorizations provide agencies with the authority to execute on certain goals and provides the conditions for funding specific programs, including eligibility, restrictions on the use of funds, overall program goals, and which subagency will administer each program under what authority. Authorization bills provide Congress with the opportunity to modify existing programs or create new ones to meet particular goals, and raise suggested funding limits on programs. They generally come up within a five-year window of the previous authorization.

Prior testimony from Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and initial statements from Congressional leaders in transportation and infrastructure indicate a lack of support for public transportation, instead favoring the consolidation of programs into block grants to states, lowering the total amount of available transportation funding. Currently, COVID-Era operating subsidies meant to float public transportation agencies until they could regain pre-COVID ridership numbers are set to expire on October 1 of this year.

Orange County Delegation Press Releases

• Mike Levin – July 29, 2025: Rep. Mike Levin’s Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
• Mike Levin – July 24, 2025: Rep. Mike Levin Introduces Bill to Combat Microfiber Pollution
• Lou Correa – July 29, 2025: CORREA JOINS BICAMERAL PUSH TO REMOVE AMERICANS’ MEDICAL DEBT FROM CREDIT REPORTS
• Lou Correa – July 23, 2025: CORREA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT LOCAL BUSINESSES FROM TRANSPORTATION DISRUPTIONS
• Young Kim – July 30, 2025: Rep. Young Kim Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fix Regulations Hurting U.S. Taxpayers
• Young Kim – July 24, 2025: Rep. Young Kim Leads Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S.–Korea Ties
• Dave Min – July 30, 2025: ICYMI: Orange County Register: Rep. Dave Min Leads New Anti-Corruption Task Force
• Derek Tran – July 25, 2025: Representatives Tran, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Small Business Innovation and Protect Intellectual Property
• Derek Tran – July 24, 2025: Representatives Tran, Castor Introduce Legislation to Defend Access to Children’s Health Care
• Derek Tran – July 23, 2025: Representative Tran, Congressional Dads Caucus Members Unveil “Babies Over Billionaires” Bill Package to Eliminate Tariffs on Baby Essentials
• Derek Tran – July 23, 2025: Representative Tran Introduces Slate of Legislation to Lower Costs for Working Parents
• Alex Padilla – July 30, 2025: Padilla Questions 9th Circuit Nominee Eric Tung on Sexist Comments, Narrow Legal Experience
• Alex Padilla – July 30, 2025: Padilla, Schiff Statement on Trump’s Power Grab to Keep Partisan U.S. Attorney in Place
• Alex Padilla – July 30, 2025: Padilla Leads Call for Investigation Into Trump Administration Violations of Hatch Act in Partisan Push for Racial Gerrymandering
• Alex Padilla – July 29, 2025: WATCH: Padilla Joins Colleagues in Push for Restoration of Voting Rights Act Amid Partisan Attempts to Racially Gerrymander Texas
• Alex Padilla – July 29, 2025: Senate Advances Padilla, McCormick, Gallego, Britt Bipartisan Bill to Help House Disabled Veterans
• Alex Padilla – July 28, 2025: Padilla, Schiff, Lofgren Demand Reversal of Layoffs, Budget Cuts at National Laboratories
• Alex Padilla – July 25, 2025: Padilla Announces Bill to Reopen Lawful Pathway to Legalization, Countering Trump’s Cruel Mass Deportation Agenda
• Alex Padilla – July 24, 2025: WATCH: Padilla Warning to Latino Leaders: Trump’s Cruel Immigration Overreach Has to be Our Wakeup Call
• Alex Padilla – July 24, 2025: Padilla Rejects Lifetime Judicial Appointment of Unfit Trump Loyalist Emil Bove
• Alex Padilla – July 24, 2025: Padilla, Gallego, Salinas, Barragán Introduce Mental Health for Latinos Act
• Adam Schiff – July 30, 2025: NEWS: Padilla, Schiff Statement on Trump’s Power Grab to Keep Partisan U.S. Attorney in Place
• Adam Schiff – July 29, 2025: NEWS: Amid New Whistleblower Corroboration, Sens. Schiff, Booker Request that DOJ Watchdog Clarify Prior to Confirmation Vote Whether Emil Bove is Under Investigation
• Adam Schiff – July 29, 2025: NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Schatz, Schumer, Rosen Lead 44 Senate Democrats in Calling for Large-Scale Expansion of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza and Resumption of Diplomatic Efforts to Secure a Ceasefire and End the War
• Adam Schiff – July 25, 2025: NEWS: Schiff, Padilla, Lofgren Demand Reversal of Layoffs, Budget Cuts at National Laboratories
• Adam Schiff – July 24, 2025: NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Rep. Friedman Introduce Bill to Rename Glendale Post Office After Former U.S. Navy Secretary, Honoring Lifetime of Service
• Adam Schiff – July 24, 2025: WATCH: Sen. Schiff Urges Senate Republicans to Reject Emil Bove’s Nomination, Warns of Threats to Rule of Law
• Adam Schiff – July 23, 2025: NEWS: Sen. Schiff Joins Sen. Smith in Leading Colleagues in Pressing Trump Administration for Answers on Cancelled Funding for Farmers, Producers

Bills Introduced by the Orange County Delegation

Friday 08/01/25

She had to fight for help with medical bills. A new California bill could make it easier -- A proposal advancing in the legislature would require California hospitals to pre-screen patients for charity care before sending out medical bills. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 08/01/25

San Joaquin Valley farmers face wine industry downturn. Vineyards being abandoned -- An estimated 30,000 acres in the central San Joaquin Valley, the state’s leading producer of lower value wine grapes, are not being farmed, or minimally being cared for to keep the vines alive. It’s one of the few options available, save ripping them out and planting another crop. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 08/01/25

Thursday 07/31/25

What do Medicaid changes mean for the care of disabled people in Southern California? -- Trump's tax bill affects funding for in-home and community support services, disability rights advocates said, and programs could be greatly reduced or cut entirely. Victoria Ivie and Alexandra Crosnoe in the Orange County Register -- 07/31/25

After outcry, L.A. restricts duplexes in Pacific Palisades -- The move follows an executive order issued Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that allows exemptions for the Palisades and other areas devastated by January’s Palisades and Eaton fires from Senate Bill 9. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/31/25

Wednesday 07/30/25

EPA moves to undo key climate rule; California vows to fight back -- The Environmental Protection Agency took a major step toward backing out of the business of fighting climate change on Tuesday, a move that California leaders vowed to push back on. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle Hayley Smith and Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times Scott Patterson and Eric Niiler in the Wall Street Journal Jake Spring and Anusha Mathur in the Washington Post -- 07/30/25

New S.F. law places moratorium on new homeless shelters in Tenderloin and South of Market -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to place a moratorium on all new homeless shelters or behavioral health facilities in the Tenderloin and South of Market in an effort to spread those services throughout the city. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 07/30/25

Tuesday 07/29/25

Cal Fire opens new firefighter training center as feds remain understaffed -- Cal Fire announced it’s opening a new firefighter training center in Merced as it tries to beef up staffing amid uncertainty over federal staffing. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/29/25

How California draws congressional districts, and why it might change in a proxy war with Trump -- The unusual and unexpected redistricting may take place in coming months because of sparring among President Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/29/25

Monday 07/28/25

Can a county fire a sheriff behind closed doors? Advocacy group threatens to sue for access -- San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who serves one of the wealthiest communities in the country, has faced calls for her removal since an explosive November report from a retired judge found that she likely violated the county’s policy on nepotism and conflicting relationships. Nigel Duara in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/28/25

California dairy farmers get $230 million to help cover costs of bird flu losses -- Bird flu swept through more than 75% of California’s 1,000 dairy farms since August 2024, sickening cattle and leading to steep declines in milk production. Federal aid helped farmers recover losses. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/28/25

Weekend 07/27 – 07/26/25

S.F. may soon ban natural gas in homes and businesses undergoing major renovations -- San Francisco may soon ban natural gas in residential and commercial buildings undergoing major renovations, a move that supporters say will help combat greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health. Tom Li in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 07/26/25

Trump’s crackdown on homelessness: What does it mean for California? -- Trump’s call to enforce bans on encampments echoes Newsom’s policy. But the president wants to upend two other core tenants of California’s homelessness response. Marisa Kendall Calmatters Doug Smith and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times -- 07/26/25