LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

November 14, 2022

To read the full version each week, please subscribe below.

Room Reservation in the CCA Room Block Cutoff Today; Registration Prices Increase Friday
The cutoff to make reservations in the CCA room block at the Nugget Casino Resort is Monday, Nov. 14th! Click here to make your reservations in the group block or call the Nugget directly at (800) 648-1177 and mention the group code GCCA22. 

Register for the event now before prices increase Friday, Nov. 18! Register, see the schedule and more at https://calcattlemen.org/convention2022.

Midterm Election Results Continue to Take Shape
Nearly a week after Election Day, the results of state and federal elections continue to take shape.
 
The results of California’s statewide races came into focus relatively quickly on Election Day. Governor Gavin Newsom won reelection, as did other Democrats vying for statewide office. The one statewide race which appeared competitive leading up to Election Day was the State Controller race between Republican Lanhee Chen and Democrat Malia Cohen; while that race has not yet been called, as of this morning Cohen led Chen by a margin of 8.3%.
 
Results of California’s Senate and Assembly races continue to trickle in from county election offices; given the state’s universal mail voting, ballots postmarked on Election Day will continue to be accepted through tomorrow, and the outcomes of some races could take days to materialize. While the final composition of the Assembly and Senate are not yet known, both chambers will retain a Democratic supermajority.
 
Amid a power-struggle dating back to last May, Assembly Democrats caucused in Sacramento on Thursday to determine who will lead that chamber as Assembly Speaker in the next Legislative Session. After a six-hour meeting, the caucus settled on a 2023 speakership transition: Speaker Anthony Rendon (D – Lakewood) will retain the Speaker’s gavel until June 30 – wrapping another budget cycle – at which point Robert Rivas (D – Hollister) will ascend to the speakership. The agreement will be formally ratified at an Organizational Session of the Legislature on December 5.
 
Federally, Democrats will continue to control the Senate. Democrat John Fetterman flipped the Pennsylvania Senate seat formerly held by retiring Republican Pat Toomey, securing at least 50 seats for the Democrats (with Vice Present Kamala Harris holding a tie-breaking vote if the chamber should be evenly split). A December 6 runoff in Georgia between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will determine whether the Democrats have an outright majority or whether the chamber will remain evenly split.
 
With the results of 19 elections for the House of Representatives still too close to call, control of that chamber is still undecided, though Republicans remain a strong favorite to claim control by a small margin. As of press time, Republicans edged out Democrats by 212 seats to 204 in the House, with 218 needed for a majority. A dozen of those outstanding races are in California Congressional districts.
 
CCA will continue to provide updates on the outcome of the 2022 General Election in the weeks to come as final votes are tallied.

Permittee Feedback Encouraged for USFS “Range Futuring” Effort
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is undertaking a strategic planning effort the agency dubs “Range Futuring,” seeking input from stakeholders such as grazing permittees to understand what the agency is doing right, what “isn’t working so well and what might be working OK now but might not work so well in the future.”

Specifically, USFS is asking the following questions of grazing permittees:

1) What is the Forest Service Rangeland Management Program getting right as it relates to you as a permittee?

2) What do you see as challenges or roadblocks that stand in your way of a successful relationship with the Forest Service Rangeland Management Program?

3) What issues do we need to address to keep the program relevant, resilient, and sustainable?

Permittees are encouraged to submit feedback via the online Forest Service Rangeland Management Permittee Questionnaire no later than November 30.

USFS has also announced that it will host a webinar on December 13 at 9:00 Pacific to solicit feedback on its Range Futuring efforts. For more information or to register for that webinar, click here.

SWRCB Updates Curtailments in Multiple Watersheds
Except as noted below, temporary curtailment suspensions in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta watershed have been extended due to recent precipitation. Please continue to monitor the Curtailment Status List for relevant updates.

As of last Wednesday, curtailments remain in place on several tributaries of the Sacramento River. Water rights remain curtailed on the Cache Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1856 or later, on the Stony Creek Subwatershed with a priority date of 1930 or later, on the Bear Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1942 or later, on the Yuba River subwatershed with a priority date of 1961 or later and on the Putah Creek subwatershed with a priority date of between 1945 or later.

Additionally, within the San Joaquin River watershed, curtailments remain on the Fresno River subwatershed for water rights with a priority date of 1914 or later and on the Chowchilla River subwatershed for water rights with a priority date of 1959 or later.

The State Water Resource Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have announced they will be holding a webinar tomorrow, November 15, to address funding for farmers and ranchers impacted by drought conditions in the Scott and Shasta River Watersheds. Click here more information.

For questions about curtailment and suspension notices or assistance completing the Compliance Certification forms, please contact the Rancher Technical Assistance Program at (916) 409-6902 or rtap@wrstrat.com.

Cattle Markets Series, Workshop 2: Stephen Koontz
Join us virtually or at the Nugget Casino Resort Nov. 30 from 4:00-5:00pm for the second event in series of free workshops on cattle markets. Stephen Koontz, a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, will present on price determination and price discovery in the fed cattle markets and relevant impacts on rancher profits.

This workshop is open to all at no cost. If you would like to attend this meeting in person click here for the address to the Nugget Casino Resort. The presentation will be held in Nugget Ballroom One.

To participate in the meeting virtually, click here to register for it via Zoom.

California Beef Cattle Improvement Association (CBCIA) wants your input
The California Beef Cattle Improvement Association (CBCIA) is in the process of drafting a strategic plan. In forming the plan CBCIA would like input from its members, stakeholders and affiliates about their affiliation with the Association and how it has benefited you over time. To complete the survey, click here. Surveys are to be completed by Wednesday, Nov. 23rd.

Upcoming CCA Events

Upcoming Industry Events

CCA in the News

Industry News