LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN
October 9, 2023
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Last Chance to apply to apply for 2023 CCA Convention Internship
Internship applications for the 2023 CCA/CCW Convention happening Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev. are due Oct. 10, 2023 at 11:59pm PST. Selected interns will help run CCA’s tradeshow booth, onsite registration and other behind the scenes tasks at the event, they will also get to attend select meetings of interest, general sessions and the tradeshow with complimentary lodging and registration. Additionally, the interns will get to interact with CCA leadership and staff, as well as industry leaders at the best attended meeting of the year. For further information and to apply, click here.
A Week of Significant Change for California’s Delegation in D.C.
Last week, Legislative Bulletin reported that Democrat Laphonza Butler had been tapped by Governor Newsom to fill the vacancy created by the death of California Senator Dianne Feinstein. On Tuesday, Butler was sworn into the Senate by fellow Californian Vice President Kamala Harris, officially becoming California’s junior Senator.
On the other side of the Capitol that day, California Representative Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House after Florida Republican Matt Gaetz filed a motion to vacate. A unified Democratic caucus joined eight Republicans in supporting the motion, resulting in McCarthy being stripped of his Speakership.
The House of Representatives can conduct no formal business until a Speaker is elected by a majority vote of the chamber. The Republican caucus is expected to meet tonight and to host a ‘candidate forum’ of those seeking to succeed McCarthy tomorrow, with Speaker votes expected to begin Wednesday. McCarthy said last week that he will not seek reelection as Speaker, but indicated today that he would be willing to serve again should the Republican caucus coalesce around him.
Department of Insurance Previews Wildfire Insurance Deal
Last month, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara hosted a press conference to announce “California’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy.” The Strategy, representing a deal reached with insurance companies, would require insurers to increase their participation in high wildfire risk communities to “no less than 85% of their statewide market share” and would have to bring on some policyholders currently participating in the state’s insurer of last resort, the FAIR Plan. In return, insurance companies would be permitted to use forward-looking catastrophe modeling in setting their insurance rates. For additional details, see the September 25 edition of Legislative Bulletin.
107th CCA + CCW Annual Convention Attendee Registration Open
Attendee registration for the 2023 CCA/CCW Convention is now open! Register, reserve your room in CCA’s room block and get more information at https://calcattlemen.org/convention2023. An updated convention schedule can be viewed here. Click the links below for more resources related to the event. Attendee Registration | Reserve your Tradeshow Booth Now | Sponsorship Opportunities.
Upcoming CCA Events
107th CCA + CCW Annual Convention and Industry Tradeshow
Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, The Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, Nev.
Attendee registration and the hotel room block for the 2023 CCA/CCW Convention is now open! Register, reserve your room in CCA’s room block and get more information at https://calcattlemen.org/convention2023. Click the links below for more resources related to the event. Reserve your Tradeshow Booth Now | Sponsorship Opportunities. For further information, click here. A revised schedule is now available on our website. To view the schedule, click here.
Upcoming Industry Events
Project Development and Regulatory Sequencing for Wildfire Grants
Oct. 17, 2023, Webinar
Participants of the webinar will increase their understanding of project development and sequencing as it applies to grant funded fuels reduction projects in California. To learn more and register, click here.
CalVTP Field Training: Sierra Foothills, Vista Del Rio Project
Nov. 1, 2023, 1pm – 5pm, Oakhurst, CA
Learn about fuel reduction projects at Vista Del Rio in Oakhurst, CA. Attendees will further their knowledge on how CalFire used CalVTP at Vista Del Rio. For further information and to register, click here.
UCCE Offers AB 589 Water Measurement and Reporting Course
November 6, 2023, 9:00am-12:30pm, UCANR Building in Davis, CA
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) will offer a water measurement and reporting course, as authorized by CCA-sponsored AB 589 (2017) and SB 880 (2022), on Monday, November 6. Given the limited number of trainings offered in 2023, early registration is encouraged. Registration is $30 and pre-registration is required. For additional details and to register for the training, click here or contact Larry Forero or Sara Jaimes.
2024 NCBA Annual Convention
Jan. 31, 2024 – Feb. 2, 2024, Orlando, FL
Registration for the 2024 CattleCon is now open. Here attendees will have the opportunity to network, learn and advocate for the beef industry. To learn more, click here. To register, click here.
Industry News
New Project Aims to Give Endangered Bay Area Butterfly a Boost U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “Tackling the invasive grass problem is a common one in maintaining and restoring habitat, especially in California. One particular control method is gaining scientific support for its use in conservation. San Mateo County Parks is preparing to test the use of cattle grazing on two 100-acre plots to manage the invasive grasses. The cattle are also expected to prevent the further encroachment of native shrubs into the grassland, an issue that has arisen due to the prior removal of grazers and suppression of the natural fire cycle that would keep the grasslands open. Biologists will closely monitor the California golden violets and callippe silverspot as grazing takes place.” To continue reading, click here.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes adding Endangered Species Act protections for two species of pond turtles KEYT “According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal, the two species will receive protection under a 4(d) rule which allows for proactive conservation efforts, including wildfire suppression and management, maintenance of existing livestock ponds, habitat restoration, and non-native species removal.” To continue reading, click here.
If you’re a frequent listener of Sorting Pen, we want to hear your suggestions for improvement and ideas for topics and future guests to be interviewed. Click here to fill out a quick form with your comments.
A new episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast is out now! In this episode Central Coast cattle rancher Kevin Kester discusses the current situation in Washington D.C. including, how the odds of a government shutdown became high, what getting a new Farm Bill passed may look like and why dollars given to CCA’s political action committee are crucial. To listen to the episode click here.
