• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a statement acknowledging a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on July 1. The Moving Forward Act would allocate money toward improving roads, bridges, transit systems, and broadband access, among other forms of infrastructure. The legislation would also invest in reducing carbon emissions, such as by dedicating funds to alternative-fuel charging stations and zero-emission buses. “The Moving Forward Act makes sure the Central Coast can repair our existing infrastructure and ensures new projects are resilient so they can withstand the effects of weather due to climate change,” Carbajal said in a statement his office released. “This timely investment in local government will create opportunities and bolster our economy at a time when local governments are struggling under the weight of COVID-19.” The Senate has not taken up the bill yet.
• On June 23, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) sent a letter to John Henderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force, in which he expressed his support of Vandenberg Air Force Base serving as the base of operations for the U.S. Space Command. In the letter, Cunningham said the base meets all of the requirements the federal government is looking for, and has the capacity for significant future expansion. “Housing Space Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base would give the combatant command a strong existing network of facilities, space capabilities, and personnel to forward the USSPACECOM mission of national security in space,” Cunningham said in his letter.
• The filing period to run for local positions up for election in November begins on July 13. In the city of Lompoc, three positions are up for election this year, including Mayor Jenelle Osborne’s seat, which serves a two-year term. Additionally, council Districts 1 and 4 are up for election. Those are four-year terms currently occupied by Gilda Cordova and Jim Mosby, respectively. District 1 covers the part of the city north of North Avenue, and District 4 includes the southwestern portion of the city. In the city of Santa Maria, five positions are up for election including the mayor, two council seats, city treasurer, and city clerk. All of these are four-year terms. Districts 1 and 2 are up for election, which cover the northwest and northeast parts of the city, respectively. As of July 6, four people who are interested in running for the District 1 seat have filed candidate intention statements with the city, and two have filed statements announcing their intentions to run for mayor. Candidates interested in running can obtain the required paperwork at the city clerk’s office. The last day to file this paperwork is Aug. 7.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the state’s 2020 budget of $202 billion on June 29. The budget includes cuts and the use of reserve funds to cover a $54.3 billion deficit related to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. The budget includes an estimated $5.7 billion directly tied to responding to the pandemic, including the purchase of protective equipment and hospital surge preparation. “In the face of a global pandemic that has also caused a recession across the world and here in California, our state has passed a budget that is balanced, responsible, and protects public safety and health, education, and services to Californians facing the greatest hardships,” Newsom said in a statement.
