Sun Staff

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) testified before the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protection in support of the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that ensures federal firefighters receive the same access to job-related disability and retirement benefits as state, county, and municipal firefighters, according to Carbajal’s office. In order […]

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Nov. 22 that Senior Advisor to the Governor for Energy Alice Reynolds will serve as the new California Public Utilities Commission president, with Maybel Batjer retiring effective Dec. 30, according to a statement. Batjer has served as president for the commission since 2019 and previously served as the first […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) voted to pass the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House on Nov. 19, according to a statement. This act will cut down on the cost of living for working families on the Central Coast and across the country while making investments to address climate change, according […]

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), which brings together national and subnational governments committed to moving away from oil and gas production, according to a Nov. 11 statement. Led by Costa Rica and Denmark, the first-of-its-kind alliance will build momentum for states and nations working to […]

• The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently approved the appointment of Antonette Navarro as the new director of the Behavioral Wellness Department. Navarro will assume duties from Dr. Pamela Fisher, who was the interim director following the departure of Dr. Alice Gleghorn in June. Fisher will return to her previous position as the […]

• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) introduced the Childcare Expansion for Military Families Act to improve and increase child care services for military families, according Carbajal’s office. “Being a parent is a hard job, and that is especially true for our service members,” Carbajal said in the statement. “As a […]

• U.S. Reps Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-Washington), visited Vandenberg Space Force Base to discuss the base’s pivotal role in advancing the nation’s military, civil, and commercial capabilities, an Oct. 20 press release stated. The visit came after the House passed the National Defense Authorization […]

• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) issued a statement regarding allegations of the rape and sexual harassment of students at the U.S. Merchant and Marine Academy (USMMA) aboard training vessels. Investigations began after a 19-year-old female academy cadet filed to a whistleblower website an anonymous report claiming she was sexually […]