Political Watch

• Assemblymembers Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), and Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) authored Assembly Bill 2298, legislation that would help establish a statewide Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program, according to a Feb. 21 statement from Hart’s office. The program is meant to prevent fatal ship strikes on endangered whales and reduce […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) urged House Republican leadership to bring the Senate-passed bipartisan national security supplemental aid bill to the floor for a vote, emphasizing its potential to meet the nation’s security challenges and help save lives in the short and long term, according to a Feb. 14 statement from his office. […]

• The California Strategic Growth Council awarded Resilient Cuyama Valley $1.08 million in funding through the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program, according to a Feb. 8 statement from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. The TCC Program funds community-led development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined an “overwhelming majority” of the U.S. House of Representatives to advance a bipartisan tax package that includes an expanded Child Tax Credit and housing affordability tax credits and would provide additional support for small businesses and families affected by recent natural disasters, according to a Jan. 31 […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) marked 20 years since the launch of Santa Barbara’s safe parking program—the first in the nation—by announcing bipartisan legislation to unlock federal dollars for similar programs designed to offer a “critical lifeline” to people experiencing homelessness, according to a Jan. 25 statement from Carbajal’s office. The Naomi Schwartz […]

• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Val Hoyle (D-Oregon) recently introduced comprehensive housing legislation to implement a range of housing and homelessness policy solutions to make affordable housing more accessible for working families across the United States and combat the increase in the number of children and families experiencing homelessness, according to a […]

• As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) considers implementing new rules prohibiting hidden fees in a range of sectors across the U.S. economy, U.S Rep. Salud Carbjal (D-Santa Barbara) is pushing the federal agency to crack down on burdensome junk fees that can rack up thousands of dollars in additional costs for American renters, according […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that calls on the Biden administration to increase efforts to deliver life-saving aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, renew the humanitarian ceasefires that previously helped facilitate safe delivery of that aid, and secure the release of the remaining hostages, […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), along with several colleagues, advocated for a new law to strengthen the cybersecurity practices for the United States’ nuclear weapons system, which was signed by President Joe Biden. Reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published in September 2022 and June 2023 found that the National Nuclear System […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) highlighted new authority spelled out in this year’s annual defense policy bill that allows the Space Force to share more of the upkeep costs for their bases and launch ranges with the commercial space companies using military-owned ranges, according to a Dec. 21 statement. As a senior member […]

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently highlighted the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s approval of a bill to upgrade federal protections for Central Coast public lands, the first-ever action taken by the U.S. Senate on his legislation. The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which Carbajal reintroduced earlier this year during the wildflower […]